Restoring horse pasture in spring: overseeding or re-seeding?

March 9, 2026

Spring not only brings the grass back, but it also begins the new grazing season for your horses. A good time to take a critical look at your horse pasture. The better the turf, the better your horses can graze and the more stable their rations will remain.

Checking the quality of your horse pasture in the spring

In the spring, the grass comes back up. For horse owners, that's the time to take a good look at the horse pasture. The better the turf, the better your horses can graze and the more stable the ration remains.

After winter, the quality of grasslands may have changed considerably. Intensive grazing, puddling or mouse damage can create bare patches. Especially in relatively dry winters, mice often get the chance to dig holes and eat the roots of the grass. The result: gaps in the turf.

If you leave those spots, they are often quickly filled in by weeds or less desirable grasses. This not only reduces the yield of the grassland, but also the quality of forage for your horses.

Watch for roughage in spring

A grass that often comes up quickly in spring is rough legume. This grass grows at temperatures as low as about 5°C and can therefore quickly take over bare spots.

For horse pastures, roughage is less suitable. Namely, it has:

• a lower dry matter yield (20-25% less than ryegrass)
• a shallow root system that causes it to dry out more quickly
• a lower feed value

You can often recognize rough legume by the typical white feet on the underside of the plant.

Restoring bare spots in grassland

By taking action early in the spring, you will prevent the quality of your horse pasture from deteriorating. Depending on the condition of the plot, you can overseed or re-seed. March-April is an appropriate time for this.

A practical guideline:

• Over 80% good grasses. Supplemental sow small open areas at about 15-20 kg per hectare
• 60-80% good grasses. Overseeding the field at 25-30 kg per hectare
• Less than 60% good grasses. If there is a lot of breeding or structural damage from mice, for example, re-seeding or rotation with corn is often the best choice.

Grass mixtures for a healthy horse pasture

Not every grass is equally suitable for horses. Mixtures have been developed for horse pastures that take into account the grazing behavior and health of horses.

Horse Master (Barenbrug)

This mixture consists of textured and palatable grasses and forms a strong, dense turf. Thanks to RPR technology, the grass can better withstand intensive treading and trampling. The low growing point makes the mixture suitable for short grazing.

HorseMax Grazing (DLF).

This blend focuses specifically on horse welfare. It contains grasses with moderate protein and sugar content, making it a good fit in a balanced ration. Its low growth point makes it suitable for pastures that are short grazed.

HorseMax Hayes (DLF)

This mixture contains several textured grasses, making it ideal for extracting hay for horses. It combines good palatability with a high dry matter yield.

All three mixtures are low in fructan. This is important because grass can produce extra fructan in spring when there is a lot of sun and cold nights. Fructan is a type of sugar that horses do not digest as well. Excessive intake can increase the risk of laminitis.

Weed control in horse pastures

In addition to bare spots, weeds can also play a role in the quality of your horse pasture. The approach depends primarily on the amount of weeds.

With limited weed pressure
Mechanical control, such as cradle harrows, may be sufficient.

When there are a lot of weeds
Chemical control can be an effective solution.

Some points of interest:

• Wall can be controlled early in spring with agents that work even at low temperatures.
• Culture is usually more effectively controlled later in the growing season.
• After spraying, wait at least a week before re-seeding or overseeding.

A good horse pasture begins with attention

A healthy horse pasture is the foundation of your horse's ration. By taking a good look at your pasture in the spring and making timely adjustments, you can avoid problems later in the season. In doubt about the condition of your horse pasture or the best approach for your plot? Subli's specialists will be happy to look at it with you. We work closely with the grassland specialists from our sister company AR Plant B.V., so you get advice that fits both your horses and your turf.

TERUG NAAR HET OVERZICHT