Advice on management of horse

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pottamus

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I will try to keep this short! Currently my horse is out during day and in at night on hay. He is kept on his own in a 2 and a half acre field and has access to his mobile field stable at all times. I am having problems in winter with a mild respiratory prob caused by hay...even though I soak it!
So I am considering seriously turning him out full time (still with access to stable and rugs where needed) in order to get rid of his cough permanently.
My question is a concern that a) he will be able to keep 2 and a half acres grazed down sufficiently when out 24/7...so it does not get too long. And b) concerns of risking laminitis by doing this. He has never had lami at all and is kept fit and doing endurance all spring and summer...but is a native Sec D
What do you think...shall I do it???
 
Yes I can strip graze...only trouble then is that the rest is growing and will get too long for him to graze it if you know what I mean. My thought was to let him eat it all off this winter and then leave him on it 24/7 in the hope that it always stays short and he can eat it as it grows so it does not get long and lush...Then section some off to recover for winter grazing around July time.
 
fence half of it off during the summer, then november december time open the rest of it up dosnt matter if its long there wont be any goodness left in it, and he will be greatfull of the extra, then you could probably get away with not feeding hay till january time.....
 
why cant you feed haylage from the ground? my horse has somethong simelar to COPD but seemd to be fine on straw but he gets haylage on the floor and is quite happy now. he is a section d also. he is 19 and grossly overweight (look at the fat chestnut below! i cant get the weight off him as he is unsound and not so mobile) he has never had laminitis although i know of a few section ds who have got it. some just are not susceptible and its often from their bloodlines. u could strip graze it so as not to waste all your land and just rotate ur pony on each strip so its kept down to a level ur happy with. i have 2 section ds and a shetland on an acre and a half and they can be quite happy on that for 5/6months during the summer.. so u might find u have just abit too much grass but dont be tempted to use it all if ur worried about laminitis.
but being a cob, he might just be as happy being out..then u can start worring about mud fever! sorry
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also want to say...i dont know where ur from but im from scotland and the grass is still growing now. that is why my foal has got contracted tendons and there is alot of laminitis cases jus now. if ur field is green just now, ur horse could still be at risk from laminitis at this time of the year sould u let him graze the whole field down during this winter.
 
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