Some thoughts on grass types
Meadow grass (Poa annua)–This provides good ground cover and horses will eat it. Where space is limited, it doesn’t produce enough yield for me to warrant growing it, when I could be growing something taller. Of course if you have acres and acres and laminitic shetlands, fair enough. It is an annual, sometimes biennial and occasionally perennial meadow grass (Poa) with shallow roots, easily pulled up, leaving bald spots. It doesn’t like acid soil or high phosphate. Annual meadow grass flowers at an early stage, and its height does not exceed 25-30 cm. Its very fine. It starts growing around feb and stops in sept.
Fescue (Festuca)–These grasses are relatively hardy and they go to a decent height and so can be cut for hay. They are less palatable to horses than some other types, so there is a possibility that it will be ignored if the horses have alternate species to graze. By far, not the best type to feed to breeding stock.
Ryegrass (Lolium)–Ryegrass grows quickly and is often used for hay. It has a good yield. Most seed mixes for farm use in temperate climates contain a high percentage of this plant. It is not very drought resistant, but grows well early in the season. You normally find it fed to cows alongside legumes, like clover as it’s rich and a certain percentage in your fields is not harmful. It is great and nutritious for standing hay as part of a mixed sward over the winter, when it loses much of its sugar and carb. Be careful of grazing new young shoots in spring and autumn. Never strip graze it as part of a starvation paddock where they are constantly eating the new shoots as you’ll be on a direct route to lami and ems, if your horses are already prone to these then it really isn’t your friend. Only graze it when it’s long. Never use it as a single sward.
Timothy (Phleum pratense)–This is not a very hardy grass and dies easily, it’s expensive to grow because if you want it you have to keep overseeing year on year. It is very palatable ...... but it’s thin with little yield, and horses will have a tendency to seek out this plant among others. Timothy is also a tasty and nutritious but low calorie element in hay. I love it but you have to be prepared to empty your bank account with regularity to have fields of it. I tend to buy dried blocks of it for a quid that I soak in water overnight and then I use it as a wet chaff for supplements or Bute.
Cocksfoot or Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata)–This can withstand spells of really dry weather during its growing season, and it does not have high carbohydrate content. It’s a lovely bulk fibrous grass plant that grows long. Really long roots so it withstands close grazing and competes well with rye. You are economising well if you include this in your fields.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)–Dandelions are useful for grazing. My gran used to tell me they make you pee the bed, so that may explain, Jodie, my very wet mare. Their broad leaves are palatable to horses, but a horse will only be able to find them if the grass is short ...... and don’t forget If it’s short you are overgrazing .... tut tut. Grows in low fertility soil and usually where you’ve overgrazed and not planted enough seed.
Wild Chicory (Cichorium intybus)–To humans, chicory is bitter, but is often without reserve by animals. Wild Chicory is nutritious for horses because it has a good mineral content.
White Clover (Trifolium repens)–Clover has high starch content. Unfortunately, because it is so rich it can cause laminitis to develop, so a high pasture percentage is undesirable for ponies. It will fix some nitrogen into the soil though so if your land is resting and you have it, don’t fret too much, just Harrow and over seed alongside it. If you don’t want it at all, you’re best killing it with fertiliser as although it’s a nitrogen fixer, it hates nitrogen.
Thistle (Carduus)–Thistles are painful to eat and the spines from the leaves can damage the mouth. Lots of different types some a bit softer than others though. My horses love them wilted. They grow tall and spread their seeds well, multiplying easily. Cut them down before they flower or next year you will have twenty times as many ... they seed like hell. They do, however have the most fantastic long taproots that aerate your soil, so cut them, let them wilt where they are or mulch them in and make them feed your ground and add to the organic structure.
Nettle (Urtica dioica)–Nettles sting the inside of a horse’s mouth, so horses generally will not eat them willingly, unless they’ve been dried and wilted They are a problem because they grow rapidly, smothering more desirable plants. If you have a big patch of them that are getting on your nerves, feed a round bale on them over winter and all the seeds and hay wastage and hoof churning will turn the patch into grass by next year, if you rest it and mow once or twice as soon as you see them rearing their stingy little heads.
Yorkshire Fog (Holcus lanatus)–The plant is not harmful to horses, but it has little nutritional value. It is a nuisance because it impedes the growth of other species of grass in a pasture. Good for fatties though, but not much by way of vitamins and minerals in it.
Couchgrass (Agropyron repens)–This type of grass has a relatively low nutritional value. It spreads rapidly by extending new growth through surrounding vegetation rather than relying on seeds. It can stop other, more desirable plants from thriving. It is broad leaved. Good for fatties though as it’s slightly bitter so they don’t gorge it. It will be the last grass left standing in your paddocks!
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