Six tips for selecting the Right Grass for Horse Pasture

Need help in finding the right grass for a horse pasture? First of all, I appreciate that you are concerned to provide the best possible nutrients naturally.

The nutritional supplements, no doubt, work exceptionally good but they can be harmful in the long run. The horses should get the basic nutrients from the pasture they are consuming. These last lines show how important it is to choose the right grass for horse pasture.

All grazing animals are different, their nutritional needs are also not the same. So, what goes well for cattle, deer, and elk may or may not work for horses. To find the grass that suits the needs of the horses you have to look for the following things;

The grass should fulfill the nutritional needs

The main purpose of planting the grass pasture is to fulfill the nutritional needs of horses. The major portion of a horse's nutritional needs should be fulfilled through roughage. The grass should at least be rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.

It shouldn't be high maintenance

The grass that you are planning to plant shouldn't be high maintenance. There are some options that are healthy,need low pasture fertilizer and low-maintenance at the same time. Examples of such horse-friendly grasses are; bahiagrass and bermudagrass etc.

It should be affordable

Since you plan to dedicate a few acres of land to pasture, it's better to invest in cheap glasses. So, even if you have to reseed the lawn you don't have to pay much.

It shouldn't be hard to chew

The horse's mouth is as sensitive as its stomach. Pasture should be easier to chew and digest. The grasses that are easier to chew creates less mess as compared to the rough-textured grasses. Kentucky bluegrass is an excellent example of soft horse-friendly grass. Moreover, it should not have foxtail seed heads, thistles, or burs.

It can be sown readily

There are some cool and warm-season grasses. The cool-season grasses are planted in late November or early December whereas the warm-season grasses seeds can only be sown in April, May, or June. Make sure the pasture seed you are selecting can be sown readily. For example, if you are planning to plant soon you can invest in warm-season grasses.

It should have a pleasant smell and rich green color
The horses like all of us do get attacked by the rich color and pleasant fragrance. The horses prefer the grasses that have a sweet scent and rich green color to then to fill their tummy with half half-dead grasses. It has often been noticed that the pastures that don't smell good are left by the horses considering moldy.

In brief, If you are going to start farming grass is the main source of nutrients for the animals like horses, cattle, goats, sheep, deer, and elk. The horses need more protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals than these grazing animals so the grass should contain all the important nutrients. Moreover, it shouldn't stink, be tough or textured, expensive.