Re-seeding: Turning lawn into horse pasture?

I can say I didn't have too much luck with the MSU extension this spring, but I was asking some complex nutritional grass questions, but they did do a good job at helping me find the right person to talk too.

At our place when we moved in the "pasture" was nothing but farm land that had turned to scrub for 20 years. We needed to get the pasture plowed first to get all the shrubs, small trees, and crap plants out of the way. Then we broadcast seeded the area (somewhere between 8-9 acres). We let the grass have all summer to get established before moving the horses into the pasture in late fall. We over seeded the next year, left it the year after that and then over seeded again because the grass wasn't as thick as we wanted. After that the pasture was fully established and we haven't had to do anything to it the last 7 years. We did eventually cut the pasture in half because it is TOO fattening for my horses.

The grass seed I used was from a local co-op and it is a blend for my area. They use several different seeds that do well at different times of the year. So I always have something thriving in the pasture no matter if it is wet cold spring/fall, or hot dry summer. The co-op had two blends one with fescue and one without. I chose the one without fescue. I don't remember exactly what my blend is but it something like this:

Bluegrass, Orchard Grass, & Timothy for good growing in cool weather. Does great in spring and fall.

Alfalfa and Clover as "support" plants. Both are good grazing, but also legumes that help nitrogen fix the soil and fertilize the pasture.

I believe the hot weather/summer grasses used are Bermuda and Canary, but I don't remember for sure. These are good hardy grasses that do well July through early September.

The plus is even with my elder horse I didn't have to feed any hay from March until as late as Oct/Nov most years (weather depending of course). The pasture always has enough food to keep them fat and sassy and they only get hay in the winter months. While my elder horse did need senior feed to help keep his weight up my current two fatties get nothing more then a handful of a diet feed 2x a day most of the year and they are shiny.

Have you talked to your local co-op to find out what blends they do and what they recommend for horse pasture in your area?

I am really interested in hearing the answers as well. We're in Alberta - so similar climate, and with very sandy soil. Because of the poor soil and the very wet spring, our horses ate their pasture area bare and I would like to do some re-seeding as well - but I have no idea what I should be growing that would be fast growing and hardy.

The Ag extension office has been very helpful when planning my pastures out. Even calling the bigger university with an Ag school will help.

i'm a little confused but be sure to fence off 1 or more acers