LAST month Teagasc held two busy workshops on equine pasture management hosted at Bert House Stud, Co Kildare, and Kenilworth House Stud, Co Tipperary, which were attended by over 100 people.

Bert House Stud, under the management of Kirsty McCann in the ownership of Richard Young, sits on 58 acres of limestone land with low stocking density, breeding, foaling and boarding thoroughbred and sport horses with sheep available to cross graze/co-graze. Kirsty and Richard are focused on managing the challenges of visiting equines while maintaining high herd health status, placing high value on safe pasture for exercise and grazing.

Kenilworth House Stud, under the management of Gerry Ross, in the ownership of Diana Vasicek, is a 200-acre farm on limestone land breeding and raising flat and National Hunt thoroughbred horses, with a herd of 16-18 broodmares and cattle on loan at interval from a neighbouring farmer to manage grazing. Gerry likes to keep his horses out as much as possible and places high value on grass quality, determined by soil quality and pasture management practices.

Plant nutritionist

Discussion was facilitated and guided by Teagasc equine specialist, Sean Keane. Mark Plunkett, Teagasc Signpost Programme training and development specialist, and also a soil and plant nutritionist, provided insights into soil quality, structure, management and the steps involved in soil sampling, a prerequisite to an effective fertiliser plan.

The relevance of a using a spade to dig out a sample of soil and examine structure was also demonstrated. Correct soil pH (6-6.5 unless high Molybdenum soil) and liming practices underpin nutrient availability and fertiliser effectiveness and should always be the first step. Each tonne of ground limestone applied per acre should increase the pH by 0.3. The grazing demand and requirement for forage conservation will also dictate fertiliser requirements with lower stocked grazing perhaps adequate at Index 2 for Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K) while forage ground benefits from Index 3 for P and K.

While soil structure and type may determine other practices such as the requirement for drainage, or aeration for example. The use of farmyard manure (well composted, tested for nutrient value, and parasite burden if of equine origin) or slurry to improve the microbial ecology of soil as well as nutrient content was also discussed, while the topic of weed control presented questions of relativity in terms of what is a weed for one may be biodiversity for another. Judicious use of chemicals whether fertilisers, herbicides or pesticides is advised with the mindset of environmental protection and preservation as a primary consideration also.

Stocking densities

Alan Creighton, head of environment and nutrition at the Irish Equine Centre, joined the discussion at Kenilworth House Stud bringing his scientific and practical knowledge to emphasise the importance of soil quality and awareness of the effect of stocking densities on both soil and grass quality. The most common mistake is to over stock or over graze pasture with negative outcomes for horse health.

The importance of hygiene both in the stable yard and within the paddocks was discussed. High traffic zones and those occupied by young, and vulnerable foals are of most high importance. Fencing off poached and dusty areas in paddocks and renewing surfaces in gateways and around water troughs can have positive outcomes in protecting the health of foals most particularly but also others. Regular cleaning of water troughs was also recommended and providing good grass cover also as a means to preventing ill health. Alan emphasises that these practices can be achieved on small farms where they become even more relevant to prevent ill health, as well as the bigger farms. The take home message was that taking preventative steps can save money in the long run

Biodiversity management

Catherine Keena, Teagasc countryside management specialist, spoke on the importance of biodiversity. Catherine spoke of the need to include biodiversity management in farm practices as a responsibility with multiple potential positive dividends for nature on the farm. The importance of native trees and hedgerows were emphasised with different management practices for escaped (never topped) hedges or treelines which should be side trimmed only, and topped hedges grown to at least 1.5m with a scattering of thorn trees retained within. Linear habitats created by hedgerows, treelines and field margins are invaluable corridors for nature throughout the countryside. Uncultivated and unsprayed field margins of 2-3m provide habitats for invertebrates, birds and small mammals with high biodiversity value.

Watercourses are hugely important and can include small watercourses and drains. Fencing off watercourses and respecting buffer zones when spreading fertilisers, herbicides and other chemicals while preventing access by livestock all help to protect water quality and allow space for native wildflowers and grasses to flourish with habitats for associated fauna. Catherine also spoke about the value of bird boxes and raised awareness re the use of rodenticides. With 80% of barn owls found dead testing positive for rodenticide, it emphasises the necessity for care in the use of rodenticides as the risk of secondary poisoning feeding on deceased rodents is notably high.

Actions to protect declining biodiversity must not be about actions that make the landscape attractive to humans, those that are always easiest, or about focusing on one species at the expense of others.

BOTH farm managers Kirsty McCann and Gerry Ross provided their personal insights in relation to their approaches to pasture management with a focus also on providing safe surfaces for exercise as well as good grass cover with appropriate stocking densities to avoid overgrazing. The benefits of cross grazing with sheep or cattle were discussed with benefits for parasite control, quality of grazing and use of excess grass where relevant. The prioritising of ‘clean’ paddocks with maximum rest periods for use as nursery paddocks was also emphasised. Both farm managers spoke of the practices of aeration, harrowing, over-seeding and rolling being important to integrate into any pasture management programme. Gerry indicated compaction issues were arising with use of the flat roller only, and therefore transitioned to a ring roller with superior results. Aeration in spring and autumn is undertaken on both farms to combat compaction.

Both farm managers agreed that soil management coupled with appropriate stocking density, and maintaining grass cover through all of the practices mentioned above, are the limiting factors to spread of weeds. In cases where weeds are problematic requiring chemical intervention, the advice is to follow label instructions regarding application rates while exerting caution in relation to the period to return of grazing equines – extending the period as long as possible in excess of the recommended period.

The message in relation to parasite control on both farms was clear: manage stocking densities appropriately. Rotate and rest grazing. Cross graze with other livestock where possible. Test periodically to ascertain the extent of parasitic burden and which parasites are present. Treat with advice from your vet on the most appropriate choice of wormer. Re-test to ensure the wormer given has been effective.

Both workshops of knowledge exchange and discussion culminated in networking opportunity, and with gratitude to the farms, Richard Young, Kirsty McCann Gerry Ross; contributors Mark, Catherine, and Alan; and local Teagasc managers and advisory staff for their assistance David Colbourne, Donal Mullane, Peter Doolan, John Brophy, Margaret Farrell, Martha Charles, Katie Frazer, Sean Cooney, Chris Hanrahan, and Orla Walsh.