Mid-Summer Pasture Check-Up

By Lisa Kiley | https://www.cashmans.com/

It's hard to believe that we are already halfway through the summer Time flies between horse shows, county fairs, and summer vacations. While there are so many fun things to do in the summer, when it comes to maintaining grazing pastures, mid-summer is a good time for a close evaluation. Taking the time to do some upkeep now will help ensure ample grazing for your herd into the fall.

Here are some tips for checking in on the health of your pastures:

Pay Attention to Dry Weather - Most horse people are aware of how damaging wet ground can be to growing grass. Putting horses out on wet ground that hasn't been amended will surely cause mud to occur. It tends to be easier to recognize that after a hard rainfall or melting snow, it is an important time to protect pastures from the hooves of horses in order to prevent destruction from mud. But in the summer, if there is considerable dry weather, it can have just as much of a negative impact on the health of the pasture. Dry conditions can cause compaction of the earth which can halt healthy grass growth. When dry weather occurs, it may be time to take action and move horses to different pastures or a sacrifice area.

Keep an Eye on Growth Patterns - Inspecting pastures regularly to see what grazing patterns the horses are developing can help provide clues where attention might be needed. Horses will select the best and overgraze in those areas if they are left out on the pasture for too long If horses overgraze, the roots are not protected, and the areas become barren. Once that happens, it can allow for weeds to take hold. Similarly, areas where the grazing isn't as tasty for horses can become manure piles and encourage weeds to grow, choking out the chance for palatable grass. These are often only noticed when you take time to walk around in the pasture to really see what is going on.

Enlist Rotational Grazing – Having one large pasture can be a time saver when it comes to maintenance, but it doesn't really help if the grass in the field doesn't provide horses with enough nourishment. Well managed pastures allow for the greatest savings in feed costs, but pastures that are left to their own devices will generally become void of quality grass by the end of August. You can build separate smaller pastures, or if you have a large perimeter fence, you can break it up into smaller pastures with electric rope fencing to make it more economical and mobile. Horses should be moved off grass when it gets down to 2” to 3”. Horses should be allowed to graze in sections that have at least 6” to 8” in growth.

Utilize a Sacrifice Area – One of the sections in rotation can be made into a sacrifice lot which will allow the horses to be out in conditions that are not conducive to the ground. Improving the area of the sacrifice lot by adding Mud Grids, Paddock Slabs, or other substrate material, allows a safe and healthy space for the horses to be when the conditions aren't right for grazing This is generally placed in an area that is closest to the barn. If you are using rotational grazing and one of the sections hasn't grown enough for the horses to go out and graze, the sacrifice area can be utilized. A sacrifice area can be one of the most multifunctional spaces on a farm.

Mow & Harrow – After the horses have been removed from a pasture area, it may be a good idea to mow Mowing helps to keep weeds from crowding out new grass growth. Just make sure not to mow any lower than the current grass length to ensure that fall grasses can grow through. Mowing for growth should be done on an as needed basis, not just for aesthetics. After mowing, harrowing allows manure clumps to be broken down to a point where they can be useful to the soil and health of the grass rather than impeding it. Regular harrowing can help stimulate grass growth.

Re-evaluate the Situation – Now that the area has been mowed and harrowed, walk around and assess what the pasture growth looks like as well as the ground beneath the grass. This will help determine what next steps need to be made to remedy any issues in the pasture. Are there certain types of weeds that are especially pervasive? Are there areas of bare patches where the grass may have been the horses' first choice? This is a great time to sample the soil and see what you might be working with. Midsummer is a great time to fertilize, and re-seed as needed. Bonus points if you can plan on re-seeding before it rains. Well timed seeding can get you the most growth potential.

Try Something Completely New – Traditional rotational grazing is a great way to maximize the growth potential of the pastures on your farm. Who doesn't want to utilize the grass they have to cut down on hay bills during the summer and fall? However, you can not only add rotational grazing to your farm plan, but there is also an opportunity to get your horse moving and enrich their way of life by creating a set up that is much more similar to the way that they would live out in the wild. Consider implementing a track system for your horses that adds options in rotational grazing and elevate the way you care for your horses.

Next month, we will review some of the ways you can build a track system on your property and reap the benefits of a style of horse keeping that is much closer to nature.

If you have any questions about how to set up an area on your farm for rotational grazing, contact Cashmans Horse Equipment or check out Cashmans.com where you can plan your next fencing project with our handy fencing calculator.

(740) 363-6073 https://www.cashmans.com/

About the author: Lisa Kiley is a horse enthusiast and a proud member of the Cashman’s Horse Equipment Team in Delaware, OH.