Pasture management profoundly affects horse welfare through its influence on forage availability, social opportunity, and the prevention of obesity and metabolic disease in modern management systems.
Pasture management for horses represents the intersection of nutritional welfare, social welfare, and disease prevention in a single management decision. The pasture provides the forage that horses need to eat near-continuously; the social environment that horses need for psychological wellbeing; and the exercise opportunity they need for musculoskeletal health. Getting this balance right requires understanding that modern improved pastures — highly nutritious but potentially metabolically dangerous — are not optimal for all horses. Track systems and strip grazing provide solutions that maintain forage access while managing metabolic risk. Social grazing in appropriate groups provides companionship. Year-round pasture access with appropriate winter ground management prevents the welfare harms of confinement and mud exposure. Good pasture management is one of the most impactful welfare contributions available to horse owners.