If you’re running a livery yard, you’ll know just how valuable good grazing is, not only for your horses’ health and wellbeing but also for your reputation with clients. The key to maintaining productive, nutritious grazing lies in the health of your soil. And it doesn’t have to be complicated.
In this article, the team from Edwards Seaweed break down some simple, effective ways you can improve your pasture without overhauling your entire system, including how to reduce compaction, fertilise effectively and support natural soil biology.
Why Compaction Is Costing You Grass
Every horse on your land puts pressure on the soil. With an average weight of over 350kg, even light grazing can lead to soil compaction, which restricts root growth, reduces water absorption, and ultimately limits grass productivity.
Aeration is a game-changer.
By breaking up compacted soil and allowing oxygen back in, aeration improves root structure and encourages more vigorous grass growth. To keep your pasture in top condition, it’s worth aerating at least once a year, ideally twice:
- Autumn: helps the land recover after summer grazing and prepares it for winter
- Late winter/early spring: kickstarts early growth as the weather warms
Rethink Fertiliser for Horse-Healthy Grass
Synthetic fertilisers often focus on just a few fast-acting nutrients, encouraging a flush of growth that may look lush but lacks the depth of nutrition your horses need. Worse still, this boom-and-bust cycle can upset gut health and lead to imbalances in your grazing.
Natural alternatives like seaweed fertiliser offer a broader nutrient profile, supporting steady, sustainable growth and promoting richer, more digestible grazing. Seaweed is packed with:
- Trace elements essential for healthy plant development
- Bioactive compounds that help plants resist stress and drought
- Growth hormones that promote deep, water-seeking roots
And importantly, it’s completely safe for horses to ingest, with no need to keep them off the paddock after application. If you struggle with limited grazing options, then fertilising with seaweed could be a genuine game-changer for keeping Liveries happy!
Support Your Soil’s Natural Workforce
Beneath your pasture lies a hidden network of soil bacteria, tiny organisms that play a big role in delivering nutrients to your grass. These beneficial microbes:
- Break down organic matter and make nutrients accessible to roots
- Naturally fix nitrogen from the air (which horses can’t benefit from without them)
- Improve root health and resilience
Chemical fertilisers often bypass or disrupt this system. In contrast, natural products like seaweed support the soil’s own biology, helping you build a healthier sward with a better leaf-to-stem ratio, ideal for horses with sensitive guts.
Why It Matters for Livery Yards
For yard owners, it’s not just about keeping the grass green, it’s about:
- Reducing reliance on hard feed and additional forage by offering better-quality grazing
- Improving land resilience during dry spells or wet winters
- Offering clients peace of mind that their horses are turned out on safe, nutritious pasture
- Prolonging grazing time on each paddock, as horses can return to a field immediately following fertilising, and the root system is stronger, to produce a more sustainable fast growing grass.
And because seaweed-based fertilisers are natural, vegan, and safe to use year-round, you don’t have to wait for a dry spell or restrict turnout to get started.
Investing in your pasture is one of the most cost-effective ways to support the long-term health of your yard, for your horses, your land, and your business.
Edwards’ Seaweed Fertiliser UK is a supplier of natural seaweed products for commercial and domestic application. Using seaweed harvested sustainably from UK waters, our synthetic chemical-free products are made from a unique blend to enhance plant and soil health, or to supplement animal feed. We are passionate about offering natural, sustainable, and economical seaweed products that are 100% British to support regenerative farming across the UK. Take a look at their Special Offer for LiveryList Users.