Description
Rotational grazing management offers potential advantages for economic and environmental sustainability, as well as for horse health. Rotational grazing has the potential to increase pasture yields and available forage for grazing, and therefore reduce supplemental feed costs. A rotational grazing management strategy can also prevent or mitigate negative effects of overgrazing, with implications for pasture productivity and the environment. Overgrazing can reduce vegetative cover over time, increasing the potential for erosion and nutrient run-off. Overgrazing may also result in long-term decreased forage stand persistence and weed invasion, necessitating more frequent pasture renovation. All of this can negatively impact the horse’s nutrition and therefore their condition. This presentation will highlight fundamentals of rotational grazing and recent research on the benefits of this practice on horse condition and pasture productivity.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Horse and Pasture Responses to Stocking Methods: Rotational versus Continuous
Rotational grazing management offers potential advantages for economic and environmental sustainability, as well as for horse health. Rotational grazing has the potential to increase pasture yields and available forage for grazing, and therefore reduce supplemental feed costs. A rotational grazing management strategy can also prevent or mitigate negative effects of overgrazing, with implications for pasture productivity and the environment. Overgrazing can reduce vegetative cover over time, increasing the potential for erosion and nutrient run-off. Overgrazing may also result in long-term decreased forage stand persistence and weed invasion, necessitating more frequent pasture renovation. All of this can negatively impact the horse’s nutrition and therefore their condition. This presentation will highlight fundamentals of rotational grazing and recent research on the benefits of this practice on horse condition and pasture productivity.
