University of Kentucky (UK) Cooperative Extension Service and UK College of Agriculture Equine Programs will host the Pastures Please! workshop for horse owners and farm managers interested in the latest information about horse pasture management. The event will be held Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Fayette County extension office, located at 1140 Red Mile Place in Lexington. The meeting is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served.

"We are pleased to offer our upcoming 6th annual equine Pastures Please! program this year in Fayette County," said Ray Smith, PhD, UK professor and forage extension specialist. "This has been one of the most popular pasture management programs the Extension Service and College of Agriculture hold each winter. Attendees will hear important management practices they can use to improve their horse pastures."

This year’s program will feature practical advice about minimizing the risk of laminitis in grazing horses, weed management after the 2012 drought, and proven methods to re-establish horse pastures. There will also be a roundtable discussion.

"This program provides something for every horse owner. The planning committee each year aims to deliver timely and practical information," said Nick Carter, Fayette County agricultural and natural resources extension agent, and one of the event’s key organizers, along with fellow agents from Clark, Fayette, Jefferson, Jessamine, Scott, and Woodford counties