Helpful hints for pasture management:

• STOCKING DENSITY: Horse numbers per acre should be kept low to prevent overgrazing and to reduce contamination by worm eggs. One horse for one and a half acres is an appropriate rule of thumb for the maximum stocking density.
• POO PICKING: Pick up and dispose of dung regularly (at least once a week or ideally twice a week during the grazing season - March to October).
• REMOVE DROPPINGS: Do not spread this onto fields grazed by horses as it simply spreads the worms around the fields. Instead please compost it somewhere away from the grazing area.
• MUCK HEAPS: Position the muck heap as far as possible away fron water courses / streams etc (at least 10m)
• ROTATE PASTURES: If possible, rotate pastures to give recently grazed pasture time to ‘rest’. A three month rest is sensible, but if possible try to rest the pasture longer, ideally from the end of one grazing period to halfway through the next grazing period.
• There is no need to treat all horses in a herd prior to movement to a clean pasture so long as regular faecal worm egg counts (FWEC) are being performed
• CO-GRAZING WITH OTHER ANIMALS: Consider grazing horses with sheep or cattle. Most horse worms will not infect sheep and cattle (and vice versa) and sheep and cattle are very good at “hoovering” horse pastures. However, beware liver fluke in wet / boggy ground.
• AVOID HARROWING: Harrowing pastures simply spreads worm larvae around the paddock.