Taking Back Wasted Areas in Your Horses Pasture

Check out the areas of your pasture where there are bare spots, tall grass and where the weeds grow. Horses are not grazing in those areas but you can, with proper management make those areas a source of healthy forage, depending on how those areas developed.

Tree limbs, lumber, or any kind of obstruction that may prevent normal grazing can become a haven for weeds. Removal of these obstructions to allow grazing again can be the solution. Not only will this improve the pasture for forage, it will also be safer for your horses.

Sometimes there is more grass available than the horses can graze down. This too can contribute to “weedy” or tall grass areas. The horses graze down their favorite areas and ignore other areas. Normal grazing can prevent weed growth. If there is a reasonable amount of wasted grazing areas it’s not a problem. Horses may ignore less appealing grasses and over-graze their favorite grasses, which can become a problem. By ignoring the less appealing grass it can become overgrown, choked out and die. This will allow for weeds to grow.

One way to reclaim what the weeds have taken is other livestock. Sheep, goats, even llamas are natural herbivores and will eat many plants (especially shrubs and brush) that horses will not eat.

Another solution is keeping weeds and other vegetation cut back. This will prevent unwanted vegetation from reaching maturity and stop their re-growth. This will also encourage good forage to flourish.

Still another way to prevent weeds and unwanted plants in your horses pasture is by using chemicals. USE WITH CAUTION. Herbicides may eliminate unwanted plants but they must be used with caution and the directions followed very carefully. Many can be harmful to pregnant mares. If used improperly they may also kill favorable grasses, contaminate ground water, and harm the soil. Check with your local extension office to inquire what is best to use for your situation.