Pasture Management

We are very lucky with the grazing land we use, having separate summer and winter pastures allowing  good resting periods.

The photo shows part of our summer field and our herd of four. Our stocking rate of an animal to the acre means that from now on (late May) grazing will become quite selective with many of the less palatable plants being left. The summer field is a well established permanent pasture with a surprisingly high concentration of wild clover in parts. Being isolated from other horses does mean that parasite control is easier, sharing our grazing as we do with an amazing amount of rabbits, and being closed in on three sides by woodland a high population of grazing birds.

Of course the main benefit we gain from the birds is that, especially in the winter when the pasture is empty, they clean up and feed on  a high proportion of  parasites  present on the land. Further, being unaffected by horse parasites (except as lunch) they break the breeding cycle of these creatures.

In their quest to find these yummy morsels they also break up and spread around any horse droppings they come across making the material more accessible to earthworms and preventing any midden areas becoming rank.

Especially after a downpour, wormcasts  are very evident proving activity of good old earthworms. Not only do they remove and ingest dead matter left on the surface of the soil improving the fertility of the soil, their tunnelling aerates and helps drainage. Whilst our summer and winter pastures are only about 300 metres apart the soil is quite different with the summer pasture having a well draining loamy soil, while the winter field consist of quite heavy clay.

Next month we will be delving to the plant roots to study creature activity and try to identify the grasses present and the food value to our horses.

Edward Holt,     Phone  01634 364832    email Edward

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