Companion Animals

Field and Pasture Management for Horse Welfare

Welfare guide to field and pasture management -- the environmental foundation of equine welfare for outdoor horses.

Key Facts

The majority of horse welfare problems have roots in inadequate or inappropriate field management
Adequate pasture quality and quantity directly affects nutrition, social welfare, and mental stimulation
Horses evolved to spend 16-18 hours per day grazing -- restriction below this level causes welfare harm
Group turnout provides social interaction essential for equine psychological welfare
Companion animals -- even non-horses -- significantly improve welfare for horses kept alone
Shelter in fields is a welfare requirement -- hedges, trees, or artificial shelters protect against sun, wind, and rain
Track systems (paddock paradise) simulate natural ranging behaviour and reduce metabolic disease risk in prone individuals
Field safety inspection -- checking for hazards including wire, glass, and toxic plants -- is a welfare responsibility

Welfare Significance

Field management is the foundation on which equine welfare rests. Horses that are turned out inadequately -- too little time, poor quality pasture, no companions, no shelter -- suffer welfare harm that stable management cannot compensate for. Maximising safe, social turnout time is the single most impactful welfare intervention for most horses in the UK.

What You Can Do

Maximise daily turnout time -- horses benefit from as much appropriate turnout as possible
Provide companions -- horses kept alone suffer social deprivation that impairs welfare significantly
Inspect fields regularly for hazards including wire, toxic plants, glass, and unstable structures
Provide adequate shelter from sun, wind, and heavy rain in all fields