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Grazing Overweight Horses: Restricted Access Appropriate At Times

Are you toying with the idea of regaining control of your horse's body condition by implementing a weight-loss plan? Depending on your horse's situation, restricting access to pasture might be the place to start.

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.

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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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Will You Be My Friend? How To Acclimate New Horses To Established Herds Safely

Horses that are turned out together often scuffle to establish a pecking order, sometimes regularly giving the head honcho a run for his money in an attempt to topple the hierarchy. As a horse owner, these squabbles can be tough to watch, with teeth and hooves flying.

Horses turned out in a herd will typically find one close friend whom they spend most of their time with. They can often be found hanging out with their best buddy, grooming each other, swatting flies as they stand head-to-tail and defending each other if the need arises. To encourage friendship formation, it's best to have an even number of horses in a field, avoiding groups of three when possible. Two horses inevitably become friends, leaving one as the outlier. Having good-sized fields also encourages friendship and allows outsiders to get out of the way if a fight breaks out.

Instead of just throwing a new horse into the mix and letting him battle it out in the field, set him up for success by putting him in a smaller enclosure with one other horse from the established herd for a few days. The two horses will bond and then can be turned out into a larger herd together. This friendly face will hopefully allow the new horse to take a bit less abuse as he acclimates to the new herd.

How To Introduce A New Horse To The Herd

Stress in horses can manifest itself in a myriad of ways: some horses develop ulcers, while others begin to weave, crib or enact other stereotypies. Stressed horses can even become aggressive toward other horses, taking out their feelings of unrest on others in their barn or herd.

Aggression issues often manifest during turnout, when horses are free to interact with one another. Introducing a new horse to an established herd can be stressful to all horses involved, not just the newcomer. The introduction should be done as slowly and methodically as possible. This can be done multiple ways:

Place the new horse in a solid enclosure or field next to the new horses so he can see the other horses from a distance or “meet” them over a fence line. Once the majority of the drama has died down, turn the new horse out with the herd for short periods of time, slowly increasing the duration of time he is out with the herd. If the herd lives out 24/7, remove the new horse from the field at night.
Another option to safely introduce a new horse to a herd is to divide the herd into two groups, splitting the number of horses that can gang up on the newbie. Once the dust has settled with one group, the two groups can be combined.
If time is available, introducing the new horse one-by-one to every other herd member can make the transition as seamless as possible.

It's important to note that some horses may never be able to mingle safely with others. These anti-social animals were typically not socialized properly as foals or grew up in seclusion. These horses often become overly aggressive or become so timid they won't approach the feed or water. These horses will most likely feel comfortable being able to see other horses, but having no direct physical contact with them.

Keys To A Seamless Career Change, From Shedrow To Breeding Shed

Stallions that transition from the racetrack to the breeding shed must learn a whole new routine and lifestyle. The AQHA recently published a few tips to ease the potentially stressful transition and to keep the new stallion mentally and physically fit.

A horse that changes careers should have his feeding program evaluated to ensure he is receiving the right amount of calories for his work load. Though it may not be as physically intense as racing, a breeding career still requires adequate caloric intake to ensure horse health, which helps safeguard semen health as well.

When the stallion isn't actively breeding, his feeding program should again be evaluated and potentially reduced. An overweight stallion that is asked to breed has additional strain placed on his joints as he breeds a mare or mounts a dummy.

The way a horse behaves has a lot to do with the amount of activity the horse does and how many calories he burns off. Turnout is helpful to keep a horse mentally sound as it allows him to release tension from breeding in a less-structured program than ridden work. A horse that gets enough exercise is tractable and able to be handled both in the shed and on the ground.

A well-defined routine can be key to keeping a stallion happy and his handlers safe. Certain cues can be used to let a stallion know what's coming, whether that is turnout time or a trip to the shed; this helps him focus and gives him parameters of what is expected of him during each part of his day. The ability to separate “work” (the breeding shed) from “play” (turnout or ridden work) is important to prevent the horse from having to guess what's coming next and keeping a stallion mentally happy.