Green Horse Keeping
Alayne Blickle
April 28, 2011
What environmentally friendly management practices might work for you and your farm?
What environmentally friendly management practices might work for you and your farm?
Controlling poison hemlock growth in early spring could help keep pastures and livestock healthy, according to J.D. Green, PhD, extension weeds specialist with the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. “Poison hemlock i
Once soils are no longer saturated and while we still have some spring rains ahead of us, do your horses and your pasture a favor by spreading compost. The nutrients, organic material and beneficial bacteria and fungi in the compost will help your grass plants become more productive.
What weeds, trees, and shrubs are poisonous to your horses?
Many land managers know firsthand the damage invasive plant species can do to natural resources, but no one knows exactly why these species are able to outcompete native plants. Invasive species are common throughout the world. A long-held theory
More than 460 readers of TheHorse.com responded to a poll asking, “How do you manage mud around your barn?”
Prepare your pastures for those warm, sunny, summer grazing sessions with these rejuvenation and overseeding tips from Ray Smith, PhD, forage extension specialist at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture
The University of Kentucky initiated its Pasture Evaluation Program in 2005, which has since grown along with its number of participants.
Bush honeysuckle describes several species of woody honeysuckles found in the eastern half of the United States. Types of bush honeysuckles include Amur honeysuckle, Morrow’s honeysuckle, and Tartarian honeysuckle. All grow rapidly and produce multiple stems and can reach heights of about 30 feet. These deciduous woody shrubs are shade tolerant and flourish around stream borders and fence rows.
Winter can be a difficult time for pasture management. Horse pastures often are abused by the stress of winter, especially following a drought. Here are a few simple steps you can follow to minimize winter damage and help plant growth for grazing.
Fall is a good time to take stock of the quality of horse pastures. The weeds that were most prevalent and uncontrolled during the summer will now be large and producing seeds.
Overseeding horse pastures is a pasture management practice that helps ensure good ground cover, quality grazing, and an aesthetically pleasing pasture in the coming year without major pasture renovations.
Tall ironweed is distributed widely across the eastern half of the United States and is found in low damp areas of pastures and roadsides. This tall, upright plant can approach 10 feet under optimum growing conditions but more commonly grows to about 5 feet.
Common cocklebur is distributed widely across the United States and occurs in pastures and cultivated crops. Infestations in pastures are usually more of a problem during periods of drought or due to overgrazing and most frequently occur in field margins.
The wet spring weather and abundant clover growth in Central Kentucky has made 2010 a bumper year for slaframine toxin, or “slobber toxin.”
Poison hemlock, cocklebur, Johnsongrass, and common ragweed can all be poisonous to horses under the right conditions. Dr. William Witt of the University of Kentucky discusses these weeds’ habitats and how to get rid of them.
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