Horses and Native Grasses Projects

Following three successful workshops and field days to engage horse owners in growing native grass as a substitute for exotic grass in a pasture, four native grass trials have been funded by the Adelaide & Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board and the Australian Government’s Regional Landcare Facilitator program. These trials have aimed to:
• Increase the knowledge and understanding around the establishment and use of native grass pastures by horse owners
• Engage horse owners in ‘best practice’ land management by improving sub-soil biological activity

This project had two components:
Phase 1 – Establishing native grass pastures (April 2016 – June 2017)
• Provide support (methodology including site preparation) to sow one of the three native grass pastures:
Trial 1 – Establishing kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra) for hay production
Trial 2 – Establishing native grass horse pasture using ”Gallop”, by Native Seeds P/L
Trial 3 – Establishing a mix of C3 Wallaby grass (Rytidosperma spp.) and C4 Red-leg grass (Bothriochloa macra)
• Determine actual costs for establishing native grass pastures
• Extend our knowledge of native grass pasture establishment including improving our understanding of the barriers and challenges

Phase 2 – Monitoring & evaluation of these established pastures in their second and subsequent years of growth (April 2016-June 2018)
• Setting up and maintaining photo monitoring points
• Keeping rainfall records
• Testing and determination of ideal grazing strategies including ‘planned rest grazing’ regimes
• Undertaking Feed testing (hay & pastures) & analysis of nutritional values specific to horses
• Food on offer measurements (visual and measuring plant heights) to determine dry matter (DM) per hectare
• Analysis on palatability and/or preferences by horses (this data is not in current literature)

This project will:
• Improve knowledge and build capacity amongst horse owners about the benefits of native grass and improved horse health
• Increase knowledge about preferred grazing regimes for native grasses and horses
• Provide a 365 day solution to the current land degradation that is occurring on many horse properties and an alternative (healthier) feed option for those horse properties that have too much feed.