Managing horses on winter pasture requires balancing mud management, nutritional supplementation, and shelter provision to maintain welfare during cold, wet conditions.
Winter pasture management is a genuine welfare challenge in temperate climates. Too much turnout in wet conditions damages hooves, causes mud fever, and poaches pasture. Too little turnout causes psychological suffering from confinement and physical deconditioning. The welfare balance requires site-specific solutions including drainage investment, track systems, and careful rotation - there is no universal formula but the principle is clear: horses need movement and social contact even in winter.