OklahomaHorses Magazine September 2020

September/October 2020 • OklahomaHorses 17 T he best environments for horses are those that most closely mimic their natural state. Grazing fresh pasture and continual turn out offers the horse freedom of movement, mental stimulation and natural feeding behavior. Continuous intake of smaller meals fits with the horse’s digestive physiology compared to meal feeding typical of confinement systems. Economically, grazing offers a cheaper method to provide nutrients for the horse when compared to buying harvested forages and feeds. When combining adequate acreage with good pasture management, grazing can provide the majority, if not all, of most horse’s nutrient requirements. In fact, many horses can easily consume well over their needed caloric intake and become quite fleshy while grazing good pasture. But first, what is “good pasture”? How many acres does it take to meet the nutritional needs of a horse? And what does good pasture management entail? To answer these questions, we first must address the way in which horses make foraging choices. In order to understand pasture management, it is important to grasp the natural behavior and foraging patterns of the horse. Equine foraging patterns are often misunderstood, and can cause mismanagement of pastures or, even WRITTEN BY: Dr. Kris Hiney, Equine Extension Specialist | Oklahoma State University Equine Foraging Behavior: Does it matter to you?