Managing Horse Pasture During and After a Drought

 dry lots if you have them available. If not, try to keep at least some of your pastures empty through the drought. They will recover faster after rain. You

 will need to feed hay to replace the fresh pasture forage in the diet.

When rain returns, continue to rest the pastures for a few weeks until they have recovered. Wait until grasses have greened up and reached 6-8 inches in height before grazing again. If possible, continue resting the most damaged pastures even longer. Avoid overgrazing. As long as pastures are growing again, apply some nitrogen (30-40 lb/acre) in the fall to stimulate root growth. If pastures do not recover after rain returns, you may need to reseed in the spring (typically March to May in PA). Use soil tests to make sure your pasture's soil fertility is optimal prior to seeding.

To grow pastures that withstand drought longer in future years, consider a

 pasture management program that includes soil fertility testing, regular

 mowing, weed control, and rotational grazing. A grazing system that removes horses from pastures before plants are overgrazed, and gives them a chance to recover and regrow, will result in deeper roots that can access deep soil moisture. A shallow root system will become drought-stressed

 faster than a deep root system. In addition, a thick stand of grass shading the soil surface will help to keep it from drying out and weeds from germinating.

Conclusion

Many horse farms keep horses out on pasture during a drought, which damages the forage plants and delays recovery after the drought. Instead, horses should remain on dry lots, if available, during a drought. This practice, combined with good pasture management practices, will benefit the health of both horse and pasture.