strip grazing

[eahotson]

I read somewhere ( I think) that when the grass is kept very bitten down as in strip grazing it gets very rich with fructose(?). Any comments.

 

[Christmas_Kate]

grass only grows so long in height before the sugar levels drop. (which is where you get hay)
So it stands to reason, that the shorter the grass the more sugar. HOWEVER on strip grazing the horse constantly tramples the grass, so this isnt an issue.

 

[amandaco2]

shorter grass consisting of just new shoots is very rich in fructan sugars as the grass hasnt turned the sugars into growth.
the lowest fructan level grass is that at the leafy stage (ie a few cm tall)
tall grass has high fructan levels even though they have alot of fibre as the sugars are transported up the stem.longer stem=more sugars!

 

[Persephone]

Try telling the fatty owners at our yard that. I have mentioned it to them but they are still insisting on 24 hours on a paddock that looks like a bowling green and all have necks like i've never seen. The other field we can use is scrubby and crap and would be far better IMO. But what do I know.

 

[kizzywiz]

I strip graze but use a grazing muzzle, this means that the grass doesn't get eaten down like a bowling green, as you are completely correct about the fructan levels in the new shoots. Mine are both slim, one is laminitic & I've found this method of a slightly bigger with a bit longer grass system works very well.

 

[Donkeymad]

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The other field we can use is scrubby and crap

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Fancy swapping for some of my land then?