Ask the Expert -- Farm and Pasture Management

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How big should my drylot be?
Does Rutgers recommend that drylots be a certain distance from property lines?
What kind of wood and wire can I use for horse fencing?
I need a ground cover for an eroded area. Is there anything my horse won’t eat?
How long can one store hay?
Do you have any mud management tips?
Is there a slow-growing plant I could plant by my riding ring?
Is there a turf grass without endophytes?
Are creeks reliable and safe water sources?

I need to establish a drylot for a very easy keeper who has foundered in the past. It is possible that my other two horses will occasionally need to share the drylot short term, possibly overnight. Can you recommend what square footage it should be?

It is appropriate to have a minimum of 400 square feet for each adult horse being housed in a dry lot.

Rutgers' Agricultural Management Practices for Commercial Equine Operations state that barns and sheds should be set back at least 50 feet from property lines. What does Rutgers recommend the distance from property lines should be for horse drylots or pastures?

The Agricultural Management Practices for Commercial Equine Operations state that "fences should be located such that horses are unable to cause damage to neighboring properties. Although it is an acceptable practice to construct fencing on a property line, consideration should be given to setting new fencing back from the property line. Setting back the fencing can serve several purposes. It may prevent horses from causing damage to trees and shrubs on neighboring properties, facilitate mowing and fence repair, and prevent neighbors from having access to the horses without trespassing on the farm owner's property."

In the past, fencing was frequently constructed on property lines to form a boundary between adjacent farms and to maximize pasture use. Today, situations have changed, and with increasing pressure placed on livestock operations in residential areas, common sense dictates that consideration should be given to setting new fencing back from property lines. Recommended fencing setbacks are the same for drylots and pastures, however, management strategies recommended for drylots are more stringent than those suggested for pastures. By definition, pastures must be maintained in order to contain at least 70% vegetative cover. If the vegetation falls below 70%, then the pasture is treated as a drylot.

As stated in the AMP: "Drylots should be well-drained so that the animals are not standing in mud. Drylots are frequently constructed with a stone base and covered with natural clay or crushed stone. Measures may need to be in place to control erosion of stone, soil, and manure into areas that will impact water quality. These measures may include diversions, filters, and buffer areas." Grass buffer strips around drylots can remove nutrients and help prevent runoff of manure and soil onto adjacent properties.

"Manure should be removed from drylots on a regular basis. If the overall farm density is fewer than 3 horses per drylot acre and the drylot vegetation is maintained between 50% and 70%, then manure should be removed from deposition areas at least once a month. If the overall farm density is 3 or more horses per drylot acre, manure should be removed from deposition areas on a weekly basis."

The Natural Resource Conservation Service can supply you with technical assistance in erosion control and drylot construction. If you need further assistance with nutrient and pasture management issues, contact your local Cooperative Extension office.

Answer provided by Donna Foulk, former Senior Agriculture Program Coordinator, Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

I was wondering if pressure treated wood is safe to use for horse fencing. I have a Percheron gelding and a Haflinger mare on an acre lot, and sometimes the mare will chew on wood that doesn't have a wire on it. She does not crib, but I am worried about the chemicals in the treated wood. Also, any thoughts on where to run the electric wire? I was thinking maybe on the top and in between the middle and bottom boards, and maybe below the bottom board. The mare tries to put her head through the middle and bottom section and also scoot her head underneath the bottom rail.

Pressure treated wood is okay to use, and using an electric wire will help deter them from chewing and cribbing. The treatment is so the posts will last longer - unless you use locust wood, which is longer lasting than treated wood. As for the top rail you can use rough-cut oak, which works well but is more expensive and is getting harder to obtain than treated wood.

The electric wire should definitely go on the top rail to prevent chewing and cribbing, however, if your horse likes to eat through the fence one more strand between the middle and bottom board will help, hopefully preventing them from going completely under the fence as well. Just be careful that your horses don’t get their legs caught up in the bottom wire. The best option is to use a 4-board fence approach. See pictures below for recommended options.

I have a hill in my horse area that is eroding away because the horses ate the plants that grew there. Is there a plant or ground cover that a horse will not eat, but if eaten, is not toxic? I want to plant a ground cover that they will leave alone, but will not hurt them if eaten.

This is a very interesting question. I often wished that we had a ground cover that horses simply would not eat. Unfortunately, if a plant is edible, horses will usually browse on it. Once horses have removed vegetation from a hillside, it can be difficult to obtain a good stand of vegetation due to the resulting soil erosion. It is best to prevent horses from continuously grazing steep slopes by fencing off the area. If the horses need to use the hill to get to grazing areas at the top, you will need to provide an access lane.

To reclaim the area, I would seed it with a grass mixture. Perennial ryegrass mixed with a small amount of white clover will germinate faster than other perennial grasses – in two weeks if conditions are right. You could also include several other grass species such as endophtye-free tall fescue, orchardgrass, and bluegrass. Birdsfoot trefoil can be added to the mix as well. It is a legume that establishes quite quickly and tolerates low pH soils. Horses will browse on it, but it is not a preferred forage.

If the hill is really steep and the soil badly eroded, you may want to include a small amount of annual ryegrass. This will germinate in several days and may help prevent the perennial grass seeds from washing off of the slope until they have time to germinate. If the hill is not too steep and rocky, it is best to seed the area with a no-till drill to place the seed in the ground. Another option would be to spread the seed and cover it with a fine layer of straw to help hold it if the area is not too large.

Once the grasses are established - which may take a year - then you can graze the area sparingly.

Answer provided by Donna Foulk, former Senior Agriculture Program Coordinator, Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

If the hay is good quality (not moldy or moist) and stored off the ground (on a pallet or tarp) under adequate shelter you can keep it over 2 years. However, the fat-soluble vitamins A and E will be drastically reduced after a year, especially if sections of the hay are exposed to sunlight. This is easily corrected by feeding it with a standard multiple vitamin supplement. If you are additionally feeding 4 to 5 lbs of a commercial grain/pellet mix per day you should be fine, for these mixes are usually fortified with more than enough vitamins and minerals.

I have three horses that live on my property in a one-acre paddock that has a run-in shelter. During the winter and early spring months I battle the mud in their paddock and always lose. Do you have any mud-management tips that you can pass along?

Mud is a problem that plagues us all. Even the most strictly managed equine facility can harbor mud under certain conditions. Mud not only creates an unpleasant and annoying environment for us but can be a health hazard for our horses as well. Problems like thrush, abscesses and fungal infections are caused by muddy conditions. Mud also increases breeding of flies and mosquitoes that could transmit disease, creates unsafe footing that can lead to unwarranted lameness, and creates polluted water runoff from pastures. Prevention is the best cure for mud; however, since we can’t control the weather we need to control the amount of rain that flows through our paddocks and pastures. Below are some tips to help control mud.

Good pasture management is always a good place to start controlling mud. Keep bare spots to a minimum by avoiding overgrazing, controlling weeds, overseeding if necessary, and limiting turnout time when conditions are poor.

Installing gutters on all barns and buildings will divert the storm water away from manure-filled pastures and paddocks. Make sure these gutters are capable of handling the average rainfall in your area. When using gutters and downspouts make sure they are protected from animal wear and tear.

Installing a ‘sacrifice lot’ is a good way to prevent the horses from using a pasture when the conditions are too wet. This area is a fenced dry lot with shelter, water, and feeders, so the horses can be turned out and fed hay, but not allowed access to the pasture. In order to help prevent pollution of runoff through the sacrifice lot, manure and old hay should be picked from the area every 1 to 3 days. This will remove the organic matter that is used to convert soil to mud. Maintain a grass area of about 25 feet around the sacrifice lot to serve as a filter for any runoff.

Horses should be fenced out of streams, ponds, creeks, and other wetlands. Providing stream crossings will help limit the amount of erosion they will create. Key horse areas around the farm should have mud or dirt removed and replaced by a firm material, e.g. concrete, gravel, crushed stone, etc. Most important areas will include areas around gates, waterers, feeders, barn entrances, sheds and shelters.

When creating new paddocks or pastures try to locate them 100 feet from any stream, river or other wetland. Try to locate higher ground for your dry lots and have them sloped away from run-in sheds or barns.

We want to plant some type of slow-growing plants on a bank outside of a newly made riding arena. I'm afraid to plant something that could possibly be toxic. I would like to plant a running juniper, which would take over the bank but not be a problem to manage. I have had mulch placed there but I need a stabilizer to keep the mulch from washing down into the arena. What do you suggest?

Junipers are indicated as toxic in many plant references. Therefore, I would tend to err on the side of caution and avoid planting any juniper species near a paddock or arena.

Depending on the slope length and gradient of your bank, you might consider terracing or geotextiles in combination with grass plantings for stabilization. I suggest you contact your local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office or the local soil conservation district and seek their advice for steep slope planting. The NRCS staff has specialists that deal with erosion and sediment control.

Answer provided by Bill Bamka, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Burlington County Associate Professor/County Agriculture Agent, Field and Forage Crops.

I am planting a new lawn behind my house that borders two of my pastures. I am seeking an endophyte-free grass for my lawn but my landscaper wants to plant the dreaded tall fescue (which contains endophytes). I have broodmares so I am hesitant to allow him to plant the fescue even though he said he would make sure it is 30 feet away from the paddocks. I am afraid that because the endophyte turf grasses are so vigorous they will eventually invade my paddocks. I have been extremely careful so far about what I have planted in my paddocks and have started from scratch with some so I know my broodmares are grazing safely. Do you know of any endophyte-free grasses -- that would also double as a nice lawn -- that I can plant behind my house?

We recommend using bluegrass in the turf mixture as the bluegrasses don't have endophytes. Even using tall fescue with endophytes in the turf should not be a terrible problem. The endophytes do not move from plant to plant. Endophytes are transported on the seed, so the best defense would be to not allow the turf in the lawn to produce seed which could enter the pasture (i.e. keep the lawn in a nice mowed state!).

Answer provided by Bill Bamka, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Burlington County Associate Professor/County Agriculture Agent, Field and Forage Crops.

The place where I board my yearling lets their horses drink out of a small creek. It is running water; no other water is offered. The flow rate varies at different times of the year. During rainy times it really flows, and at drier times it is moving, but not very quickly. I do not know the actual source of the water. How do I know that this is safe?

Water intake in horses, as in humans, has a great impact on the horse’s health and affects fluid balance, temperature and exercise control. It is the most important nutrient for horses - the good news is that it is also the cheapest! Two hours without water is all it takes to increase the chance of colic. When evaluating a water source, two factors should be considered: temperature and cleanliness.

The material provided on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or treat any illness. Any recommendations are not intended to replace the advice of your veterinarian. Any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Mention or display of a trademark, proprietary product, or firm in text or figures does not constitute an endorsement by the Equine Science Center or Rutgers University and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.