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Fertilizing horse pasture? Preferably no artificial fertilizers!

Dutch farmers regularly use artificial fertilizers on their fields and pastures. However, artificial fertilizers are less suitable for fertilizing a horse pasture. The grass becomes 'too rich', which can lead to all sorts of issues for horses. Horses do better on 'poorer' grass.

Pasture

28 March '23 • 2 min reading time

Artificial fertilizers emerged in the previous century. They are used to increase production in agriculture by adding high concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to the soil. Artificial fertilizers are made using a lot of energy from natural gas and are therefore not very sustainable. However, they are relatively cheap and nutrients can be dosed very precisely. You also see results faster than when using animal manure on your pasture. That is why many farmers prefer to work with artificial fertilizers.

Less strong, more sugar

Because plants grow faster through treatment with artificial fertilizers, they develop root systems that are less compact and less strong. This is impractical in a horse pasture because horses tend to graze messily and pull hard on the plants. Moreover, horses regularly gallop over the grass. Grass treated with artificial fertilizers cannot withstand this. Thanks to the artificial fertilizers, the grass undergoes rapid growth. As a result, it contains relatively high levels of protein and sugar. This is good for dairy cows, but not healthy for horses!

Manure

Manure from animals, also known as organic manure, is usually better for the soil life in the ground, that is if you use it on the pasture and do not inject it. The latter is done on a large scale in the Netherlands with liquid manure from cows and pigs. If you want to use your horse's own manure (or stable manure), you must first collect it, compost it, or process it into bokashi. Then you can use the resulting fertilizer on your pasture. Leaving manure heaps in the pasture does not lead to good fertilization of your pasture, but to areas where horses no longer want to graze because bushes of alfalfa and nettles develop. Therefore, many people harrow the pasture, which also helps with worms. Removing the manure is still better. In addition, alternating mowing and pasturing contributes to a good grassland.

Minerals

Horses need a lot of minerals, vitamins, and trace elements. By eating grass, a large part of this need can be met. That is, if the grass can absorb enough minerals and trace elements from the soil. This is not always the case. Many soils are acidic and need calcium and magnesium, for example. Sodium (salt) makes the grass more palatable. Elements such as copper, zinc, manganese, selenium, and iron all play a role in keeping your horse healthy. To ensure that the grass in your pasture contains enough minerals, it is advisable to spread minerals from the Bering Sea over the land three times a year. The grass absorbs these minerals, allowing your horse to ingest them in a readily absorbable form while grazing.

Ideal horse pasture

In the ideal horse pasture, different strong types of grass are mixed with a number of tasty herbs. Grass for a horse pasture should be resistant to short grazing. Timothy, creeping red fescue, and red fescue grass are widely used in addition to older varieties of English ryegrass. The grass species should form a strong sod. The grass should have its growing point very low to the ground, otherwise it will not easily regrow after grazing. Herbs such as fenugreek and wild carrot provide an extra tasty pasture. Along the edge of your pasture, you can plant trees and shrubs that your horse can also nibble on. Think, for example, of willow or rosehip.

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Weight

Feeding

Most horses are back on the grass by now. It is often thought that short grass is better for horses. A common remark is for example "my horses are in a poor pasture, so they only get a little grass". But is that really the case? Just imagine how tall the grass would be if you had fenced off a piece? That's right, that piece would be quite high. This means that the horses in the poor pasture with short grass have all ingested that grass. In addition, longer grass contains less sugars than short grass. We will explain exactly how that works in this blog.

# Why long grass is better than short grass

Most horses are back on the grass by now. It is often thought that short grass is better for horses. A common remark is for example "my horses are in a poor pasture, so they only get a little grass". But is that really the case? Just imagine how tall the grass would be if you had fenced off a piece? That's right, that piece would be quite high. This means that the horses in the poor pasture with short grass have all ingested that grass. In addition, longer grass contains less sugars than short grass. We will explain exactly how that works in this blog.. Side note: it is still important to slowly build up the grazing season for horses that are not on grass 24/7. Long grass does not mean that you can immediately put your horses on it 24/7. Build it up slowly and keep an eye on the fructan index. Very useful to have as an app on your phone. Short grass vs. long grass for horses We have listed the characteristics of grass for you. Because long grass and strip grazing is definitely recommended for all horses. See below in this table the differences...

Insulin resistance

Vitamin E

Feeding

Sweet itch

Under natural circumstances, horses obtain their required vitamin E from fresh grass. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is crucial for muscles, prevents stiffness, and supports a healthy nervous system. Sport horses have a higher need for vitamin E, but this also applies to horses sensitive to sugar and horses with PSSM. If your horse doesn't have access to fresh grass, you need to ensure a good supplementation!

Horse not on the grass? Provide extra vitamin E.

Under natural circumstances, horses obtain their required vitamin E from fresh grass. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is crucial for muscles, prevents stiffness, and supports a healthy nervous system. Sport horses have a higher need for vitamin E, but this also applies to horses sensitive to sugar and horses with PSSM. If your horse doesn't have access to fresh grass, you need to ensure a good supplementation!. Horses that are sensitive to sugars, such as horses that gain weight quickly, have had laminitis, or horses that suffer from sweet itch], cannot graze unlimited. Therefore, these horses are often kept in a paddock and given hay as roughage along with a mineral and vitamin pellet. This is wise and healthy for these horses. But you need to pay close attention. Vitamin E in case of insulin resistance There is a lot of vitamin E in fresh grass, so you don't have to worry about vitamin E for horses t...

Vitamin E

Feeding

Pasture

If your horse has plenty of grazing in the summer and is stabled in the winter, you may be familiar with this old wisdom: "You can't go against the pasture." A horse is almost never as shiny, vital, and energetic as when he is in the pasture. Why is that? What nutrients are present in grass but not in hay? And how can you - even in the winter - get as close as possible to the fantastic effects of grass with your feeding policy?

# 'You can't go against the pasture': These nutrients are found in grass, but not in hay

If your horse has plenty of grazing in the summer and is stabled in the winter, you may be familiar with this old wisdom: "You can't go against the pasture." A horse is almost never as shiny, vital, and energetic as when he is in the pasture. Why is that? What nutrients are present in grass but not in hay? And how can you - even in the winter - get as close as possible to the fantastic effects of grass with your feeding policy?. Hay is nothing more than dried grass, but unfortunately, during the drying process, some things are lost. Especially vitamins and fatty acids. If your horse is on pasture for less than four hours a day, or wears a grazing mask, it is necessary to supplement with some nutrients. For example, with a supplement or a balancer. Hay alone is really not enough, not even for hardy breeds! Vitamin A for the eyes, growth and fertility Vitamin A and vitamin E are the most important vitamins to consider whe...

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