Assessing Pasture Condition

How productive is your pasture?  Are there current challenges?  How would you rate the overall condition?  It is important throughout the grazing season that you walk your pasture(s) and evaluate the condition.  While you can come up with indicators to rate your pasture on, there are several helpful assessments available to assist you.  One of the more well-known assessments is called Pasture Condition Scoring (PCS) developed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  PCS is a systematic way to assess how well a pasture is being managed and resources protected.  It involves the visual evaluation of 10 indicators with a low score meaning the pasture has one or more challenges such as poor plant growth and/or weedy species invasion.  While a high score means the pasture is well-managed with productivity being sustained or enhanced.  Best time to evaluate a pasture is right before it is grazed.  The 10 pasture indicators (rated 1-5) that PCS uses is listed below:

·         Percent Desirable Plants

·         Plant Cover

·         Plant Diversity

·         Plant Residue

·         Plant Vigor

·         Percent Legume

·         Uniformity of Use

·         Livestock Concentration Areas

·         Soil Compaction

·         Erosion

In the PCS guide you will find very detailed descriptions for each of the indicators and a score sheet.  The PCS assessment is very thorough and highly recommended.  However, you can always simplify the process until you are ready for a more in-depth assessment.  In a recent horse workshop, we did a hula hoop activity to measure pasture condition.   Participants would randomly throw out the hula hoop in the pasture and measure the following within the hoop with a yard stick/grazing stick and by estimating:

·         Grass Height (avg. heights if they differ): ___________

·         % Bare Ground (estimate): ____________

·         % Desirable Species (fescue, etc.): ____________

·         % Weed Species: _____________

·         Other observations:

This activity led to great discussion among participants about pasture condition and also prepared them for what they should be looking for in their own pastures.  The main take away message is pasture management is not a passive activity.  You have to walk pastures and constantly evaluate how they are doing in case you need to adjust management.

Resource: NRCS Guide to Pasture Condition Scoring 

Do you know what you're feeding your horses this winter?

North Carolina, as well as many other parts of the country, have been experiencing unseasonably high temperatures and drought this spring/summer.  While this may not seem like an issue now, hay producers are concerned that they will not be able to put up as many horse quality bales this year as they have in the past.  

You may have noticed that the price of hay (like everything else) has been creeping up.  Increased cost of fuel and fertilizer have caused these price increases.  Add in drought conditions and the lack of supply could drive the price even higher this fall.  

Hay varieties that do well in the heat, such as Bermuda grass and alfalfa will be more plentiful, but are not usually recommended for maintenance consumption by horses.  Grass hays such as orchard grass and timothy that are preferred by horse owners need cooler temperatures and have suffered the most during this drought.    

To avoid the stress of searching for quality hay this winter, start buying and storing hay now if you have enough dry storage.  Round bales can be more cost effective if you have the storage space and feeding capabilities.  

Remember that not all hay is created equally.  If you're buying from a new producer, or if you're concerned about the nutritional content of hay you've been buying for years, consider having your hay tested.  Contact your local Extension Office to ask about this service.  Quality is always more important than quantity.  Testing can make sure your hay is worth the price you're paying.  This article by University of Minnesota Extension can help interpret hay analysis results.    

Another tip to save money on hay is to pick it up directly.  Feed store and delivered hay can be more expensive due to additional fees.  Consider picking up your hay directly from the producer.  This can give you the option to negotiate a lower price.  If you are a smaller farm, consider splitting a trailer load with a neighbor.  

We all want to be sure our horses are eating the best, most nutritious forages possible, but we also want to have enough money in our budget to feed ourselves.  Planning now could save you a lot of money, time, and stress this fall.  

A Real-Life Carousel - Grazing Management for Horses

Rotational Grazing can be a scary concept for horse owners.  Most people have an image of horses on the wide-open pastures and see rotational grazing paddocks as confinement.  Even though the horses are in smaller pens in a rotational grazing model, they still have plenty of room to run around and enjoy themselves. 

Horses require 2-4 acres per horse for grazing.  Pasture space is often the limiting factor for farms that have grazing animals.  There are 559,000 acres of land used for horse-related purposes which include riding fields/courses, arenas,  trails, and pastures in North Carolina, and more than 306,000 horses.  This means there are 1.8 acres per horse in NC and not all of those acres are used as pasture. We can estimate that only 75% of the 559,000 acres are used to house horses. That leaves 419,000 acres for 306,000 horses or 1.3 acres per horse.  In Short horses in NC on average have 2- 4 times less land than they need for grazing. Most horse farms use continuous grazing, meaning that horses are allowed to graze the pastures all day or feed hay on dry lots.  This leaves no time for the pasture to rest and regrow which leads to poor pasture quality and soil health.  The benefits of rotational grazing include better soil health, pasture quality, decreased hay needs throughout the year, and lower parasite numbers. 

How can horse and pasture owners combat this? Grazing Carousels.  This involves sub-dividing your pastures either with a permanent fence or temporarily using polywire and step-in posts.  Using a temporary setup allows flexibility to increase paddock sizes depending on forage levels and the number of horses grazing at a given time. 

It is ideal to not let horses graze the pasture until the forages have reached an appropriate grazing height, between 5 and 8 inches tall for cool-season grasses such as fescue and 3 to 5 inches for warm-season grasses such as Bermuda.  The goal is to keep the grass in the grazing “sweet spot.” it is important to monitor the forage height and to move the horses off of a paddock before it is grazed below 3 inches.  In addition to preventing pasture-associated laminitis, it  allows maximum regrowth by reducing stress on the plant, which slows growth. This also prevents the plant from going to seed when it reaches its mature height which stops the growth.    

Paddock sizes should be created based on the number of horses  The weather, soil fertility, and pasture conditions determine how long a paddock can be grazed. Horses shouldn’t be in one paddock for more than 7 days, and should ideally be moved every 1-2 days.  This may sound like a lot of extra work, however, taking down and putting up temporary fences can be quick.  Depending on the size of the paddock, the step-in post and polywire can be put up in as little as 5-15 minutes.  This is often less time than it takes to feed hay!

In addition to the soil and forage benefits, rotational grazing can aid in parasite prevention. Overgrazing can lead to increased intestinal parasite load because when grazing low stubbly grass horses are more likely to ingest them.  Grazing on taller grasses can help prevent this, which makes rotational grazing a great additional management strategy for high shedding horses.  

Rotational grazing can help improve soil health.  Better soil leads to more grass and more grass leads to less hay. Using less hay will decrease the amount of input required for horse ownership.  For more information about rotational grazing for horses and pasture plans take a look at this link from Penn State Extension: https://extension.psu.edu/how-to-make-rotational-grazing-work-on-your-horse-farm 

Spring Horse Owner Series- Webinars & On-Farm Workshop

 

Come learn with us as we dive into horse management topics such as metabolic concerns, pastures, grazing, internal parasites, and dry lots.

About this event

Join us for an exciting series that includes both webinars and an on-farm workshop. The first webinar will be led by Dr. Shannon Pratt-Phillips, Professor, Equine Nutrition & Physiology, NC State University where she will discuss metabolic concerns. Lauren Langley, Livestock Extension Agent, Alamance County will lead the second webinar and discuss pasture management as well as internal parasites.

Zoom Webinars, 7 – 8 p.m. EST:

• March 23 : Metabolic Concerns for Horses

• April 25: Pasture & Internal Parasite Management

The on-farm workshop will be held at Idle Acres Farm located in Mebane, NC. Please use the following address to get to the farm and then look for the farm sign entrance to turn in: 7312 Cummings Drive, Mebane NC 27302. Workshop cost is $15/person. The agenda will include a farm introduction, dry lot construction (do’s/dont’s), managing horses on a dry lot, pasture layout and design, and rotational grazing. More details to come!

On-Farm Workshop, 6 – 8 p.m. (Mebane, NC):

• May 24: Managing Horses on Dry Lots & Pastures

Register online here: https://go.ncsu.edu/springseries22 

Questions?

Contact Lauren Langley at lauren_langley@ncsu.edu or 336.570.6740

To Graze or Not To Graze?

 

Individual horse's needs are different and we have to put that first when choosing the best management.  The purpose of this blog post is to make you think and consider if grazing is the best option based on your horse’s needs and situation.  Here are some questions to consider before grazing:

·         Does your horse need to be on a strict diet based on weight issues, metabolic disease, past health problems, allergies, laminitis, etc.?

·         Is pasture space limited for the number of horses?

·         Are you breeding horses and have KY 31 tall fescue pastures?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above you may want to consider installing an equine dry lot to manage those specific horses/situations.  Let’s take the overweight horse for example.  If your horse is overweight and possibly prone to developing laminitis then it is crucial that you know exactly what the horse is taking in.  Pasture “calories” can change with the time of day, grass species, weather, etc. so the horse could be taking in more than it needs or less depending on several factors.  It may be best to formulate a diet that can be consistent and measured through forage analysis so you know what the horse is taking in each day. 

Dry lots are a great alternative to grazing when more space is needed for exercise but not calorie intake.  Some issues are so complex that it is just hard to make grazing work even with limited turnout, grazing muzzles, and poor forage quality pastures.  Consult with your veterinarian and Livestock Extension Agent to come up with a plan that works for you and your horse today!      

For more on special diets and nutrition issues please visit: https://extension.umn.edu/horse/horse-nutrition#special-diets-or-nutrition-issues-2393465

Introduction to Equine Dry Lots

Managing horses on small acreage can be challenging.  One of the challenges often faced is the need for grazing but being limited on space.  Dry lots can serve many purposes but the main purpose is to have somewhere to confine horses when pastures need time to rest and regrow.  It is important to consider grading and footing when thinking about putting in a dry lot.  Without the proper grade and footing layers, the dry lot will not stand the test of time.  

Follow along with Lauren Langley, Livestock Extension Agent as she introduces the concept and benefits of installing an equine dry lot. You will also hear from two horse farm owners that have installed a dry lot and how it has helped them achieve their goals.

For more information about equine dry lots please visit: https://alamance.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Equine-Dry-Lot.pdf?fwd=no or contact your local Extension Agent for advice.

Getting Started with Rotational Grazing

 

Getting started with rotational grazing is as simple as dividing one pasture into two pastures so you can manage grazing.  It is very important this time of year to wait until the pasture is 6-8 inches in height before you allow grazing.  A good rule of thumb is to take half, leave half and to never allow grazing below 3-4 inches.  Once the horses have grazed a pasture down then you rotate them to the next pasture to allow the first pasture to rest and regrow.  You simply repeat this process throughout the growing season and anytime your pasture is not growing, consider feeding hay in a dry lot to preserve your pasture.  Check out the short video and publication below for more information on rotational grazing.

Managing Pastures to Feed Your Horse, NCSU

Estimating Winter Hay Needs

As the summer comes to an end, our warm season pastures, such as bermudagrass and bahiagrass, will begin declining in both production and quality.  This is the time of year when horse owners should begin stocking up on hay to feed through the fall and winter months while pastures are dormant.  Although it is a large bill to front, buying all your horse’s hay now is typically cheaper than waiting until November or December to buy hay that has been stored in a barn and when hay supply is getting low.  Some hay producers will often sell at a discounted rate if you buy bales straight out of the field.  I would consider this a benefit for both a producer and customer since labor is reduced (accumulating bales, stacking them on a trailer, and unloading into a hay barn or shed is labor intensive) and customers can usually get a dollar to two discount per square bale.  

There are several things to consider when stocking up on hay for winter feeding.  First, how much hay does your horse consume per day, specifically when there is little standing forage available in the pasture?  Horses vary on how much they eat but a good rule of thumb is 2 percent of their body weight per day. Multiplying 2 percent by your horse’s weight will give you their daily intake. For example, a 1000-pound horse will consume about 20 pounds of hay per day.  Again, this may fluctuate but 2 percent is a good starting point.  

Next, multiply daily intake, 20 pounds in this example, by the average number of days you feed until pasture green-up.  Let’s say your pastures are dormant from November to April.  That’s roughly 150 days multiplied by 20 pounds.  In this scenario, total forage consumption for the winter is around 3,000 pounds per horse. Research has shown that around 5 percent of hay purchased will not make it to your horse's mouth so let's take that loss into account. You will lose around 150 pounds of the 3,000 pounds which brings our total to 3,150 pounds to compensate. 

Now, how many bales does that translate into? Both large round bales and small square bales vary in their density which affects their weight. Finding a hay producer with consistent bales is very important in estimating how many you will need.  Let’s assume you feed square bales and they average 50 pounds. Take your total hay needed for the winter (3,150 lbs) and divide by average bale weight (50 lbs).  Your horse will need 63 square bales to get through the winter.   

After you calculate how much hay your horse needs, you also need to think about storage space.  Hay should be stored out of the weather.  Bales that get rained on become a great environment for molds to develop which can adversely affect your horse so make sure you have the room to keep them dry.  Nutrition quality also drops as hay is exposed to the elements throughout the winter. Generally, square bales are easier to store in smaller areas such as an empty stall. A 12-foot by 12-foot stall with an 8 -foot roof should hold around 90 square bales, depending on how you stack them.  If you have several horses and need to feed round bales, they can be set on wood pallets and covered with tarps to keep the moisture out. 

If you have the storage capacity, purchasing all your hay before supply runs low in the winter is a good practice to keep feed costs down.  Always remember that all hay is not created equal so consider having your hay tested for nutrient content to ensure your horse’s nutrition requirements are being met.  If you have any questions about horse nutrition or forages please contact your local Extension office.   

Should I Feed My Horse Grain?

When it comes to developing a feeding program for your horse always keep in mind that high quality forage (pasture + hay) should always come first.  To answer the title to this blog post you first need to know the nutritional requirements of the horse in question.  Nutritional requirements are based on several factors including:

• Class of the horse
• Body weight
• Body condition
• Stage of production
• Age
• Activity level
• Growth

 For example, high quality forage alone should meet the nutritional requirements of horses in maintenance or light work.  In contrast, a horse that is in lactation or heavy work will almost always require supplementation in the form of grain to meet nutritional requirements.

How do you know if your forage is high quality and meeting your horse’s nutritional requirements?  The best way to know what you are feeding is through a forage test.  You can test fresh forage (pasture) and you can also test hay for nutritional value.  Then, you have a basis for your horse’s feeding program and can go from there if you need to supplement.  As you can see from the charts below, high quality forage can go a long way in meeting nutritional requirements:

Chart by: Dr. Paul Siciliano, NCSU

 

Chart by: Dr. Paul Siciliano, NCSU

Lastly, don’t forget the minerals!  All horse feeding programs need mineral supplementation year-round, especially trace minerals.

In summary, try to maximize high quality forages as much as possible to ensure a healthy gut and avoid unnecessary supplementation.  Not only will this save you time in feeding but also money!  Whenever forages do not meet nutritional requirements that is when you need to feed a supplement, usually in the form of grain.

For more information about feeding horses check out this article.