Horse grazing in a drought presents a real challenge, as a prolonged dry spell can leave summer paddocks parched, brown and bare, with the grass all but stopping its growth. When the grazing fails, an owner must think carefully about how to keep horses fed and healthy. Heavenly Pastures, a specialist provider of horse cremations across the north west, works with an equine community that has learned to cope with the increasingly dry summers of recent years, and this guide sets out how to manage grazing when drought bites. A little foresight and careful management keep horses well nourished even when the fields turn brown. The dry summers of recent years have made drought management a skill every owner may need, and a little foresight keeps horses well fed and healthy even when the grass gives out. Planning ahead, before the paddocks are bare, makes the whole task far easier.
How Drought Affects Grazing
A dry summer transforms a horse’s grazing, and understanding the effects helps an owner respond. As the ground dries and the grass stops growing, paddocks that fed horses comfortably in spring can become sparse and bare, offering little nutrition. Horses grazing tightly on parched pasture may take in soil and sand as they crop the short grass, which can lead to sand colic, and may resort to eating weeds or plants they would normally avoid. The lack of grass can leave a horse short of forage, while the heat that accompanies drought raises its need for water. A field that looks green and lush one month can offer very little the next in a serious dry spell. A field that is grazed too hard in a drought may take a long time to recover once the rain returns, so protecting the pasture is part of protecting the horses that depend on it.
Recognising when the grazing can no longer sustain the horses on it, and acting before they suffer, is the key to managing a drought well. Reading the state of the grazing honestly, and acting before the horses go short, is what separates good drought management from a scramble.
Providing Supplementary Forage
When drought leaves paddocks bare, the most important response is to provide additional forage so that horses are not left short. Offering hay or haylage in the field, as would be done in winter, makes up for the missing grass and keeps the gut working as it should on a steady supply of fibre. This also spares horses from cropping the pasture so tightly that they take in soil or eat unsuitable plants. Ensuring every horse can reach the forage, without squabbling, matters where several share a field. Owners around Preston horse cremations and Fulwood horse cremations put out extra forage when the grass runs short.
Protecting the Pasture Itself
A drought stressed pasture is vulnerable, and how it is managed through a dry spell affects how well it recovers. Grazing a parched field too tightly damages the grass and the soil, leaving bare ground that weeds colonise and that recovers slowly when rain returns. Resting drought stressed paddocks, and avoiding overgrazing, protects the sward and helps it bounce back. Where possible, moving horses off the worst affected fields, or reducing the numbers on them, gives the land a chance. Thinking of the pasture as well as the horses safeguards the grazing for the rest of the year. Owners across Longridge horse cremations and Bamber Bridge horse cremations take care not to overgraze in a drought.
Meeting the Increased Need for Water
Drought and heat go together, and a horse’s need for water rises just as the conditions make it harder to keep troughs full and fresh. Checking water frequently, as it is drunk faster and evaporates in the heat, and keeping it clean as warmth encourages fouling, is essential. Ensuring every horse can always reach plenty of clean water, ideally from more than one source in a large field, guards against dehydration and the colic it can bring. Water becomes all the more critical when the grass, which normally provides moisture, has dried out. Owners around Lathom horse cremations keep the water flowing freely through a dry summer.
Bringing Horses Back to Grass Carefully
When rain finally returns and the grass begins to grow again, a fresh risk appears, as parched pasture responding to rain can produce a sudden flush of rich new growth. Horses that have been short of grass and are then turned onto this rapid new growth can be at risk of laminitis and digestive upset, much as with the spring flush. Reintroducing horses to recovering pasture gradually, and watching for any sign of trouble, protects them. The end of a drought calls for as much care as its onset. The relief of rain after a long drought is welcome, but the sudden green flush it brings deserves the same caution as the grazing of early spring. Owners who have managed a dry spell watch their horses closely as the grass returns.
Careful Management and Lasting Care
Managing grazing thoughtfully through a drought is one of the ways attentive owners protect their horses through a difficult season, part of the care that runs through a horse’s whole life. When the time comes, many owners choose an individual cremation with ashes returned so that a cherished horse can be kept close. For compassionate guidance on any aspect of equine care or aftercare, owners across the north west are welcome to call Heavenly Pastures on 01704 776976.