Featured Article (July 2003)

How Sustainable Horse-Keeping Benefits You

Why should horse owners worry about sustainable horse-keeping? It's a matter of pride and essential to being a good neighbor. Being a good steward of the land is a proactive means for horse owners to protect the environment, and to invest in the future through the sustainable management of farmland. It sets a positive example for the horse industry in the eyes of planning and zoning boards and fosters constructive relationships with non-horse neighbors. More directly, sustainable management and good land stewardship can decrease feeding expenses, stable cleaning and other chores, leaving more time for recreational enjoyment of horses.

Land stewardship includes changing daily horse management practices in a matter that minimizes the impact of horses on the environment. Provide Adequate Land Area

Proper pasture management begins with providing adequate area for each horse. Overstocking of pasture areas will lead to the rapid loss of desirable forage species and encourages the growth of unpalatable and in some cases poisonous weeds. Perhaps the most common question with regard to pastures for horses is, "How many acres are needed to sustain one horse?" There are numerous recommendations, but the key here is not the amount of land required per animal but the sustainable management of the land. Careful, sustainable pasture management may allow for adequately keeping a horse on limited acreage. Regardless of land available, both the large equine business and the small hobbyist will benefit from sustainable management.

Consider the Farm Layout

Basic Needs. Paddocks, pastures, riding rings and trails are under constant physical stress from horses' hooves. Select the sites for these areas carefully. Optimally, pastures and especially the barn and surrounding areas should be located on sites that are well drained and on high ground. Avoid flood plains, wetlands, drainage areas and steep slopes. Inspect existing pasture and areas surrounding barns for problem spots, such as patches of bare earth, steep slopes, hills and gullies, areas of mud accumulation and poor drainage. Pits, stumps, poles and places or objects (wire, trash, farm implements, etc) dangerous to horses should be eliminated or guarded. All horses should have continuous access to shade, shelter from the weather, fresh clean water, and salt.

Keep "Clean Water Clean." Divert clean water away from paddocks, sacrifice areas and manure storage areas. Install vegetated berms and plant grasses in drainage ways to slow and divert runoff. Plant a vegetative buffer (or riparian area) along streams, steep slopes and natural water sources. Fence horses out of natural water sources and provide a fresh, clean drinking water source in a stock tank or automatic waterer. Horses that have no alternative to drinking from farm ponds or streams will be forced to stand in mud while they drink dirty water, and the resultant mud and manure mixture may impact the ecology of the natural water source.

Install roof gutters and a system of downspouts and drains to divert clean rainwater run-off from barns and surrounding areas. In Virginia, which averages 43" of rainfall annually, approximately 15,400 gallons of rainwater may run off a two-stall barn in one year! Diverting that rainwater away from high use areas around barns and other buildings will significantly reduce the mud accumulation in these areas. Mud provides a breeding ground for insects and harbors bacteria and fungi, which may cause diseases such as thrush, scratches, rain rot and hoof abscesses.

Pay attention to where your horse wash water drains and divert it from high traffic areas. Chemicals and detergents used for horse bathing and grooming may harm aquatic life if allowed to drain into waterways.

Establish New Pasture or Renovate Existing Pasture

Check the Soil Fertility. Soil testing determines soil fertility and designates needed application of fertilizer and lime. If new pasture is being established, or if existing pasture has been neglected for several years, then test the soil annually and fertilize according to recommendations for the first 3-4 years. For soils that have been routinely tested and managed, testing every other year and fertilizing according to recommendations is likely sufficient. Your local Extension Agent can provide instructions and ordering information for soil sampling and testing.

Consider Soil Compaction

In high traffic areas, soil may become compacted by hooves or machinery. Porous soil allows infiltration of air, water and nutrients that support plant growth. That bare patch of soil near the gate may be too compacted to support plant growth, so scattering seed over the area will be a waste of time and money. If you cannot push the blade of a trowel into the ground, the soil is too compacted and should be loosened and aerated before reseeding.

Choose Pasture Plants Wisely

Pasture plant species should be chosen based on several qualities, including the following:

• Adapted to the region where they will be grown, and the soils that they will be grown upon.
• Tolerant of environmental stress of the region, such as high temperatures and drought.
• Tolerant of close and frequent grazing.
• Productive during seasons when pasture is needed.

Virginia is located in the transition area between cool temperate and subtropical zones of the northern and southern United States, so recommendations regarding pasture species vary according to different climate throughout the state. Consult your local Extension Agent or Co-op for advice regarding the best pasture species to plant in your area.

Allow the Pasture to Become Established. Do not allow new seedlings to be grazed until the plants have become well established. The root systems should be well developed to avoid the seedlings to be pulled out of the soil by grazing and to reduce damage by the hooves of running horses. This rule applies not only to newly seeded pastures but also perennial pastures that have been renovated or are in early spring growth stages. Overgrazing during this period can severely damage developing sod, leading to patches of bare earth. On the other hand, light and infrequent grazing may be beneficial for sod formation. During the establishment period do not graze sods closer than 4-6." Allow at least 30 days rest for actively growing pastures and longer rest for slow growing pastures during the summer months.

Implement Pasture Rotation and Rest Periods

Even the best pasture needs rest after grazing to allow plants time to regrow and replenish food reserves. Optimally, pasture acreage should be divided into at least 4 to 6 paddocks. Depending on the growing season and number of horses per acre, rest periods should generally last between 14 and 60 days. Horses should be rotated from paddock to paddock based on the height of the pasture. Never allow pastures or portions of pastures to become overgrazed. Before the plants are grazed to the ground, move the horses to another area. The Golden Rule is to graze established pastures no shorter than 3". (Consider that most managed lawns are kept clipped around 2-3" when evaluating the height of your pasture plants.) Keeping pastures grazed down continuously below 4" weakens and thins the stand and allows weeds to invade. It is not generally harmful to graze down to 3" if the horses are then removed and the plants allowed to recover. Since horses are spot grazers, rotate to a new pasture when the grazed areas reach the minimum height rather than waiting for the entire pasture area to be grazed to the minimum height. Optimally, mow the entire pasture to 4" after horses are removed to encourage uniform regrowth.

An example of using rotation and rest includes 5 paddocks. If the horses are allowed to graze each paddock for 7 days before being moved to the next paddock, then each paddock would be grazed for 7 days, then rested for 28 days before being grazed again.

If you plan to make hay, then graze approximately half of the total pasture area and make hay on the remaining half during seasons of rapid growth. Later, after the desired hay has been harvested, include the hay fields in the rotational grazing plan to increase available grazing area (and total rest period between grazing) during seasons of slow growth.

Rotate Livestock in Pastures

There are advantages in grazing different types of livestock in horse pastures, primarily because it allows more efficient use of the pasture. Although all livestock are selective grazers, compared to horses, cattle and sheep are less selective. Rotating different livestock through the pastures keeps them grazed more uniformly and helps to maintain the high-quality leafy stage of growth. Cows and sheep will also graze around manure piles left by horses. Cattle and horses may be stocked together in the same field, or alternately, cattle or sheep may follow horses in the pasture rotation system.

Mow

Horses will seek out and graze the youngest and most tender plants, resulting in areas of the pasture that are overgrazed. As new growth appears in these areas, horses will continue to graze there, weakening and eventually killing the plants. The tendency of horses to spot graze pastures leaves some areas ungrazed. These areas need to be clipped to approximately about 4" to remove mature growth and seed heads, promote new growth, and encourage grazing. Mowing will also slow weed propagation by removing seed heads. Many grasses (ryegrass, fescue, bluegrass, small grains, etc) may be susceptible to infection with an ergot mold, which may cause equine ergotism. Normally the ergot is only a problem when the forage is allowed to produce a seed head. Therefore, pastures should be clipped to avoid seed head formation.

Utilize a "Sacrifice" or "Exercise Area"

In cases where land area is extremely limited per horse, it is nearly impossible to maintain pasture sod with continuous grazing. Maintaining an sacrifice area, that is, an exercise lot where no plants will grow is a practical solution. The sacrifice area should be used during periods of wet soil conditions and drought. Hoof action can seriously damage even well established pasture sods when soil conditions are wet. Do not graze pastures during periods of drought stress and slowed growth. Overgrazing during these periods will significantly weaken and eventually kill pasture stands. Permit grazing only when the pasture has reached a height of 6-12". Proper fertilization and irrigation of the pasture area can significantly increase forage growth and reduce the time period between grazing events.

The size of the sacrifice area may be as small as that of a generous box stall (16' x 16'), or a long enclosure that allows some exercise space (for example, 30' x 100'), or may double as a round pen or riding ring. The land available, number of horses and their temperaments, the amount of regular exercise (riding, driving, training, etc) all determine the size of the sacrifice area.

Locate the sacrifice as close to the barn as possible to aid in ease of turnout, feeding and manure removal. Keep vegetative cover growing around sacrifice areas as well as around buildings and slopes to discourage erosion. Planting trees and shrubs may help with moisture management around sacrifice areas. Take care to plan ahead and locate the trees far enough from the fence line to keep horses from reaching them, and keep the drip zones (the ends of branches where rain water falls) outside of the sacrifice area.

Footing in sacrifice areas may become unsafe due to accumulation of mud. Construct a base comprised of a geotextile (available at many agricultural or landscape supply stores) covered with a 6-8" layer of stone aggregate (less than 5/8") and topped with a 4-6" layer of ground stone dust or sand. This well-draining surface should improve the footing and prevent soil loss. Removing manure frequently (every 1-3 days in high traffic areas, every 7 days in less troublesome areas) will improve footing, and reduce parasite and fly exposure.

Provide Hay as Alternate Forage

During times of the year when pasture is not growing or has only limited growth (e.g. winter or drought conditions), provide hay as a forage alternate to pasture. Horses will graze pasture during periods of non-growth if they have no alternative. However, non-growing pasture does not provide adequate nutrition for horses, and the grazing will weaken and kill the plants.

Limit Grazing of Horses Unaccustomed to Lush Pasture

Lush spring pasture growth or thick stands of lush clover increases the risk of founder ("grass founder") in horses and especially, ponies. After the winter when horses are accustomed to hay, introduce them slowly to spring pasture by limiting their grazing time initially. Slowly increase the grazing time allowed over a period of 2-3 weeks. Horses that are adapted to grazing pastures year-round may tolerate changes without adverse effects. Horses with a history of colic or laminitis may be especially sensitive to lush pasture. These horses should be removed from or have limited turn-out time in lush pasture during periods of rapid growth (in the spring or after rain), in order to reduce risks or recurring problems. Apple, pear and other fruit trees also pose a significant founder risk if the fruit produced is freely available to horses.

Be Aware of Toxic Plants

Although many plants can be toxic to horses, poisoning is fairly uncommon. To reduce the possibility of poisoning, several steps should be taken. First, learn to recognize common toxic plants and eliminate them from grazing areas. In general, toxic plants are relatively unpalatable, so horses will not selectively graze them unless they have nothing else to eat. Therefore, promote desirable pasture through proper management, and supplement hay, if necessary, regardless of the time of year. Pay particular attention in times of drought when some weeds propagate and desirable pasture plants are grazed down-the undesirable plants may be the only choice left for the horse. Eliminate these plants and provide adequate amounts of hay as alternate forage. Freshly cut, sprayed, or frosted toxic plants that are wilting are often more toxic than when growing. Be sure to remove freshly cut plants (or in some cases, broken branches with toxic leaves) from horse pastures. Immediately seek veterinary help if poisoning is suspected.

Manage Manure

Most of us would rather be riding than contemplating the "business end" of the horse, but manure management is a reality for every horse owner. On average, horses produce about 3 lbs of manure and 1.5 lbs of urine for every 100 lbs of body weight, daily. Depending on how scrupulous one cleans stalls, an additional 8-16 lbs per day of soiled bedding may be added to the pile, totaling approximately 9 to 12 tons per horse per year. To approximate this on a volume basis, manure and soiled bedding accumulated from 5 horses over a year's time could fill a 2-car garage to the roof. Managed manure is a resource; unmanaged manure is a liability.

As a resource, horse manure compares to a 15-11-24 (N-P-K) fertilizer. It is a favorite soil amendment for rose gardeners, mushroom farmers and worm farms, and it has also been used to increase the water-holding capacity of crop soils, for land reclamation and highway construction, and as forest fire remediation. Most horse owners spread manure back on their land, but some do not have enough land to support the manure production and must seek other methods of removal. Composting reduces the volume of the manure, and compost is more easily marketed than raw manure. Use composted manure on arena surfaces, in landscaping, as mulch. A relatively new website is attempting to develop a manure exchange. Visit www.manuremarket.com for information and ideas regarding manure management.