Check the horse and fields daily, manage grass intake to prevent laminitis, provide water, shelter and forage year round, keep up fly control in summer and rugs for those that need them in winter.
Daily checks still matter
A horse living out needs seeing every day. Check it over for injuries, lameness and weight change, walk the fences, and make sure water is clean and flowing. Living out is not the same as being left alone.
Manage the grass
Rich, fast-growing spring and autumn grass is high in sugar and a major cause of laminitis. Restrict grazing for good doers with strip grazing, a track system or a grazing muzzle, and use low-sugar hay in a slow feeder when grass is sparse in winter.
Water, shelter and forage
Provide constant clean water, natural or built shelter from sun, wind and rain, and enough forage year round, since bare winter paddocks leave horses short. Body condition score regularly and adjust before problems appear.
Summer and flies
Grass-kept horses are exposed to flies all day, so a fly mask and repellent keep them comfortable, and shade lets them escape the worst. Watch for sweet itch in susceptible horses through midge season.
Winter care
Manage mud to protect legs and hooves, feed more forage for warmth, rug thin, old or clipped horses, and keep water from freezing. With attentive management, a grass-kept horse can be healthy, happy and sound all year round.
