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  Discussion on Taking horses to new area with different pasture
Author Message
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Thursday, May 5, 2011 - 3:57 pm:

Dr. O,

In three days I plan to haul my horses for the first time to our recently purchased farm in southern Virginia.

I have read the article about conservatively adjusting horses to different pasture.

The elevation of our farm there is just under 3,000 feet.

My intent had been to have the horses on the farm before the grass was really well-established for the season so that they could acclimate as it was coming in.

The grass in the paddock and pasture that they will initially be placed on is mostly fescue grass.

Some of the pastures have more timothy and orchard grass than others.

My three horses survived their few months of extra protein ingestion during the acorn season here without incident this past fall and winter.

About a year ago at this time my youngest (Perry, 19) was in the final stage of recovery from a bout of laminitis but I have had no further foot problems with any of my boys since then.

We have had so little rain here on our Florida farm that the grass is certainly not tall or lush presently though my horses are grazing some.

They also have hay bags in every stall filled with coastal hay so that they can eat the hay that they want plus graze whenever they wish to do so.

All of my boys weigh less this year than they did a year ago and even my usually fat boy Perry's "Ribs are right there," according to my equine veterinarian and my Vet is not looking for him to be any thinner.

Do you think that I need to restrict the horses' time on the pasture when I arrive up there next Monday?
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Thursday, May 5, 2011 - 4:07 pm:

I have just been E-mailed regarding the height of the grass of the pasture in Virginia.

It presently ranges from 4" - 7" tall, averaging about 5".
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, May 6, 2011 - 9:49 pm:

Yes, you should adjust them slowly as recommended in the article.
DrO
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Friday, May 6, 2011 - 10:43 pm:

Thanks, Dr. O.

Will do as directed.
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Saturday, May 14, 2011 - 6:34 pm:

Dr. O and all,

I have one more day of the two-hour limited turnout before increasing the time as my horses go through the suggested acclimation process and all is going well so far.

It has come to my attention that the majority of my grass is actually bluegrass.

There is a bit of clover as well, and unfortunately some butter cups and unknown plants out there.

My horses are all old. None overweight presently.

Is there any chance that they will be able to be turned out full time without wearing grazing muzzles on bluegrass or is such a thought "wishful thinking?"

Perry (19 year-old Arab) had a bout of laminitis last year but is not at all fat presently as he was before his laminitis.
New Member:
llambert

Posted on Sunday, May 15, 2011 - 10:56 am:

Hi Vickie,
I have a warmblood on the west coast and will be moving to the midwest. He currently is on sand turnout. What article did you read to give you further advise on acclimating a horse to grass turnout.
Thanks for your help with this.
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Sunday, May 15, 2011 - 4:56 pm:

Welcome to HA, Lynda.

Below is the link to Dr. O's "Overview" article, which is very informative.

https://www.horseadvice.com/horse/messages/3/5206.html

Toward the end of the article there is a section on making dietary changes in forage or pasture.
New Member:
llambert

Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 2:00 am:

Thanks so much Vicki!!
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 2:39 pm:

Good luck with your move, Lynda!
Member:
paul303

Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 11:19 pm:

Vicki, be a little careful of the clover until you know that your horses can tolerate it. A "little" clover in a pasture is usually fine, but if it starts to cover the pasture, be cautious. Alsike clover can make horses prone to photosensitivity. And, of course, "better safe than sorry". Limit them harshly in the beginning until your experiments tell you what they can tolerate. There's a lot of lush pasture in Virginia. If you find your pasture a bit too lush and long, don't be afraid to mow.
Member:
ajudson1

Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 - 8:21 am:

It's my understanding the mowing a lush pasture is the wrong thing to do if you are worried about your horses foundering since the sugars are more concentrated closer to the ground. And unless you mow very short, the clover is still there, but now all the grass they can get at is high sugar.

In my notes on grazing I have the following:

Sugar is highest in the middle of the afternoon, like 3 p.m.
Graze early morning, or during the night.
No grazing after the temp was under 40* at night.
No grazing after frost.
Limit to 2 hours.

What I do this time of year is limited morning grazing starting by moving a temp fence so they get a small strip for a week or 2.

Now they are getting 90 to 60 minutes from about 7 a.m. in the big pastures. Less in the pasture which has some clover (which will be sprayed tonight if there is no wind)

During the driest and hottest part of the summer they get pasture all night. IF it's really lush like last summer, I got back to making strips for them to graze in thus limiting them.

This has worked for me for years, no laminitis, no photosensitivity. Knock on wood.
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 - 4:41 pm:

There appears to be red clover and white clover in my pastures here, Lee. I will research the Alsike. Thanks for the caution about this, Lee. It is worrying me that there is clover out there. Pulled some milkweed up yesterday.

Right now my boys could be out in an adjoining pasture if they wished (bluegrass) but they don't even care to go there to the tall grass.
They want the short stuff.

I've thought of having it cut to help reduce the number of weeds and I am worried about the number of buttercups increasing.

Nothing has been done with this pasture for at least 3 years other than to cut it once or twice yearly.

Someone has expressed interest in making hay on some of this land.

Thanks for all of the pointers, Angie.

I recently let my guys graze after cold weather and rain so am now a little nervous.

I had been considering turning them out in the afternoon instead of mornings the next couple of days for my own convenience but perhaps that is a bad idea.

Eventually I had thought about keeping them in at night, but it sounds as though later afternoon is a better choice.

I'm following the very slow acclimation method suggested in Dr. O's "Overview" article on pastures and forage.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 - 8:45 pm:

Concerning worrying about the differences in nonstructural digestible and non digestible carbs (sugars) between mature and immature grasses and the diurnal variation, this is only a problem with a small number of horses prone to spring grass founder, often obese metabolic synDrOme horses and to a smaller degree perhaps Cushings horses. For the other 98% of the equine population this is not much concern.
DrO
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Thursday, May 19, 2011 - 4:10 pm:

Thanks, Dr. O.

That is encouraging.

I am following your program hoping to avoid any difficulties.
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Thursday, Jul 7, 2011 - 9:43 pm:

Just wanted to update this to let you know that I was careful in following the guidelines and had no problems with acclimating my horses to the new location.

They also have not put on too much weight so have not required the use of grazing muzzles.

I have had some worries about the weeds in my pastures but this has been somewhat alleviated by having them cut back.

Also had some hay made from my pastures and nice to have some hay in my hay barn.
Member:
lilo

Posted on Friday, Jul 8, 2011 - 12:05 pm:

Great news, Vicki. Not having to use the grazing muzzles is good news.
Lilo
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Friday, Jul 8, 2011 - 9:06 pm:

Thanks, Lilo.

Thought that by now I would have to use those muzzles but the grass slows growing here sooner than I expected.

My boys are at about the same weight as when I brought them here the first week of May.
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