At what point does grass loose it's goodness?

P

poiuytrewq

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 April 2008
Messages
21,465
Location
Cotswolds
Visit site
This is the first year I'll be going into winter with a cushings pony. *touch wood* his only symptoms are he is slow to shed his winter coat. He's on no treatment as it was tried and he didn't do well on it, so it was decided as his symptoms were so mild and his levels so low to leave it.
He came to me very under weight in March I think last year. He's now put on a fair amount of weight over the summer as although I've been careful he's not been starved (due to how awful he looked)
He will live out as a companion to my retired horse as long as possible. (Ie- til the field floods which it will!)
I'm currently moving electric fencing up bit by bit but as they are I guess starting to get a bit hungrier and I've put a rug on retired horse they now fairly often trash the fence. I will be happier and feel they are safer when it's gone but there is still a lot of grass the other side!
 
Following with interest as mine is still in in the day and on a bare patch overnight but we have about 7 acres of well rested (several months!) Of grass which I would love to get her on to make my life easier but not at a cost to her health!
 
Short grass is more risk than older long grass and grass just after a frost on it can also be a risk. If you're worried you could try strip grazing so you're limiting how much they can eat in a day. During the winter months good hay can have a higher NSC than the grass and if you soak the high your also washing out nutrients
Horses on restricted grazing are likely to be not getting enough Vit A and Vit E - both essential and as horses metabolize Vit C from glucose its possible a horse on a very restricted diet could also be needing that supplemented
Not all horses with Cushing's have IR problems but always wise to be cautious
It's a shame that the pergolide didn't help your horse as its made a huge difference to my mare.
 
It is all based on Temperature, Daylight hours and the type of grass it is.
Traditional pasture meadow grass which has not been fertilised is the safest.
As temperature drops then the grass grows less.
As daylight hours are reduced then again the grass grows less.
However stressed grass will show a higher concentration of Fructans so care needs to be taken and it is best to turn them out later in the day.
 
Our horses have been on the hay fields since April as YOs didn't make hay this year. 4 weeks ago it was starting to look a bit weary but with a considerable amount of rain, some decent daytime temperatures and no frost yet it's had a second wind and is looking very green and fresh down there. The good doers have all ballooned a bit and we've got some horrible sloppy poos too so there's definitely still a fair bit of goodness left in it at the moment.
 
It's a question I ask myself every year!

I always thought it was when the temperature dropped to a certain level. Mine are still on their restricted summer area.

Saying that, my other eleven acres (tell me about it!) that I cut every five days throughout the summer definitely appears to have stopped or severely slowed down.

Was thinking I might risk letting them have a wee strip of it :)
 
The potency of our grass is far less now than in May / June / July.

Mine are still looking good, holding weight, and not eating that much hay when stabled.

But grass isn’t having the effect on weight / droppings / behaviour that it was earlier in the year.

I think it is a very much it depends.

Ways to guage:

Do horses want to stay out or come in?
How hungry for hay are they?
Given free access how much hay do they eat?
Are they irritable?
Are they gaining / holding / losing weight?
 
cobgoblin said:
When it stops growing?.....so when temp drops below 4C.

Hasn't happened here yet.
Click to expand...

Actually, it's below 7c it stops - but it starts again when ground temperature rides. So you're likely to get some slow growth well ino December if we're lucky. But slow growth, higher water content, means less feed value. And of course the more mature grass is the less goodness within - say - 2 pounds of it.
 
wingedhorse said:
The potency of our grass is far less now than in May / June / July.

Mine are still looking good, holding weight, and not eating that much hay when stabled.

But grass isn’t having the effect on weight / droppings / behaviour that it was earlier in the year.

I think it is a very much it depends.

Ways to guage:

Do horses want to stay out or come in?
How hungry for hay are they?
Given free access how much hay do they eat?
Are they irritable?
Are they gaining / holding / losing weight?
Click to expand...

They don't come in so never ask, I wouldn't imagine they would eat hay tbh, they might surprise me but I've not tried!
No not irritable, wind sucker had given up all together over summer but I did catch him at the gate this morning. Not sure if this means anything really but an observation!
I'd say holding. Droppings are not summer loose! I think in reality I need to leave it longer!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top