Winter pasture management for horses balances the welfare benefits of outdoor access against the welfare costs of cold, wet conditions and reduced nutritional availability.
Winter pasture welfare management requires balancing the clear welfare benefit of outdoor access — movement, natural light, social interaction, environmental stimulation — against the management demands of cold, wet conditions. The welfare equation strongly favors maintained winter turnout with appropriate management over stable confinement: horses confined through winter develop higher rates of stereotypies, gastric ulcers, and respiratory disease. The management investment required — monitoring mud fever, providing supplemental hay, ensuring shelter access, checking water sources — is significant but justified by the welfare benefits. Horses kept out through winter with appropriate management are consistently better welfare outcomes than stabled horses.