Quality pasture management is fundamental to horse health and welfare. Good grazing management provides nutrition, natural behavior opportunities, and reduces common health problems.
Pasture access is one of the most significant contributors to horse welfare. Horses allowed extended grazing time show better behavioral health, lower stress hormones, and fewer digestive problems than stable-kept counterparts. However, pasture management must balance turnout time against the real risk of metabolic conditions like laminitis, particularly in native breeds and ponies on high-quality spring grass. Strategic use of strip grazing, track systems, or restricted access paddocks allows horses to express natural behavior while controlling caloric intake. Clean, dry fields with adequate drainage and shelter are also critical components of good pasture management. Every horse, regardless of workload, benefits from as much turnout as safely possible.