Seasonal Management of the Horse Property: Spring

Dec 3, 2011
Chris Thomas

Spring Pastures Need to be Controlled - C. Thomas

Different times of the year require certain tasks to be carried out on the equine property. Spring has many benefits, but also issues to consider.

Spring is a time of incredible growth when it comes to having land. Warm sunny days and storms that bring rain tend to bode well for growing grass. This works well on the breeding side of things, as foals are born at this time of incredible growth.

As much as this can mean reduced feed bills due to pastures providing much nutrition to horses, it can also cause management concerns. Laminitis can be one such concern. High sugar content in the grass can lead to this problem, as well as to many fat ponies!

Dealing with Excessively Growing Pastures

Too much grass can be combated by a variety of management measures. These include:

Strip grazing or slashing pastures
Putting more horses into the affected paddocks so that they can keep on top of the growth of the pasture
Offering agistment to others for the season, whether this is other horses or even cattle

Spring can also be a time of large amounts of rainfall. It’s important to be aware of which parts of the property may be negatively affected by this. Excessive rain can lead to:

Muddy paddocks and skin diseases
Inaccessible gateways
Lack of pasture
Erosion

Managing Water Damage

Areas where horses congregate are prone to getting muddy if there is a lot of rain. This can cause issues for the management of the property when such areas are gateways, making it impossible to access paddocks to feed horses, or get horses in and out of paddocks. Another such area can be around water troughs.

Areas that suffer from water excess can be covered with sand or gravel or another substance that will assist in making things more stable. It is possible to keep horses from congregating around gates by using a temporary electric tape over that particular part of the paddock. This will increase the ease with which staff can access paddocks without being harassed by horses as soon as they get in the gate.

Being able to relocate stock to higher ground during rainy seasons can help to keep the affect of mud to a minimum. This may save time on treating skin diseases, such as mud fever and thrush.

Any water runoff should be assessed for it’s affect on the rest of the property, including water that runs into creeks or dams, or runs out of dams when they overflow. Sufficient drainage should be looked into, and where water pools in undesired areas, the use of a shovel can be handy to create a channel to direct the water elsewhere. Effective waterway management should be considered on all properties.

Being aware of general issues that can arise with the season of spring will be of worth to any property owner. Knowing how to manage or combat these issues before they occur is beneficial.