Pasture Grass & Forage Rating Charts By Area
The following color coded charts list some of the most popular and widely used horse pasture forage crops. The chart is color coded by warm season - cool season and annual - perennial. Other forages are listed below the second chart.
Chart Color Codes:
| Grass/Forage Cultivar
|
Color Code |
| Warm Season Perennial |
|
| Warm Season Annual |
|
| Cool Season Perennial |
|
| Cool Season Annual |
|
| Cool Season Perennial Legumes |
|
| Cool Season Annual Legumes |
|
Note: Cool Season grasses tend to be annual only in warmer Southern USA areas providing forage to around May-June of each year. -- Warm Season grasses also may
perform as annuals in cooler Northern USA areas, with possible permanent winter-kill of grass from cold temps.
| Tolerance
to Site Conditions: 1=Poor 2=Fair 3=Good 4=Excellent |
|
Common Name |
Soil
Acidity |
Poor
Drainage |
Drought |
Grazing |
| Bahiagrass |
4 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
BermudaGrass
Cheyenne & Ranchero |
4 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
| Dallisgrass |
2 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
| Pennleaf Pearl Millet |
4 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
| Browntop Millet |
4 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
| Kentucky Bluegrass |
2 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
| Orchardgrass |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| MaxQ Fescue |
3 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
| Timothy |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Passerel Plus Ryegrass |
3 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
| Annual Ryegrass |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
| Oats |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
| Wintergrazer 70 Rye |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
| Supergrazer (Rye & Ryegrass) |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
| Wheat |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Alfalfa |
1 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
| Red Clover |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
| White Clover |
2 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
| Arrowleaf Clover |
2 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
| Crimson Clover |
3 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
| Hairy Vetch |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
| Rose Clover |
3 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
Additional legumes used in horse pasture and hay are birdsfoot
trefoil, lespedeza, soybean hay, cowpea hay, vetch, and rhizomal peanut hay.
Choices In Grasses And Forages For Horses
Cool Season Perennial Pasture Grass
MaxQ,
Kentucky Bluegrass and
Orchardgrass are used for permanent cool season horse pastures.
Clovers or other legumes such as alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, lespedeza, soybean hay, cowpea hay, vetch,
and rhizomal peanut hay should be included in these pastures for a companion
species. MaxQ makes an excellent Tall Fescue pasture and is safe for pregnant
mares. Testing at the Mississippi State University on horse pastures planted ONLY with MaxQ Tall Fescue has shown NO symptoms of fescue
toxicities after over10 years of grazing trials.
Cool Season Annual Pasture Grass
Small grains and/or ryegrass or winter annual grass and legume
mixtures make superb horse pastures.
Passerel Plus
Ryegrass, Gulf Annual Ryegrass are highly productive in late spring and early summer. Extremely
nutritious and palatable. Rye Grains which are blends of Rye (grain) and Ryegrass are good choices. Cereal grains (Rye, Wheat) are the
most tolerant of soil acidity and cold temperatures.
Warm Season Perennial Pasture Grass
Warm season perennials are mainly used in Southern
regions of the USA. Bermudagrass, Bahiagrass and
Weeping Lovegrass are the best choices. Newer improved seeded
Bermudas include the Cheyenne II Bermuda Grass cultivar and the
Ranchero Frio Blend (Both forage & Hay Production). Bermuda makes a SAFE, easily established and excellent pasture for horses.
Pensacola Bahia,
Argentine, fast germinating
TifQuik Bahia and improved
Tifton 9
Bahia are used for Bahia grass equine pastures.
Warm Season Annual Pasture Grass
Warm season annuals are often used for horse pastures in the lower South. These species can also be overseeded with
cool season annuals to provide more forage year-round. Annual Ryegrass (such as Passerel Plus or Gulf Annual) are used to overseed existing Perennial pastures for extended grazing with planting in the fall for use through late spring. --- Annuals suitable for equine use:
Pennleaf Pearl Millet is very productive... but may not be palatable when first planted. Millets are
excellent emergency forage. Browntop Millet is a good forage for horses but very short lived (less than 90 days).
Crab Grass seed produces a popular southern pasture forage. Common crabgrass is a volunteer species that can be used if correctly managed.
Clover can be a desirable feed source for most horses whether used in pasture or in hay because it provides useful energy and acceptable protein and fiber. Clover also is a
natural nitrogen builder for soil, eliminating the need for expensive and environmentally detrimental chemical nitrogen fertilizers. Clovers may occasionally be infected with mold, causing slobbers, photosensitivity, and bleeding. Even with these potential problems, clover is still considered a useful forage for horses.
Only moldy clover can cause toxicity problems with horses. In very wet years or periods of high humidity, fencing horses out of clover rich pastures is probably the best control strategy. To decrease the chance of mold, you can increase air movement, by mowing, thinning clover stands, or improving drainage. When using clover for hay, keep in mind that clover, especially red clover, takes longer to dry than other forage species.
For more information and a pictorial view of the different species of clover see this article on feeding horses clover
and this article from Penn State on Pasture and Hay For Horses.
DO NOT PLANT THESE GRASSES FOR GRAZING HORSES:
Sorghum, Sudangrass, Johnsongrass, Sorghum-Sudangrass hybrids all should NOT be used for equine / horses. Horses can develop paralysis and urinary disorders from grazing these species. Hay from these species is considered safe for feeding. Kentucky 31 fescue or any variety that contains toxic endophytes
should NOT be used as pasturage for pregnant mares. There are safe varieties of Fescue for use - see above.
Above Information Provided By Pennington Seed, Inc.
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