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| Author |
Message |
    
Zip (Debhansa)
| | Posted on Sunday, Nov 4, 2001 - 9:07 am: |   |
My title explains it all. We are moving 6 horses today, in Massachusetts. The weather has been moderate, and the grass is still lush green. There is no dirt paddocks either. I know the risk of colic and founder is a lot greater with a switch. When they all get out there they will be excited and probably go crazy at the grass. How slow should we start the adjustment? I was thinking 15 minutes to start, and work gradually up. This will make the horses mad, since they are used to half day turnout. Lately they have been eating more leaves and leaving hay, so I'm sure they would treat grass the same way.
I'm also worried about them eating frosted grass, when it starts dying down. We will be putting hay out for them. Gotta go move them. |
Bonita (Bonita)
| | Posted on Sunday, Nov 4, 2001 - 11:03 am: | |
I am not a vet, so don't consider this carved in stone, but I went thru nearly the same thing. Had two horses that had been in a small dirt paddock with only hay for 6 months while waiting for us to finish fencing a pasture.
When "Turnout Day" finally arrived, my vet advised turnout for no longer than one hour/day for the first week, & recommended giving everyone a solid feed of good hay prior to turnout time so bellies would be full. He also said to keep an eye out for loose stools & any tummy upsets, & if these appeared, cut back turnout time by about half. Assuming everyone seemed to be dealing with turnout well, increase the time by about a half hour to an hour/day each week. He said once you reach about 4-5 hours without any problems, a full day shouldn't be harmful.
Now please keep in mind that my horses were not overweight, nor did they have any founder or colic history. I also wouldn't have characterized my pasture as "lush". Every situation is different.
Good luck! Bonnie |
Julie Markich (Julieann)
| | Posted on Sunday, Nov 4, 2001 - 6:31 pm: | |
Can you mow one area down so they have to search for a full mouthfull a little more?
Then as they get used to it it can grow at the same time. Just an idea. |
Bonita (Bonita)
| | Posted on Sunday, Nov 4, 2001 - 8:11 pm: | |
You know, I would've thought mowing was a good idea as well, but my vet said that it would be better to leave it high. That they were safer eating the high stuff than short, freshly sprouting stuff. However, I was introducing these horses to pasture in May, not November; the grass was very high & stalky - like a wild meadow - & as I said before, certainly not what anyone would call "lush". |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM (Dro)
| | Posted on Monday, Nov 5, 2001 - 6:32 am: | |
Hello Zip,
We cover this often asked queation in Care for Horses: Nutrition: Roughage and Forage for Horses, an Overview.
What type grass is on the pasture? Right off the top of my head only the sudans are a problem when they are damaged by frost.
Concerning the mow versus don't mow both points of view above both arguments have merit and which is best under which circunstances almost surely depends on the details.
How mature is the forage.
How low you cut the grass.
The length of time between mowing and putting the horses on the grass
The time of year enter.
Could all effect which might be best.
DrO
DrO |
