pasture management of Yan Yean Farm

Introduction

Natural and sown grasslands provide forage for livestock and equine populations worldwide. A well-managed pasture provides adequate nutrition, whilst improving the fertility of the soil and decreasing degradation of soil (Kemp & Michalk 1994).

Horses that graze on optimally managed pasture will obtain improved health and sustain a good condition, compared to horses grazing on poorly managed pasture (Undersander & Antoniewicz 1997, p.1). Understanding the processes involved in good pasture management will benefit the farmers during preparation and care or their pastures, whilst being cost-effective, with little money misused on unnecessary equipment or control measures.

Pasture Selection

Good horse pasture provides grazing throughout the year. The pasture mix is selected based on the environment and the needs of the horse/s, it is good management to include a variety of different species for the mix to address all the nutrients required by combining the benefits from each species (Avery 2006).

Adding a legume increases production of the forage and minimizes the necessity to provide hay or grain (Undersander & Antoniewicz 1997, p.1). Figure 1 demonstrates a monthly forage production of grass pasture (both good and poor management), in comparison to grass-legume pasture (good and poor management).

Figure 1. Monthly forage production in a 2-acre grass and grass-legume pasture (Undersander & Antoniewicz 1997, p.2).

Soil type and nutrient level

The types of soil vary from sand, sandy loams, clay loams, clay and pleat. The type of soil is determined by the composition and structure, along with many other factors. The type of soil directly impacts what plants can be grown on the paddock, as each plant species varies...

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Government of South Australia 2010, A Practical Guide to Rural Land Management, 2nd Edn, course booklet.

Grazing Management of Pastures n.d. FAO, viewed 22nd May,

Fairfax County Virginia n.d. ‘Earth Friendly Suburban Horse Farming’, Fairfax County Virginia, viewed 22nd May 2014,

FarmStyle n.d. ‘Pasture Development on Small Farms’, FarmStyle, viewed 20th May 2014,

Kemp, D & Michalk, D 1994, Pasture Management: Technology for the 21st Century, CSIRO, Victoria, Australia.

Undersander, D & Antoniewicz, R 1997, ‘Pasture for Horses’, University of Wisconsin-Extension, Madison, WI, < http://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/a3680.pdf>