We have a neighbor literally across the road offering to let us use his pasture for spring through fall. Totally set up for horses with an adjoining sacrifice area, run in shed, water, good fences all around. They are an older couple and I think they want to see the pretty horses grazing out their living room window;)
My question is this: It is Russian Wildrye …a bunch grass that gets little seed heads at one point in the season. It’s a cold season grass. I would certainly ease them on to it, but just don’t know if it’s a good pasture for horses. I’ve had problems finding much said about it as horse pasture. It is not perennial rye grass which gets lots of press. I’m super picky about what I feed, so would love any advice or anyone else’s experience with it. Thank you!
Have you asked your County Agent? They have access to university-level expertise.
G.
Have you googled “russian wildrye horse grazing”?
https://library.ndsu.edu/ir/bitstream/handle/10365/9255/R-1062-1993.pdf?sequence=2
“Russian wildrye: Russian wildrye will make a good horse pasture in western North Dakota, either as a single grass or, preferably, as a mixture with other grasses. It is leafy and palatable throughout the grazing season. This grass will make an excellent fall pasture when seeded by itself. It withstands close grazing and trampling and is drought tolerant.”
and there are more sources for this grass.
Great…thank you JB! I will check out those other sources. Our county extension is pretty clueless about horses. I would still like it if anyone has personal experience with 100 % Russian Wildrye pasture. Thanks again, Guilherme and JB:)
Certainly safe. Depending stocking rate and where you are located may burnout in the summer. It’s a cool season rye. I have had great luck with hybridized Italian rye. I’m in PA. Sounds like a score!
Great! Thank you, fourfillies. That’s good to hear:)
