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.

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.

Want to know more about minerals in the horse pasture? Read this blog

Want to know more about seeding your horse pasture? Read the guest blog from Horse & Habitat