Horse Pasture Welfare and Grazing Access

Horses evolved as continuous grazers and their physical and psychological health depends on access to forage throughout the day — restriction causes significant welfare problems.

Key Facts

Wild horses graze for 16-18 hours per day, walking long distances while foraging
Horses have small stomachs that produce continuous gastric acid — gaps in forage cause gastric ulcers
An estimated 58-93% of performance horses have gastric ulcer syndrome
Stall confinement without adequate forage access causes stereotypic behaviors in up to 40% of horses
Wood chewing, crib-biting, and weaving are stress behaviors associated with restricted forage access

Welfare Considerations

Horse welfare is profoundly shaped by how closely management approximates their evolutionary grazing lifestyle. Stall-kept horses fed twice daily hay are at peak welfare risk: the hours-long gaps between forage produce gastric acid accumulation and ulceration, while confinement prevents the movement that is essential for digestive function and cardiovascular health. Stereotypic behaviors including crib-biting (grasping surfaces and gulping air) and weaving develop in horses unable to meet their foraging needs — once established, these behaviors are essentially irreversible even when management improves. Hay nets, slow-feeders, and forage-based diets that provide near-continuous eating opportunity dramatically reduce ulcer incidence and stereotypy development. Pasture access, ideally for most of the day, provides both nutritional and psychological benefits that no amount of stall enrichment can fully substitute.

What You Can Do

Ensure horses have continuous access to hay or forage using slow-feeder nets to extend eating time
Provide maximum possible pasture time rather than minimizing it for convenience
Have performance horses regularly assessed for gastric ulcer syndrome — treatment improves welfare and performance