Winter pasture management for horses requires balancing the welfare benefits of outdoor access against the welfare risks of mud, exposure, and inadequate nutrition in cold wet conditions.
Winter pasture management welfare requires resisting the impulse to stable horses for owner convenience when outdoor access serves horse welfare better. Horses with appropriate shelter, adequate forage to maintain body condition, and companions generally prefer outdoor access to stabling even in cold and wet conditions. The welfare risks of outdoor winter management are manageable through appropriate planning: hard standing areas reduce mud fever risk, windbreaks and field shelters provide weather protection, and body condition monitoring ensures adequate nutrition through increased forage provision. Stabling horses throughout winter to avoid mud creates its own welfare problems - reduced movement, social separation, and the respiratory impacts of indoor environments.