Sand in field how much is dangerous?

[mums the groom]

Quick question my pony had a sand impaction that luckily we caught in time that only needed phylum to clear, we are having the field tested for the amount of sand and not soil in the field and was wondering at what level of percentage is considered not fit to be used as a paddock for horses

 

[FfionWinnie]

I imagine some horses will have a much higher tolerance than others and whatever the book answer, the answer here is yours has too much for your pony. Is the pony stabled at night or out all the time?

 

[be positive]

I don't think there will be a definitive answer as it will depend more on the quality and quantity of the grass available than the amount of sand, poor grazing, short grass with bare patches will pose more of a risk of them picking up sand than a field with a good coverage of fairly long grass. The problem will be worse if you are trying to restrict grass intake by having less available so will need to look at alternatives such as strip grazing or using a muzzle so you can allow the grass to grow and reduce the risk of them picking up too much sand, I think you can clear them out with Psyllium on a regular basis if you are concerned.

 

[Mike007]

I don't think there will be a definitive answer as it will depend more on the quality and quantity of the grass available than the amount of sand, poor grazing, short grass with bare patches will pose more of a risk of them picking up sand than a field with a good coverage of fairly long grass. The problem will be worse if you are trying to restrict grass intake by having less available so will need to look at alternatives such as strip grazing or using a muzzle so you can allow the grass to grow and reduce the risk of them picking up too much sand, I think you can clear them out with Psyllium on a regular basis if you are concerned.

This has got to be the best answer.

 

[Hallo2012]

my grazing is really sandy and we strip graze or muzzle as above and havent ever had a problem. i also save up all the hay seeds that get swept up in the hay/feed room and use them to re seed the bare batches in the spring to keep sand exposure down