Key Steps to Managing Horse Pastures

Properly managing your horse pastures can increase pasture productivity and provide an economical source of high quality forage for your horses. Krishona Martinson, PhD, Extension equine specialist, discusses best management practices for horse pastures including: mowing, dragging, resting, fertilizing, and controlling weeds.

[@markseifried3959]

Thanks again Dr. K. You are looking good.

[@cmack6852]

If I am mowing regularly do I need to drag? I kinda assumed the mower spread the poop well enough.

[@UMNExtEquine]

Yes. Mowing will not always disperse the manure. You can read more about pasture management at extension.umn.edu/horse-pastures-and-facilities/managing-established-horse-pastures

[@jenniferbunker2757]

We have horses, goats, pigs, and chickens so in what order should we rotate them and in what order?

[@UMNExtEquine]

I'm not sure research exists to answer your question. However, because horses tend to exhibit preference when grazing, we suggest grazing them first, followed by goats, and then chickens. The goats will hopefully consume the forage horses find less palatable and the chickens should help spread out manure piles. We are not experts on pig grazing, but pigs tend to "dig" and can cause significant damage to pastures. Therefore, it's not commonly recommended to graze pigs.