How Much Pasture Space Does a Horse Need?
Dimensions of Paddocks and Pastures for Horses
Sep 1, 2009
Horses use paddocks and pastures for grazing, playing and relaxing. The open space and room to move provides a welcome alternative to the stall, and all horses should be turned out at least part time. But what size is adequate when it comes to pasture space for a horse?
The old rule of one acre per horse does not really apply for most modern horses and riders. Allocating an entire acre for a single horse is beyond the resources of most stables, and if the horse is exercised in an arena or field and fed in his stall, an acre is too much pasture space. However, paddocks and pastures that are too small can lead to behavioral problems.
Paddock Size for Performance Horses
A performance horse is an animal who is ridden several times per week and housed in a stall part-time. He gets plenty of exercise for his rider and is therefore more likely to graze and relax in the pasture rather than exercising. Furthermore, if he eats in his stall, he is not relying on pasture grass for his main nutritional needs.
Therefore, performance horses require less pasture space than other animals. A quarter-acre of land or less per horse is perfectly sufficient, provided the space has plenty of pasture grass and no other horses intruding. Many performance horse owners offer only 150 square meters of paddock space per horse.
A performance horse can also be turned out in what is called a grazing strip paddock. This is a simple expanse of grass in a relatively small area. The purpose is simply to allow him to graze, and does not provide sufficient room for him to run, play and injure himself. A grazing strip paddock is not the ideal situation for a horse, but it will work for horses that are heavily competed.
Paddock Size for Other Horses
Horses that are not used for competition or heavy riding usually require more space in their paddocks and pastures. This is especially true if they live outdoors all the time and derive most of their nutritional gains from grass and hay.
There are many purposes for large paddocks and pastures. They include:
- Separating horses so they have room to sort out differences
- Providing plenty of fresh pasture grass
- Allowing space for running, playing and otherwise exercising
- Giving horses changes of scenery from one end of the pasture to the other
If horses are denied the basic needs, they will get into fights with one another, become malnourished and lose muscle mass. They will also grow bored of their surroundings more easily, leading to negative behavior and poor habits.
Rotational Grazing
In order to provide horses with sufficient grass in pastures and paddocks, rotational grazing is the most common method of encouraging growth in pasture grass. Rotational grazing is the practice of allowing one paddock to "rest" and rebuild grass growth while other paddocks are used.
For example, let's say there are four horses on five acres of land. If they are to be turned out separately, they might each use up one acre each for their paddocks. The fifth acre is left alone to grow, and after a month, the horses are rotated into new pastures to let a new paddock rest.
When horse owners do not practice rotational grazing, pastures and paddocks are likely to grow fallow, becoming nothing more than large expanses of dirt and weeds. The horses have nothing on which to graze and subsequently become malnourished.
Paddocks and Stalls
The ideal situation for horses is to provide both paddocks and stalls. During the night when insect activity increases, the horse can take shelter in a stall for sleeping and resting. Then, during the day, a paddock provides room to play, graze and exercise.
Some stables offer conjoined paddocks and stalls for their horses. This means that the horse is free to move between the two areas at will, and usually includes a small paddock rather than a large open area. If the owner wants to keep the horse in one area or another, a gate is usually provided to accomplish that goal.
Horse owners must decide what is best for their own horses with regard to paddocks and pastures. If a horse owner is unsure, a trainer or instructor can help him or her decide how much pasture space his horse needs.
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