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

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NEW AND EXCITING PROJECTS AT THE MARE CENTER

THANK YOU

Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center (MARE Center)

Dr. Bridgett McIntosh

bmcintosh@vt.edu

540.687.3521 ext

22

http://www.arec.vaes.vt.edu/middleburg/