# Maintaing Pasture



## Remy410 (Nov 7, 2011)

I've only had my horses at home since April and I have some questions on keeping up my pastures.

I have 2 horses in a little over an acre paddock while we're fencing off the rest of our property. The paddock is getting rather weedy, especially with bull nettles, and it needs to be mowed. I'm afraid to spray for weeds b/c it's the only turn out I have at the moment, and I don't want to end up accidently poisoning my horses. I don't want to mow then have to rake up the grass clippings over an entire acre. Although I could do it a small section at a time. I also don't want it to get ruined b/c it's not being kept up properly.

Can anyone advise how they maintain their paddocks/pastures?


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## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

I always drag once a week and mow once every two weeks. I never rake. I just always drag after i mow. And i have a beautiful pasture
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I had mine done last month.

It is best to spray right after you mow.
I forgot the name of the stuff the guy used, but it wasn't toxic to animals. I was allowed to turn them out right away. But my goat weed and thistle came back. 
The spray he was going to use but didn't, they only needed to be off of it for about 4 hours.
I could call and ask if you want the name of stuff.

If you a place close by that sells fertilizer and sprays, I would call and ask them. They can help you pick the right stuff and tell you how to mix it to be the most effective.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

All the herbicides I've seen say they are safe for livestock once it has dried...your feedstore or a store like TSC should be able to recommend.
We just mow the weeds, every week in the spring when they are really growing, as needed otherwise.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Remy410 (Nov 7, 2011)

Cowgirl140ty said:


> I always drag once a week and mow once every two weeks. I never rake. I just always drag after i mow. And i have a beautiful pasture
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


what do you drag with? Is it a tractor attachment? We don't have a real tractor, just a large John Deere mower..


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

Loyal Drag Harrow, 4 ft. x 8 ft. - 2128634 | Tractor Supply Company

drag with that, it chops up the horse poo, way easier than picking it up. You can pull it with a decent sized riding lawnmower. I have a 20 hp walmart special that does fine. I dont care what the labels say, I wouldnt put my horses on anything I have sprayed for at least a week and preferably after a rain. Just drag it and mow it, dont worry about the weeds. Get your other field fenced before winter or you'll have a mud hole.


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

I pull that same drag with an ATV. I have a Polaris 700 as I have to plow snow in the winter with it but my friend has a 200 that pulls the drag just fine unless the weeds are really thick/tangled and then it bogs down and you have to go clean out the drag.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I friend of mine uses a few small paddocks of about 4 acres each. He drags them with heavy wood pallets behind a four-wheeler or their smallish tractor. I have another friend whose father in law drags a pallet behind his pick up on the calving ground (because he appreciates a heater at 80 years of age!) Their paddocks and the calving ground look good.

They get them free from businesses who get freight on them.


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## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

Remy410 said:


> what do you drag with? Is it a tractor attachment? We don't have a real tractor, just a large John Deere mower..


We actually use an old chain link gate. Its one of the big ones, about a 6x8. And you put the fence side down, its like a cheese grater to the poop. And it also picks up sticks, twigs, dead grass. Works great. And much cheaper than a drag (especially since we just had it laying around). Lol
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

^^^ That is what we use. I've also seen people use bare coiled box spring mattresses ;-)


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## Koolio (Apr 7, 2010)

I have about 6 acres of pasture with 4 horses, and like others, I mow and drag. I also pull the flowering weeds by hand. I have an armful of weeds every time I walk through the pasture. 

It is important to set up a routine. Here's what I do...

1. I use temporary fencing so I can get my horses off the pasture for short periods.
2. Fertilize in spring. Fertilizer will help the grasses outcompete the weeds.
3. I harrow the manure weekly when there is no snow. We use a diamond harrow as well as a chain link gate. 
4. Mow when plant get over about 8" high. Mow to about 4-6". I always follow mowing with harrowing.
5. I plan to overseed with a horseman's pasture mix either this fall or early in the spring when I take the horses off the field and keep them in the sacrifice area.
6. Rotational grazing forces the horses to eat the pasture down more evenly and makes managing manure easier because it is confined to a smaller area.
7. I try not to use pesticides, but if the above methods don't control the weeds, we do spot spray trouble areas.


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## Remy410 (Nov 7, 2011)

I want to thank everyone for the advice. I knew I had to get it mowed but would not have known to drag as well. I have a busy weekend ahead. We have the posts in for the 2nd pasture so hopefully we'll have that completed soon and I can get on a regular rotation/maintenance plan.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

I have the same TSC drag harrow in an 8x8 that I pull with my Massey 135.....The 8x8 drag is heavy and I use a boom pole to lift it but it pulls easy.

I'm glad ya'll reminded me.....I need to go out and drag mine!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

My drag is an old 54" box spring pulled behind the mower. I cut my pasture clockwise and blow everything toward the middle and leave it. The box spring does a good job of breaking up the manure and scattering it. The sun kills the worm eggs that may have passed thro the horse. In spring when the ground is wet and the manure has thawed I'll pull the drag. I will then go over it again pulling a single set of old harrows with a tire on top. Armed with about 3lbs of timothy seed I'll hand toss it so that some ends up in the harrow scratches. I have been doing this for about 10 years and my pasture has greatly improved.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

Not much help for the OP, but for those with grass. I overseed with rye grass in the fall, It grows quick and greens up about the time the other grasses are dieing for the winter. It will also green up and grow on those warm spells during the winter. The seed is cheap and cuts way down on winter hay expenses. As far as weed control sometimes herbicides are treatign symptons, buttercups and field milfoil are taking over because of high acidic soil which isnt great for grass anyways. If you are over run with those probably better off spreading lime. The grass will grow better and the weeds not so much. You do need to keep horses off a good while.


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