Question - Do you soil test your grazing fields?

45% YES 55% NO

The benefits of soil testing:

Horse Sense asked head of environment and nutrition at the Irish Equine Centre (IEC), Alan Creighton, to explain the “no-brainer” aspect of soil testing, he said: “Not enough people in the horse industry soil test and it’s cheap as chips. For around €100 you can have four fields soil sampled. It’s so much cheaper than just presuming your fields need two bags per acre of fertiliser you’ve always just used.

“Soil sampling is an important step in understanding soil nutrient requirements and soil analysis establishes fertility levels of major nutrients such as lime, phosphorous (P) and potassium (K). Knowing the farm’s soil fertility, field by field, is the first step to calculating fertiliser requirements, and controlling fertiliser costs.

“The horse industry is a reactive sector, we have to have a speedy service so breeders and equine farmers can add fertiliser in a targeted ration when it’s needed.”