INTRO TO HORSE PADDOCK GRAZING SYSTEMS:
FORAGE & HORSE HEALTH
RELATIONSHIPS
DR. BRIDGETT MCINTOSH
DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
M.A.R.E. CENTER
MIDDLEBURG, VA
GREENING
YOUR
HORSE
PADDOCK
SYSTEM
John Marshall
Soil & Water
Conservation
District
Piedmont
Environmental
Council
Forage is foundation of equine diet
Horses need 1.5% to 3% of their body weight in forage each day:
17 to 33 lb/day for the average horse
Graze 14-18 hrs/day
Move 10 miles/day
WHY IS PASTURE IMPORTANT?
Slide Design, K.Treiber
PASTURE GRASS ALONE EXCEEDS MOST
NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS
Light Exercise (assuming intake at 2% BW)
126%
211%174%
272%
183%
550%
204%
71% 99%
215%
835%
68%
489%
417%
138%
0%
100%
200%
300%
400%
500%
600%
700%
800%
900%
BENEFITS OF PASTURE
Provides optimal nutrition
Reduces colic and digestive
disorders
Reduces gastric ulcers
Reduces respiratory disease
Increases bone mineral content
in young growing horses
Promotes normal healthy
behavior
Reduces development of vices
Overstocking
Overgrazing
Manure management
Mud management
MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS
PROBLEM GRAZERS
Selective grazers= uneven grazing
Biting top grazers = leaf removal
Large & heavy = soil compaction & trampling
Manure distribution = uneven grazing &
parasites
Healthy Horses
+
Healthy
Environment?
HEALTHY
PASTURE
S
HOW DO
WE
ENSURE
KEYS TO A HEALTHY PASTURE
What is purpose of pasture?
Exercise
Nutrition
Both?
Size of usable acreage
Stocking rate
Pasture species selection
Proper planting
Soil testing
Grazing management
OR
Turnout for exercise?
Nutrition?
• Depends on characteristics of your pasture
• Maintain at least 70% vegetative cover
regardless of time of year
• 2 acres per horse
STOCKING RATES
HOW MUCH PASTURE?
Turnout Time (d) Acres
< 3 h 0.5
3-8 h 1
8-12 h 1.5
24 h 2 +
Stocking rates can be
increased with elevated
levels of management:
Mowing
Rotational grazing
Irrigating
Fertilizing
Overseeding
Several species make good horse pastures
Cool Season
Tall Fescue*
Orchardgrass
Kentucky Bluegrass
Timothy
Warm Season
Bermudagrass
Crabgrass
Legumes
Clover
Alfalfa
FORAGE SPECIES SELECTION
* Ky 31 Tall fescue is toxic to broodmares but perfectly safe for all other classes of horses
COOL SEASON VS WARM SEASON GRASSES
PLANTING GUIDELINES
Cool Season Forages
Fall is best
August-September
Spring
Frost seed January-March
Drill February to April 1
Warm Season Forages
Late spring/early summer (May)
Do not graze too soon!
PLANTING RECOMMENDATIONS
RENOVATE OR START OVER?
Continue current management if:
75% or more desirable plants
Improve Management or overseed:
40-75% desirable plants left
Start over if:
Less than 40% desirable plants
Soil tests indicate soil pH and fertility
Lime (to adjust pH)
Nitrogen (N)
phosphorous (P)
Potassium (K)
Other nutrients, Ca, Zn, Cu, Mg, etc.
Soil tests should be performed on each pasture or field every 2 to 3 yrs.
Apply N fertilizer when plant growing
ie. at “green-up”
SOIL TESTING FOR HEALTHY PASTURES
Soil samples are collected
by walking in a zig-zag
pattern and collecting
samples to a depth of 3-6”
from at least 20 locations.
3-6”
HOW TO COLLECT SOIL SAMPLES
SUBMITTING SOIL SAMPLES
Mix samples thoroughly and submit
a single composite sample (about 1
cup) for pastures 10 acres or less.
Larger pastures require a greater
number of samples.
Label sample box so that the test
results can be easily identified.
Fill out information sheet
Soil sample boxes and supplies can
be obtained from your county
extension office
What kind of soil do you have?
http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/Ho
mePage.htm
HORSES SPOT GRAZE FAVORITE
AREAS AND SELECTIVELY GRAZE
FAVORITE SPECIES, AND ARE
CAPABLE OF ELIMINATING
PLANTS IF PASTURES ARE NOT
MANAGED.
GRAZING MANAGEMENT
Pastures are made up of individual
plants
Understanding how plants grow can
help us understand how to manage
the pasture
The best weed control is a healthy
stand of forage
HOW GRASS GROWS
• Main growing point at base
produces leaves
• Growing points throughout stem and
at base of leaf blade
• Vegetative vs. reproductive growth
• Photosynthesis
• Regularly removing first new leaves
in the spring will weaken the plant
root, and eventually it will die
Missouri State University
Adapted from NRCS, Bozeman, MT
TAKE
HALF /
LEAVE
HALF
SERIOUS
DAMAGE TO
THE ROOT
SYSTEM OF
THE PLANT
CAN OCCUR IF
AS LITTLE AS
10 PERCENT
ADDITIONAL
PLANT LEAF
VOLUME IS
REMOVED
KEEP PLANTS GROWING FAST
Individual
pasture-plant
growth
Plant height (inches)
0 2 4 86 10 123
Fastest
growth
Slow growth zone!!!!!
Key point: REST the pastures
Graze for a short time then allow forage to
regrow
Need to rotate between several fields
Ideally, first field is ready to be grazed
when horses are done on last field
How many fields? How long between
rotation? Depends!
Size of fields
Stocking density
Available forage
ROTATIONAL GRAZING FOR
OPTIMAL PASTURE PRODUCTION
ROTATIONAL GRAZING
EXAMPLE LAYOUT
Temporary electric fencing works great!
One-strand if separating paddocks only
Avoid metal t-posts
INTERNAL PADDOCK FENCING
REST & RECOVER
Remove at
3-4”
Graze at
6 - 12” (cool season
grasses)
Adapted from NRCS, Bozeman, MT
CONSIDER THE SPECIES
Cool season Grasses
Time of Year Recovery Time
First rotation (late
Mach/April)
14-16 days
Fast Growth (May-
June and Fall)
20-30 days
Summer/Winter 30 to 40 days
Warm Season Grasses
GRAZING GUIDELINES
Time of Year Recovery Time
Early fast growth 14-21 days
Normal growth
conditions
21-28 days
Slower growth 35 to 45 days
• Recovery time will depend on how short the forage was
grazed, growing conditions, soil fertility etc.
• Separate paddocks by cool season and warm season if
possible.
For the Plants &
Environment
Increased forage
production
Plants remain young &
vegetative
Uniform grazing
Erosion reduced
NPS pollution reduced
For the Horse
Improved nutrition
Exercise & grazing reduce
risk for colic, bad
behavior
Grazing increases mineral
bone density in young
horses
Decreases mud and
erosion
Improve skin and hoof
condition
BENEFITS OF ROTATIONAL GRAZING
Pastures provide
optimal nutrition
for most horses
BUT…
Sometimes
healthy pasture
not healthy for all
horses!
Metabolic
Syndrome
Obesity
Insulin resistance
Laminitis/Founder
HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS FOR GRAZING
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 240
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
FF
Pasture
SS
Time, hr
Insu
lin
, m
IU/L
Staniar et al, 2004
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
NSCInsulin-Grazing
Insulin-Control
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
0600 2400 1800
2130 Last blood sample
0930First blood sample
INSULINDAY 1-2
NSCDAY 1-2
0600
TIME
2400 1800
First pasture sample Last pasture sample
24001200 1800 0600 1200 1200 1800 0600 1200 2400 0600
Insu
lin
, m
IU/L
Fo
rag
e N
SC
, %D
M
Hay
PASTURE NSC (SUGAR)
EFFECT ON GRAZING HORSES
McIntosh et al, 2005
EFFECTS OF GRAZING MANAGEMENT ON
PLANT CARBOHYDRATES
cont
rot
0
2
4
6
8
% D
M
sugar
SHORT
TALL
0.00.51.01.52.02.53.03.54.04.55.05.56.06.57.07.58.0
WS
C %
, D
M
7.77.1
*
McIntosh et al., 2013 & 2014
BODY CONDITION SCORING
(BCS)
Score of overall
body fatness < 4
underweight
4 ≤ BCS < 7 moderate
7 ≤ BCS < 8 overweight
BCS ≥ 8 obeseHenneke et al., 1983
CRESTY NECK SCORE (CNS)
SCALE 0 TO 5
0 1 2
3 4 5
Carter, 2009
GRAZING
MUZZLES
DRY LOTS
Reduce NSC
intake
Allow for exercise
Turnout in early am
RECOMMENDED
CONSERVATION PRACTICES
Rotational Grazing
Heavy Use Areas or Dry lots
Mud Management & fat horses
Manure Management & Composting
Mud Management
High stocking rates
Wet conditions
Drought or slow forage
growth
Restrict grazing
Disease avoidance
Weight loss
300 ft2 per horse
HEAVY USE AREAS OR DRY LOTS
MANURE MANAGEMENT
Horses produces 30-50 lbs manure per day
10 tons or 12 cubic yards per year
9.1 tons of manure per year containing
11 lb N, 2 lb P, 8 lb K
Parasites transmitted through manure
Pastures source of greatest r isk of
infection
Composting kil ls weed seeds &
parasites
Dragging???
Can spread parasites
COMPOSTING MANURE
1 Horse produces .81 ft3 manure or 1.6-2.4 ft3
with bedding
2 Horses for 4 months:
Two 12 x 12 x 5 ft bins
12 horses for 2 months:
Three 20 x 20 x 5 ft bins
Turn every 2-3 weeks (oxygen)
Temp should reach 130-160F
Complete after 1-4 months
No odor, moist but not wet
Analyze for nutrient content
Apply to land according to soil test
READ HERBICIDE LABELS IF USED
MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS FOR
HEALTHY HORSES & ENVIRONMENT
Three to five grazing seasons
required for measurable change
Set realistic goals for acreage
available
Higher level of management
may be needed to meet goals
Develop management protocols
to be efficient
Nutritionally & economically &
environmentally
Conservation BMP Model Farm
Turfgrasses for heavy use areas and diet paddocks
Horse genetics & disease
Mixed species grazing
Native warm season grasses
Wankopin nature trail
Facebook.com/marecenter
NEW AND EXCITING PROJECTS AT THE MARE CENTER
THANK YOU
Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center (MARE Center)
Dr. Bridgett McIntosh
540.687.3521 ext
22
http://www.arec.vaes.vt.edu/middleburg/