Survey of equine pasture best management practices and soil fertility in southeast Pennsylvania after the grazing season.

Overview

• This study assessed pasture management practices and soil fertility on horse farms near Philadelphia to understand their impact on pasture health and environmental sustainability.
• It identified common shortcomings in soil testing and fertility management, linked pasture condition to stocking rates, and evaluated the adoption of management recommendations following educational efforts.

Background and Objectives

• Proper pasture management is essential to improve forage yield, reduce costs, and minimize environmental impacts on horse farms.
• Management can be challenging in suburban areas due to limited space and potential restrictions.
• The study aimed to evaluate pasture condition and management on 28 horse farms in counties near the Philadelphia metro area after the grazing season.
• Researchers sought to identify the relationships between management practices, soil fertility, stocking rates, and pasture condition.
• A follow-up in 2023 assessed whether farms implemented changes based on study recommendations and educational outreach.

Methods

• Data collection occurred between November 2019 and January 2020 on 72 pastures (2 to 3 per farm).
• Assessment tools included:
  • Soil sampling to analyze soil fertility and pH.
  • The USDA-NRCS Pasture Condition Score Sheet (PCSS) to evaluate pasture health.
  • The Penn State Equine Pasture Evaluation Disc (EPED) to measure vegetative cover.
  • Interviews with farm managers recorded pasture management practices.
• Statistical linear models were used to analyze the effects of management factors on pasture condition and soil fertility.
• A follow-up survey was conducted in 2023 to determine if farms had applied suggested pasture management improvements.

Findings

• Pasture Characteristics:
  • Average pasture size was approximately 0.68 hectares.
  • Mean stocking rate was 3.7 horses per hectare.
• Soil Fertility and Management Practices:
  • Only 14% of farms had conducted soil testing in the previous three years.
  • Just 18% had applied lime to adjust soil pH in the last two years.
  • Only 20% had applied fertilizer during the past two years.
  • The average soil pH was 6.07, with 86% of pastures below the optimum pH range, indicating suboptimal soil conditions for forage growth.
• Pasture Condition:
  • Using the EPED method, desirable vegetative cover averaged 56%, and total vegetative cover averaged 66%.
  • PCSS and EPED scores were positively correlated (r = 0.571), validating their use in assessing pasture condition.
  • Higher stocking rates were associated with lower pasture condition scores (negative correlations with both PCSS and EPED), indicating overgrazing stressed pasture quality.
• Follow-Up Survey Results:
  • 80% of participants acknowledged that involvement in the project improved their pasture management knowledge.
  • Despite increased awareness, the majority did not implement significant management changes.
  • The findings highlight barriers to adoption of best practices in suburban horse farm settings.

Conclusions and Implications

• Suburban horse pastures are often negatively impacted by poor soil fertility management practices and high stocking densities.
• Improved soil testing, timely lime and fertilizer application, and appropriate stocking rates could enhance pasture health and sustainability.
• Although educational programs successfully increased awareness, practical changes remain limited due to persistent challenges.
• There are opportunities for future extension efforts and programming to address these barriers and promote adoption of best pasture management practices in suburban equine operations.