Proper pasture management prevents metabolic disease while providing horses with the turnout time and natural grazing behavior essential for their wellbeing.
Pasture management for horses involves balancing two important welfare needs that can be in tension: the need for outdoor access, movement, and natural grazing behavior that is fundamental to equine wellbeing, and the metabolic risks of modern rich pastures for horses selected for thriftiness in sparse environments. The welfare solution is not to eliminate turnout - horses denied access to turnout show higher rates of stereotypic behaviors and behavioral problems - but to manage access thoughtfully. Horses with metabolic disease or laminitis predisposition need restricted grazing through dry lot management, track systems, or grazing muzzles that allow the movement and environmental stimulation of turnout without the metabolic load of unrestricted rich grazing. The track system, which simulates natural movement patterns by placing resources at intervals, provides an innovative welfare-positive solution for horses requiring management.