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Will my horses ever graze again in the area they have "pooped"2007-11-24 21:23:24

I know they don't want to eat grass that grows there...but even though I rotate them between two fields and rake out those areas...when they get back they still won't eat any of the new grass that has grown there. When will they ever eat grass from those areas again?

Answers:

they will but you have to keep it mown and spread the manure. horses have a very interesting way of avoiding parasite naturally, they do develop potty areas, but are not so strict about adhering to them. those potty areas they avoid. funny enough the better parasites are controlled the closer they will graze to manure, the worse the control the wider a berth they give manure.

https://www.ruralheritage.com/back_forty...

there was a really good artical about this in a back issue of equus but for the life of me i cannot recall what its name was. i also saw this information in my ohio state university agricultural extension workshop. part of the problem may be a palatibily issue, from lack of grazing weeds or other less desirable forage may be heavy in those roughs adding to the horses lack if interest in graxing there. you may need to overseed the area with a more popular grass.

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i don't think so

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Its true that horses will not graze in areas that are "over-grazed," manure filled or immature. It could be the grass is just not ready yet. They will eat once a paddock or pasture matures, it will take at least one growing season or at least 6 mos to be in full health and 11 months for a pasture to develop the spring root system that acts as a mattress for their hooves. For the record, pastures must be mucked daily and manure cannot be spread unless it has sat in a muck heap for at least a year, sufficient time to biodegrade. Horses will not eat through their own manure. That aside, it is also good policy for parasite management to ensure there is not rotting or baking manure on your pastures and that its picked up regularly, not just raked about. Horses do not have "bathroom areas" as dogs and cats do, they go wherever they are standing (anyone who has had to clean the cross ties knows what I'm talking about...). That said, they will leave piles everywhere and they will not eat near their manure and if you rake/spread piles around, they will not get the grass blades sticking up through the manure.

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Generally, if they have enough other good areas to eat, then they will avoid that area. If their 'favorite' areas get used up, then they will get closer to their bathroom to eat.

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If they have lose stools and it is very acidic I doubt they would go near it, if you keep it clean like you say i dont see why they would have a problem with it.

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it sounds like you let the horse so whatever in the field and then just rake it out?