Summer Grazing

R

Rosalie McFall

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Hello,

I will be looking after a friend's 16.3hh Irish Sport Horse mare for about a month while she goes abroad on holiday. I've got a plot measuring approx half acre beside my house but the grass is very long (it's about knee-thigh length)and I wondered if it's too long to turn the mare out on. She is currently grazing on fairly long lush grass but mine is even longer (photo provided below) and I'm worried about her getting laminitis. The grass was cut for silage last year and hasn't been touched since. There's an abundance of Yorkshire Fog I believe also. If necessary I could divide the field into strips or put a grazing muzzle on the horse. A neighbour usually cuts it for silage once a year, but hasn't done so yet this year. I wonder if we should cut it and put the horse out after the bales have been lifted. Obviously the grass will be quite short at that point, but would it be suitable to graze her on for a month? I just really don't want this horse getting sick due to overfeeding or feeding the wrong type of grass.

Thank you so much for any advice you can offer.

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...2e&oe=55C066CB
 
Has she had laminitis before?
Is she overweight?
Will she be getting any exercise with you?
Is she currently out 24/7 on good grass?
Any options with you to get her off the grass a few hours a day?
Is she used to wearing a muzzle?
What does your friend suggest?

Strip grazing sounds like a good plan though.
 
Hi Calmgirl,

Thanks for your reply. She is not overweight and has never had laminitis before. She is getting no exercise at present and is currently out 24/7 on good grass. She is 4yr old and has never worn a muzzle. She will be getting exercise with me. I hope to ride her almost every day. I could probably get her off the grass for a few hours a day, yes.

I have not discussed the details of grazing yet with the owner. That might seem strange but it is actually a friend of a friend and we will not be meeting in person until next week. They are just happy to have someone take her on for a month and I am crazy about horses and have quite a lot of riding experience so I offered.

Thank you,
R
 
Half an acre is not much space for a big young horse, I certainly would not strip graze somewhere so small unless she really was at risk, your grass will not be that rich now it will have gone to seed and be past it's best so probably less rich than the grass she is currently on, I think she is very low risk of laminitis, riding each day will be good for her as will some time in out of the flies/ heat, if we are lucky and have any sun, unless the owner is concerned about weight gain I would turn her out and let her get on with it, there will be very little grass left after a couple of weeks.
 
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