Warm Season Grass & Legume Seed For Horse Pasture & Hay

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Growing the correct, best and safest warm season grass for you horse can make a difference in keeping feed bills lower and your horses healthier. It is also a great way to supplement your feed grains by providing the right grass with natural nutrients & protein for a healthy horse.

Warm season grasses for equestrian animals are adapted to the tropics, sub-tropical and into the temperate zones. These grasses can be native to the area, developed for a certain area, permanent or seasonal grasses. Grasses are either seeded or planted from vegetative sources, depending upon purpose of the grass chosen. Some types of pasture grass are higher in green forage as well as being used for winter hay purposes.

Types of Warm Season Grasses For Horses

We have compiled a list of the most commonly used pasture grass in the warm season areas of the USA. This list includes legumes (clovers etc) and grass suited for hay production.

Bermuda Grasses For Horse Pastures

Bermudagrass is a perennial grass that is one of the most popular grasses grown in the South for horses. Much of it's popularity is due to the fact that it establishes rapidly, withstands dryer conditions, does well in many different soils, and has the ability to enter dormancy in severe droughts and will come back when the dry spell is over. There are many varieties of Bermudagrass from common to the best in the vegetative line such as coastal Bermuda. While Giant Bermuda has the same erect and giant growth and vigorous spreading habits associated with hybrid Coastal Bermuda.

BERMUDAGRASS is invasive enough to choke out weeds when fertilized and receiving enough yearly rainfall and can recover from injury faster than many other grasses from herd impact.

Bermuda Grass is generally less prone to disease or insect damage than the cool season grasses. Numerous varieties are available in seeded and vegetative grass. Bermudagrass in one warm season grass that can be found much further north than commonly thought as the area of adaptation. Varieties also differ in blade and stem texture, color, sod density, fertility needs, and vegetative material green or dry.

Common Bermuda Grass is as the name implies, a common bermuda grass variety, that is still popular for hay production purposes and in rotational systems with other grasses or forages. Seeded Bermuda Grass varieties are being improved continually and there is a wider range to chose from than ever before. The newer improved varieties that are popular for grazing both cattle and horses safely are listed below.

CHEYENNE II BERMUDA GRASS  - Improved Pasture Forage Bermuda for grazing and hay production

RANCHERO FRIO BERMUDA GRASS BLEND - A Blend of improved varieties Cheyenne & Wrangler).

MOHAWK FORAGE BERMUDA GRASS - A high yielding, bermuda that is more cold tolerant and excellent for grazing and hay production.

PASTO RICO BERMUDA GRASS SEED BLEND - A 50/50 blend of Common Bermuda grass seed with Giant Bermuda Grass Seed that delivers a faster stand for pasture grazing and hay production.  Giant Bermuda Grass also will live for 3 to 5 years.

GIANT BERMUDA GRASS SEED - A Bermuda Grass that is very similar to Coastal Bermuda grass with the exception that this bermuda produces seed.

WRANGLER BERMUDA GRASS SEED - Wrangler bermuda forage grass out performs other bermuda grasses in the tough to grow in transition zone.

SEEDLAND PASTURE BLEND - Seedland Pasture Bermuda Grass Seed Forage Blend is a blend of Hulled & Un-hulled Common Bermuda along with 3% Giant Bermuda. Includes hulled and un-hulled seed.

For details on bermuda grass in pastures see our informational website ---

http://www.bermudagrass.com/pasture/index.html

BAHIA GRASS For Horse Pastures

Bahia is an easily seeded bunching grass and is used in planting permanent pastures. The Bahia grass forms a thick, dense sod, grows fast under average rainfall, light to medium green in color and can withstand the impact of larger herds of cattle and horses. Bahia is resistant to most all diseases and has few insect problems. Since it is easily seeded this is the least expensive method for pastures.

There are two common varieties of bahia grass seed, Argentine and Pensacola. The Argentine variety is the finer bladed and more the tropical of the bahia varieties. Pensacola bahia grass is the favorite variety of most of the adapted planting areas. Pensacola grows farther north and can take the cooler weather better that the Argentine. Pensacola Bahia can withstand heavy foraging and recovers fast.

Argentine Bahia is widely used from tropical, sub-tropical and lower areas of the temperate zones. This is a wide bladed Bahia Grass and grows best in areas of average+ rainfall and prefers better soils than the Pensacola Bahia. Argentine is easy to manage and can be grazed closely without sustaining damage to the plant. This is a highly palatable grass and is one of the primary warm season pasture grasses. High disease and insect resistance, low fertility requirements but responds well to additions of nitrogen to boost growth. Nitrogen may be naturally added to soils by planting legumes such as clovers during the cool season months.

NOTE: Argentine Bahia produces a condition known as ergot on its seed. These diseased seeds can cause abortion problems in pregnant Mares if they eat the seed heads. This problem can be solved by managing your Argentine pasture through mowing or by keeping pregnant horses confined. Horses actually like the taste of Argentine Bahia over the other bahia grass varieties.

ARGENTINE BAHIA - A highly palatable grass that is one of the primary warm season pasture grasses.

Pensacola Bahia is grown primarily in the sub-tropical and temperate zones. This is a medium textured bunching grass that has been grown extensively in South America, Florida and Texas for permanent cattle and horse pasturage. More drought and cold tolerant than Argentine and adapted to a wider range of soils. Deep root system, high traffic density, used for forage, hay and seed production. It is slower to establish than many warm season grasses. Responds well to water and fertilization when available.

PENSACOLA BAHIA - Planted on Millions of acres for cattle and horse pasturage throughout the Southeastern USA during the past 50 years.

Improved Bahia Grass For Pastures

TifQuik and Tifton 9 bahia grass seed produce the most total forage, followed by Argentine and then Pensacola. Listed below are facts about these improved bahia grass varieties.

Tifton 9 Bahia Grass Seed was specifically developed to extend farther into the upper temperate zone. and to  This grass can be overseeded in the winter months with a cool season forage to extend pasture usage. This is the best choice in improved Bahia grass seed for use in pastures.

• Up to 40% more forage can be gained with proper pasture management.
• Produces more forage material than Argentine or Pensacola Bahia grass species.
• Drought tolerant - with an extensive root system.
• Grows farther north in the southern USA than other Bahia grass.
• Better palatability with a finer texture than the Argentine or Pensacola bahia grass varieties.

TIFTON 9 BAHIA GRASS - CERTIFIED SEED - Plant this improved Bahia grass from seeds! The best Bahia Grass seed for horse pastures you can buy...

TifQuik Bahia Grass Seed is a rapid germinating bahia grass that has been developed for the Southeastern USA.

TifQuik bahia grass has features that are not present in other popular bahia grasses such as Argentine, Pensacola, and Tifton 9.

• Up to 75% faster germination than Tifton 9 or Pensacola Bahia - due to low dormant and hard seed content
• Very rapid establishment allowing a jump on weeds
• Exceptional seedling vigor
• Higher forage yields
• Grazing or hay removal may be started earlier
• Increased hay yields
• Early Spring Frost Recovery

TIFQUIK BAHIA GRASS SEED - CERTIFIED SEED - Faster germination gives you a jump on weeds and an extended grazing and hay production season.

For details on bahia grass in pastures see our informational website ---

http://www.bahiagrass.com/pasture/index.html

Weeping Lovegrass Seed For Horse Pasture & Hay

Weeping Love Grass Seed produces a pasture grass that horses will graze and can make excellent quality hay with a high fiber content. Its palatability and quality rival that of the best of the grass hays. Love Grass will thrive on sandy well drained soils, is easily established from seed, and spreads by seed or tillering.

Pastures of weeping love grass should be grazed on a rotational basis or harvested for hay due to it's rapid growth habits. It will not tolerate long-term short grazing, especially during the fall.

Weeping Lovegrass does well as a grazing pasture grass when used in conjunction with other grass varieties and on a rotational basis. It grows best  in the Southern Great Plains areas including Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, and in the Southern parts of New Mexico, Nevada and California (east of mountains). It is also used in transition zone of Eastern USA primarily for forage and erosion control.

Dallisgrass Seed For Horse Pasture & Hay

Dallisgrass grows from Tennessee to Florida and west through Texas to California.  Grows best on fertile, moist soils of heavy to loam types. It requires fertilization for the best growth. Dallisgrass can be used as pasturage for all classes of livestock including horses. It starts growth early in spring and performs best under close grazing. Used mainly for pasture, with some hay and erosion control use.

Dallisgrass seed produces a very good quality warm season perennial, and provides great benefits to pasture systems, but the one drawback is the potential for Dallisgrass staggers. This illness is caused by an ergot-like fungus that grows on the seed heads as they mature (usually in the fall). By implementing rotational grazing after seed heads emerge but before the fungus grows on them the problem can be avoided. It has been observed that horses and other livestock will readily eat the immature seed heads unlike some other grasses.

If the seed heads do become infected, clipping them off at about 12" before grazing should help prevent the problem. Hay with high amounts of seed head can also be a problem, so feeding Dallisgrass hay along with other hay is advised, especially if infected seed heads are present.

Complimentary Forage Crops For Horse Pasture & Hay

Alfalfa: www.alfalfaseeds.com
Clovers - www.cloverseed.com
Millets - www.milletseed.com

Plant Forage Ryegrasses in the Fall!
www.farmseeds.com - Your Pasturage headquarters!

There are numerous other annual forages that are available for planting - Check them out at FarmSeeds.com or online at Seedland's Farm Seed Store.

Ryegrasses: www.ryegrasses.com
Passerel - Passerel Rye Grass Seed is an improved forage Annual Ryegrass providing increased forage tonnage at only very little increase in cost over annual ryegrass!

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