Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Some thin-skinned horses find pasture life too irritable with insects, brush, sun, and ex-
treme weather. Very old horses might enjoy short pasture turnout but tend to do better when
fed individually and provided with a comfortable, quiet place to rest.
Inconvenience.
Pastured horses are less handy to catch and ride than those kept in a stall
or pen.
Wild behavior.
Horses on pasture that are not handled often can forget their training and
revert to “wild” behaviors. Unlimited freedom and no structured interaction with humans
can result in pushy, feisty, and headstrong horses.
Herd bound.
Although socialization is desirable, many pastured horses become herd
bound or buddy bound. They form strong attachments to certain individuals or to the herd
and when separated can become uncontrollable.
Mane damage.
That natural, social ritual of mutual grooming can destroy a lovely mane
in a single session.
Fighting.
Horse herds have a pecking order. Horses can violently compete for feed, a
salt block, or a place at the water hole. Because of this and poor fencing, pastured horses
generally get injured more often than horses that are stalled or penned individually.
Hair coat.
In winter, pastured horses grow thick, long coats that make them sweat more
easily and become more difficult to cool out. Grooming a long coat is a catch-22—a thick
coat requires more grooming than a short coat, but grooming a thick coat removes some
of the waxy buildup on the skin that provides protection from moisture and wind. In sum-
mer, hair coats bleach and tails get thinner and shorter from wind, swatting flies, brush, and
burrs.
Hoof damage.
Generally, there tends to be a higher incidence of lost shoes on pasture. If
the terrain is hard or rocky, bare hooves can be bruised, broken, or worn excessively.
Overeating.
Certain horses on pasture tend to overeat, be overweight, get out of condi-
tion, and become lazy. If the pasture is very lush, some horses become soft and fat, have a
difficult time breathing when worked, and sweat heavily.
Laminitis.
Laminitis is a severe inflammation of the hooves caused by a digestive over-
load. Grass founder is a common occurrence in horses grazing on lush, early-growth pas-
tures.
Sand colic.
If the pasture soil is sandy or if a horse drinks from a water hole with a sandy
bottom, sand can accumulate in the horse's gut and cause sand colic, a life-threatening ob-
struction of the horse's bowels.
