HORSES - 5
Pasture Maintenance
Pasture should only be grazed to 2.5 cm / 1" over 20% of the paddock and a Ground cover should be maintained at all times to prevent erosion and dehydration. The Pasture should be slashed or mulched, and the Manure should be harrowed to spread the Fertility and expose the Parasite eggs to the Sunlight and Frost. Re - growth should occur to 10 cm / 4" in height before re - grazing. If the Manure is removed from the Pasture ensure that Potassium is re - applied in a balanced Fertilizer, while leaving the Manure in the Pasture ensures selective grazing. Top - dress the Pasture with Nitrogen such as Urea and Nitram straight after mulching or slashing and allow at least 4 weeks to re - grow.
Rotational Grazing is a must for Horses and 3 Paddocks should be utilized along with a good Parasite control regime. Remove Horses from the paddocks during Wet weather.
Pasture Stocking
N.B: Overstocking is the biggest problem on all properties.
Formula: Pasture DSE / Dry Sheep Rating for 1 Year: Wether = 1.0. Ewe. = 1.5. Steer = 10.0. Cow = 13.0. Light Horse = 10.0 Draught Horse = 14.0. Pony = 6.0. Horse in Light Work = 13.5. Horse Heavy Work = 18.7.
Original Unimproved Pasture: 1.25 DSE, Cleared Native Pasture: 2.0 DSE, Native Pasture Sub Clover and Fertilizer: 6.0 DSE, Pasture sown to Phalaris, Sub Clover and Fertilizer: 10.0 DSE, Extensively Grazed Lucerne: 8.0, Rotational Grazed Lucerne: 12.0, Kikuyu, Clover, Ryegrass and Fertilizer: 25 DSE, Original Cleared Pasture: 1 Light Horse to 5 Hectares, Lightly Fertilized Pasture: 1 Horse to 2 Hectares, Improved Pasture: 2 Horses per 2 Hectares, Highly Improved Pasture: 4 Horses per 2 Hectares.
Normal Activity
Horses spend 50% of their day Grazing, 10% Running and Walking, 30 - 40% Standing, Grooming, Rolling, Playing or just Lying down.
A Horse locked up for 23 hours is a very deprived Animal and its life is certainly not anywhere near normal. Normal is a natural diet, Shelter from the elements and pests, clean water and social activity, self exercise and grazing or their replacements Hay and Training. A normal way of life should entail Humane Training, Mental Stability, perfect Nutrition and Physical balance. If they are happy in their environment this also effects their Nervous System.
Signs of pH. Balance being Physically off: Unevenness of Pace, Necks off to one side, sideways or circular motions, agitated Tail movements, shying, running away, being cross - gaited while in a canter, etc.
Natural feeds containing natural balanced compounds do not unbalance the Body, while those containing Synthetic compounds do, even if they have the same Chemical formula. Natural feeds and Supplements are much cheaper then commercial feeds, and as all Horses do not like the same thing, under Natural conditions these can be tailored to suite.
Free Choice feeding of Minerals is one of the best ways to feed Minerals providing the Horse is not too sick to sense their needs. Natural occurring forms of Minerals, plus separate natural Salt Blocks, is the best way to go. (If combined with the feed the Salt may limit the Mineral intake.) Given plain Minerals they will eat 2 to 3 times the Normal intake for a few months until they have balanced out their Minerals requirement and then taper off to a maintenance level. N.B: (This applies more to paddock Horses then stabled Horses whose maintenance levels can be added to their feed.
Mineral balance is more critical then Vitamin balance for Horses, as a healthy Horse will manufacture sufficient water soluble Vitamins and receive sufficient Fat soluble Vitamins if properly fed.
Excess Salt, Sugar, Electrolytes, Proteins, Grains, unnatural feeds and synthetically manufactured Minerals and Vitamins unbalance the Metabolism. This creates Arthritis, Gut Ulceration, impaired Immune function, Laminitis, Scouring, Tying Up, and even new Diseases never seen before.