With spring the most beautiful time of the year starts for many horses: the grazing time. But Weidetor on, horses up and everything is good, does not work. Before the start of the grazing season, it is necessary to prepare the meadow accordingly. Afterwards, the feeding must also be kept in view - because grass can also make you sick.
Although many horse owners have stomach aches, thinking of the upcoming grazing season and associated risks such as musculoskeletal injuries, laminitis, and colic, pasture time is the best thing they can offer their horses. Horses were once steppe animals and have not lost their ability and their need to live on grasslands, even as pets. On the contrary, the grazing season comes closest to the basic needs of the horse, because the horses are in fellowship of their species and have food, exercise and rest.
However, before the animals can be left on the lush green, some care measures are necessary.
Willow Care: That's How it Works
With the pasture care, horse and stable owners should be busy all year round. Starting shot is the spring, where the meadows are towed, rolled and fertilized in the rule. Later, the regular collection of feces, the removal of weeds and poisonous plants and the seeding of grazing. The latter is especially recommended in the period March / April and July / August.
By towing the pasture uneven units are leveled, molehills flattened, residues of horse droppings distributed and dead scar parts solved. Subsequent rolling re-establishes soil penetration, promoting plant growth. Also, rolling improves the carrying capacity of the scar. Whether and how often a meadow has to be rolled is different. For example, the State Office for Consumer Protection, Agriculture and Land Consolidation recommends rolling fen grassland every spring, grassland on mineral soil only as needed.
The issue of fertilization should be given much attention in spring. The nutrient content of the soil is crucial for the quality of the grass and the species composition of a pasture. The most important components of a good pasture are, for example, grasses, clover and herbs. What grows in a meadow varies from region to region, depending on the type of soil, groundwater level, climate, care and use. In a pasture in the heathland region, where the soil is often sandy, for example, completely different plants can be discovered, as on a fat Börde soil.
Recognize nutrient deficiencies
But how can you tell if a meadow is good or not? Here, some plant species are an important indicator by showing deficiencies. If a pasture has a nutrient deficiency, the following plants are strongly represented: sheep fescue, bristle grass, soft honey grass, gentian, saxifrage, broom, silver thistle and rough dandelion. On a calcium-poor soil, especially sheep's fescue, small sorrel, heather, cotton grass, Borstel grass, gorse and arnica can be found, while Sulla, parsnip, sickle alfalfa, meadow sage and yellow clover, indicate a basic soil reaction, so a good supply of lime.
If these plant species occur more frequently, it must be counteracted with appropriate fertilization of the soil - provided that the meadow is to serve as a source of food. With pure movement areas less consideration must be taken here. In this case, it is only important to keep the pasture free from poisonous plants.
In order to fertilize the soil optimally, a regular soil examination is recommended, which should be carried out approximately every three years. For this purpose, a soil sample can be sent to the Lufa, which evaluates the soil and then gives an individual fertilizer recommendation. Thus, the exact and necessary quantities of the basic nutrients phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and lime can be applied.
Detect poisonous plants
Not only before the grazing season, the care of the green areas is irreplaceable, but also during the season. So should be checked regularly, whether spread poisonous plants. Horse hooves - and especially studded hooves - as well as the Verbiss the horses provide holes in the sward. If these gaps are not seen in time and filled up with grayling, it is easy to settle for uninvited plants such as docklands or poisonous plants such as the St. Jacob's shrub and the autumnal timeless. In particular, St. Jacob's shrimp represents an increasing danger, because it spreads very quickly. Crabgrass is very toxic due to the alkaloid content and horses are very sensitive. To prevent the poisonous plant from spreading, you should always pay attention to a dense sward. Occasionally sprout plants,
And the regular collection of horse droppings is part of a good pasture care. And for two reasons: First, the collection of the horse's cabbage reduces the worm pressure enormously. Horses and their feces excrete worm eggs and larvae that live in the intestine. These sit on the plants and are picked up by the horses again. Especially after the administration of a worm cure, the horse dung must be removed. Also not recommended is the towing a pasture on which are still old horse pants, because it increases the risk of infection with parasites. On the other hand arise where horses increasingly drop their feces, so-called Geilstellen. Horses no longer eat there, the soil over acidifies due to the increased feces and stinging nettles or dock are spreading.
Protect from biting
In addition to regular care, a gentle pasture management is irreplaceable. Gentle means that the horses do not come too early to the fresh, young green in the spring. The plants need a certain size to withstand the bite of the horses. In autumn, the animals should not be fetched too late from the meadow, because eaten pastures need more rest in order to prepare for the next spring.
During the grazing season, the existing grazing land should always be given time to regrow and recover. We recommend three to seven weeks. This is possible either by giving many different pastures grazed one after the other, or by dividing the existing green area into different areas. Also Steckwiese is useful. Here, two intermediate fences are set, which are put on daily or every few days. Thus, the animals always get new grass, while the eroded area can recover quickly.
The change of grazing area can also be used to mow everything left standing. This gives the new grass a better chance of growing fast and evenly.
Check the fences
In addition to the soil care, the fences are an integral part of pasture management. These must be checked before the grazing start and meanwhile, because only with intact fences the Hütesicherheit is given. If the pasture is grazed, the horses' walking instinct is intensified and not every fence can stand up to it.
When fence construction, there is a lot to be observed: So fixed fences outside only by farmers may be set up. And in nature and landscape conservation areas, a mobile fence may only be set up during the grazing season. In addition, the height of the leash should be adjusted to the size of the horse. For small horses and ponies, a recommendation of 120 cm, 75 cm and 45 cm applies; in the case of large horses, the strands should have a height of 140 cm, 95 cm and 50 cm. If large horses and ponies share the meadow, the fence must be built according to the size.
Barbed wire as a sole fence is prohibited. If a horse panics, barbed wire poses a significant risk of injury. Therefore, this type of fence must be secured by clearly visible power strands. For this purpose, an inside running fence with about 50 centimeters distance is advised. Strands that run between the barbed wire have no stock in court from the point of view of animal welfare.
Appropriately grazing
Before going into pasture for a long time, the horses have to be grazed and prepared for the new food. Otherwise, changing the diet may lead to gastrointestinal disturbances. During the winter months, the horse's intestine has adjusted to the feeding of dry roughage. This is why there are many intestinal bacteria that can break down dry roughage, but gut bacteria for fresh grass are lacking.
The formation of these bacteria takes time - for this reason it is important that the horses are slowly grazed and accustomed to the fresh food. If this does not happen, colic, diarrhea, droppings and, in the worst case, even metabolic diseases such as laminitis can occur. Therefore, horse owners should slowly get their animals used to the new food - starting at five minutes, it can be increased daily by a few minutes until after about two weeks about half an hour has been reached.
Subsequently, the grazing time can be increased in ten or fifteen minute intervals. In stables, where the adjusters themselves are responsible for the feeding of their horses, it is important that they get a binding appointment from the stable owner in time, when the grazing time should begin. Only then can they prepare their animals sufficiently for the new food. when the grazing time should begin. Only then can they prepare their animals sufficiently for the new food. when the grazing time should begin. Only then can they prepare their animals sufficiently for the new food.
But even with a careful Anweiden fresh grass in the spring can affect the metabolism of each horse. Of these, especially the detoxification organs liver and kidney are affected. A typical symptom of overloaded metabolism is, for example, runaway legs. To support kidney and liver, special herbs can be fed parallel to the start of the grazing season.
It is also helpful not to let the horses go on the meadow with an empty stomach during the first time. Who feeds enough hay before, prevents the hungry horses from falling greedily on the fresh green grass.
Pay attention to metabolic diseases
Special attention should be paid to the preening especially in horses suffering from metastases with laminitis, Cushing or EMS.
Can not grow grass, it stores the energy made by photosynthesis, in the form of fructan. Fruktan is suspected of favoring the above-mentioned metabolic diseases. If a horse ingests too much fructose, the intestinal environment over-acidifies and the beneficial gut bacteria die. This release toxins that are absorbed by the blood and can cause, among other things, laminitis. According to scientific findings, 7.5 grams of fructan per kilogram of body weight are the cause of clinical laminitis. This can be achieved with unrestrained food intake or when plants are under stress, when a horse can feed unrestrained all day fructan grass.
The amount of fructan actually absorbed by a horse depends on several factors. One of them is the grass variety. For example, ryegrass contains a great deal of fructan, while cocksfoot, meadowweed grass, red fescue and meadow foxtail are among the fructan-poor grass species. The weather also plays an important role.
Once a plant has grown and has formed flowers or seeds, the fructan content decreases. Rising temperatures also reduce the fructan content. The colder the days, the more fructan is stored. Cold and sunny days are particularly dangerous for all grass types: frost can not grow the grass, it is too cold. The sun, on the other hand, ensures photosynthesis and thus generates energy, which is stored. This will be fructan. The same applies, by the way, when it is dry for a long time. If there is a lack of water, the grass can not put the existing energy into growth, but stores it for better times.
Ideal (on) pasture weather thus cloudy and mild days.
What many do not know: A short-eaten pasture is by no means suitable for metabolically ill horses. Because even if it seems at first glance, as if there is not much to fetch, this picture is deceptive. Short grass is usually highly stressed and accordingly has a high fructan- and additionally a high protein content.
Overweight: grazing ban?
Metabolic diseases and obesity are common in many horse stables. But instead of giving up the important grazing time, horse owners should rather think about alternative solutions. So a limited grazing time would make sense or the use of muzzles and Fressbremsen.
The pros and cons of time-limited grazing time are being discussed. For many horse owners, this is the only way to provide pasture for their overweight and diseased animals. However, studies show that horses that only spend a short time in the meadow eat very fast and without interruption and end up receiving more than horses that stay longer in pasture and take time to sleep in between.
With a brakes, the horse can also spend some time together with his herd in the pasture and enjoy his freedom. So the herd dressing remains stable and the effort for the owner of the barn manageable. The scuff brakes ensures that the horse can absorb less grass. It should be noted, however, that for horses with a muzzle an extra bucket of water must be provided because many self-drinking can not be operated with scuffing brake. If the horse is one of those who take off the best-fitting brakes, it can easily happen that the horse can eat a lot of grass uncontrolled and get sick. So you always have to keep an eye on it.
