The Importance of Providing Your Horse with Grazing Time
As a horse owner, one of the most important things you can do to keep your horse healthy and happy is to give it ample time and opportunity to graze. Not only does grazing provide your horse with a more balanced diet, but it also helps your horse get the exercise that it needs to stay healthy.
Providing Exercise Through Grazing
When a horse grazes, you may notice that it nibbles a few bites before taking a few steps and then nibbling again. It repeats this process as it moves about the pasture nibbling the grass. This process of moving and stopping to nibble actually helps to lubricate your horse’s joints while also keeping its feet healthy and its digestive system active. This more closely resembles the type of lifestyle your horse would enjoy in the wild.
Simulating Grazing When Needed
If you do not have a pasture on which your horse can graze, you can simulate the experience by feeding hay on the ground. Just be sure to provide the hay either in feeders or on mats in order to keep it free from debris and contaminants. The hay should be divided into several portions and spread around the horse’s stall or paddock so it will have to move about from one pile to the next in a way that is similar to grazing.