Horse Grazing
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Each horse should have approximately 1.5 acres of grazing as an absolute minimum.
Of course, if you are on a livery yard, your horse may be turned out with others in a much larger field so there is plenty of room for everyone.
Grazing several horses on a small field will put each one of them at risk of serious injury.
Not only will they have no real space to let off steam (one of the reasons for turning them out in the first place) but also there is the chance that one of them will get cornered by a more aggressive field-mate.
Some yards segregate mares and geldings - having separate turnout areas for both.
In theory, there is no problem grazing mares and geldings together, but normally placid mares may transform into irritable and aggressive creatures whilst in season so segregation may be the safer option. Typically, mares come into season for four to five days at a time every 3 weeks or so between March and October.
Some owners with youngstock prefer to turn these out with older horses so they can learn the ropes of herd behaviour and understand their place in the pecking order. This is a natural way to discipline boisterous youngsters who can often be very bolshy until they are taken down a peg or two.
Other Important Horse Grazing Considerations
We are also often asked for our verdict on the Best and Worse Horse Fencing - find out your horse's preferred choice of fencing from a safety and security perspective by clicking on this link.Have you given consideration to a method of shelter for your horse on those rainy or windy winter days? Even the hardiest
horse breeds
welcome a little haven from the rain and cold. Why not visit our page dedicated to
Natural and Man-made Horse Shelters
to find out more.
Return from Horse Grazing to our main Horse Care index
for advice on all aspects of looking after your horse.
