Re: RC: Re: Re: pasture/fertilizer

[Bette Lamore <woa@stormnet.com>]

Thank you soooo much, Truman
I was going to fertilize my pasture this year towards the end of the
rains (I should say FLOODS) and now I will think twice. I guess the good
news about the floods (which washed away much of my HEAVY metal and wood
paneled 50 foot round pen) is that I now have the farmer-above-me's best
topsoil, which I am sure has been fertilized recently, in my pastures
(along with people's clothes, trash bins etc)
My question is, do I need to be concerned about the pasture content now?
I guess this concerns ridecamp since we all feed our horses on
something--- frequently pasture-- and it seems the rains have produced
floods in many parts of the country. We were even mentioned on NATIONAL
TV in San Luis Obispo!
Thanks,
Bette (whose horses are learning to swim)

"Truman Prevatt, PhD" wrote:
> 
> Several years ago before we moved where we are now we did not have sufficient
> pasture to move the animals and allow a pasture to completely rest. I fertilized
> right before a rain so it would remove the chemicals. I kept them off a couple
> days so it could soak in. At that time we routinely pulled blood on all our
> horses (four at that time ) to keep a baseline. We did that about two weeks
> after we had fertilized and the vet called back and wanted to know what the hell
> we were doing. All four of the horse's blood work was screwed up.
> 
> I told her that the only thing we did was fertilize and she hit the roof. She
> said the new shoots right after fertilizing are absolutely sky high in its
> Nitrogen content and horses should not be put out on newly fertilized fields.
> The grass should first be cut - preferably twice before horses are let back on.
> Cows have no problem with newly fertilized fields but horses do not.
> 
> My experience of have my butt royally chewed by my vet.
> 
> T
> 
> Susan Garlinghouse wrote:
> 
> > Jim, I agree with you.  Unless the fertilizer is nothing more than manure
> > tea, my preference is to err on the side of caution until, as you say, the
> > pasture has gotten a good soaking to move the chemicals down into the soil.
> > I do know of one horse that got some pretty severe chemicals burns to his
> > mouth and esophagus after eating a clump of fertilizer pellets that
> > accidentally made it onto the field.  Just not a real big deal in my book to
> > put 'em into a corral or stall for a day or two, and an ounce of prevention
> > is worth a pound of cure, dontcha know.
> >
> > Susan G
> 
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-- 
Bette Lamore
Whispering Oaks Arabians, Home of 16.2hh TLA Halynov	
(Yes, really 16.2!)
http://www.arabiansporthorse.com