Fertiliser is used to feed the ground and promote plant growth. The level and type of fertiliser is dependent on what the grassland is used for and amount of livestock it needs to support. Horses require good quality grass. It must be nutritionally well balanced and not overly rich in nitrogen.
Horse paddocks which are too lush and high in nitrogen can result in colic, grass sickness and laminitis. The first application is usually applied in early spring and again during the grazing season if necessary.
Fertiliser can be applied in several forms.
We can provide the soil sampling and advice of the right type and amount of fertiliser required.
The application of organic fertilisers (farm yard manures) contain a variety of nutrients that will be released into the soil slowly and become available to the grass providing steady grass growth. Other benefits include the improvement of soil condition. The downside to organic fertilisers is the inconsistency of the nutrients in the manure.
Inorganic fertilisers are released quickly into the soil. Which when applied can lead to rich lush grazing, that is unsuitable for both horses and ponies. Rich grass can cause digestive problems and laminitis. This problem can be solved through the use of suitable compounds to provide the required nutrients for optimum grass growth for horses.
These provide the best of both organic and inorganic fertilisers. Giving the soil conditioning benefits of organic fertiliser along with the accuracy of nutrients normally provided by inorganic fertiliser.
We use tractors with mounted spreaders which are ideally suited to paddocks where access can be tight. Our highly manoeuvrable tractors are shod on turf tyres helping to keep compaction and tyre marks to an absolute minimum.
With a 12m spreading width we are capable of spreading in a wide variety of field sizes from 0.25 of an acre to 30 acres.
We are stockist for Suregrow fertiliser for horse and alpaca grazing purposes. A key benefit of Suregrow is that livestock including horses do not need to be removed after application.
For spring and summer growth an application of 80 – 100kg per acre is recommended. If you are planning to graze over the winter, a smaller late autumn application of 60kg per acre will keep poaching to a minimum through helping to maintain a dense sward and make the most of early spring growth.
Suregrow can be applied right into mid-November, subject to ground and weather conditions.
Suregrow fertiliser is specifically designed for horse and pony paddocks.
