Success StoryUK Pasture Evaluation Program



UK Pasture Evaluation Program

Author: Samuel Smith

Planning Unit: Plant and Soil Sciences

Major Program: Forages

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

The UK Horse Pasture Evaluation Program had another strong evaluation season during the summer of 2023. This program began in 2005 as part of Equine Programs to develop stronger ties with Kentucky’s horse industry. The program focuses on the following objectives:

• Providing detailed pasture management recommendations to horse farm owners and managers.

• Improving pastureland by increasing forage quality and quantity and reduce the need for stored feeds, such as hay and grain.

• Assessing the potential risk of fescue toxicity for broodmares on pastures.

• Providing undergraduate students with a new appreciation for agriculture and the horse industry.

In 2023 the program conducted 31 full farm evaluations covering over 500 pastures in 9 counties. The total farm acres from the enrolled farms was over 7000.

Collaborators: S. Ray Smith, Krista Lea and Jimmy Henning






Stories by Samuel Smith


Profitable Pastures: Joint Extension and NRCS Programming

about 5 years ago by Samuel Smith

Profitable Pastures was a project focused on cattle production with the objective of improving colla... Read More


Forage Systems for Organic Dairies

about 5 years ago by Samuel Smith

Organic Dairy Research Project withUniversity of Kentucky and University of TennesseeThe long-term g... Read More


Stories by Plant and Soil Sciences


2018 Kentucky Grazing Conference Profitable for Producers

2018 Kentucky Grazing Conference Profitable for Producers

about 5 years ago by Jimmy Henning

Specialists involved: Jimmy Henning, Ray Smith and Chris TeutschPastures are important to the profit... Read More


Photographs selected as national winners

Photographs selected as national winners

about 5 years ago by Jimmy Henning

Two photographs entered in the 2019 National Photo Contest of the American Forage and Grassland Coun... Read More