Good pasture management isn't simply about growing the ‘right’ grass. It's about understanding what is growing, how mature it is, how quickly it is growing and how much access your horse has to it.
There are different approaches to pasture management depending on the type of horses you own.
If you simply want a quiet ride at the weekend and safe ponies for your children, your pasture management needs may be quite different from those of someone managing performance or breeding horses.
However, there are some basic principles that apply to all horse properties.
Never apply commercial fertilisers to horse pasture. This includes superphosphate, potash, NPK fertilisers and urea. These can make the grass even less suitable for horses.
Sufficient nitrogen for grass growth can come from occasionally harrowing manure. However, this should not be done too frequently.
Originally, we thought pasture management was simply a matter of getting rid of unsuitable grasses and clover, particularly ryegrass and clover, and re-sowing with more horse-friendly grasses.
While changing the grasses can be a big step in the right direction, growing horse-friendly pasture is not simply about which grasses you sow.
The stage of growth of the grass is equally important.
For more information about the types of grasses and how pasture changes nutritionally, see Horse Pasture and Mineral Balance and our other articles on horse pasture.
Should You Change Your Pasture Grasses?
If your property was previously part of a dairy farm, or your pasture consists mainly of solid ryegrass and clover, changing the pasture may be worthwhile.
After evaluating the grasses on your property and making any appropriate changes, it is best to allow the grass to grow to a good length — at least 10 inches or more.
As grass matures, it becomes more ‘stalky’. This generally means it contains more fibre relative to soluble sugars and has a different mineral balance, with less potassium and more magnesium.
However, grass can also become too mature.
The quality of fibre is determined by the composition of the plant's cell walls. These are made up of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin.
As grass becomes over-mature, its lignin content increases. Lignin is largely indigestible, so very mature grass provides less nutritional value. While this may not be desirable for every horse, it can be useful when managing horses that need a lower-energy source of forage.
Understanding Pasture Growth
The nutritional composition of pasture changes throughout the year and can change quickly with weather conditions. This means that pasture which was suitable yesterday may not necessarily be suitable tomorrow.
There are several stages of growth and pasture conditions to be particularly aware of.
Fresh spring growth
Fresh spring grass has a comparatively high water content, which can exacerbate the naturally low sodium content of grass.
It is also generally lower in magnesium and higher in potassium and nitrogen.
New growth after a dry spell
New green shoots that appear after a dry period, often in autumn, can be particularly challenging. They can be very high in potassium and nitrogen.
Ryegrass and paspalum seed heads
Perennial ryegrass and paspalum seed heads can carry pathogenic fungi, including endophytes and ergots, which can produce mycotoxins that may be harmful to horses.
Understanding what is happening in your pasture allows you to adjust your horse's access rather than simply leaving them on the same paddock year-round.
Managing Your Horse's Access to Grass
Managing when and how long your horse has access to pasture can be just as important as the type of grass growing in the paddock.
For example:
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In spring, when you want to grow hay: Your horse can have no access to the growing pasture and spend this period in a dry lot with hay while the grass grows.
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When grass is green and growing prolifically: You may choose to restrict access to around 10 minutes in the morning and evening.
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After hay has been cut and the grass has dried off: You may be able to allow access for longer periods during the day or night.
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In late summer: Particularly during long dry periods, your horse may be able to spend more time on pasture, depending on the conditions and the individual horse.
The amount of pasture access your horse needs will depend on the individual horse, the pasture and the conditions at the time.
Feeding GrazeEzy can help support your horse during changes in pasture and may allow them to cope with pasture for more of the year.
The challenge is knowing how much to feed and how much pasture access is appropriate on any given day. Requirements can change with the weather, season and pasture conditions.
Over time, you will learn what suits your horse on your particular grass and can develop a routine that works with your daily schedule.
What About Strip Grazing?
Strip grazing can work well for some people and on some properties, provided you can back-fence the area that has already been grazed.
Considerations When Strip Grazing
Horses will often eat the fresh section enthusiastically during the first hour or two, then spend the rest of the day nibbling at the regrowth. This can create problems, particularly when the new growth is unsuitable for your horse.
Providing hay as an additional forage source can help reduce the amount of fresh regrowth being consumed.
With strip grazing, the grass is generally grazed quite short and then needs time to recover. Back-fencing helps prevent horses from continually grazing the area they have already eaten, allowing the grass to begin recovering immediately.
You also cannot have too many horses grazing the same strip, as the back fence creates a relatively narrow grazing area. Your electric fencing needs to be working effectively.
Avoiding Over-Grazing
The shorter grass is grazed, the longer it takes to recover.
Over-grazing can eventually damage the pasture. This is particularly common on horse properties where there is not enough land available to rest paddocks for long enough.
When grass is grazed too short, there is not enough leaf area for the plant to produce the nutrients it needs to continue growing. The plants become stunted and more susceptible to damage from hooves.
Bare patches can also develop, particularly in areas where horses spend a lot of time. Once the ground becomes bare, erosion can begin.
Good pasture management therefore isn't simply about providing enough grass. It is also about giving the pasture enough time to recover.
Managing Horses on Rented Grazing
Rented grazing can be challenging if your horse develops problems because you have limited control over the pasture and how much grass they consume.
There are several things you can do to help manage the situation.
Always provide hay
Make sure your horse receives some hay every day, even if you need to leave them in a tape pen temporarily to ensure they eat it.
This is particularly important when your horse is moved onto a fresh paddock.
Keep a close eye on their manure and watch for changes when they are introduced to new pasture.
Support their nutritional needs
Feed the appropriate ‘goodies’ to help balance the nutritional challenges associated with pasture:
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Salt to provide sodium and chloride
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XtraCal to provide organic calcium and magnesium
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GrazeEzy to help support your horse during potassium and nitrogen fluctuations associated with changes in pasture, weather and seasons
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Supreme MVA to provide additional nutritional support, including selenium
The idea is to cover all the bases and help prevent problems, rather than waiting for issues to develop and trying to correct them afterwards.
These nutritional supports may help minimise pasture-related problems and, in some horses, prevent them.
However, if your horse has an ongoing issue such as a tendency towards laminitis, head-flicking or respiratory problems, you may need to look for alternative grazing arrangements where yards or other areas can be used as dry lots when the pasture is unsuitable.
Talk to the property manager
It can also be helpful to have the owner or manager of the property read through the information on this website so they understand your approach to pasture management.
Hopefully, they may be willing to make changes such as reducing clover and weed growth and, importantly, avoiding the use of commercial fertilisers.
What About ‘Jenny Craig’ Paddocks?
Eeeek! These are an absolute no-no.
A ‘Jenny Craig’ paddock is essentially a starvation paddock where the horse is restricted to a very small amount of short grass.
If you aren't providing hay and your horse is confined to this type of paddock, their diet may consist almost entirely of tiny grass tips. As we have discussed, these young grass tips can be nutritionally unbalanced and may be particularly unsuitable during certain times of the year.
Tiny grass tips, particularly during spring and autumn, can potentially contribute to problems in horses prone to laminitis.
These paddocks are essentially starvation paddocks. If this is all your horse or pony has available to eat, they may be missing out on essential nutrition.
They do not necessarily solve the problems associated with metabolic or cresty, laminitis-prone horses and ponies. In some situations, restricting a horse to tiny amounts of pasture without providing adequate forage can make nutritional management more difficult.
Instead, consider providing an area with little or no grass, such as a dry lot or track system, along with a good supply of appropriate hay.
With the right pasture and forage management, you can better control your horse's nutritional intake and help support their overall wellbeing.
Good Pasture Management Is About More Than Grass
Good pasture management isn't simply about finding the ‘right’ grass.
It is about understanding how pasture changes throughout the year, recognising when grass is likely to be more challenging for your horse, managing access and providing appropriate forage and nutritional support.
The needs of every horse will be different, so the goal is to develop a management routine that works for your horse, your pasture and your property.
For more advice, complete our complimentary Horse Questionnaire.