Forages and Pasture

The rule of thumb is that horses should eat at least 1 percent of their body weight in forages every day. So, having lush pastures and good quality hay is important because if your forages aren’t great quality then your horse has to eat that much more to meet its bodily demands. You can always supplement with grain and other things to help your equines meet their demands but forages are what keeps their gut in good working order.

            The importance of great well managed pastures is sometimes overlooked. But, a good pasture is some of the cheapest feed you can provide for horses. Fresh forages offer a great source of protein and because they are freshly eaten the grass has a large moisture content which dry hay doesn’t offer. That added moisture means less time huddled around the water tank causing an already high traffic area that much less stress. One of the simplest ways to take a pasture to the next level is to put up some permanent or temporary fence lines and rotate your animals through sections. This allows your forages some time to rest and build a better root system making them more productive in those hot and dry summer stretches.

            A poor pasture can lead to soil erosion which in any case is a bad thing but, in a pasture situation it is very bad. The topsoil that you do have on your land is only good to you if it stays in place. It takes years to rebuild a small amount of topsoil so try your best to prevent erosion. A poorly managed pasture is also one of the leading factors when it comes to parasite control. A good way to manage parasites in your forages is to drag you pasture with a light drag to break up the manure piles and spread the eggs and larvae of parasites out into the sunshine which will help reduce their numbers.

            Another tool that can be added to your tool belt of forage and pasture production is soil fertility. The two biggest factors behind sufficient rainfall for growing forges are nutrients and pH. It is of the upmost importance to keep your pH in proper balance to help your forages succeed. Low pH can be managed through applying lime to your land to raise the pH back up. Also, soil fertility is extremely important because if your forages can’t find available nutrients then they can’t grow and produce quality feed for your animals. In order to find out what is going on beneath the surface you can take a soil test and send it off to be examined. This is a free service provided by NCDA to NC residents, just call your local extension agent for questions and assistance.

            One of the most cost effective was to feed and maintain a healthy happy horse is by allowing your animals to graze quality forages.