Guest Author - Darling Poor

A horse turned out to pasture regularly (or allowed to live on pasture year-round) will be far healthier than a stabled horse. The reasons for this are behavioral as well as nutritional.

Studies have determined that horses and ponies graze for 16 hours a day. They have small stomachs and therefore need to eat in small amounts, frequently. Little and often is the rule of thumb for horse feeding. Horses like to nibble; they are not ruminants like cows, and actually have a short digestive system which needs constant food intake.

Bad stall behaviors such as wind sucking (where the horse sucks in air to fill his empty stomach), tongue swallowing, and cribbing (chewing the wood of his stall) are the unhealthy outcome of frustrating the natural requirement of a horse to graze for her required 16 hours a day.

Pastured horses also get the added benefit of being able to lie down on soft matter if desired, exercise, and more than likely companionship, which is essential to the extremely social equine creature. More than anything, horses crave the company of another horse. Herd animals by nature, denying them the ability even to see other horses or ponies, whether stabled or pastured, is detrimental to their health and well-being.

How much pasture is required? For a pony, 1.5 acres will be sufficient (0.6 hectares). A horse will require 2-4 acres (multiply this amount for each additional horse). Unless the pasture is on the large side, it is not advisable to pasture sheep, goats and cows with your horse because these animals tend to shear the grass off low to the ground, and there is the chance the horse will not get enough forage.

Pasture should have a large shade tree or other form of shade, as well as a windbreak (a non-poisonous hedge works best). Unless there is lightning, most breeds of horse and pony can easily tolerate rain and snow. However, they do not like wind, hence the windbreak is required.

A source of fresh water must be available, ideally a freshly moving stream. Boggy areas in the pasture are undesirable; the pasture should be self-draining. Stagnant ponds can generate insect problems unless properly cared for with non-toxic insect repellent. Soft-sided, self-filling water buckets and troughs are a good option; however, if you live where it is cold, make sure to check your buckets for ice formation every day and/or purchase heated water receptacles.

Manure still needs to be picked up regularly, as it will become a source for worms, and because horses will not paw away manure to get to the grass underneath.

You’ll need a rotation schedule and pasture management program (discussed separately) to make sure enough forage, and the right type of forage, is available. Never allow a horse to feed from young grass, as it will upset their stomach. A good rule of thumb is that grass be at least 4 (ideally 6) inches in height and 6 weeks old. As with all dietary modification, change from stable diet to pasture foraging must occur gradually. Start with a few minutes of daily grazing if your horse has not been out to pasture before and increase slowly day-by-day.

Fencing and gates are topics to be thoroughly discussed in a separate article, as is how to maintain the quality of your pasture grass free of weeds. Some grasses are poisonous, and I’ve included a link below this topic to a seed/grass specialist company for your review (dangerous grasses listed at bottom of page) prior to turning your horse out.

Hopefully, your horse has the opportunity to be on pasture, even if it’s only for several hours every day. It can save your wallet from expensive vet bills and decrease your feeding costs too. Most importantly, your horse will be a much happier creature as you will be allowing her to live closer to how nature intended.