– by the Maryland Department of Agriculture Horse Outreach Workgroup

A grazing plan is a customized document (often as part of a broader Soil Conservation & Water Quality Plan that can help you understand your stocking rates and current and possible grazing opportunities. It can help determine how much forage your herd(s) need and estimate how much your pastures currently provide.

The plan can help you determine if you have enough pasture to be able to rotationally graze, i.e., moving your herd(s) between pastures to allow your grasses to rest and regrow before regrazing. Your Conservation Planner will do a Pasture Condition Score, which assesses your pastures for appropriate vegetation, compaction, erosion, ground cover, etc. This score can help determine if your pastures are in good condition, need overseeding or a complete renovation.

Key Benefits of a Grazing Plan

  • Balancing Supply and Demand: It calculates exactly how much forage your herd requires and estimates how much your pastures actually produce.
  • Rotational Grazing Readiness: It determines if you have enough acreage to successfully rotate your herd, allowing grasses to rest and regrow.
  • Health Assessments: A planner will conduct a Pasture Condition Score to evaluate your land for vegetation quality, soil compaction, erosion, and ground cover. This helps decide if your fields just need a rest, overseeding, or a total renovation.
  • Actionable Management Tools: The plan provides specific guidelines on recommended grazing heights, forage recovery times, daily management tips, and record-keeping templates.

Financial Assistance & Next Steps

Once a grazing plan has been completed and reviewed with you, there may be opportunities for financial assistance through the Maryland Department of Agriculture or the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to help pay for Best Management Practices (BMPs), including:

  • Pasture seeding and overseeding
  • Divisional fencing for rotational grazing
  • Livestock watering facilities

How to Get Started

Contact your local Soil Conservation District to schedule a meeting with a Conservation Planner. Additional resources can also be found on the Horse Outreach Workgroup webpage.