NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #27/NN_1992_27.iso/spool/rec/equestri/5673

Internet Message Format | 1992-11-18 | 1.9 KB

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From: [e-mail]
Newsgroups: rec.equestrian
Subject: Re: Winter Pasture Care
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 18 Nov 92 14:46:48 GMT
References: <[e-mail]>
Organization: Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana
Lines: 24

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Dave Detoro) writes:
> Last spring we planted about two acres of pasture for our horse and pony.
> It came in pretty well but it didnt seem to get real thick.  By the end
> of the summer we had to supplement their feeding with hay.  Just about
> 2 weeks ago we took them off of the pasture.  I assumed we would keep
> them off until the spring figuring this would help the pasture come in
> better next year.  However someone just told me we might as well let
> them stay on it all winter that it wont make any difference.  If this

From my experience and what I have been told this is unequivicably (sp-is that
even a word?) wrong.  However, if this is the only pasture you have, you may
want to leave them on there anyway.  Snow won't matter as much as wet weather
which will turn the pasture into a mudball.

> is true we would rather since it will give them more room to romp and
> at least some grass to nibble on.

I wouldn't think there would be any grass by spring with 1 horse/acre, but I
WAS wrong once :-).  Two acres is awful small to do this, but you might think
about splitting it up and moving them back and forth.  Again, two acres may not
be enough land, but it may help.  The pasture needs the manure from the horses
for fertilizer, but it also needs time to recover without grazing.

Alan