| One of the health issues IHAHS
runs into most is proper pasture management. On average a horse needs 3
acres of land, however allowances for turn out rotations and supplemental
feeding can be easily incorporated into any pasture management program. If
you have several horses on a small amount of acreage some one is going to
get into a tiff and get hurt. Especially if matters are complicated by not
providing every individual a feeding station. Some horses are more piggish
than others so they may need to be retrained so everyone else gets their
fare share.
Another thing we see often is animals of varying
ages running together. While some people will tell you that studs mares
and babies can all be ran together, we say that in the wild yes they can.
However in domestic situations mares should be kept with mares and
geldings, stud should be kept separate unless they are being used for
pasture breeding purposes. Weanlings can be ran together in small herds,
and yearlings should also be ran together in small herd. Aggressive horses
should only be ran with horses they get along with or by themselves. Most
of our emergency rescues situations come from an over crowded pasture in
which competition for space and food can cause devastating injuries and
even in some cases death.
Proper pasture management is very important to
both the mental and physical health of any horse. Too many horses on too
little land is a disaster waiting to happen. |
