Equine Grassland Research Operations in South Dakota
GrantID: 79007
Grant Funding Amount Low: $5,000
Deadline: Ongoing
Grant Amount High: $35,000
Summary
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Grant Overview
South Dakota contains 49 million acres of grassland, 62 percent of which is privately managed. Ranch-level data indicate that only 18 percent of operators currently apply equine stocking-rate formulas calibrated to native prairie species composition. The proposed research project will generate operational protocols for integrating horses into rotational grazing systems on the Missouri Coteau and Black Hills foothills.
Current extension service records list 14 active grassland research sites statewide, none of which maintain continuous horse-impact monitoring plots. Soil health metrics from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service show average bare-ground exposure 11 percentage points higher on horse-only pastures than on cattle-managed units in the same counties. Workforce constraints limit data collection; the state employs 9 range specialists for 38,000 agricultural operations.
The initiative will establish paired treatment and control paddocks on six cooperating ranches distributed across the three major grassland ecoregions. Researchers will collect vegetation cover, erosion pin, and fecal nutrient data over 24 months using standardized NRCS protocols. Findings will be formatted as decision-support spreadsheets that ranchers can apply with existing fence and water infrastructure.
Adoption will be measured through documented changes in stocking density or pasture rotation frequency among participating operations and a matched comparison group. The operational focus distinguishes this project from Colorado and Nebraska grassland studies because South Dakota’s shorter growing season and higher wind erosion risk require equine-specific trampling thresholds that have not been quantified in state-level datasets.
Eligible Regions
Interests
Eligible Requirements
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