Cassie LeMaster, Area Livestock and Forage Agent
Fresh forage is often the most economical resource for feeding horses, but prolonged abuse can lead to costly renovations down the road. Most pasture management strategies, when implemented early on, are relatively inexpensive. Use these tips to help maintain one of the most valuable resources on your farm: your pastures.
- Utilize a sacrifice lot. A sacrifice lot is a paddock that you knowingly abuse, by removing horses from all other grazing acres, to allow for turnout during periods when pasture conditions are not adequate or suitable for grazing. Containing horses in a sacrifice lot saves pastures from turning to mud during wet conditions or from being overgrazed during times when forage hasn’t reached the recommended grazing height. Inexpensive sacrifice areas are naturally well-drained and typically begin with a sod-producing forage such as bermudagrass. Permanently installed sacrifice or dry lots, with suitable footing such as sand or gravel dust, are often necessary for smaller acreages or farms operating with higher stocking rates.
- Divide pastures into smaller sections. This can be done using relatively inexpensive tools such as electrified polytape and step-in posts. Dividing pastures into smaller pieces and rotating horses between them allows grazed forages a chance to rest and regrow, while also forcing animals to graze forages more uniformly. Horses tend to repeatedly return to and graze young tender regrowth versus more mature plants. This constant attack on the plant’s attempt to regenerate damages root reserves and weakens the plant, eventually leading to bare areas and weed invasion. Maintaining a dense sod is the best way to fight weeds and avoid costly herbicide applications.
- Compost manure. Rather than storing large piles of manure or paying to have it removed, compost the horse manure picked from turnout lots and soiled bedding from stalls. Composting manure waste creates an excellent soil amendment, which can then be spread to add organic matter and nutrients back to your pastures. Bonus that proper composting methods destroy ingested weed seeds and parasite eggs.
- Evaluate your fertility program. A soil analysis at Clemson’s lab is only six dollars, but the information could save you hundreds on a fertilizer bill. Standard annual fertilizer applications may be costing you extra money if your soil doesn’t have a need for specific nutrients. Take the time to discuss your actual fertilizer needs with your distributor, based on the results of your soil analysis. If budget constraints limit the amount you can spend on a soil fertility program, oftentimes it may be wise to invest what you can in lime application rather than nitrogen. When soil pH drops and becomes too acidic, nutrients that the plant needs to grow (such as nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium) can become bound, and therefore unavailable for the plant’s use. Lime can help condition the soil- to potentially release nutrients that are already there.
- Consult your Extension Agent. Clemson Extension offers free consulting services to horse and livestock owners throughout South Carolina. Your agent can make recommendations specific to your farm and situation, and help identify money saving practices in the process. Example of such services include weed identification, which allows for a threat assessment- is it toxic, noxious, harmless or even beneficial?- and then allows for targeted control recommendations using the cheapest, most effective method.
