Introduction

Many horse owners have concerns about their pastures. Often, they either have weeds appearing, or bare areas of land, both which can be the result of overgrazing. The opposite problem is that the pasture may be overgrown due to too few horses grazing it.  

Whatever the pasture issue, there is a method that can be used easily to determine when it is time to do something about it. 

The Importance of the Pasture Assessment

You can do a pasture walk to assess the amount of vegetative cover using the step-point method. It is best to do the pasture walk, when grass is at its peak (usually around the beginning of July).  

To estimate vegetative cover, on a sheet of paper make 50 rows with columns labeled grass, legume (clover or alfalfa), weed, soil and other. Then, as you walk the pasture, stop every five to 10 steps and record what is under the toe of your boot. Once you have recorded 50 findings, multiply each column (grass, legume, weed, soil, and other) by two, and then sum all of the numbers.  

If the total for grass and legume is greater than 70, you are doing a fine job; if it equals 50-70 you should consider renovating the pasture through weed control and reseeding, and incorporate practices like soil testing, mowing and fertilizing (if needed after soil test).  

If the grass and legume sum is less than 50%, you should consider killing off existing forage with an herbicide (follow label instructions carefully) and reseed with your desired grass species.  

A good video and description on how to estimate vegetative cover can be found at https://bit.ly/4eBpVbG. 

On your pasture walk, you can also observe what weed species are present. You will most likely have to look at the leaves, flowers, and stems to identify any weeds you find.  

Here’s a helpful link for weed identification: https://esc.rutgers.edu/fact_sheet/poisonous-weeds-in-horse-pastures.  

Soil Sampling

If you find bare areas during your pasture walk, it is recommended to take a soil sample from these spots and send it to the Soil Testing Lab at UConn. Soil testing will tell you if the soil conditions in those bare spots are suitable for healthy grass (https://soiltesting.cahnr.uconn.edu/sampling/), or what you need to add to make the soil more productive for you. You can then bring that list to your local farm and garden center for help in purchasing the correct product. 

Other Helpful Pasture-related Tips

• Keep your pasture strong and healthy by doing soil testing, adding fertilizer if needed, and removing any weeds early before they get established. You can remove weeds either mechanically or by applying an herbicide, carefully following the instructions on the label.  

• Make sure your horses have sufficient forage either through a free choice supply or using slow feeders made with smaller openings to allow easy keepers to eat more continuously. Do not allow your pasture to become overgrazed, as that promotes weed growth and bare spots. 

• Consider using grazing muzzles to reduce intake for easy keepers and prevent overgrazing. 

Pasture maintenance can really help prevent future issues such as a bare, overgrazed, or very weedy pasture. A pasture walk and the step-point method can be a useful way to determine how your pasture is faring. By keeping these tips in mind, you should be able to help improve your pasture. 

Resources

UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory. Department of Plant Science, UConn. Soil Sampling Questionnaires and Instructions. https://soiltesting.cahnr.uconn.edu/sampling/  Accessed 6/14/2024. 

University of Maryland Extension. How to Estimate Vegetative Cover. https://extension.umd.edu/resource/how-estimate-vegetative-cover#:~:text=Therefore%2C%20farm%20operators%20should%20also,pasture%20compared%20to%20bare%20soil. Accessed 6/14/2024. 

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