January 2007

Pasture Management For The Non-Farmer

We’ve all seen complicated methods of managing too little acreage for too many horses, but a little common sense may be all you need.

Pastures offer many advantages besides food. A well-managed pasture recycles nutrients from manure and gives horses a place for the exercise and the social interaction they need. It provides a beautiful environment, increases forage production/grazing capacity, and decreases erosion.

If your horse begins grazing down to dirt early this spring, you need to react immediately.

Grass cover on pasture will not only keep the ground from constant erosion, but provides more cushion for horses during turnout, said Carey Williams, the Equine Extension Specialist at Rutgers University. …