Grazing Multiple Species

As selective grazers, horses tend to eat some pasture plants and avoid others, leading to fields with some overgrazed and some undergrazed areas. Rotating pastures and animal species can help to even out consumption and cut down on the need for frequent mowing of fields. Taking horses off a field will tend to lower the parasite burden in that field, since most parasites are host-specific, meaning that equine parasites usually don’t infest goats, sheep, or cattle.

Goats and sheep eat more brushy and fibrous plants, clearing weeds that horses won’t touch. Cattle don’t eat grasses down as short as horses do, and they will eat the rougher forage and grasses than horses will. Poultry such as turkeys or chickens break up manure piles as they look for grain particles, spreading droppings and exposing parasite eggs to light and air. Before rotating non-equine species into a field, check that fencing and water supply are appropriate for those animals.