As seen in Farm Weekly, 15/02/2024

Irwin Hunter & Co's Equi1st Mix is the perfect choice to revitalise the quality of your pasture and grow healthier grass for your horses.

Pasture with a selected diversity of species provides horses with the best feed and Irwin Hunter & Co's Equi1st mix contains a science based mix of species blended for their suitability for horses and is a nutritionally balanced combination of Rhodes grasses, Teff, Tall Fescue, Cocksfoot, Lucerne, Prairie grass and Serradella, all of which are relatively low in starch, sugar and protein but still highly palatable and good for our horses.

Planting good pasture holds significant importance for horse's wellbeing and helps to minimise risks associated with horse health and behavioural issues.

There are often challenges and difficulties that may need to be overcome at the outset when planting new pasture including the climate, soil quality, invasive weeds, overgrazed or bare paddocks, water availability and weed control.

Rachel's paddocks at Maida Vale

We approached an enthusiastic customer Rachel, from Maida Vale, who was very concerned about the amount of capeweed and Patterson's curse her horses were having to graze and worried about the long-term negative affects this may have on them and wanted to provide a healthy improved pasture.

She had no large-scale equipment to assist her, but she was determined to do better for her horses.

Rachel started by purchasing Equi1st Pasture mix from Irwin Hunter & Co and then with careful planning and preparation has successfully transformed her unproductive pasture into an improved pasture for her horses.

Rachel started her pasture regeneration in April 2021.

"I dragged the paddocks with some harrows behind my ute to help rip up any tiny sprouting weeds that had popped up after the rain, but I knew that with the amount of years the weeds had been left unattended on this property that more would pop up later," Rachel said.

"I would deal with these later as now it was time to plant my Equi1st pasture seed which I timed before rain was forecast.

"I had a general garden fertiliser/seed spreader which I filled with my seed and proceeded to walk up and down the five acres of harrowed paddock and I did the same for my fertiliser."

"I then used a piece of mesh which I dragged behind my ute to cover my seed and fertiliser."

"I watched intently for the next few weeks as my Equi1st seeds started sprouting.

"At about 10 weeks growth I arranged a contractor to spray the weeds in my paddock with a selective herbicide to kill the weeds and not the pasture and once the weeds started dying off, I was left with glorious green pastures.

"The best day was finally getting to let my horses in to graze it.

"The satisfaction of seeing your beloved animals eating actual grass rather than picking through a sea of yellow and purple toxic weeds is so worth it.

"A little bit of hard 'yakka' and determination pays off as my Equi1st pasture paddocks are now at a manageable state, unlike before when I was left with patchy weedy paddocks of just dust and my precious topsoil would be blown away.

"My pasture has dried off now but at least I still have grass to protect my precious topsoil, unlike how it used to be and just turn to dust over summer.

"I see so many horses grazing among the capeweed and Patterson's curse and just cringe now.

"As horse owners we need to do better for our horses and regenerating the pasture is so worth it and pays off in lesser feed bills with happier owners and healthier horses."

We would like to thank our valuable Equi1st customer Rachel for her assistance with this informative article and for being so determined to provide the absolute best in feed for her horses.

Irwin Hunter & Co's Equi1st Specialty Mix, designed to provide a healthy feed and is the perfect choice not only for horses but other livestock too.

Contact your local farm supplier or Irwin Hunter & Co regarding their extensive range of pasture seed and mixes.