Lush grazing and yearling

[Archie07]

My YO is switching the grazing round this week so my yearling and 3 other livery mares will move over to the rested paddock. The grass is really lush in there and I'm a bit concerned Arch (New Forest) will gorge himself silly and gain weight

which I don't want. It's not a huge field but I'm thinking of leaving him in the field he's in now and let the others graze it down abit first for a week or so...

Sorry pointless post am I being too worried, any thoughts welcome!
Thanks

 

[DuckToller]

Will he worry being on his own though? If he is only a baby and is used to being with the others, just thinking he might stress or panic if his foster mums all disappear off to another field!

Hopefully as he is only a yearling he should put most of the extra energy into growing, but I'm not a NF expert so can't say for sure! My yearling was out in a lush paddock and was fine, but he was a warmblood, not quite the same!

 

[Archie07]

Well that's what I'm worried about too, although he would only be divided by electric fencing, although I don't want him to panick either. Ho hum maybe I should try him in there and keep a close eye on his weight - I just worry about extra weight on his joints or him getting lami. Maybe I'm worrying too much, I know what Archie would prefer

!

Thanks for the reply

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Any time I see "lush grazing" I get the eebie jeebies coz I stupidly let my veteran native go straight from barren winter fields to lush ex-hay field grazing literally overnight and within 6 days he went down with a nasty colic brought on by lush, sweet, spring grass. Be very very careful. Would your YO agree to strip grazing the new field?

 

[CBFan]

As with any change in feeding grazing shouldn't be done any differently i.e gradually. is there any way you could just put him out there part time? I'm sure an hour will be more than enough to begin with...

As you are aware, lush grass is a recipe for disaster with natives...

 

[zelli]

My welsh A went from a small mank paddock over the winter, to a 6 acre, rested for 6 months field. He suddenly shot up about a foot! but didnt gain weight at all... I understand how you feel, I was terrified, but only had that option, where he was with another yearling, and two mares which had just had foals, or the 15hh+ horses, whos grazing wasnt really that much 'safer' so i went with the option of watching him carefully!