Forage Characteristics and Grazing Preference of Cover Crops in Equine Pasture Systems.

The study investigates the effect and preference of different cover crops (plants grown to provide ground cover) in horse pastures. This research indicates that berseem clover, annual ryegrass, and winter rye are particularly suitable as cover crops, providing both significant environmental benefits and extending the grazing season.

Study Objectives and Methodology

• The primary aim of this research was to investigate the forage mass, nutrient composition, and horse preference for a variety of cover crops. These included annual ryegrass, winter rye, berseem clover, purple top turnip, and daikon radish.
• The crops were grown and tested in both monocultures and mixed cultures in different pastures during 2018 and 2019. The trial followed a randomized complete block design with four replicates.
• Each of these pastures was grazed by four adult horses. The crops were sampled before grazing to determine herbage (plants used for grazing) and root mass and their nutrient composition.
• After grazing, the scientists assessed each pasture visually for the percentage of the crop removed, which helped estimate the horses’ preference for different crops. The analysis was made using statistical tools such as variance analysis and linear regression, with significance marked if P ≤ .05.

Key Findings

• The research found that berseem clover produced the lowest forage (590 to 1,869 kg ha dry matter; P ≤.001). The other cover crops did not show significant differences in their herbage mass.
• All cover crops studied met the required levels of digestible energy (>2.17 Mcal kg) and crude protein (>19%) for idle, adult horses.
• In terms of preference, berseem clover was the most preferred with more than 73% of the crop grazed by horses. On the other hand, turnip and radish saw the least preference with less than 19% being grazed (P ≤.001).
• Winter rye and annual ryegrass grown alone or with berseem clover were moderately preferred by the horses with 20%-68% of the crop being grazed.
• Based on horse preference, the study concludes that berseem clover, annual ryegrass, and winter rye are suitable cover crops for extending the grazing season in horse pastures.