GRAZING ALL DAY

When a horse is a grazing all day, can they get all the required nutrition from grass alone, and do they have to be grazing all day to avoid stomach ulcers?

For the grass to be a complete nutritional source, several factors should be considered, including; the age and use of the horse, season, species of pasture grass, pasture management practices, and the time available to the horse for grazing activity. The general principle in avoiding stomach ulcers is to avoid large infrequent meals and try to encourage grazing eating behaviour. It doesn’t necessarily mean your horse has to eat continuously. It is a spectrum and the more they graze the better, as a general rule. However, horses rarely follow the rules in textbooks, which is why individual advice tailored to you by your vet becomes the best approach.

 - Health4Horses vet team