Pasture Management by the Seasons

to be applied annually for 3 years then another test should be taken.
Lime
Lime can also be applied any time during the year. Your soil test report will tell you how much to apply. Note that this recommendation is intended to be applied once during the 3year period between soil tests. Do not apply it yearly. Lime takes 612 months to react in the soil so if you are reseeding plan ahead and apply it 612 months before seeding. 
Weed Control and Forage Management
Keep an eye out for weed seedlings and try to identify them. Summer annuals grow in the spring and die in the fall therefore the best time to spray them is in the spring when they are small and tender. Other types of weeds perennials biennials winter annuals should be sprayed at different times for maximum effectiveness. It is best to identify the weed and select an herbicide that has demonstrated effectiveness on that plant. You can look up herbicides in the Penn State Agronomy Guide or contact your local Extension office for help identifying weeds and choosing a control method. If using herbicides make sure to read labels carefully and follow all requirements including grazing restrictions and reseeding intervals.
You can plant coolseason grass seed like orchardgrass Kentucky bluegrass perennial ryegrass etc. in the springtime but it may be less successful than a fall seeding due to weed pressure and approaching hot summer temperatures. New seedings should not be grazed for one grazing season to ensure the plants become wellestablished with deep healthy root systems.
Regular mowing is great for pastures. Immature leafy grass plants are high in nutritive value energy protein while mature stemmy grass plants with seed heads have lower nutrition but higher fiber. Regular mowing encourages the plant to replace leaves instead of going to seed. It

also helps control some weeds! If using a rotational grazing system a great time to mow is right after you switch horses to a new paddock. Never mow below 34 this damages tall grasses and increases recovery time.
Grazing Management
Once horses are acclimated to spring grass its time to start your grazing rotation. Start grazing a pasture when grasses have reached 810 inches and move horses when grasses are 45 inches tall. If this takes longer than a week you could add horses to the group or use temporary fencing to make the paddock smaller. Grass regrowth will be rapid in