Verticaltrx
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2009
- Messages
- 1,908
- Location
- VA
- Tractor
- Kubota B3200/L2501/SVL65-2/U35-4, IH 454/656, Ford NAA, Case 1845C/480E/450C LGP
Sounds to me like a) horse/grazing management problem, b) pasture management problem.
You need some legumes in a pasture to have a healthy stand of grass. In general monoculture pastures (grass only) require lots of fertilizer and chemicals to keep them nice, if that's your thing go for it (2-4-D as mentioned will kill clover.) Really you need a stand of grass that is suitable for your area with some legumes to provide nitrogen. Clover is an excellent and naturally occurring legume that shouldn't be taking over unless you have other soil/stand issues. Cutting grass short will generally encourage clover growth, you need to let the pasture, or areas of it grow up a foot or more high with grass to keep the clover at the proper levels. Also is important to keep the soil PH and nutrient levels right to have a balanced pasture.
With that in mind, if you do have a nice lush stand of grass with the proper ratio of legumes and it is too rich for your horse you just need to limit the amount they have access to each day. Either by limiting the time the are out, or rotationally grazing them in a manner they only get a small swath each day. If neither of those options are doable, there are some types of pasture that are durable and low energy where you can let the horse graze all the time. Not sure where your location is, but depending on your climate crab grass, believe it or not, can make a great pasture. It is fairly prolific and not much else will grow in a stand of crab grass. It can be mowed short and then let the horses graze as much as they want. It also has a sturdy root structure so it won't easily get pulled out, stomped out, etc and they will graze it down to a nice 1/2" to 1" tall 'carpet'.
You need some legumes in a pasture to have a healthy stand of grass. In general monoculture pastures (grass only) require lots of fertilizer and chemicals to keep them nice, if that's your thing go for it (2-4-D as mentioned will kill clover.) Really you need a stand of grass that is suitable for your area with some legumes to provide nitrogen. Clover is an excellent and naturally occurring legume that shouldn't be taking over unless you have other soil/stand issues. Cutting grass short will generally encourage clover growth, you need to let the pasture, or areas of it grow up a foot or more high with grass to keep the clover at the proper levels. Also is important to keep the soil PH and nutrient levels right to have a balanced pasture.
With that in mind, if you do have a nice lush stand of grass with the proper ratio of legumes and it is too rich for your horse you just need to limit the amount they have access to each day. Either by limiting the time the are out, or rotationally grazing them in a manner they only get a small swath each day. If neither of those options are doable, there are some types of pasture that are durable and low energy where you can let the horse graze all the time. Not sure where your location is, but depending on your climate crab grass, believe it or not, can make a great pasture. It is fairly prolific and not much else will grow in a stand of crab grass. It can be mowed short and then let the horses graze as much as they want. It also has a sturdy root structure so it won't easily get pulled out, stomped out, etc and they will graze it down to a nice 1/2" to 1" tall 'carpet'.
