Pasture quality, management, and access time profoundly affect horse welfare. Getting pasture management right provides horses with natural behavior expression and nutritional benefits.
Horse welfare is strongly correlated with turnout time and pasture quality. Horses kept in stables for extended periods without adequate turnout develop musculoskeletal problems, gastric ulcers from abnormal feeding patterns, and behavioral problems including stable vices reflecting behavioral frustration. Even limited daily turnout on grass provides psychological benefits through social interaction, natural movement, and grazing behavior. Pasture management must balance welfare benefits of outdoor access with laminitis risk management for susceptible horses — the solution being managed access using grazing muzzles, restricted hours, or drylot turnout rather than elimination of outdoor access. The welfare default should be maximum appropriate turnout rather than stabling as default.