by Maryland Department of Agriculture Office of Resource Conservation (first published in the March 2025 Equiery)

MARCH

  • Acclimate horses to lush spring pastures by allowing them access to pastures for an hour or two during the first few days and then gradually increasing their turnout to full-time over the next 7 days.
  • Allow horses to graze when pastures show new growth (i.e., “green-up”) and are at a height of 6 inches or more.
  • Apply composted manure or ⅓ of annual fertilizer amount to pastures that aren’t currently being grazed, following soil test recommendations or your farm’s Nutrient Management Plan.
  • Move horses from pastures grazed less than 4 inches into rested pastures that are at least 6 inches in height.
  • Drag or harrow pastures to break up manure piles after recent grazing by horses that have been moved to another pasture for grazing.
  • Check water pipes, gutters, and drain lines for defects and repair.
  • Contact your local soil conservation district for technical assistance with water management issues on your farm.

APRIL

  • Continue to manage horses by moving them from a pasture that is grazed to 4 inches to a pasture that is 6 inches in height or more.
  • Avoid being locked into a pasture sequence if grass height of pasture indicates a different order of rotation.
  • Move horses onto the sacrifice/loafing lot and feed hay if pastures are too wet for grazing.
  • Inspect pastures at least weekly to monitor forage growth, weed encroachment, and to inspect fencing and grazing horses.
  • Control existing weeds with herbicide and frequent mowing to ~4 inches.
  • Contact your local University of Maryland Extension office to receive help with weed identification and recommendations for their control.
  • Evaluate grass cover in sacrifice/loafing lot to begin plans for reseeding of overgrazed and/or bare areas in late summer/fall.
  • Check for new growth of white clover seeded back in February.

MAY

  • Mow recently grazed pastures to no lower than 4 inches to maintain vegetative growth and control weeds before they go to seed.
  • Apply another ⅓ of the recommended annual fertilizer application to pastures.
  • Delay grazing fertilized or limed pastures until about 0.25 inches of rainfall has fallen.
  • Evaluate soil erosion in sacrifice/loafing lot and other heavy use areas (gates, feeders, run-in sheds, waterers).
  • Contact your local soil conservation district for assistance with soil erosion control measures.

Learn more at mda.maryland.gov/HOW