Horse Pasture Management: Grazing Welfare and Metabolic Health

Pasture management is central to equine welfare and health. Understanding the balance between grazing access, metabolic health, and natural behaviour improves horse wellbeing.

Key Facts

Horses evolved to graze for 14-18 hours per day, covering large distances
Restriction of grazing time and forage access is a common cause of equine gastric ulcers
Laminitis risk in susceptible horses must be managed through restricted grazing during high-sugar periods
Strip grazing and track systems allow controlled grazing while maintaining movement opportunities
Social grazing in groups reduces stress compared to individual paddock housing

Welfare Considerations

The natural grazing behaviour of horses is frequently compromised by management systems designed around human convenience. Stable confinement, restricted forage, and individual housing are major sources of physical and psychological welfare problems in domestic horses. Gastric ulcers affect up to 90% of competition horses and are largely a consequence of restricted forage access. Management approaches that maximise turnout, provide ad libitum forage, and allow social grazing in compatible groups significantly improve welfare. Where metabolic conditions require grazing restriction, alternative management strategies such as soaked hay, track systems, and grazing muzzles can maintain movement and social contact while limiting sugar intake.

What You Can Do

Maximise turnout time and forage availability for managed horses
Provide social grazing opportunities with compatible horses where possible
Learn about equine gastric ulcer syndrome and how to prevent it through management
Consult an equine nutritionist to balance metabolic health with behavioural needs