Turning Horses Out Onto Pasture
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Turning Horses Out Onto Pasture
Whenever turning any horse(s) out onto pasture that have not been grazing 24/7, always start off slowly, gradually increasing the time on pasture.
An example of this is:
Day 1 out on grass for NO MORE than 2 hrs.
Day 2 out on grass for NO MORE than 2 hrs.
Day 3 out on grass for NO MORE than 3 hrs.
Day 4 out on grass for NO MORE than 4 hrs.
Day 5 out on grass for NO MORE than 4 hrs.
Day 6 out on grass for NO MORE than 5 hrs.
Day 7 out on grass for NO MORE than 6 hrs.
Day 8 out on grass for NO MORE than 6 hrs.
From here on, they can be left out for 24/7.
During the entire process, watch them, and monitor for ANY signs that indicate they are out too long....Resting the rear against objects to relieve the rear end from weight. Too quickly thickening of neck crest. Frequent shifting of weight off of a foot (usually the rear shifting frequently). Heat in any one of the horse's feet. No interest in hay or grass for over an hour at a time while out, or after brought in and stabled. All these signs let you know that the time frames on grass need to be reduced for that particular horse.
