Caring for your horse pasture in spring

Check the quality of your pasture in good time

Temperatures are beginning to rise and spring is just around the corner. This is a good time to check the condition of your pasture after the winter. During winter, various conditions can cause bare patches to develop. Intensive grazing or standing water caused by wet conditions can damage the grass sward. Mice can also cause problems. During a relatively dry winter, mice have more opportunity to damage grassland. From their underground tunnels, they feed on the grass roots, resulting in bare patches. 

If nothing is done, these bare patches can quickly be taken over by weeds and undesirable grass species. As a result, both the productivity and quality of your pasture can deteriorate rapidly. One example of an undesirable grass that can take advantage of these conditions is rough-stalked meadow grass (Ruwbeemd). It starts growing at temperatures as low as 5°C, which means it is often one of the first grasses to appear in February. It can quickly fill bare patches at the expense of productive species such as perennial ryegrass.
Compared with perennial ryegrass, rough-stalked meadow grass produces 20–25% less dry matter. It also has a very shallow root system, making it prone to drying out, and has a low nutritional value. You can recognise rough-stalked meadow grass by the characteristic white colouring at the base of the plant. 

It is therefore important to take action early in spring to minimise losses in productivity and quality. Depending on the extent of the damage, you can either overseed or completely reseed the field. March is a suitable time to do this.

• With more than 80% desirable grasses, small bare patches can be reseeded using 15–20 kg/ha of grass seed.
• With 60–80% desirable grasses, the field can be overseeded using 25–30 kg/ha.
• With less than 60% desirable grasses, more than 20% couch grass (Kweek), or significant structural damage caused by mice, it is advisable to completely reseed the field or rotate it with maize.

Grass seed mixtures for horse owners

AR offers several specialist grass seed mixtures for horse owners.

• Horse Master (Barenburg): This mixture contains palatable, fibre-rich grasses and creates a dense, highly productive sward. Thanks to its unique RPR technology, a Horse Master sward can withstand heavy use and is less susceptible to damage from trampling. Its low growing point also makes the mixture suitable for close grazing.
• HorseMax Grazen (DLF): This mixture focuses specifically on horse welfare by helping to create a healthy horse pasture. It is designed not to be excessively high in protein or sugar, making it a suitable option within the horse’s diet. This mixture also has a low growing point, making it suitable for close grazing.
• HorseMax Hooien (DLF): This mixture contains a variety of fibre-rich grasses, making it ideal for hay production. It is also highly palatable and provides a high dry matter yield. 

All three mixtures have a low fructan content. Grasses produce fructans in spring when there are many hours of sunshine combined with cold nights. Fructan is a carbohydrate, or type of sugar, that horses do not digest well. Horses that consume too much fructan have an increased risk of laminitis. Read more about the risks of spring grass and what to look out for in our other blog.

Spring weed control

If you want to tackle weeds in your pasture, there are two main approaches:

• For a small amount of weeds, a mechanical approach such as harrowing can be effective.
• For a high level of weed infestation, chemical weed control may be an appropriate option.
  • Common chickweed can be controlled early in spring using products that are effective at low temperatures.
  • Couch grass can be controlled more effectively during the growing season.

➔ After spraying, wait at least one week before sowing or overseeding the field. 

Not sure about the condition of your horse pasture or the best approach for your field? Voermeesters works closely with the grassland specialists at AgruniekRijnvallei Plant B.V., helping you obtain advice that takes both your horses and your pasture into account.