Horses are extremely tight grazers of grass and the mixture composition should take account of this. Sward density, hard wearing, and an even production of grass throughout the growing season with the option for a hay or haylage crop are key criteria in choosing a suitable mixture.
The benefits of reseeding are long documented, however Teagasc figures show that only 2-3% of all agricultural pastures are reseeded annually. This means that many pastures are over run with weed species leading to unproductive paddocks.
Reseeding of paddocks should be carried out where there has been excessive damage from poaching, the makeup of the current species is dominated by weed grasses or the quality of the forage produced from these paddocks is poor due to excessive grazing or constant cutting.
A typical paddock mixture should contain diploid varieties of perennial ryegrass with low sugar content together with creeping red fescue, timothy and smooth stalked meadow grass which will give a verstile mixture of nutrient rich grass species and capable of binding the sward for greater repair of the ground from hoof damage.
If choosing mixtures solely for the production of haylage, a mixture of perennial ryegrass together with hybrid ryegrass will give a high yielding mixture for multiple cuts in the year.
A further step in exploiting the potential of grass has been achieved through the application of biological seed stimulants. All mixtures in the Tipperary range of grass mixtures from Agritech are GroQuik® dressed to improve seedling establishment by accelerating germination and root development. GroQuik® was originally proven at London University to improve the establishment of the grass crop by 20%. According to Agritech’s Technical Director, Seamus O’Slatarra, “It is through extensive in-house research and trials, GroQuik® has been further enhanced with the addition of numerous additional bio stimulants to the dressing. The end result today is that the benefits of the Gro-Quik® dressing are now persisting for years rather than months post establishment”.
This article was published in The Irish Field (Saturday April 30th 2016)
Agritech recommend our Tipperary Grass – Horse Grazing mixture.
Formulated to cater for diverse needs providing nutritious, persistent and palatable pastures.
- Suitable for hay, haylage or as a grazing mixture.
- Minimal poaching damage due to inclusion of perennial ryegrass, strong creeping red fescue, timothy and smooth stalked meadow grass.
- GroQuik® seed stimulant dressed for improved germination and establishment with benefits seen long beyond sowing and establishment.
For more information and to buy Horse Grazing mixture, contact your local distributor.
Read more about our Tipperary Grass range.