Why limit pasture access? Aren't horses natural-born grazers?

While horses evolved as grazers, the quality of the pasture grasses has increased dramatically in recent years, making it unsuitable for some horses, especially those that tend to be easy keepers.

“Many horses can graze pasture grasses with no problem whatsoever. Chronically overweight and obese horses sometimes benefit from limited grazing, however, which results in caloric restriction and improved health,” explained Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research. “Overweight horses are at a higher risk for insulin dysregulation and metabolic syndrome, both of which can lead to laminitis.”

In addition, many horse owners use restricted grazing preemptively to keep horses and ponies from becoming overweight.

What's the best approach to restrict pasture intake?

Horse owners have found several ways to successfully restrict pasture intake. The method used is often dependent on access to facilities and turnout areas, owner schedule, and what works best for the individual horse, according to Crandell. A trial-and-error approach must often be taken. Effective methods include:

• Strip grazing, which uses temporary fencing to section off areas of a larger field, allowing horses to graze fresh pasture in a controlled, strategic manner and moving the fences as pasture is eaten down.
• Feed limited hay (weighed at about 1.5 to 2 percent of body weight) provided in a way that slows consumption (e.g., small-hole haynets). For horses at risk for laminitis, hay should be tested for nonstructural carbohydrate content (below 12 percent is recommended).
• Use of drylots that allow limited or no access to pasture, but appropriate hay or other preserved forage is allocated, the quality of which is dictated by age, workload, and metabolic status of horses.
• Well-fitted grazing muzzles curb consumption by allowing horses to eat through holes or slits.

With all these options available, how do I know which method is the best?

Results of a recent survey in England may help you decide.^* Nearly 470 respondents had experience using one or more of the aforementioned restricted grazing methods. The most important considerations reported by respondents were practicality and welfare.

Fencing for strip grazing is more expensive and labor intensive than grazing muzzles, and these costs may therefore limit the method employed. Further, most boarding facilities have management restrictions. Owners are typically not allowed to alter a paddock, have only limited opportunities for turning out their horse (especially during inclement weather), and do not have the space or resources for drylots.

In terms of welfare, grazing muzzles had a low “welfare rating” by owners participating in the study, yet muzzles were frequently used. The researchers suggested that this disparity likely arose because muzzles are inexpensive and not particularly labor intensive.

While grazing muzzles got a bad rap in terms of welfare, respondents may not have fully understood the benefits of muzzling. For example, horses evolved as trickle feeders, grazing almost continuously for 16-18 hours a day. When their grazing time is restricted, horses are at risk of gastric ulceration, alterations in the equine intestinal microbiome, and behavioral changes, such as the development of stereotypies.

According to Crandell, “Muzzles do not necessarily limit a horse's time spent grazing or exercising; they do, however, restrict the amount of grass that can be consumed. Muzzles also allow horses to have contact with their peers, which means this approach supports both the physical and psychological needs of the horse.”

Horses fed all-forage diets benefit from a ration balancer or a high-quality vitamin and mineral supplement, as these products provide important nutrients that are often in short supply in fresh and preserved forages.

Crandell also recommends addressing the potential stress associated with restricted grazing. “Horses with restricted grazing may benefit from a research-proven digestive supplement, such as Triacton.” Triacton provides total digestive tract support, including ingredients that buffer both the stomach and hindgut for gastrointestinal protection during times of stress.

^*Cameron, A., P. Harris, A. Longland, S. Horseman, and J. Hockenhull. 2021. UK horse carers' experiences of restricting grazing when aiming to prevent health issues in their horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 104:103685.

Reprinted courtesy of Kentucky Equine Research. Visit ker.com for the latest in equine nutrition and management, and subscribe to Equinews to receive these articles directly.

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Kentucky Equine Research responds: A diagnosis of EMS with laminitic episodes can make diet formulation a challenge, though you seem to be on the right track. Her basic ration, which consists only of forages and vitamin and mineral fortification, is appropriate given her body condition. You are wise to offset the potential soluble carbohydrate content of her hay by soaking it prior to every meal.

In reference to future grazing, however, continue to proceed cautiously and under the direction of a veterinarian that is familiar with the mare's endocrine-related problems. She has shown that she is becoming more and more sensitive to pasture grasses, so her time spent grazing might be restricted, even severely so, in the future. Some horses with metabolic disorders cannot handle grazing at all, regardless of season, time of day, or pasture composition. For these horses, a drylot that allows them to exercise as they wish with suitable preserved forage at their disposal is an option. With respect to pasture and hay, try to keep the level of nonstructural carbohydrates below 12 percent.

Two high-quality supplements from Kentucky Equine Research might also help, especially if you believe she may be able to tolerate some grazing in the future, even if it's limited by a grazing muzzle of another means of restriction. EquiShure is a time-released hindgut buffer that supports digestive health by minimizing disruptions in the microbial population brought about by diet or management changes, including those prompted by grazing. EquiShure stabilizes the pH of the hindgut and reduces the incidence of recurrent colic in some horses.

Another research-proven product recommended to reduce inflammation and support a normal endocrine response is EO-3, a marine-derived supplement that provides the specific omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which are known to have many health benefits. Further, EO-3 will likely add shine to her coat and may keep certain skin problems, such as scratches, from developing.

Read more here.

Reprinted courtesy of Kentucky Equine Research. Visit ker.com for the latest in equine nutrition and management, and subscribe to Equinews to receive these articles directly.

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Teff is an annual, warm-season grass that many believe originated from Ethiopia, where it was cultivated as a grain crop for human consumption. Teff is fine-stemmed, fast-growing, high-yielding, seems adaptive to numerous environments, and tends to thrive in warmer, drier conditions. However, teff's nutrient profile is what makes it attractive to many in the horse industry.

Compared to cool-season grasses and legumes, teff tends to be higher in fiber values and lower in nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) and digestible energy (DE). This nutrient profile makes it an appealing option for horse owners with “easy-keeping” horses, over-weight horses, or horses diagnosed with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), laminitis, Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), or Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM).

These horses tend to require total diets lower in NSC and DE, making teff a desirable option. Elevating teff's popularity and demand is the rate of obesity and related issues (e.g. EMS and laminitis) in the horse population. Similar to human and companion animal populations, obesity in the horse population is estimated at 30 percent, requiring many horse owners to seek lower caloric feedstuffs. However, what does research say about fitting teff into horse diets?

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have explored the impact of horses grazing teff. They found that teff produced less season-long yield compared to alfalfa and perennial ryegrass, primarily due to less grazing events. Since teff is a warm-season grass, it must be planted later in the spring in northern climates when soil temperatures are warmer and is more easily killed by cooler fall nights compared to cool-season grasses.

Teff was confirmed to have higher amounts of fiber and lower amounts of NSC, DE, and crude protein (CP) compared to cool-season grasses and legumes. The combination of higher fiber values, which tend to slow intake, and lower NSC values have been reported to decrease the glucose and insulin response in horses. Similar to humans, maintaining a more level (or homeostatic) insulin response is thought to be desirable to overall health, especially in horses diagnosed with metabolic diseases like EMS.

Researchers found that blood glucose and insulin values of horses grazing teff, cool-season grasses, and legumes were not different in the spring and summer; however, they were lower when horses grazed teff in the fall and late fall (September and October) compared to horses grazing cool-season grasses.

Fall grazing tends to be a risky time for horse diagnosed with metabolic diseases, or with a history of laminitis, as warm days and cool nights can lead to spikes in NSC concentrations in cool-season grasses. Although teff was lower in DE, if consumed at 2.5 percent bodyweight on a dry matter basis daily, it did meet the DE requirements of adult horses at maintenance.

Additionally, when a more detailed amino acid analysis was conducted, researchers found that while alfalfa and cool-season grasses had greater concentrations of most amino acids, horses grazing teff had similar blood amino acid responses compared to the other forages. This suggested that the lower CP values found in teff were not detrimental to the mature, idle grazing horses. Finally, teff did tend to have a slightly inverted Ca:P ratio, making it essential to test teff for forage nutritive values and supplement Ca when necessary.

Several universities have also explored harvesting teff as hay and adult horse preference. When harvested under ideal weather conditions and maturity, most describe teff hay as fine-stemmed and leafy. However, like any forage, environmental conditions, maturity at the time of harvest, and production practices can greatly impact forage quality.

In a hay preference trial conducted at Penn State, horses unaccustomed to teff preferred both mature alfalfa and timothy hay over teff hay. However, many agree that once acclimated to teff, most horses will readily consume teff. A Kentucky study investigated the intake of teff hay cut at three different stages of maturity (boot, early, and late).

Based on voluntary intake, horses preferred boot (1.8 percent bodyweight) and early-maturity (1.7 percent bodyweight) teff hays over late maturity hay (1.5 percent bodyweight). Similar to what is observed in grazing research and with other forages, maturity can be a major factor in palatability and intake.

In the Kentucky study, nutrient requirements for mature horses eating the less mature teff hays were generally met, although when consuming the late-maturity teff, DE and CP requirements were not met for adult horses at maintenance.

Collectively, research on grazing teff and feeding it as hay confirmed it can be used as a horse forage, but is more suitable for horses with lower energy demands or horses prone to metabolic concerns. While teff's niche in the horse industry is most likely as a forage for “easy-keeping,” overweight, laminitic or metabolically challenged horses, there are some drawbacks and frustrations horse owners have anecdotally shared.

Because of the higher fiber values and lower NSC, some horses simply refuse to eat the forage. This is not surprising as past research has shown preference and intake are positively linked to NSC amounts and negatively linked to fiber values. In these cases, owners should provide part of the diet in teff, while including other more palatable forages.

Like any newer forage, there is also a learning curve in planting, harvesting, and feeding the forage. A few challenges shared by hay producers include successfully planting the small-seeded forage, timely harvests, ideal cutting frequency of the mostly prostrate growing forage, and lack of labeled herbicide options. Finally, research is needed to establish if horses can be successfully maintained long-term on only teff forage, and a vitamin and mineral supplement.

Sign up for the University of Minnesota e-newsletter here.

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A horse fed the proper amount of a commercial feed formulated for his age and lifestyle should lack for nothing with regards to vitamins, minerals and nutrients; so ingesting soil isn't to “make up” for a deficiency in his diet. If a horse was lacking something in his diet severely enough to make him want to eat dirt, he would show other signs of the deficiency, including weight loss or a dull coat.

Horses typically eat dirt because they're bored. In a natural setting, horses graze nearly constantly—and that time spend chewing is good for their mental health. A horse eating dirt might be seeking the feeling the chewing motion brings, so offering him something like hay in of a slow feeder might give him something to pass the time. Increasing his workload (if possible) or giving him a playful pasturemate may also help ease his boredom.

Read more at EQUUS magazine.

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Drs. Sarah Giles, Pat Harris, Sean Rands and Christine Nicol created a study to investigate the association between social dominance, interruptions to foraging behavior and body condition. The research team used 116 horses from 20 herds, and completed the study during the winter, when pasture was limited and there was competition for food.

The team began by giving each horse a body condition score between 4 and 8.5. They also measured social dominance and observed foraging behavior, tracking the duration and frequency of grazing, as well as the number of interruptions.

The study team found that foraging success of individuals may be partly influenced by their social status, but the relationship between her behavior, dominance and body condition wasn't fully established from the study. They concluded that for horses, the benefits of group living outweigh the costs; individual horses learn to follow behavioral rules that allow them to function as a social unit.

These scientists reviewed over 120 hours of herd monitoring and found that the total time spent foraging wasn't influenced by body condition or social dominance. Horses that had higher social standing also had higher body condition scores, but the main factor behind this was foraging efficiency. The horses that raised their heads more and were hyper-aware of their surroundings, had lower body condition scores. This vigilance was not associated with social status and seems to be an inherited trait.

The study also found that subordinate horses or those with lower body condition scores did not forage more. This suggests that the difference in body condition can be seen when subordinate horses are in the presence of dominant horses and reduce forage intake, they report.

Lower-ranking horse were unlikely to continue to forage when their companions were not, which supports the idea that social factors may result in body-condition score difference in horses living in a herd.

Read the study here.

Read more at HorseTalk.

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Species Selection

The biggest factor in selecting species is where in the country are you located, though use will also have some impact. Grass (and legume) species can be divided into warm season and cool season grasses. Warm seasons, such as bermudagrass and bahiagrass, thrive in warm climates, such as those found in the Deep South. Cool seasons, such as tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass thrive best in the cooler northern regions. Kentucky and neighboring states are located in the transition zone, meaning that both warm and cool season grasses can be maintained, though cool seasons are the primary pasture grasses. Intended use can impact species selection as well and are best explained by example. The University of Kentucky Veterinary Science Department was interested in replanting a pasture that gets heavy use, but only in the summer months. For this reason, bermudagrass was recommended as it is high yielding and grazing tolerant and mainly productive in the summer months.

In another example, small paddocks that are usually grazed hard are often seeded with perennial ryegrass for its quick germination and inexpensive cost. Perennial ryegrass typically has the highest concentrations of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) of the cool season grasses, so some farms with overweight and/or founder-prone horses will decide against it.

Variety Selection

Like selecting an equine bloodline for racing or jumping, variety selection requires a bit of research, but pays off in the end. Seed can be of two types, “commercial” are those of improved varieties with known and proven genetics or “common,” seed that has unknown parentage and performance. Common may also be listed as “variety unknown or variety not stated.” This is equivalent to a “grade” in horses. With common seed, you may be getting a great variety, or you might be getting something that didn't perform well or is mixed up with other seed. Common seed is often cheaper, but like buying horses, you get what you pay for. For this reason, we suggest only purchasing certified seed of a known variety and one adapted to your area and use.

Many universities, including UK, perform side-by-side comparisons of varieties to measure yield and persistence. In fact, UK has one of the largest forage variety testing programs in the country. Data from the trials is published annually in a series of reports and a summary report that can be found on the UK Forage Extension website.

In Table 6 of the 2019 Timothy and Kentucky Bluegrass Report, you'll find the forage variety results of a comparison of five Kentucky Bluegrass varieties seeded in the fall of 2017. In this case, Maturity and Percent Stand were quite similar for most varieites. But the yield is where the differences lie, partiularly in the two-year total. Those that have a * after the number were not statistically different than the highest producing variety, in this case, Barderby. So Ginger performed as well as Barderby, but Balin, Park and Tirem did not. If yield is your sole focus, then one of these two would be the best variety for farms in the Lexington area. Keep in mind though this is only one test.

The 2019 Long-Term Summary of Kentucky Forage Varieity Trials combines data from tests from the last 30 years. Table 26 from this report shows the horse grazing tolerance of orchardgrass since 1999. For this table, the key is to look at the mean listed on the far right hand side of the table. Any number over 100 means that variety has performed better than average. The number in parenthesis tells you how many total tests that variety has been in, so give more favor to those with larger numbers because they have performed consistanctly over more time. For orchardgrass in Lexington, Benchmark Plus or Persist did best under horse grazing.

Choosing a proven variety backed by university data will give you confidence that you have choosen the most adapted variety available to your area and use.

Beware of “Horse Pasture Mixes”

Most agronomists will suggest you plant a mixture of grasses, instead of just one species. Quality mixtures are stronger because when weather and management become less favorable for one species, it likely will favor another. For example, Kentucky Bluegrass thrives in the cool, wet spring. But as conditions turn dry, tall fescue will outperform it.

It is tempting to take the easy and often cheaper option of pre-mixed “horse pasture mixes” available at many local farm stores. Before you purchase any of these, be sure to read the seed tag and see exactly what is in that mix. It could be a high quality mix, but there are too many examples that are more of a catchall of leftover seed. These may contain high amounts of timothy, an excellent horse hay but poor pasture grass. Or they may contain common seed or varieties that have not performed well in the area. Many contain high percentages of ryegrasses, which will provide some quick cover, but won't last. The germination percentage may be significantly lower than that of improved varieties as well. Germination percentages of 90% or higher are desired.

Many farm stores will allow you to request a custom mix, often at no additional fee, which allows you to decide what varieties of each species you want, and in what mixture. This is well worth the time and energy. Our suggested horse pasture mix for central Kentucky can be found in Establishing Horse Pastures.

Tall Fescue

This cool season grass requires an added level of consideration. Because naturally occurring tall fescue is often infected with an endophyte toxic to broodmares and cattle, extensive research has gone into developing new, safe varieties of tall fescue. As a result, there are more varieties of tall fescue commercially available than most other grasses, and greater performance differences among them. There is also tremendous misunderstanding surrounding tall fescue varieties, so take the time to learn about each. Tall fescue can be one of three types: Endophyte free, Novel Endophyte infected or Toxic Endophyte infected. For your reference, the endophyte status of each variety is listed in the 2019 Tall Fescue and Bromegrass Report.

First, a bit of background on tall fescue. The endophyte is an internal fungus that was present in the original seed that was sown across most of Kentucky in the 1950s and 60s. This fungus interacts with the host tall fescue plant to produce many unique compounds, some that actually make the plant more drought and insect tolerant. But as the name 'toxic endophyte' suggests, some of these compounds are detrimental to livestock, especially pregnant mares.

Toxic endophyte tall fescue may also be called “KY31,” “KY31+” or wild type tall fescue. As stated previously, this combination of plant and toxic endophyte is problematic for livestock. In general, for horses, late term broodmares are those most impacted and can experience prolonged gestation, foaling difficulties and low milk production when grazing toxic endophyte tall fescue. Early term mares can occasional experience early term pregnancy loss. Generally speaking, stallions, geldings, growing horses and performance horses are not negatively affected by toxic endophyte tall fescue, although some physiological effects have been documented. If you do not have broodmares, you likely can tolerate this type of grass in your pastures. However, if you decide to kill out a pasture completely, go ahead and remove this from your mixture.

Traditional stands of KY31 have survived for decades, even under heavy grazing pressure, because of the presence of the toxic endophyte. However, generic KY31 seed is not monitored by either seed improvement agencies or commercial companies to ensure that the seed in the bag is actually the original KY31 genetics. Tests of generic KY 31 seed lots have found that the actual endophyte level varies considerably, and can be quite low (as low at 30%). Essentially this means that instead of getting the persistent (and toxic) tall fescue, you are actually buying endophyte free tall fescue. For this reason, if you do decide to purchase KY31 for its longevity benefits, be sure it is tested for infection before planting.

Endophyte free tall fescue was once a big deal, providing farm managers with the option to purchase tall fescue that was safe for all classes of livestock. But years later, that positive effect of the endophyte on the plant is painfully evident, as endophyte free stands rarely survive more than four to five years. Endophyte free varieties are safe for grazing, but do not have the longevity and typically will not survive long. For this reason, endophyte free varieties are not recommended.

Novel endophyte tall fescue is really the best of both worlds of persistence and lack of toxicity. This type of tall fescue contains a different endophyte, selected to give added persistence over endophyte free tall fescue but with none of the animal problems of toxic tall fescue. It may also be called a “friendly endophyte or beneficial endophyte.” The endophytes in these products were hand selected and the resulting varieties were rigorously tested for quality and safety to livestock before release. Some of this work has been done at UK, including grazing trials with pregnant mares. Because these products have had extensive research, development and testing, they are not cheap. But, if you are killing out and re-establishing a pasture, Novel endophyte tall fescue is absolutely the way to go and worth the added expense.

To ensure you are purchasing a tested and safe novel endophyte tall fescue, consider only those that have been certified by the Alliance for Grassland Renewal. This organization is a non-profit collaboration of research institutions, seed companies and universities from across the southeastern U.S., including UK. If the seed lot meets its rigorous standards for endophyte purity and viability, it will have an additional seed tag or logo printed on the bag indicating it has been certified by the Alliance. You can learn more about the Alliance and novel tall fescue types on its website and by subscribing to its newsletter.

Summary

Selecting the best varieties for your pastures is a simple way to improve the chances your efforts of pasture renovation are successful for years to come. Just like purchasing proven bloodlines, selecting seed of improved varieties is well worth the investment and highly recommended. For any pasture seeding or renovation, be sure to follow these six steps to increase your chances of seeding success: 1) Apply any needed lime and fertilizer amendments. 2) Use high-quality seed of an improved variety. 3) Plant enough seed at the right time. 4) Use the best seeding method available. 5) Control competition. 6) Allow the immature seedlings to become established before grazing.

Read more here.

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Permafrost in the Arctic is thawing at a rapid rate each year; as it melts, it releases large amounts of carbon that has been trapped inside it for millions of years. This release is detrimental to the environment.

The scientists reported that grazing animals in the Arctic can drastically slow the rate at which the permafrost thaws—most likely keeping 80 percent of the world's permafrost intact until 2100. Published in Scientific Reports, their findings are from ongoing experiments in Pleistocene Park in Siberia. The team used horses, bison and reindeer to see how the grazing animals can decrease the rate of permafrost warming. Snow insulates the permafrost, even when the ambient temperatures drop below freezing; the hooves of the grazing animals disrupts the snowy layer, allowing the permafrost to stay cool.

The addition of more grazing animals can help permafrost remain intact.

Read more at Equine Wellness magazine.

Read the full report here.

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