The past two months here in the Bluegrass have been seriously lacking in rain, and the characteristically lush, green horse country is now looking brown and parched. The pastures aren’t the only ones feeling stressed; some horse owners are flying through their hay reserves faster than expected and others are racking up high water bills trying to irrigate their land. The owner of the farm where my horses are stabled, for instance, has stopped accepting new boarders even though there are empty stalls, because fewer animals means more space for rotational grazing. What are some of the things you’ve been doing to salvage your fields heading into the fall season? Here are some steps you can take to help your pastures stay healthy, even in tough conditions:

Decrease Horses’ Grazing Time Reduce horses’ time on pasture to just a few hours a day, versus all day or night