Horse Pasture Management and Welfare

Pasture quality and management directly affect horse health and welfare; overgrazing, toxic plants, and poor sward composition cause significant welfare problems.

Key Facts

Lush spring pasture with high non-structural carbohydrate content is the primary trigger for laminitis in at-risk horses.
Overgrazing leads to bare patches, weed invasion, and reduced forage nutritional value.
Ragwort is toxic to horses; pyrrolizidine alkaloids cause progressive, fatal liver disease.
Track systems — narrow paddocks around field perimeters — encourage movement and reduce grass intake.
Soil testing and appropriate fertilisation maintain healthy sward composition and nutritional value.

Welfare Considerations

Pasture quality has direct welfare implications for grazing horses. Laminitis from carbohydrate-rich pasture is one of the most painful conditions in horses and is directly linked to management decisions around grazing. Ragwort ingestion causes cumulative, irreversible liver damage that presents with weight loss, jaundice, and neurological signs only when 70-80% of liver function is lost — by which time the condition is fatal. Good pasture management — rotation, resting, topping, ragwort removal, and appropriate stocking density — protects horse welfare and maintains land productivity. Track systems benefit both metabolic health by encouraging movement and reduce laminitis risk by controlling grass intake.

What You Can Do

Walk your pastures regularly to identify and remove ragwort before it sets seed.
Implement a pasture rotation system to prevent overgrazing and maintain sward quality.
Test soil and apply appropriate fertiliser to maintain grass species composition.
Restrict grazing access during high-risk periods for laminitis-prone horses and ponies.