Horse grazing routine
Below are some suggestions about how to vary a standard grazing routine to generate benefits for horse, wildlife and wider landscape.
Horses present different challenges from other grazing livestock. They are kept for leisure, recreation and business, they need to be close to hand to work and ride, and often within a group of horses individuals will have greatly varied needs. Within these parameters it is worth giving due consideration to ways to mitigate potentially negative impacts on the environment and landscape as these are likely to benefit horse health as well.
Being able to provide as much of the forage needs as possible from pasture obviously helps to reduce the cost and associated impacts of supplementary feed. An appropriate stocking density based on soil/land type, grass type, type and size of horse and the management objectives will enable forage needs to be met whilst allowing land to be rested and rotated.
Horses can do a lot of damage to land in a short space of time, be it from charging around when they are let out, out of anxiety when a companion is taken away or from grazing heavy land in wet weather. If possible take a dynamic approach to managing the land by keeping horses in if extensive damage is likely to occur.
Pasture that is consistently grazed below 2.5cm will become damaged and plant species may be lost, as in the case of ‘starvation paddocks’ or winter poached paddocks. Weeds will be able to take hold and welfare issues in horses such as mud fever and gastric ulcers may occur where there is no forage for long periods. 5cm is considered a good minimum for grass. Shutting an area of pasture off from April to October produces ‘standing hay’ for the winter, the thicker sward helps to reduce poaching and protects watercourses from run off which can pollute rivers and streams. Standing hay provides forage and browsing material for horses and also creates a beneficial habitat for wildlife.
Obesity and laminitis are serious issues in horses. Seek veterinary advice and testing for insulin resistance. Starvation paddocks are not the only way to tackle these conditions so in consultation with a vet consider what feed the horse is getting, what type of grass is in the pasture and at what growth stage is it usually grazed, how much exercise the horse gets, remove rugs, keep horses off the grass during the day when the sugars are higher in the summer and be extra vigilant during peak grass growth times of May and September/October.
The way that land is managed affects the benefits that can be derived from it, such as clean water and pollinating insects, these benefits are referred to as ‘ecosystem services’ and are an important part of what makes up the landscape and are worthy of consideration in the way land is used and managed.