Grass Management - Experts needed!

[roxydb]

Hi everyone!

I have joined the forum to try and get some advice on grass management - I am hoping someone can help me.

I started renting a field in May however I am concerned about grass richness...

The grass was planted at the start of the year (which I have now discovered is richer than maturer grass) in a 22 acre paddock and this has been divided into 3 different sized fields to rent out. The others horses in the other fields are fine. One has a group of ponies that aren't strip grazed in a 5acre+ paddock but are ok (as far as I am aware), the other rented paddock their horses are in small paddocks and are being slowly stripped grazed and also are ok. The grass was fairly short when we moved on with our two horses but within a day and a half my friends horse got lami despite being on strip grazing - it did not help the day before he got lami that he got loose from the lunge and pratted about on stoney ground for about 15 minutes when he is an already footy horse. So it is unsure whether multiple factors cause him to get lami. The stupid mistake was this was just when the rainy & hot weather started so the grass shot up just as we moved.

We are currently back on our old yard till the field is better 'managed'. Friends horse - we are still in discussion with the vet as it is felt there may be an underlying issue as to why he got lami so fast as he has always been a footy/sore horse despite having front shoes. He will of course need a 'bare paddock' from now on. The other ladies horse in another rented paddock is lami prone and her horse is doing just fine on strip grazing on her rented paddock.


I have being doing a lot of searching and research - even bought a book to work out how is best to manage the field and manage horses on it - but a lot of what I read is differences of opinion so at the moment I feel stuck. Not knowing 100% the cause of my friend lami is making it hard to judge the grass - my horse was and is still fine, the other horses are fine, so was my friends horse prone to it and already had it very mildy that you wouldn't recognise the symptoms unless you were looking for them? - hence him getting lami so quick? (He has previous been on long grass fields apparently and has never had a problem).

Currently I am still renting the field, the grass has grown and I have spoken to the guy who delivers my hay and he has offered to make it into hay for me - unsure of costs yet. It is a 4 acre field. However... I have read some people say leave it and make it into 'foggage' as it's less rich this way and the grass has grown to it's full height.. yet others say this can cause the to gorge on it even if you strip graze.. Others says make hay so it can't gorge but then again others say this mean the horses then eat the shoots which are the most rich.

My aim is do whatever will make the grass lower in sugar ... or 'safer'. The grass itself has actually been planted very sparse. I have been recommended to make it into hay - then have sheep graze it down - However at the moment I am not sure if I am allowed to have sheep graze it down. I think the grass is a fescue & timothy mix with other types as well.

Is there a way to make the field less rich / safer to graze? Do I just give it up as a bad move? Was my friends horse getting lami a mix of already having mild lami + new grass + concussion from stoney ground meaning it wasn't just the grass at fault? Would my horse have been fine if I had left him on if all the other horses in the surrounding fields are fine? Or would he have eventually got lami?

I really do not want to give the field up as it is in a fantastic location and is really peaceful - and if I can make it right I will - however my horses health is of course more important.

Thanks in advance

 

[spacefaer]

You say the grass was only planted this spring? Do you mean that it was an arable crop last year, and was only put to grass this year?

If so, you shouldn't be grazing horses on it at all. When you say it was "planted very sparse", it means that each grass plant hasn't had time toe stablish itself and create a proper "ley" or thick sward. It should only have hay taken off it this year and be grazed by sheep. They will eat the plants down, and encourage new growth, and their pointy little feet will also encourage tillering.

New grass leys shouldn't be grazed by horses until the following year, as horses hooves will break up the plants, and because horses eat so patchily, it dones't encourage establishment of the sward.

I wouldn't be quick to blame the grass per se for the laminitis, it was probably a combination of factors.

 

[roxydb]

Thank you for your reply that does make a lot of sense!!

I have just looked back through my messages it was actually drilled Mid-October last year! and before that it was crops - how long ago it was crops I am unsure...

Would this affect the advice you have given above?

 

[spacefaer]

No. To establish a long term ley, the first season, you alternate sheep and hay. If you graze with cattle/horses, it won't get a chance to thicken up.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

pppplease, cabbages are planted, corn is drilled and grass is nearly always sown, ie broadcast. [rant over]
The best thing is to take a hay crop, if farmer is helpful he might take half the crop, deliver half to you, that is the easiest way.
Agree that what you want is a good thick sward, maybe sow some herbs to give some variety.
It may need to be rolled now if hay is planned [to push stones down in to soil].
Strip grazing is not always ideal for ponies, .... that is a whole topic in itself....

 

[Clodagh]

If you can't have sheep just keep it topped so it thickens up.

 

[roxydb]

Thank you for your replies, from your advice it will be hopefully cut for hay end of June start of July then I may have to stick to topping as I do not think I will be allowed sheep!

How much richer is this grass to mature grass? as I was advised by a person that horses should not be on any sort of new grass no matter how small the paddock is as they are at high risk of laminitis... I was told they should be off it 1-2 years ideally 3 years.. not to prevent damaging the grass but so the grass is less rich.

The horses are out 24/7 and were being fed wrapped hay before we originally moved onto the field as they were sharing with a thoroughbred who us a poor doer - not ideal for us as ours did not need it. They are used to short probably stressed grass too.

The manure we cleaned on the field before moving the horses back was good and solid not runny in the slightest. I always assumed a horses eating grass too rich produced runner poops..

If the grass is to be considered too rich for at least a year I will have to give the field up as it is not affordable for me to pay the rent for it along with my other livery payment.

I have read other forum posts also with no mention of this type of grass being a high risk but just to keep horses off based on the fact they will damage the grass.

It seems the options I have are..
If the grass is too rich for them even in a small topped paddock I will have to give the field up
or
keep the horses on a sectioned part ofthe field and leave the rest to thicken and to be managed properly till mid next year when the horses will be able to graze on it