How worried should I be about stressed and minimal grass?

[Jambarissa]

My cob lives in a huge natural pasture in a large herd. It's quite hilly and the grazing has always been relatively poor yet I've always needed to watch her weight.

Some of the field gets quite boggy in winter and therefore trashed which is good because it stops them getting too much spring grass and usually makes a recovery in later summer to provide autumn grazing.

Life was normal going into spring but with this hot weather we appear to have very little grass and it's all as short as short can be. They do still spend most of their day grazing so there is something to be had but also several hours hanging around the gate which is unheard of at this time of year.

I'm bringing in for a few hours at midday to get her out of the heat when she gets adlib hay, she eats a fair amount but not with the gusto she does in winter so obvs not starving.

Anyway, my concern is gut abcesses due to the lack of forage and I believe stressed grass is more likely to cause lami. Do you think this is a real risk?

I can't really see what I can do about it. Can't put hay out because there are 15 horses. She doesn't want to stay in for longer (starts kicking the door), I could possibly make it 2 periods in each day but that would have to be early morning and evening and so she wouldn't be in out of the heat which she really struggles with and is the main time she's hanging at the gate not eating.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I really wouldn't worry. She will be getting plenty. The grass is unbelievably still growing. Once the rain comes that will bring a whole new set of problems! arrgghhhh !

 

[Jambarissa]

Ha, yes, this is my next thing to worry about! I'm just browsing grazing muzzles.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I wouldn't worry at all about short stressed grass, it's a bit of a 'thing' at the moment, but it's much better having a reduced daily intake in kg than gorging on longer grass.

What you might want to think of is the risk of sand colic, though, through cropping so close to the ground. Mine are currently out about 20 hours/day on very short grass on their equicentral track, and I'm part way through giving them a 5 day course of psyllium husks to help shift any accumulated sand in their guts along and out.

Just been complimented by a vet on having the tends-to-be-porky wonky IDx in excellent condition, when there are currently so many fat horses about .

 

[Widgeon]

Ditto what @Tiddlypom says!

 

[SEL]

One of the vet practices posted recently that horses could still get about 5kg of dry weight forage off a paddock the size of the average arena. The grass was probably growing a bit more when they posted that - mine has definitely slowed with the lack of rain - but I did a quick google earth measurement of the area mine were in and decided they would be getting more than enough even though it looks like nothing. I track and strip graze so they get a little bit of long stuff am and pm but they are definitely not thin and they are also not pestering me for food when I turn up - so what looks like nothing is giving them plenty.

 

[Widgeon]

so what looks like nothing is giving them plenty.

I've found this too - I've got mine on a sort of track setup, and I move both ends a bit every day to give him some more of the stalky stuff. He has straw to eat if he's really ravenous, but he doesn't touch it. And he's still doing a decent number of good sized poos, so there's clearly plenty going in from somewhere! I've found that output (poo counting) is the easiest way to get a proper assessment of input....(obviously there are caveats around that assuming correct nutrition)

 

[Orangehorse]

Judge on the number of droppings being produced. The vet said, looking at my dry, bare paddock said "It's amazing how much they can get to eat even on a field like that."

 

[Ahrena]

I have my fatty in a bit of a starvation paddock. I put hay out as I thought she must be hungry and not getting enough but she won’t even touch it so it’s obviously growing enough to keep her full!