To Mow or Not to Mow...? Horse Pastures, Paddocks, and Fields

Mowing” is a term used to describe the cutting or trimming of grass. The mowing process cuts grass to a uniform height in a pasture or lawn. If your pasture management plan doesn’t include mowing, you may be asking the following questions:

• Do the pastures, paddocks, or fields used to graze horses require mowing?
• At what height do you mow pasture grass?
• Are there any risks associated with grazing horses on freshly mowed pasture?
• Are there any potential benefits of mowing?

Benefits of Mowing

The main goal in pasture management is to maintain or to enhance grass quality. The intake of pasture grass can be a significant source of nutrition for the grazing horse if the pasture is properly managed. Mowing is one of the tools for better pasture management. Some horse owners mistakenly feel that mowing pastures is done simply to make the pastures look nice. However, there are several valid reasons to consider mowing pastures. Some potential benefits of mowing include weed management, enhancing forage quality, and reducing grazing patterns.

grass plant that is actively growing is constantly producing nutrients that horses can utilize. The mowing process keeps grass plants in a vegetative or growing state. Mowing prevents the plants from reaching a reproductive state when they develop a seed head and ultimately cease growing. Mowing also keeps plants at a shortened height which increases digestibility and palatability. As grass plants grow tall they become fibrous