Pasture access is fundamental to horse welfare, providing exercise, social interaction, and opportunities for natural grazing behavior. Poor pasture management undermines both horse health and welfare.
Pasture welfare encompasses physical and behavioral dimensions. Adequate grazing time satisfies foraging behavior needs, reduces ulcer incidence, and provides low-impact exercise. However, pasture management is also a veterinary issue: laminitis, helminth parasite burden, and grass sickness all connect to grazing conditions. Welfare-conscious pasture management involves rotational grazing systems, strategic rest periods, fecal testing-guided anthelmintic use, and provision of companion animals for horses in small herds. Horses on restricted turnout due to laminitis risk face a welfare dilemma requiring careful nutrition management to maintain behavioral needs.