BS Economy Horse Paddock Grass Seed

How to sow a new Paddock

1 - Clear the area
Clear the area and remove any stones, weeds and other debris.

2 - Improve the soil
Harrow over the area to loosen the top layer and remove any dead material.

3 - Allow the soil to settle
If possible, leave the soil for a week to allow a flush of weeds to come through; remove before sowing.

4 - Buy your paddock seed
Choose the right paddock seed for your area – horses that are prone to laminitis will need a ryegrass free mixture.

5 - Sowing the paddock seed
Economy Horse Paddock Grass Seed is sown at 12kg/ac. Sow the paddock seed, this can be done by drilling just under the soil surface or by broadcasting. A spreader can be used for even application.

6 - Roll the grass seed in
Lightly harrow and roll in the seeds to make contact with the soil.

7 - Water
If going through a period of drought, if possible, water the area in the evenings. If regular rainfall, manually watering will not be necessary.

8 - Grazing
Under optimum conditions, the seed should germinate within approximately 7-10 days. Once it is around 3-4 months old, the area can be grazed.

 How to repair an existing paddock

1 - Prepare the existing grass
Tightly graze or cut down the existing grass to open up the sward.

2 - Improve the soil
Harrow over the area to loosen the top layer.

3 - Buy your paddock seed
Choose the right paddock seed for your area – horses that are prone to laminitis will need a ryegrass free mixture.

4 - Seed Rate
For overseeding, Economy Horse Paddock Grass Seed can be sown at 6kg/ac if there is over 50% coverage of existing grass.

5 - Sowing the paddock seed
Sow the paddock seed, this can be done by drilling just under the soil surface or by broadcasting. A spreader can be used for even application.

6 - Roll the grass seed in
Lightly harrow and roll in the seeds to make contact with the soil.

7 - Water
If going through a period of drought, if possible, water the area in the evenings. If regular rainfall, manually watering will not be necessary.

8 - Grazing
Under optimum conditions, the seed should germinate within approximately 7-10 days. Once it is around 3-4 months old, the area can be grazed.

1 - Germination
The best time to sow our Economy Horse Paddock Grass Seed is from March-October when soil temperature is around 8-10 degrees. Under ideal conditions, the seed should germinate within 7-10 days from sowing. After sowing a new paddock, it is recommended you leave any horses off the area for a couple of months until the grass is fully established.

2 - Fertilisation
Regularly fertilising your paddocks will ensure existing grass is maintained to allow for optimal health of your horses. Paddock Fertiliser is best applied in the spring or autumn to allow optimum uptake of nutrients. For an autumn application or those with laminitis, apply our Sustain Paddock Fertiliser as a low-nitrogen option to help replace lost minerals from grazing and cutting. Our Maintainer Paddock Fertiliser is more suited to a spring application where quick root development and sward growth are required.

3 - Overseeding
Overseeding is an effective way to improve the quality of your horses' grazing by adding seed to an existing paddock. This can be achieved by tightly grazing the existing grass or cutting down the sward before adding any additional seed. You can either broadcast the seed or use a seed spreader to ensure even application across a large area. Our Paddock Repair Grass Seed is specifically formulated to establish quickly in areas of wear and tear. After overseeding, it is recommended you leave any horses off the area for a couple of months until the grass is fully established, else the young roots may be pulled out of the ground.

4 - Laminitis
Horses with laminitis need the right paddock seed to ensure major contributing factors, such as overfeeding, are minimized. A paddock seed that is ryegrass-free is best suited to a horse that suffers from laminitis, had it previously or is in an at-risk group as this mix will be lower in sugar. An additional way to increase trace elements, fibre and minerals, you may wish to introduce herbs into the sward.

5 - Overgrazing
Overgrazing occurs when a paddock is grazed for an extensive time without the essential recovery period. Ensuring that your paddock has a recovery period allows plants and vegetation to grow and rebuild soil nutrients. One way in which you can tell if your paddock is overgrazed is areas start to become patchy which can lead to poaching and weed invasion. Short term rotations between paddocks and strip grazing if laminitis is a problem will help and allow areas to rest.

6 - Under-Grazing
Under-grazing is when the grass is left to grow tall which can become less attractive and unpalatable to graze. This can become an issue in Spring when grass growth is rapid. A way to overcome this is by topping the paddock down to 4 inches, taking a hay cut, or by limiting the amount of space to graze.

7 - Weeds and Poisonous Plants
Ensuring your paddock is weeded regularly prevents unwanted weeds and poisonous plants from appearing. Take extra care in ensuring that poisonous plants such as Ragwort, Bracken, Ivy and Hemlock are removed thoroughly as these can be dangerous if accidentally ingested.

Unfortunately, in the majority of cases, pulling these up by hand isn’t effective unless the root of the plant is killed; if not it will grow back. The best way to tackle these is by using a selective weedkiller as this will target weeds whilst leaving the existing grass unharmed, follow any instructions on the packaging as horses may need to be kept off these treated areas for a while.