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

Spring Forage Management in Eastern North Carolina

 

Many of us are looking forward to warmer weather and longer days.   If you manage a pasture for horses, or are planning to plant one, now is the time to make those final management decisions and plans.  What you do now will ensure spring pasture growth starts off right and leads into a productive summer.

 

For those wanting to plant a new pasture or hay field, your first decision will be what to grow.  For those who live in the Coastal Plain part of NC, bermudagrass or another warm season grass may be what you choose to grow and/or manage.  Are you interested in growing hybrid bermudagrass, or maybe a seeded variety?  There is a difference, starting with when and how to get this done.  Hybrids spread and reproduce by stolons (above ground growth) and rhizomes (below ground growth).  Any seeds seen on a hybrid plant are sterile, so we must start a field by planting “sprigs” which are small plants that have been dug from an established field and then re-planted to a new field.  Hybrid bermudagrass, such as Coastal, Tifton 44, or Midland 99 should ideally be planted anywhere from mid- February to mid-March.  There are sprig suppliers in the area that sell and will deliver sprigs to your field.  Extension can assist with contacts to sprig suppliers if this is your choice.  Seeded varieties of bermudgrass are also available and may be a better choice for small acreage locations or the flexibility of later planting dates.

 

Of course, there are other forage choices you might decide to plant.  Bermudagrass is a perennial plant, which will grow throughout the spring and summer and become dormant during the winter months but come back again the next year, and that is one reason it is often preferred.  However, there are annual grasses that could be planted, such as pearl millet or crabgrass, and these will grow well and provide plenty of grazing throughout the warmer months too.  If you want the flexibility of planting something new each season, an annual such as these may be a better choice for you.  

 

 

 

Either way, if a soil sample has not been taken in the past 2-3 years, it’s time to take one. Ideally, a soil sample is taken prior to the growing season, but anytime is better than none. Soil fertility changes over time and may not always be optimum for forage growth. Both establishing and planting forages for new pastures and maintaining fertility on existing pastures require soil sampling.   Pastures in southeastern NC will need to maintain around a 6-6.5 pH for maximum productivity.  Soil pH tends to drop off over time and additional lime may need to be applied in order to bring these levels back to normal. The soil sample will provide useful information with both lime recommendations and fertilization needs. Stop by the Extension office to pick up a soil test box and instructions on sampling.   

 

Another important step to starting off spring growth is fertilization.  Meeting the needs of the plant will allow for the optimum production of the crop, whether for grazing or hay.  Fertilization for warm season grasses should be applied in split applications throughout the growing season, generally with the first application in April or early May.  Again, the soil test is a handy tool in knowing what the nutrient needs of your pasture are, being based on what is currently available in the soil and depending on the type of pasture you are growing. 

 

Along with the spring growth of our pastures, comes the growth of various weeds.  There are several products on the market to help with this.  Emerging warm season weeds, such as pigweed, dogfennel, bitter sneezeweed, sicklepod, and horsenettle can be effectively controlled as long as they are treated while still immature.  At the same time, chemical herbicides generally work best when applied in moderate temperatures (60 degrees or better). A precaution to note: some herbicides are damaging to neighboring crops, such as tobacco and cotton, so be careful to select a safe product if these crops have been planted close by.  Choosing to apply herbicides during calmer days or times of the day is also a good idea as wind will carry these chemicals farther than you might think. 

 

In addition to controlling broadleaf weeds that invade our pastures and hay fields, there now are more options for grass-type weeds.  Many fields battle competition from crabgrass, bahiagrass, goosegrass, and vaseygrass just to name a few.  Once you’ve identified the weed or weeds you are dealing with, a selection can be made of the most ideal, appropriate, yet economical method or chemical to achieve this goal.   Your county agricultural extension agent will be glad to assist you in decisions to get your spring pastures started off right.

 

 

The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or services in this article does not imply endorsement by North Carolina State University nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned.

Fall Pasture and Forage Management

 Fall is right around the corner.  As we welcome cooler days and temperatures, it's also time to plan for cooler grazing options with the days getting shorter.  Growth of warm season grasses are already beginning to slow down, while many livestock and horse owners are stocking up on hay for the winter and making cool season planting decisions.   With that in mind, having the latest version of the Planting Guide for Forage Crops in NC is very helpful!  This guide can be your roadmap to selecting the best forages all year round, how much is needed, and other best management tips for success.
As always, contact your local county Extension Center for additional information and guidance; we are here to help. 

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

Recommendations to Manage Grazing in Horses

The scope of this article is confined more to grazing considerations than forage management practices such a forage specie selection, fertilization, weed control, and mowing.  Several recommendations for managing grazing of horses are provided below.

• The goal of forage management is to maintain the desired supply of digestible forage to grazing horses. Mature forage and weedy forage types are not efficiently digested.
• Establishing forage depends largely on what plant species are best adapted to the soil type and geographical area, and the types and levels of agronomic inputs owners are willing to employ.
• The length of forage grazing season will depend on use of warm and cool season forages, rainfall, grazing management, and agronomic practices employed.
• Don’t overestimate the available forage for stocking rate determination. Trees, sacrifice areas, overgrazed areas, and brush must be considered.
• If pastures are of adequate size, decrease sacrifice areas by practices such as frequently relocating feed troughs in pastures.
• Consider time limit grazing and rotational grazing programs, especially when housing horses on small acreages.
Rotational grazing, companion grazing with other types of livestock, spreading of manure piles, and other management practices will reduce spot grazing.
• Pasture forage should be maintained at minimum optimal heights. Although complete removal of horses from pastures is not possible on many farms, rotational grazing or limited turnout time will help establish initial growth, and allow for regrowth during the active season of forage growth.
• Horses should be gradually introduced to forage types that are high in nutrients such as winter annuals. For example, start turn outs for 30 minutes once or twice per day for a couple of days, followed by a couple of days with access of 4 to 6 hours before continual turnout. Watch the horse’s health and behavior to determine how quickly to advance this introductory period. Allowing horses free choice hay while not on pastures during the introductory period will help decrease their appetite when they are turned out.
• Selection of forages to establish needs to be based on desired forage production times and amounts, forage compatibility to the geographical area, the expected grazing and trampling pressure, and the expected grazing and agronomic practices to be followed.

Click the link for the complete factsheet from Oklahoma State University regarding Managing Grazing for Horses

Horse Courses

The University of Minnesota Extension Horse Team will be offering two online certificate courses starting in January 2017.  The first course focuses on pasture establishment and management, while the second course focuses on growing and feeding horse hay (see fliers below).  Although species recommendations will focus on the Upper Midwest, most information can be applied across the U.S.   

Both courses are semi self-paced and are six weeks in duration.  To earn a certificate, participants must earn ≥70% on three 10-point multiple choice quizzes and participate in three online discussions per course. The course is recommended for adult learners, but is open to everyone.  The course will not result in college credit.  The cost for each course is $75 and registration is required by January 8, 2017. 

Registration is available at http://learning.umn.edu/search/publicCourseSearchDetails.do?method=load&courseId=6682819

If you prefer to attend a horse class in person rather than on-line, please see the Guilford County Cooperative Extension list below:

2017 Extension Horse Management Short Courses 

45^th Annual 

Monday Nights 7:00pm

Guilford County Agricultural Center

3309 Burlington Road, Greensboro NC 27405

   

January 30 – Pasture/Grazing Management, Grazing Research 

                       Dr. Paul Siciliano, Professor, Department of Animal Science, NCSU 

February 6 - General Horse Health Care/ Equine Veterinary Care & Maintenance –

                      Dr. Chelsey Miller, Dr. John Parks, Iron Will Mobile Veterinary         

                      Services, Burlington North Carolina

February 13 – Water Issues on the Farm, Waste Regulations & Manure Management,

                       Erosion Control, Putting In Heavy Use Areas, Water Runoff.

                       Melissa Rosebrock, Environmental Senior Specialist, NC Division of Water

                       Resources, NC Department of Environmental Quality - Millie Langley Guilford

                       County Soil & Water  

February 20 - Myler Bits & Bitting - Dale Myler,  Myler Bit Manufacturers,   

                  Marshfield, MO (THIS CLASS WILL BEGIN AT 6:30 pm & POSSIBLY LAST UNTIL 9:30pm) 

February 27 - Alternative Equine Medicine – Equine Chiropractic & Acupuncture

                        Dr. James Meyer – Neuse River Equine Hospital, Wendell, NC 

March 6 - Fencing & Supplies and Equine Nutrition          

                   Davis Feed & Purina Equine Nutrition, Randleman, NC

March 13 - Equine Lameness - Dr R. Scott Pleasant – Virginia Tech Director of Equine

                   Podiatry Service, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Professor,  

                   Equine Field Service and Equine Extension Department of Large Animal Clinical

                   Sciences, Blacksburg, Virginia

March 20 – Question & Answer

                    Questions Asked by Horse Owners to the Equine Veterinarians – Hosted and

                     Held at Carolina Equine Hospital, Brown Summit, NC

Please call Ben Chase for more information at (336) 342-8235 or email at Ben_Chase@ncsu.edu