# Herbicides for horse pasture?



## dianneS

Does anyone spray their pastures for weeds?  

I don't have a terrible weed problem, but would like to improve my pasture quality of course.  I've seen that "Pasture Pro" herbicide that claims you don't even have to take the horses off the pasture after spraying.

I'm assuming that it only kills the broadleaf weeds and not the grasses.  I just had my pasture mowed and would like to try and keep the weeds at bay so that they don't go to see this fall.  I want to re-seed in the spring.

Any advice on herbices for horse pasture?


----------



## patandchickens

My advice would be not to do it. As long as you do not have vast overwhelming amounts of tall dense inedible weeds (and if you do, just spraying a herbicide isn't likely to fix things very well), they are not cutting into your grazing yield very much during optimal conditions, and during SUBoptimal weather conditions they can IMPROVE your grazing yield. 

Also it is very valuable in many cases to have clovers amongst the grasses, and broadleaf weedkillers will zap those too. (Without necessarily actually doing much about REAL problems, like canada thistle or toxic weeds).

I would very seriously suggest you use only mowing or hand-pulling to control patches of significant weeds, and let the rest of them "be". Aside from if you have areas with lots of goldenrod or asters, you might want to mow them early in the summer, around now-ish or a few weeks ago, to keep the grass competitive in those areas.

There is real benefit to a biodiverse pasture. I know the extension service ag-school guys seldom aknowledge it, but in a REAL world with REAL soil and REAL weather fluctuations, those "weeds" actually can be useful 

Good luck, have fun,

Pat


----------



## freemotion

I used to fight the weeds in my horse pasture.  Then I got goats.  Then I got chickens.  Then I started actually PLANTING "weeds" in my pasture!  Imagine that!  I agree with Pat, biodiversity.  With both the plants and the animals.

Seriously, though..... If you mow a bit more often, too, you will increase the grasses and decrease the broadleaf weeds.  Grasses will continue to grow and proliferate even when mown but weeds (mostly) will not produce seeds if they are topped often enough, and will die out.


----------



## dianneS

I was wondering if broadleaf weed killers would kill clover.  If they do, then I'm not spraying.  I have a lot of clover and the horses love it!  The goats don't care for it so much, but I have honey bees all over the pasture, I should get some hives!

I think I need to goat proof my horse pasture and put the goats out there from time to time, that would probably be the best solution.

I just had the pasture mowed and I think this was perfect timing.  I only have it mowed once a year, and that seems to be fine.  My mower guy uses a giant mower that mows more like a lawn mower, not a hay mower, so I don't have huge win rows of cut grass laying out there rotting.  The previous owners of the property used to have it mowed like that and those big piles and rows of would decompose and make the pasture all lumpy and bumpy.  Since our new guy is mowing for us, the pasture is nice and flat I can use the one level area as a second arena space now!


----------



## ducks4you

dianneS said:
			
		

> Does anyone spray their pastures for weeds?
> 
> I don't have a terrible weed problem, but would like to improve my pasture quality of course.  I've seen that *"Pasture Pro"* herbicide that claims you don't even have to take the horses off the pasture after spraying.


*O M GOSH*--I bought that stuff _without_ reading the package instructions.  I AM going to use it OUTSIDE of my fenced in pastures, but I'll be taking them OFF of one pasture at a time so they don't reach through the fence and EAT any of the area applied UNTIL the weeds are dead and it's rained a few times.  The application needs to be given with long sleeves, long rubber gloves and a mask, and you need to sprayer to use this.  Does that sound really safe, to you?  IF your horses get sick from this, it's gonna be awhile before you can ride them again.  If not, great.  I'm just telling you MHO.
The weeds I tackle most are these: 
I have to fight the following weeds every year:
Cockleburrs





Thistles




(there is another one that I cannot find a picture of, or the name, but it IS invasive, though it might be native.)
I find that I can control them by-
mowing
mulching over them immediately AFTER mowing.
Sometimes I law down newspaper or cardboard, then mulch to smother them along my fencelines.
I justed wanted you to know.


----------



## dianneS

I did read the complete instructions on the Pasture pro stuff.  Was not pleased to see all of the hazardous warnings.  I don't think I'm going to try it at all.

My mower guy uses a really nice mower that mulches the grasses and I think we'll be okay since we had it mowed before everything went to seed.


----------



## abooth

I don't know where you live but the Southern  States store here (Kentucky) spray pastures with a big truck.  It has these arms that stick out the sides and they can do it really quickly.  They say you don't even have to move the horses off the pasture while they spray but it is my experience that the truck scares the horses if they are not used to that.


----------



## Bossroo

I used to spray Roundup* and now I spray the generic brands that are the same formulations as Roundup* on my horse pastures . Something like half price.   I spot spray all types of weeds.  The horses are on pasture when I spray and never had a problem in 30 years of spraying.


----------



## mully

I would spot spray... horses will generally not eat brown dead weeds ...now goats that is a different story. You can mix your own weed killer and spray on a very hot day.... mix a cup of salt in a gallon of ammonia add a little dish soap about a tsp and stray the weeds. Has to be hot and no rain in sight for at least 2 days


----------



## ducks4you

THAT sounds like a good non-toxic idea.


----------



## dianneS

I think I may try to spot spray with the homemade weedkillers, or perhaps roundup.  I'll move the horses for the time being, but they don't bother with the weeds anyway. 

I manually chopped down the patches of weeds and mostly burdock yesterday.  My back is killing me!  That burdock is nasty and when it goes to seed, it gets in my horses manes and tails and makes a huge mess.  Its got to go!!


----------



## ducks4you

I hand chop any that have grown under the fencing, but I take my push mower to all of the others.  I have had a reprieve from them all summer, but now THIS week, I am finding some in the manes.  It's wasy to hot to ride, so I guess the next week will be dedicated to yard work, and burr removal.


----------

