Pasturing a Horse

Pasturing a horse year round offers easydrinking watero Fence off any poisonous treeso The
maintenance and is low-cost compared to stabling agrass should be weed free and of equal heighto The
horse. However this does not mean you can leavefield should not be too steepo The field should offer
your horse in a field and forget about him. A horse thatshelter and securityo The field needs to drain well,
lives outdoors most of its days can turn a suitable fieldparticularly at the water trough and gateo Avoid low
into an unsuitable eye-sore if left alone to graze. Tolying areas as these tend to get muddy in wintero An
maintain the quality of grazing and to offer your horseaccess road must be accessible in all weather
a suitable field you will need to maintain the field forconditionso Position the shed with safety in mindo
your horse. Good field maintenance is important toRemove droppings from the field weeklyo Pasture is
your horse's health.free of trash and foreign objectso Check fencing and
In order to maintain the quality of grazing for yourgates often and do any repairs if you note anything
horse, field rotation is best. A horse requires a minimumthat needs mending.
of 1 acre (0.4 hectares) for grazing. Dividing the areaProper field maintenance will prevent your horse from
into separate fields will enable you to rotate theescaping and straying or injuring itself. Select your
grazing. Horses graze selectively, so a field lefthardware with your horses health and care in mind,
unmanaged will result in areas grazed right down andsuch as when selecting the type of fencing for your
other areas that the horse has left untouched willfield. Barbed wire is fine for sheep or cattle, but your
become overgrown with weeds.horse is more than likely to sustain an injury as horses
Requirements for a suitable field:o Fences should havehave fine skin.
rounded corners to prevent injuryo Supply fresh