1997 Final Report - Horse Grazing Management Plan and Monitoring Study for Theodore Roosevelt National Park 

L. Gagnon, C. Marlow, H. Sherwood, and D. Barbisan, Department of Animal and Range Sciences Montana State University, Bozeman MT 597 17-0290

Introduction

Peaceful Valley Ranch Trailrides, Inc. operates as a concession service within Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Daily guided trail rides are conducted from the ranch facility within the park. In addition to the rides throughout the day, an evening ride is also offered. Guests do not stay overnight at the ranch site. Horse wranglers and trail ride guides however, reside at the ranch throughout the summer season.

A corral with feed bunks and a catch pen system is in use full time during the season. The concessions are operated from May through October 15th and approximately 80 head of horses have been kept at the site during this period.

Historically, domestic horse grazing has been during the morning and early evening periods for approximately three hours each time. Wranglers would herd animals to and from grazing locations. Animals are then corralled or ridden until the next grazing period. Animals have been supplemented with grain to balance their nutritional requirements.

This grazing plan and monitoring system is developed for 65 head of horses grazed once daily for a 3-hour period over a 67-day season (July 1 - September 5, 1994).

Objectives

Domestic horse grazing within the boundaries of Theodore Roosevelt National Park has occurred for many years. During this time Park visitors have enjoyed countless hours of trail rides provided by Peaceful Valley Ranch Trailrides, Inc. Due to the change in management goals of the Park Service, this use was to be evaluated for compatibility of overall Park Service goals. The objectives of this plan and study are to evaluate the suitability and sustainability of domestic horse grazing within Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Subsequent objectives will be to:

1. Designate grazing allotments suitable for use by domestic horses;

2. Establish transects within grazing allotments in order to monitor range condition and trend over several seasons of use;

3. Collect data to describe plant communities contained within grazing allotments;

4. Calculate yearly stocking rates on forage component of plant community described in Objective C.

Ultimately, this information will be used to accomplish the goal of quantifying the impact of domestic horses and wild ungulates on the designated areas within the Park.

Methods

A.        Grazing Allotment Sites and Monitoring System

On June 1 and 2, 1994, a site visit to TRNP was made by the principle investigators of Montana State University. During this trip, grazing sites were chosen through consultation with Roger Andrasik of TRNP and Wally Owen of Peaceful Valley Trailrides, Inc. Sites (allotments) were selected and identified from maps provided by TRNP personnel as well as by travel to and assessment of the actual sites with Mr. Owen.

Selected grazing sites and/or allotments are shown in Figure 1. Sites A, B and C are located along and within the large draw (Boneyard Draw) south east of the ranch headquarters. This draw provides easy access via the service road and is mostly characterized as upland grassland. Sites B and C, are dominated by mixed cool and warm season grass species (Agropyron smithü, Bouteloua gracilis, Poa pratensis, Stipa comata, Stipa viridula; Andropogon scoparius, Carexfi4folia). Sites D and E are south facing upland grassland slopes located north east of the Peaceful Valley Ranch in the Jones Creek drainage. These sites are characterized predominately by A. smithii, B. gracilis, and S. viridula.

A range trend monitoring system was then installed on the selected allotments over the period of June 22-24, 1994. Transect locations within each allotment are shown in Figure 1.

The rangeland monitoring system was designed to document range trends and condition over time or other aspects of the range as they relate to management and/or natural processes. Within each grazing allotment several transects 30 meters long were established. Locations of 17 transacts are shown in Figure 1. A Daubenmire frame (20 x 50 cm) was used to measure plant basal coverage, bare ground, rocks, litter and plant species composition every 2 meters along each transect for a total of 15 frames per transect. Plant species frequency along each transect was recorded using the point method with one hit every meter, giving a total of 30 hits per transect. These measurements were repeated on each transect following the 1994 grazing season, enabling us to monitor trend in range condition within the grazing allotments.

All transects were established in areas suitable for horse grazing. Transect lines were set up to follow the land contour and Daubenmire frame readings were made on the down slope side of the transect.

B.         Estimated Forage Availability and Utilization

Forage availability on the grazing allotments designated in Figure 1 are given in Table 1. These estimates of forage availability and utilization are conservative and allow for drought years as well as utilization of the range resources by other ungulates within the park.

When grazing, mature horses can be expected to consume 2.3-3.611 of forage per hour (Duren, et al., 1987; Gagnon and Barbisan, 1994). A grazing study by Duren, et al., 1987 using yearling horses found forage intake to be 2.3#/hr (1.08 kg/hr). Horse feeding trials at Montana State University have shown pen fed horses consume high quality alfalfa hay at a rate of 3.611/hr (Gagnon and Barbisan, 1994). All of the above mentioned studies utilized a feeding regime of 3 hours duration, 2 x daily. Table 2 gives the expected number of hours of grazing on each allotment at the 30% level, assuming forage consumption at a rate of 311 per hour.

Table 2. Estimated Grazing Allotment Use for 65 head of horses consuming 311 of forage/hr at a utilization rate of 30%.

These estimates are conservative and could vary with precipitation. Consumption/hr may vary among individual animals.

C.        Grazing Plan Recommendations

The essential elements of this grazing plan are 1) effectively herding horses to and from designated grazing sites, 2) grouping horses while grazing, 3) utilizing the grazing allotments uniformly over a period of 67 days to the 30% level, and 4) continued range trend and condition monitoring of the grazed sites.

Herding and trailing methods must be consistent and effective in order to reach the designated sites. It may be necessary to have several riders to accomplish herding out of the corrals. Figure 2 shows gate locations from the corrals. When moving horses through the Peaceful Valley Ranch site, river bottom areas or along roads, efforts should be made to move rapidly and string the horses out along one trail. If allowed to wander slowly and graze, this site around the Ranch will be grazed twice daily every day throughout the concession season. Such use can lead to undesirable changes in plant communities. Once horses reach the desired grazing site, one rider should be able to hold them for the 3-hour period as well as bring them back in.  Several studies (Feist, 1971; Francis-Smith, et al., 1982; Gagnon, et al, 1989; Barbisan, et al., 1994) have shown horses graze in bouts of two to four hours and feed trials at Montana State University have shown horses to be thirsty following a feeding bout of this duration. Consequently, it will be an easy matter to bring horses to water in the corrals of Peaceful Valley Ranch after a three-hour grazing bout. Allotments B and C have a natural division provided by the brush in the bottom of the draw. Natural barriers and divisions found throughout the designated allotments should be utilized to divide each allotment into smaller pastures that can be rotated and utilized to the 30% level. The same person or persons should graze horses daily and a record kept of daily grazing locations within the allotments. This will ensure movement of the horses throughout the allotments for a more even usage.

Horse condition should be monitored throughout the summer. In the event that condition declines, supplemental feeding or extended grazing hours may be necessary. Six hours grazing time per horse per day is minimal to meet the animal's maintenance requirements. Thus, the three hours/day grazing period stipulated in this plan may not meet normal horse nutritional requirements. Therefore, supplemental feeding of hay or hay cubes will likely be necessary over the 67 day period. Hay cubes are available from various sources and have the additional benefit of being processed from certified weed free hay, If grain, i.e. whole oats or corn, oat barley mixture (COB), is supplemented, a rate not to exceed 5-6 lbs. per day is recommended. Trace mineralized salt should be made available free choice within the corrals.

D.        Grazing Allotment Rotation Schedule

Starting July 1, 1994, 65 head of Peaceful Valley Ranch Trailride horses were grazed once daily for a 3-hour period in allotments B and C, (Figure 1). As shown in Table 2, we have determined this upland grassland site capable of conservatively grazing all 65 horses for a total period of 205 days. This area alone should accommodate grazing for the entire 67-day season of 1994 as designated by NPS. However, if efforts are not successful to get horses grouped and into the upper reaches of this allotment, the bottom area along the 'bone yard' draw road will not be enough to accommodate grazing needs. Note that allotment A is enroute to and from allotments B and C via the 'bone yard' road. This site is predominately western wheatgrass (A. smithii), a cool season grass that would be better utilized early in the season on an alternate year rotational basis. This would allow seed production to occur during the non-grazed years. Areas D and E are located in the Jones Creek drainage and were to be used in 1994 as alternate sites should the concessionaire need to move from sites A, B and C. If this change occurred, Park personnel were to be notified and records kept of dates and areas grazed. It is our opinion that the south facing slopes of the Jones Creek drainage containing allotments D and E be grazed as little as possible during any season. This is in agreement with others (Redente. 1993: Wesch. 1993) who have identified these areas as winter habitat for the park's other ungulates.

E. Data Analysis (1994, 1995 & 1994-1996)

Pastures A, B, & C were grazed (48.5, 46.25, and 47.25 hours in 1994) (Table 3), by concession horses a total of 134.5, 131.25 and 199.75 hours in 1995 and 100.04, 112.55 and 80.68 ours in 1996 (tables 4 and 5). Grazing increased four times on pastures A and B from 1994 to 1995, but decreased on all pastures from 1995 to 1996. Table 6 contains an analysis of frequency means for vegetative cover, litter cover and bare ground between years 1994 vs 1995, 1995 vs 1996 and 1994 vs 1996. As noted in last years report, there was a significant increase in bare ground and decrease in plant species in pastures C, D & E from September 1994 to September 1995 at the P = < .05 level. In the 1995-1996 comparison, there was a significant decrease in bare ground for all pastures including those not grazed. Plant species increased significantly in pastures C, E & D from September 1995 to September 1996. There were no differences in all pastures for litter. When comparing 1994 data to 1996, there is a significant decrease in bare ground for pastures B, C, and E from June of 1994 to June of 1996. Also noted is a significant increase in litter in pastures A, C & E from September 1994 to September 1996. Pasture E was the only one that had a significant increase in plant species. (See appendix for individual pasture and year analyses.)

Weather data (Figures 1 & 2) indicates that annual precipitation was slightly below normal for the years 1994 and 1995 with a more constant and even precipitation through 1996. Temperatures through the grazing season appear to be the same for all these years.

Conclusions

Analysis of the three year's data indicates that changes in bare ground, litter, and plant species under these stocking rates is much more dependent on precipitation than on grazing. Even through there was a significant increase in hours grazed from 1994 to 1995, the effects we saw in those years were not seen under similar stocking rates in 1995 - 1996. The decrease in bare ground form 1994 to 1996 combined with increased litter levels in some of the allotments indicates that the recommended stocking rate is well below annual forage production rates. This relationship coupled with the lack of significant change in plant cover during the same period indicates domestic horse grazing apparently didn't alter existing range condition. Nonetheless, regular monitoring needs to continue with particular attention paid to changes in cover of individual species such as Agropyron smithii, Andropogon scoparius, Bouteloua grad/is, Carex filifolia, Stipa comata and Stipa viridula. A decline in Stipa viridula cover with a corresponding increase in one or all of the other species would signal a decline in range condition. It appears that because precipitation is the primary force on plant community composition, stocking rates need to be considered during times of drought to allow for recovery. As stated in our 1993 report, the decline in plant cover that year may be due to climatic conditions. To avoid year to year variation in vegetation cover, litter and bare ground estimates caused by differing climatic patterns, transects should be read in September rather than June. The causes of these changes for the three year term can not be determined without several additional years of monitoring data. This could be done by the Park Service each spring and fall. The transects are permanently marked and are on a GPS system for relocation if necessary.

References

Barbisan, D. J., R. P. Ansotegui, L. C. Gagnon, J. Lacey and K. Hansen. 1994. Estimating fecal output, apparent dry matter digestibility and dry matter intake of free-grazing horses. Pro. 45th Montana Nutrition Conference. pp. 4.1-4.11.

Duren,  S. E., C. T. Dougherty, S. G. Jackson and J. P. Baker. 1987. Forage intake of yearling horses grazing tall fescue. 100th Ann. Rep. Kent. Ag. Exp. Sta. pp. 104.

Feist, J. D. 1971. Behavior of feral horses in the Pryor Mountain wild horse range. M. S. Thesis. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Francis-Smith, K., R. G. Carson, and D. G. M. Wood-Gush. 1982. A grazing recorder for horses--its design and use. Appl. Anim. Ethol. 8:4 13.

Gagnon, L. C., C. Marlow, K. Hansen-Bristow and K. Olson-Rutz. 1989. Effects of handling on grazing behavior of horses on high mountain meadows. Proc. 11th Equine Nutr. Physio. Soc. Symp., pp. 273.

Gagnon, L. C., D. Barbisan. 1994. Consumption time of cubed rations as compared to long-stemmed hay and grain. Summary Report. Animal and Range Sci. Dept., Montana State University. Bozeman, MT.

Redente, E. F. 1993. Restoration and management recommendations for Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Rangeland Ecosystem Sci. Dept. Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO.

Welch, G. 1993. A range management plan for the Peaceful Valley Ranch horses. Report.

* June 1992, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana; Submitted to the: National Park Service, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, Colorado 80225 in compliance with contract No. PX 1 200-9-C81 8

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