The grazing season is slowly approaching. Grazing is not possible for all horses, but those that can spend their time there are allowed to act in a natural way for horses, searching for food, engaging in social behavior within the herd, and of course, resting. This means that the pasture should not only provide food, but also sufficient shelter.
If pasture land is available, now is also the right time to make the necessary renovations to some of the pastures. Pasture grass should be renewed every 3-5 years. This way, the growth capacity is maintained. Spring improves seed germination, because the soil is suitably moist after winter. When starting to renew the pasture, the previous vegetation must be removed, fertilized, limed, sown and rolled. In addition, soil samples are taken. The need for fertilization and lime is determined using a fertility study.
If the pasture is established in the autumn, it is possible to get the horses grazing already in the coming summer . Work done in the spring will postpone grazing until the following summer. Cover crops can be used as an aid, in which case the cover crops should be early and vigorous. Without cover crops, after the field is prepared, a mixture of annual and perennial pasture grasses is sown. The seeding rate is approximately 30-35 kilograms per hectare.
When choosing a pasture grass mixture, it is a good idea to choose varieties that are resistant to trampling and grow quickly, even in terms of offspring, meaning that it is a long-lasting pasture. Naturally, the pasture should also be palatable to the horse. Varieties that are tasty and suitable for horses include timothy, reed grass and dog grass. For example, a mixture of timothy, fescue, English rye grass and meadow grass is a good combination. Clover's strengths are its drought tolerance and it is a delicacy for horses, but it can be bad because of its high protein content. However, it can be added to grow as an undergrowth for timothy.
Pasture care and maintenance
It is important that before the horses are put out to pasture, they are gradually accustomed to green. This can help avoid health problems such as scurvy or hoof fever. One horse should have about half a hectare of pasture, especially if the intention is to be on pasture 24/7. The condition of the horses should be monitored daily and, especially as the summers get hotter, to ensure that there is enough drinking water. If pasture grass is scarce as the summer progresses, the horses should be fed with additional feed or hay. The pasture can be better utilized by dividing it into sections with intermediate fences and moving the horses between them.
It is advisable to remove horses from the pasture at the end of the growing season, i.e. when the average temperature is below +5 degrees. The pasture should not be shorter than six centimeters, so that wintering is not disturbed. Similarly, a pasture that is too large in relation to the number of horses leads to the aging of the pasture grass as it grows long and is thus wasted. For example, when changing a block, such a long pasture should be mowed to make way for new grass.
To keep the pasture edible, uneaten patches of hay are mowed and manure is removed. Most often, uneaten areas are where horses use the toilet, meaning they are not suitable for eating. When the pasture is regularly renewed by turning, parasites are also eliminated. If the pasture is trampled too much or overfed, weeds can appear on the pasture and fill the space. Some weeds are also harmful to horses, such as thistles, ragweed, buttercups and horsetails. Supplementary sowing can be done in the spring in connection with other maintenance activities.
The pasture can be fertilized once or twice a year, for example after each grazing. A suitable amount of nitrogen is about 20-30 kilograms per hectare. After fertilization, you should wait a couple of weeks before putting the horses out to pasture, as the nitrogen will have already been converted into protein substances by that time.
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