<b>By DEBORAH BEHRENDS<br>
Illinois Correspondent</b></p><p>

BURLINGTON, Ill. — Establishing and maintaining productive horse pastures isn’t a difficult process, according to Ampac Seed representative Jeff Miller. He spoke to a group assembled at J&R Feeds in Burlington, Ill.<br>

Miller said a good rule of thumb is to have one horse for every two acres. When grazing is not available, the average horse goes through about 17 pounds of forage per day or more than 6,000 pounds of hay/forage per year.<br>

One acre of productive grass can produce that, but on a shirt, thin pasture, it may take 12-15 acres to produce 6,000 pounds of forage.<br>

Early in his fast-paced presentation, Miller offered some solutions for pastures, explaining them along the way.<br>

First, he suggested fertilizing early and often, but before fertilizing, have soil samples taken to determine the pH of the soil as well as the levels of phosphorus and potassium. Miller recommended applying as much as 150 pounds of nitrogen over three applications.<br>

“Fertilizer applications will ensure ample grass production all season long, keeping your pastures healthy and prolific,” Miller said.<br>

Horses tend to graze close and are very selective, grazing in some areas while leaving others untouched. For that reason, it’s best to use rotational grazing. Miller recommended breaking paddocks or pastures into smaller areas, allowing movement of the animals from one area to another when the pasture is grazed down to no less than 3-4 inches and the next pasture has grown to at least 6-8 inches.<br>

That naturally leads to the next pasture management tip: Keep the pasture clipped. Keeping the pasture clipped helps reduce the problem of areas that are undergrazed, keeping the whole pasture in a vegetative, edible stage.<br>

Overseeding is also a good practice, according to Miller, since even good pastures thin out over time. The best time to overseed is either fall or spring. Fall is preferable because the weed pressure will be less.<br>

Ideally, you should “scratch” or disturb the surface enough to ensure good seed-to-soil contact. Sometimes spring is too muddy to harrow or let animals trample “hoof seed.” In parts of the country where the ground freezes, a simple way to add new plants to your pasture is to “frost seed.” This is accomplished by overseeding when the frost is still on the ground (usually in early March).<br>

Miller said that’s not necessarily the best method because seed-to-soil contact can’t be guaranteed.<br>

A broadcast spreader and seed is all that is required. Red and Ladino clovers and some grasses (especially ryegrasses) are well adapted to this practice. (Note: Avoid using Alsike Clover. It has caused horses to die from “Dew Poisoning.”) Cool, wet spring conditions will allow for germination and growth of the seed.
A newly treated pasture must be handled carefully. The seedlings will not tolerate grazing until about six weeks after they have emerged. When choosing seed for new pastures or for renovating existing pastures, always choose an improved, endophyte-free and alkaloid-free variety. When selecting seed species, research websites to find out what species and varieties will work best. University forage experts, extension agents and vendors also can be helpful.<br>

Ampac can be found online at www.ampacseed.com<br>