Tag: grass-issues

Pasture Management for Healthy Horses

9 July, 2021

There are two different approaches to the whole subject of pasture management depending on what sort of horses you own. If you just want the quiet ride at the weekend and safe ponies for your children then you will do things somewhat differently from someone who has performance and/or breeding horses. In either case: NEVER apply commercial fertilisers: No super, no potash, no NPK, no urea, they will all cause the grass to be even more unsuitable for your horses. Sufficient nitrogen for grass growth can come from occasionally (but not frequently!) harrowing manure. Originally, we thought it was just…

Feeding Grass Affected Horses

8 July, 2021

If your horse has diet related issues, what you feed in the way of hard feed can either reduce the problem or add to it. So, for the horse’s metabolism to ‘rest’ and ‘reset’ their self-regulating mechanisms, we keep hard feeds as simple and basic as possible. Over the years we have realised that potassium, crude protein and soluble sugar content are the nutrients we need to be mindful of. When there is an excess presense they place undue and cumulative stress on the horse’s metabolism. Green feed like lucerne/alfalfa, fresh herbs, willow or poplar leaves and other items such…

Dry Lot or Track system

17 March, 2021

A dry lot or Track is a 100% grass free zone. If you need to move your horse off his/her pasture, then creating a ‘dry lot or track system’ is one way to do so. This may be a large yard, round pen or area which can double as an arena. It might be a long strip beside the hedge or the trees. Or it might take the form of a perimeter ‘track’ around the paddock. Initially you can fence off the area with electric tape. Places with good drainage lend themselves to being made into a dry lot. Otherwise it is…