Upland Heritage Horse & Donkey Pasture

Upland Heritage recreates the kind of varied, traditional pasture horses grazed before modern ryegrass leys. Seven grasses, including Timothy, cocksfoot, meadow fescue and several fescues, are blended with a small proportion of forage herbs and wildflowers. The result is a mixed bite through the season and a dense sward that stands up to hooves and wet weather.

It comes in two blends. The light-soil blend leans on drought-tolerant fescues; the medium-to-heavy blend carries more meadow fescue, which copes better with damp, heavier ground.

Suitable for donkeys?

Yes, with managed access. The mix is ryegrass-free, but any established pasture can provide more grass than a donkey needs. Graze donkeys on restricted time or strip-grazed sections, keep straw available, and choose the light-soil blend where your ground allows, as it produces a leaner sward.

What success looks like

Year one is mainly about the grasses rooting in. Herbs and wildflowers show more from year two. Once settled, the paddock should hold a mix of fine and broader grasses with herbs scattered through, and should last for many years with sensible rotation and rest.

Do this / avoid this

• Do rest and rotate paddocks so the herbs and wildflowers can recover
• Do top or cut for hay in year one to encourage tillering
• Avoid heavy fertiliser, which favours coarse grasses over herbs
• Avoid overgrazing to bare soil, which lets weeds in