Horse owners rarely think of being a true farmer, but, in fact
we all are grass growers, which qualifies us as farmers. So,
we need to think a bit more about how to grow healthy grass,
and to recognize when our grass needs attention.
As we think about the horse from a holistic perspective, we
must look at the food we feed them. Not just that bag of grain
full of preservatives, or the supplements we endlessly feed
them, but the mainstay of their diet, the grass they eat on
a daily basis.
But, you say, we fertilize regularly and spray for weeds periodically.
The grass looks wonderful, in fact sometimes it is so rich we
cannot turn the horses out on it for long periods of time because
they will get too fat or even founder. Great, but is that a
healthy thing to have happen?
Most soil today worldwide is devoid of the healthy microorganisms
and organic matter that make it alive. Soil is compacted and
hard, there are areas of erosion and bare patches or places
where growth is poor and weeds take over if we forget to mow
for a while.
Weeds are not a bad thing, however, as most of our common “weeds”
are really medicinal plants that horses/ livestock will eat
as they need. However, weeds also appear in poor soil to try
to correct some of the imbalances there and when weeds want
to take over, it is an indication of severely imbalanced soil.
Healthy soil is rich in color. loose in texture and drains well.
It is much more drought resistant and good soil provides many
more nutrients to the horse because the grass has more nutrients
available to it.
Normal fertilization will only replace nitrogen, potassium and
phosphorus while lime replaces calcium. Healthy fertilization
provides many trace nutrients as well as sources of carbon such
as hay, straw and properly-made compost. It takes some effort
to reclaim fields, but it can be rewarding in lower feed costs
and improved health of the animals that live on it.
Look for some more detailed articles on this site in the future.
One great resource for information caring for soil is www.acresusa.com.
They have a newspaper and many books.
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