Companion Animal Welfare

Horse Pasture Management and Horse Welfare

Good pasture management provides horses with grazing opportunity, social space, and shelter while managing disease and injury risks.

Key Facts

Horses need approximately 1 acre per horse for meaningful grazing and exercise
Overstocked pastures quickly become bare mud lots with no foraging value
Rotational grazing systems maintain sward quality and reduce parasite burdens
Shelter from extreme weather is essential in exposed pastures
Poisonous plants including ragwort require active management in horse pastures

Welfare Considerations

Pasture quality directly determines whether horses can express natural grazing behavior for the 12-16 hours daily they are motivated to graze. Poor pasture management condemns horses to standing on bare ground without behavioral outlet.

What You Can Do

Assess stocking density and rotate grazing to maintain grass cover
Remove ragwort and other toxic plants from horse pastures every summer
Provide field shelters for horses on exposed pastures in all weather conditions