When Putting Your Horse on Lush Grass Go Slowly

Introducing Your Horse to Pasture

If your horse has been eating very sparse pasture or has been eating hay all winter it will need to be introduced to lush pastures very gradually. An abrupt change in the feed can cause colic, laminitis or founder. Ponies, over weight horses, older horses and some draft breeds or draft crosses seem to be particularly susceptible although any horse can be affected. A pony can founder on rich grass in less than an hour of grazing time. If your horse or pony is grazing a pasture from the time the ground thaws in early spring, he will be introduced to the new growth of grass naturally. Many people keep herds of ponies this way without problem. However, if you make the switch from a hay diet to lush growing grass problems can occur.

Allow ponies a few minutes of grazing, gradually building the time spent. You may find that you have to restrict the grazing time of ponies because they gain weight so easily. Obesity can also lead to problems. So leaving your pony out on lush pasture all the time may not be possible. Let your pony graze for very short periods of time and then leave them in an area with very sparse grazing.

Introduce your horse gradually as well, starting with a half hour and adding about ten minutes every day until you can leave the horse for a few hours. You can also feed hay before the horse is turned out to prevent him gorging himself because he feels hungry.
It’s tempting to turn your horse out in the spring and watch him enjoy that beautiful green grass. But doing so may endanger his health, or be fatal, error on the side of caution when introducing pasture.

Dryland Forage Establishment

Establishing dryland pasture grasses is often tricky. It’s really a matter of timing; getting the seed into the ground at the right depth at the right time to take advantage of spring rain or snowmelt. In the mountain west, dryland grasses can be planted either in the fall or spring. If you choose to plant in the fall, ensure that the temperatures have cooled to below 40 degrees F to prevent seed germination too soon. The idea is to get the seed in before the snow falls, and take advantage of moisture from the spring thaw to hydrate the seeds for germination. If you plan to plant in the spring, it’s best to pick a time after spring thaw and before early summer. Summer in the mountain west often finds dry periods in June and July, depending on your area. If grasses are planted too late they may not have enough moisture to get established. For best results coincide your plantings with spring rains.

Dryland grasses can be directly seeded into the soil by seed drilling. This is often the preferred method in the spring as tillage quickly depletes soil moisture and organic matter. Fall tillage and planting would be appropriate if winter snow supplies moisture for soil hydration and seed germination in the spring.