About Pavo Horse Grass Seed
Many meadows are sown with cattle grass seed mixtures.These grass seed mixtures have a high proportion of English ryegrass which grows very fast (production grass) and is fully attuned to the needs of cattle (including very high levels of sugar, energy and protein). Cows can produce excellent milk with this type of grass. For horses, however, this mixture is less suitable, since it is better to use grasses that have more structure and are lower in sugar.
The horse pasture needs strong grasses that can withstand trampling and the way horses graze. Horses graze the plant for much shorter periods than cows. Grass seed from Pavo gives a dense sward and contains healthy herbs with a lot of structure, and is therefore ideal for the horse meadow.
Composition Pavo GrassSeed
Which grass do you need for horses?
Because horses eat grass for such a short time, it is important to choose varieties in a mixture which have a low growing point. This is because if the growing point of grass is eaten, then the growth of the grass stops. Normal (cattle) grasses have a slightly higher growth point. The varieties in Pavo GrassSeed have a very low growing point. The firmness of the grass is very important. The turf gets a better firmness and is more resistant to ""the violence"" of the horses' hooves. Varieties must be structure-rich (and not high-yielding grass which needs lots of nitrogen to grow fast). In a grass mixture for horses the Fructan index should be low. Large amounts of fructans (simply put, the sugars in the grass) are poorly processed by the horse's digestive system. The intestinal flora can become overloaded when there is an overdose of fructans. That's why a good horse mixture selects grasses that have a low fructan index. The grass seed mixture was developed with the above in mind. The mixture consists of:
- 3 different English ryegrasses of the old type (total 60%), which are characterized by a very low growing point, excellent structural value, are very persistent, have a high resistance to crown rust and a low fructan index
- Red fescue (10%)
- Field bean, very dense sod (12%), also called the "rebar" of the turf
- Timothy, classic hay type, very low sugar and very tasty (15%)
- Herbal mixture with Fenugreek, Wild carrot, parsley and cocksfoot (3%)
Tips for sowing A horse pasture can be sown from April to the end of September. The hot summer months are less suitable. For sowing, it is advisable to use approx. 45 - 60 kg of grass seed mixture per ha. Please note that when sowing very small parcels of land more grass seed is needed (i.e. towards 60 kg per hectare). If a contractor sows the grass seed then 40-45 kg per hectare is generally sufficient.
It is best to let the contractor sow horse grass with herbs. When a professional takes care of things he can indicate exactly how the seed bed preparation and sowing can best be done. After all, he is familiar with the soil in your region. It is possible to do the construction of a horse meadow yourself. Here are some tips.
No tailor-made advice can be given about fertilization. We advise anyone who is going to re-seed a plot to first take a soil sample to see what the fertilization status of the soil is. Based on the results of a soil sample it is possible to make a good recommendation to repair any shortage of nutrients in the soil (think of liming to get the pH up to the right level). We give free, no-obligation fertilization advice to get the soil back in good condition before sowing. Send us the results of the soil test and you will receive advice on what you can do best with your plot, tailored to your horse.
Overseeding and reseeding
Urine, molehills and frost and drought damage cause open spaces in the pasture. Even when nothing has been done to a pasture for many years, the pasture will become increasingly filled with weeds. By overseeding a pasture, it is possible to "refill" the pasture with good grasses. Before re-seeding, cut the grass short. Then loosen the soil with a harrow, tow or rake. Sowing can be done by hand or with a fertilizer spreader. Overseeding should be done by the contractor. The best period for overseeding is February/March or between mid-August and mid-October. Depending on the condition of the horse paddock, you will need 30 kg per hectare of Pavo GrassSeed.