GALLOP: Northern Horse Pasture 1kg

Horse pasture blends have been specifically formulated to reduce the risk of equine laminitis (also termed founder). The grasses in this blend have been selected for their low non-structural carboydrates, that will grow well in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of Australia.

Our  Northern Horse Pasture blend is an ideal low sugar pasture option for tropical and sub-tropical regions of Australia. All these grasses have a high drought tolerance once established. All the grasses in this low sugar pasture mix can grow across a range of soil types. This blend does have a good tolerance to highly alkaline soils as an added benefit.

An elevated content of nonstructural carbohydrates such as fructose in pasture grasses is found to be one of the main causes of laminitis / founder in horses and ponies. The recommended thresholds to avoid equine laminitis are to keep NSC’s below 10 g/100g of the fodder. In all introduced cool season grasses , like Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata), excess carbohydrate is stored in high amounts as simple sugars such as fructose and glucose,

Native Australian grasses however store carbohydrates as starch. The horse can digest this in a non-harmful way. For example, the Weeping grass and Wallaby grasses easily fall under this threshold having fructose levels of less than 0.2 g, glucose of less than 0.2 g and total sugars of less than 1.0 g/100g!

Grasses in the mix:

Curly Mitchell grass (Astrebla lappacea)

• Mitchell grass is renowned for its capacity to respond well following heavy grazing.
• Drought dormancy allows survival during extended dry periods. As well as making it able to extract soil moisture from relatively dry soil.

Silky Bluegrass (Dichanthium sericeum)

• Silky Bluegrass grass prefers warmer, drier sites. It is adapted to a broad range of climates and soil types.
• This grass has a high drought & heat tolerance.
• Also a moderate frost tolerance and most importantly a high grazing tolerance.
• It has a high leaf to stem ratio and is palatable to stock especially when young.

Black Spear grass (Heteropogon contortus)

• Black Spear grass grows on a range of soils types.
• It is a significant pasture grass in Northern Australia and can be used to regenerate over grazed pastures.
• This grass grows where there is a marked wet and dry season. It is a typical species of tropical and sub-tropical tall grasslands in Australia.
• Seed will germinate when temperatures are between 25 ^oC and 30 ^oC.

Curly Windmill Grass (Enteropogon acicularis)

• This grass grows on soils that are mildly acid to alkaline and usually of high clay content, and has a reasonably good salt tolerance which it is great for soils that are dryland salinity.
• It will grow on mine-waste soils with high salt content and survives where most other grasses fail.
• High drought and very high heat tolerance, Flood and Frost tolerance and High Salt tolerance.

Bothriochloa decipiens/macra mix (Pitted Bluegrass and Redgrass)

• Mainly Pitted Bluegrass with a small amount of Redgrass.
• Naturally widespread, common and establishes well from direct seeding on a range of soil types from northern Vicoria through to the top end of Queensland.
• May dominate under grazing pressure, so grazing management is important.

Product mix updated 13/04/2022.     Unfortunately due to quarantine restrictions this product is not available to Western Australia.