Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Spring grass

From: Stacy

Hi Jessica -

Thank you for sharing your knowledge in this wonderful public forum. You are truly helping horses and people.

My question is similar to some in the archives, but I need some further advice. I have 3 Arabian geldings that live with me on 10 acres in norther California. The horses are out 24x7 - there is a 3 sided run in shed and lots of oak trees to provide them shade/shelter from the rain. They get some exercise also because the pasture is on a hillside that they walk up and down.

Like many, I worry every Spring when the green grass comes up. My concern is that my horses eat way too much! They get quite fat...so I section off a 1/2 acre to put the horses in for part of the day. My question, since I work - I want to turn them out on the big pasture when it is 'safest' for them. Is it better to turn them out for the 12 hours in the evening, or the 12 hours during the day? Is there a difference in eating behaviours of horses during the day or night? Is there a difference in the nutritious value of the grass during the day or night? I have never had a horse colic or founder (knock on wood quite loudly!) but feel that I am on the edge each Spring.

I see other horses on pasture 24x7 near me, that don't seem to get fat like my 3 'easy keepers'. One of the 3 seems to get especially plump, and develops a big cresty neck. He is the one I am most concerned about.

Thank you in advance if you choose to respond. Stacy

Hi Stacy! Thanks for the kind words. Your question about timing is interesting. Since horses sleep only about four hours out of twenty-four, and can get their sleep in short naps, I don't think the timing will make much difference in terms of grazing time and total consumption. Whether your horses are in the pasture at night or during the day, they'll probably spend the same amount of time grazing in either case. But in terms of risk of grass founder, the timing COULD make a difference. In spring and early summer, when pasture grass is new and lush and high in sugars, you might do well to put the horses out at night.

There have been some studies of sugars in pasture grasses, the main one - fructan - seems to be at the HIGHEST level on sunny days between noon and midafternoon. The level then drops gradually through the afternoon and night, and is lowest just before dawn. So turning the horses out at night - once they're able to handle four hours or more of grazing - is certainly a good option. Check with your vet about this - he probably has access to more recent studies than the ones I've read.

I have a couple of "air fern" horses too - no matter how sparse the grass is, they can gain weight, and their silhouettes can change from "horse" to "sausage" in just a week or two. On lush spring pasture, they will quickly become fat unless their grazing time is limited, either by restricting the number of hours they are allowed to graze, or by restricting the amount of grazing they can do.

The riskiest time of year for horses being re-introduced to pasture is the spring, when cold nights and warm sunny days are causing new grass to develop inordinately high levels of sugar. If you live in a dryer, hotter area where grass is sparse, there won't be a sudden, dramatic transition between "winter, no grass" and "spring, lush grass", and your horses won't need the same slow, gradual transition from winter hay to spring pasture. If your horses are in pasture year-round, they won't need an owner-imposed gradual transition, because they'll be getting used to the new grass as it comes in. But if your horses are making the shift from drylot or stall and winter hay to pasture and spring grass, you'll need to start them off with fifteen or twenty minutes of grazing, then increase the time gradually over a week or two, until they are grazing for four hours at a time. At that point, you'll be able to allow them full-time pasture turnout - IF they don't become fat.

Some horses, like your easy keepers, will eat constantly - and very efficiently - if allowed full-time access to grazing. If the grazing is sparse, this won't be a problem, but if the horses are grazing in a carefully-maintained pasture, it may amount to too much of a good thing. If you're worried about fat horses, foundered horses, or both, either bring them into a drylot or sacrifice area and feed them hay at night, or turn them out wearing grazing muzzles that only allow them to reach a few blades of grass at a time, or keep them in the drylot eating hay until later in the summer when the pasture grass is slower-growing and more mature. Some horses simply can't be allowed more than a few hours of grazing each day, and for them, the muzzle may be the kindest option, as it will keep them moving happily around the field for many hours, taking perhaps twelve hours to eat the same amount of grass that they would previously have been able to consume in just three or four hours.

My preference is for the grazing muzzles, because pastured horses are generally healthier thyan confined horses. Horses wearing grazing muzzles DO get to graze constantly, albeit much more slowly, and can enjoy grazing and moving around in the company of their friends. But if your pasture is small or overcrowded, you may need to limit the horses' access to it for the sake of the pasture as well as that of the horses. Do whatever works best for you. As long as you keep an eye on your horses, are well aware of the signs of incipient founder, and are prepared to pull your horses off the pasture if necessary.

Good luck - and remember to be careful later in the summer, if there's a weather change that creates spring-like conditions. A few days of summer rain followed by unseasonably cool nights and sunny days can cause your pasture grass to shift into rapid-growth mode again.

Jessica

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