Let us create a 3D eBook for you!
Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com

 

Managing Horse Pasture


A major part of a horse's diet is hay or pasture. A horse weighing 1000 pounds will eat about 500 pounds each month. A horse needs roughly 28 acres of non-irrigated, dryland pasture a year if that is the only source of forage. However, a pasture that is irrigated will grow more forage than dryland pasture, requiring less acreage. The amount of irrigated pasture needed for one horse is roughly 1 to 2 acres.

Two acres of pasture for each horse are recommended. One acre of pasture will provide adequate grazing, but requires more pasture management. Manage your pasture as you would with any crop with soil testing, fertilizing, and managing manure. Horses will not eat trampled grass or grass with manure on it. Horses will also overgraze smaller areas very quickly. Therefore, a combination of pasture and small lot or barn is needed to help minimize overgrazing.

Do not let horses overgraze the pasture as this can cause grass to no longer grow. Keep pasture grass healthy--overgrazed pasture may never recover. To allow for re-growth, leave about 1/3 of the grass uneaten at any given time. The horse can be confined to the lot or barn and only allowed to graze for a few hours a day, reducing damage to a small pasture. Rotational pasture lots are one key to using small acreage pasture space to the fullest potential. Portable electric fencing provides an efficient and economic way to partition you pasture. Over-supplementing your horse with hay and grain will not prevent your horse from overgrazing.

Pasture grazing is not absolutely necessary for a horse. A nice green pasture is not always a reality. Horses can be properly fed without pasture. However, pasture has several advantages as it is the natural feed for horses, reduces the cost of feeding, provides your horse with exercise, and generally speaking, horses are usually healthier when kept outside on pasture.

Establishing and maintaining a productive pasture is not too difficult. A few dollars spent on soil nutrients for your pasture is a good investment. Fertilizer will help your pasture to become more productive and produce more forage. Fertilizer costs will generally be offset from good pasture rotating and from savings in feed costs for hay and grain supplements.

Mowing is also important of pasture management. It minimizes the spread of weeds to help maintain higher quality forage. Mowing weeds before seed heads are produced limits the spread of weeds. Grass should be mowed to 3-4 inches.

No matter how well you manage your pasture, it will most likely thin. To help ensure pasture continues to produce good grass, new forage seed should be spread every year. It is recommended re-seeding be done in the spring or fall. In the spring, wet conditions will allow for germination and growth, but only if it is not too wet or muddy. In the fall, there will be less competition from weeds. Grazing should not be allowed on new grass seedlings for approximately 6 to 8 weeks after emerging from the ground to allow for proper root growth.

Caution! Turning your horse out on green lush pasture before conditioning him to a change in diet is dangerous and can result in sickness or possibly death. Start your horse out slowly by letting him graze for few minutes each day and gradually increase to a few hours each day.

Randall Holman, site owner of Front Range Frenzy and horse enthusiast, is the author of the above article. You will find other easy and practical basic horse care information on his website: http://www.FrontRangeFrenzy.com.


MORE RESOURCES:

Pets - Google News

Canine changes; Pet owners fear licensing costs will rise after takeover - Record-Searchlight


Canine changes; Pet owners fear licensing costs will rise after takeover
Record-Searchlight
Pet licensing in Shasta County will be privatized by next year. Curtis Martin runs Wednesday with his dog Jemma on Market Street. A change in the Shasta County Animal shelter's licensing program prompted by Haven Humane Society's eventual takeover ...

and more »

Why People Don't Fix Their Pets - Patch.com


GoLocalProv

Why People Don't Fix Their Pets
Patch.com
February is Spay/Neuter Awareness Month and veterinarians and advocates have answers and aid for unsure pet owners. By Therra C. Gwyn Millions of kittens (and puppies) end up homeless on the streets and in shelters because of the problem of pet ...
Sex and the Kitty: Discounted pet spay/neuters during FebruaryExaminer.com
NEW: Channel 10 Leads “Help These Faces” Unwanted Pet CampaignGoLocalProv
Pets of the WeekSt. Augustine Record
Mail Tribune -Today's THV -Enterprise-Record
all 10 news articles »

Pet limit and rooster ban on Coast - Fraser Coast Chronicle


Pet limit and rooster ban on Coast
Fraser Coast Chronicle
Sunset clauses have been built into new laws governing keeping pets and poultry on the Fraser Coast to protect existing pet owners. Under the new Local Laws residents can keep two cats and two dogs. If they wish to keep more cats or dogs they will have ...

and more »

Northeast Ohio pet owners want fast FDA action on pet treats from China - Plain Dealer


Plain Dealer

Northeast Ohio pet owners want fast FDA action on pet treats from China
Plain Dealer
Sherrod Brown WASHINGTON, DC - Candace Thaxton of Westlake believes that tainted chicken jerky pet treats from China killed her 10-year-old pug, Chansey, last year and sickened the five-month-old puppy her family got to replace it.
Concerns about potentially tainted pet treatsWTAM.com
Brown, Kucinich Seek FDA Action to Protect Dogs From 'Tainted' TreatsCleveland News - Fox 8

all 4 news articles »

Baby on the way? Make time to prepare your pet - Chronicle-Telegram


Baby on the way? Make time to prepare your pet
Chronicle-Telegram
Experts say the countdown should include prep time for pets too. A baby changes everything for a pet — from how its home looks, smells and sounds to what the rules are. Low energy, friendly, social dogs are the most adaptable pets, while independent, ...

and more »

Pets and Cancer -- Pet loss, the death of a pet - Stamford Times


Pets and Cancer -- Pet loss, the death of a pet
Stamford Times
By Gerald Post, DVM, DACVIM The death of a pet can be devastating. Pets are more than just pets nowadays; they are family members, friends, and trusted companions. When they die, we experience grief and it is a very natural emotion.

and more »

Winterize Your Pet With the Royal Treatment - Huffington Post


Care2.com

Winterize Your Pet With the Royal Treatment
Huffington Post
Global warming may exist, but winter is still upon us, and our pets can feel the chill. A pet on the lap is a simple and wonderful way to lower heating bills, but what can we do to reduce their risk of illness from the tolls of winter?
Big Pets Get Bigger: Latest Survey Shows US Dog and Cat Obesity Epidemic ExpandingMarketWatch (press release)
Most American Pets are Too FatCare2.com
Confused.com guides pet owners through the minefield of pet insuranceWebWire (press release)

all 14 news articles »

MiniChip(TM) in February for Pet Dental Health Month - MarketWatch (press release)


MiniChip(TM) in February for Pet Dental Health Month
MarketWatch (press release)
OAKVILLE, ONTARIO, Feb 06, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Pethealth Inc. /quotes/zigman/39120 CA:PTZ +1.85% - With veterinary clinics and animal welfare practitioners across the country promoting Pet Dental Health month this February, Pethealth Inc.

and more »

Pet Dental Care - NTV


MyFox Washington DC

Pet Dental Care
NTV
February is National Pet Dental Care Month. At what age in our pet's life should we start to be concerned about dental care? As soon as possible while your pet is still young. Know what its teeth and mouth look like, get it accustomed to having its ...
5 Best Ways to Keep Your Pet's Teeth HealthyPaw Nation
A Bite as Healthy as Their BarkWall Street Journal

all 55 news articles »

Pet Travel Announces Partnership with Datamars - Houston Chronicle


Pet Travel Announces Partnership with Datamars
Houston Chronicle
Pet Travel has offered microchips and scanners to traveling pet owners for over 5 years. Through a recent partnership with Datamars, a global leader in pet identification, these devices will be available to vets, breeders, shelters and other businesses ...

and more »

Click here for Best Buy In-Store Pickup

StreetSideAuto.com

Looking For Royalty Free Photos for your Website, Business or Advertising?

My Life Through The Lens

Jumbuck Domain Is For Sale - $5,000 For Enquiries eMail Us

© www.Jumbuck.biz 2011

home | site map | links

eXTReMe Tracker