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| Author |
Message |
    
Otis G Embree
| | Posted on Thursday, May 6, 1999 - 1:54 pm: |   |
For the past three years I have utilized
rotational grazing with my horses. This involves
confining the herd to smaller paddocks and moving
them every two or three days to a fresh paddock. I
use electric, temporary fencing to divide my
fields into paddocks. Three weeks will have
elapsed by the time the herd is placed back on the
first paddock. Benefits: prevents overgrazing;
reduces spot grazing; allows me to extend the
vegetative stage of the plant; provides the herd
with pasture at its nutritional best; manure is
dropped over the whole of the pasture. The feed
bill for my brood mares has been cut by 1/3
because the pastures have improved so
dramatically |
The Advisor Vet, RN Oglesby DVM
| | Posted on Friday, May 7, 1999 - 8:19 am: | |
Excellent Otis,
Copy this to Care/ Tips and Tricks Forum and you will probably win the month. Results of testing in our state of NC, USA with fescue pastures strongly suggest your experiences are easy to duplicate. I have seen these recommendations for rotational pasture grazing:
1) generally expect to have a minimum total of ½ acre a horse (this is 1/4 our local recommendation for nonrotational pasture use) with a minimum of 4 distinct, equal areas.
2) move the horses before any of the grass gets grazed below two inches
3) When the horses are moved, the just used pasture is:
a)mowed to 2 inch length
b)drug to break up and spread out the manure (note deworming should be aggressive to keep the horses from ingesting larvae, fecal floats recommended to check efficacy).
4) Depending on your circumstances you may need to adjust the time on each pasture and the number of pastures but you are trying to give each pasture at least a 21 day rest.
To make management easy, I suggest to clients that they create a convenient lot that includes the current pasture gait and the water tub. Off of this "common area" the small pastures fences run. This way the water tub and main gait can be made to be common from all the pastures.
It should go without saying that the pastures should be properly treated and fertilized. Numerous studies have shown that controlling broad leaf weeds is one of the most effective means to keep your pastures productive.
DrO |
Hannah Kirby
| | Posted on Sunday, May 14, 2000 - 12:09 am: | |
We are moving to an area in Southern California where the pastures are almost entirely comprised of foxtails. My concern is whether or not foxtails present a threat to horses. We are new to California and do not have any experience with pasture material of this type. |
Eveo
| | Posted on Sunday, May 14, 2000 - 2:53 am: | |
Hi Hannah--I live in central California and have a seasonal pasture. The native grasses are of the foxtail variety. In my area, we also get a plant called "alfilerey" (sp?) which is very high in protein and apparantly delicious. It is my understanding that foxtail grasses are fine--until the set seed becomes ripe. Then, the horses run the risk of getting a foxtail stuck in their gums, etc.
My horses don't seem to be very interested in eating the mature foxtails, although if they were truly hungry, I'm sure they would.
If you have water for irrigation, you can plant Bermuda in the summers and Rye in the winter months. I occasionally plant a little oat and/or wheat seed. The plants never get to go to seed.
What you do need to worry about is your dog. Invariably they get a foxtail imbedded in their ears, nostrils, between their toes, and so forth. The vets get rich out here in the summertime.
Good luck. |
