Property Management

With keeping the boys at home comes all of the amazing-ness of 24/7 turnout and not having to feed much hay in the summers. But, as anyone who has kept horses knows, they are hard on pastures. They eat their favorite parts down to nothing while the more mature grasses get tough and ignored. Eventually this leads to the roots of their favorite grasses getting weak and dying. It also leads to weeds. They are heavy and run around tearing up any wet ground. So, in order to combat these issues I have three pastures and a dry lot. I get to control where they eat and give their favorite spots times of rest and re-growth. Of course, there are complications with this as well. Right now, I only have one run-in area for them--and that's in the dry lot. The lot opens to the 1st pasture, so when it's in rotation things are easy. But otherwise, that means I watch the weather like a hawk and move the boys accordingly. I want them on as close to 24/7 turnout and grazing as possible but I also don't want them caught out in a bad storm or tearing up my ground if it's extremely wet. But, I have outlined my basic rotation schedule down below. The 3rd pasture (which isn't even fenced yet, but should be this summer if all goes to plan) will have hay cut off of it before we graze it. That is a very common practice here in Missouri. The hay will go to the farmer who cuts it as he does round bales which I'm not interested in. But, in exchange he fertilized the hay field and my pastures this spring for "free". It's a great system for me as we don't yet have a tractor to do that sort of maintenance that the pastures require. I want the first and last growing months of the year to give the 1st pasture a rest. It's the pasture that they winter in, which means it needs the most TLC. I think next year will bring some inter-seeding in the higher traffic areas and the areas that we cleared on the fence line, but we should still have plenty of grass for the boys this summer. In total, I've got just about 7 acres which is plenty for two horses. January-March: 1st pasture & lot April: Fertilize pastures 2nd pasture Easing into 24/7 grazing as weather allows May: 1st pasture 24/7 turnout for Mort with Blue in the lot at night June: Mow beginning of month 2nd pasture 24/7 turnout as Blue's face allows July: 1st & 2nd pasture Days will be in 1st pasture with access to shed and fan Nights will be in 2nd pasture Days where it is 90+ they will be locked in lot August: Mow beginning/mid-month 1st & 2nd pasture Days will be in 1st pasture with access to shed and fan Nights will be in 2nd pasture Days where it is 90+ they will be locked in lot September: 3rd pasture October: 2nd & 3rd pasture November: 1st & 2nd pasture December: 1st pasture & lot