Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Horses can share pastures with other livestock without the risk of parasite contam-
ination between species, and it is possible that cattle or goats might eat some of the
mature vegetation left by the horses.
To reduce recontamination, depending on the pasture size, manure can be removed, left
where it falls, or harrowed. Since a horse produces 50 pounds of manure per day, on small
pastures and paddocks it is best if manure is picked up daily. It can be hauled away or com-
posted and then spread on horse pastures. On very large pastures, horses tend to allocate
certain areas for grazing, defecating, and lounging, thereby instinctively avoiding the para-
sites in their manure. In such pastures it may be best to leave the manure piles where they
are rather than harrow and spread the larvae throughout the pasture. In midsize pastures
in temperate climates, once the horses are removed in fall or early winter, the manure in
the pasture can be harrowed to expose parasite eggs to freezing weather and to spread the
manure more evenly so it decomposes over the winter. Otherwise, larvae that survive the
winter immediately begin reinfecting horses in spring, especially young stock.
In southern pastures, the timetable is reversed. The summer is the best time to keep
horses off pasture and to harrow the pastures to expose the larvae to the hot, dry weather.
When the horses are returned to the rested and harrowed pastures in November, the recon-
tamination rate should be decreased.
No matter how good a pasture is, it needs to lie dormant for some months each year, espe-
cially during the muddy months. Mud plus hooves equals lost shoes, pasture damage, and
weed invasion. Mud is also an excellent breeding site for insects and a harbor for bacteria
and fungi that lead to thrush, rain rot, and scratches. During the wet months, horses can be
moved to pens or stalls.
