Horse Grazing: Benefits, Pasture Management, Best Practices for Optimal Health

There’s something peaceful about horses grazing in a field, don’t you think?

Grazing is essential to a horse’s health. When horses graze, they eat a bit here and there over many hours, moving from one tasty spot to the next. Horses instinctively graze due to the design of the equine digestive system. It functions best when processing small amounts of forage like grass or other vegetation over long periods.

For horses entirely on pasture, grazing time is often over 15 hours daily. If the pasture is of good quality, horses can get abundant nutrients directly from the pasture plants. 

However, many horses don’t have access to all-day turnout on lush pastures. Depending on geographic location, open pasture land can be at a premium.

In this article, we’ll provide tips on making the most of your pasture, so your horse can enjoy this natural activity.

Pasture Grasses 101

For horses in light work or just being maintained, grazing on quality pasture grass can provide a balanced supply of nutrients that meet their needs for vitamins, minerals, and fiber. When forages are nutrient-rich, supplementation can often be bypassed.

But what exactly is quality pasture grass?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question because not all grass varieties can grow everywhere. Many of them are dependent on the region, climate, and soil. 

That said, a few common grass varieties, such as Kentucky bluegrass, smooth bromegrass, tall fescue, and timothy, are often planted in horse pastures. Fresh grass is a natural source of vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids.

These grass types are cool-season perennials that grow best in the cooler spring and fall. Perennials are plants that grow back each year.

Perennial legumes such as red or white clover are another popular pasture plant. Legumes provide more protein, energy, and calcium than grasses.

Ideally, having more than one variety of perennial plants in a pasture is the way to go. An excellent resource to learn more about grasses native to your area is your local extension service.

Digestive Health Benefits of Grazing

Horses are selective grazers with a digestive system designed to eat small amounts of forage consistently.

This grazing habit is good for gut health as it matches their natural digestive rhythm, promotes stable gut flora, and reduces the risk of colic.

However, unlimited grazing can be trouble for some horses. 

You’ve probably heard the term “easy keeper,” which describes a horse or pony that gains weight quickly.

Metabolic issues can arise for these types, who are prone to pudginess. If left unchecked, it can lead to laminitis.

Controlled grazing can prevent such problems by limiting sugar intake. Limiting time spent on pasture is one way to do this. Another option is to put a grazing muzzle on your horse.

Grazing muzzles allow horses to continue to graze, but they consume much less because the muzzle impedes their access to the grass.

The Flexible Filly Slow Feed Grazing Muzzle is a lightweight, pliable, and well-ventilated muzzle that is soft against horses’ lips and avoids wear on teeth. 

Its innovative construction differs from the typical cage-like muzzles, yet it’s very effective in limiting a horse’s grazing ability. It also doesn’t interfere with a horse’s inclination to wither-scratch and socialize with other herd members.

With the Flexible Filly Muzzle, your easy-keeper, insulin-resistant, or laminitic horse gets to stay out on pasture, and you’re spared lots of worry.

Pasture Management

Good pasture management ensures that you have productive pastures that provide consistent, high-quality grazing all year round and reduce reliance on hay or supplements.

Below are general suggestions to help you manage your pasture optimally. 

• Use rotational grazing. Divide the grazing area into paddocks depending on the amount of pasture available. Temporary fencing is helpful if you need to construct or change the layout of paddocks quickly. Allow grazing in some paddocks for a while so other paddocks can rest and grow forage.
• Adjust seasonal grazing schedules. Grass growth and nutrient availability change with seasons, so modify grazing schedules accordingly. For example, some grasses grow faster in cooler temps, so spring grazing schedules should be gradually increased so horses don’t overeat, which gives the grass ample time to become established. Summer heat can slow growth, running the risk of paddocks being overgrazed.
• Avoid overgrazing. Overgrazing weakens plant growth and leaves bare ground, which reduces forage availability.
• Grow good pasture grasses. Pasture grasses should primarily be perennials rather than annuals. Annuals are plants that die off each year. Perennials are favored because although they go dormant during winter, their root system remains alive. Roots help stabilize soil, prevent erosion, and discourage weeds.
• Drag manure piles. Dragging manure piles regularly prevents concentrated waste areas, reduces weed growth, and improves soil health.

Final Points: Horse Grazing Best Practices

Good grazing practices mean healthy pastures, and horses get what they need. Rotational grazing and good management of grazing schedules, forage types, and pasture conditions mean more forage, no bare ground, and no overgrazing.

A good grazing environment for horses means better health, less need for supplements, and sustainable land use. Following these best practices, horse owners can create productive pastures for horses and the environment.

Equine nutritionists recommend monitoring body weight and nutrient needs and adjusting grazing time and forage supply to maintain optimal body weight without overfeeding.

Popular Questions

Below are common questions we get asked about the topic of grazing.