Transition to pasture grass: 5 tips for a flawless transition
Although the sopping winter is causing delays in some places, it is nevertheless almost time for the transition to pasture grass again. The grass is starting to grow. This can affect digestion even for horses that are allowed outside year-round. Our nutritionist Maartje Reitsma has one magic word for a trouble-free transition to pasture: gradually.
Tip 1: Take your time with the transition to pasture
Horses have complex digestive systems, in which bacteria play a role. A certain balance of these microbes exists in their blind and large intestines. Changes in rations affects this balance.
Maartje Reitsma explains: “Major disruptions the balance can cause problems like diarrhoea or even colic. Grass consists mostly of water. So a horse has to eat several kilos of grass to get enough dry matter. Hay consists of only around 15% water. Fresh spring grass often has very different nutritional values to hay in addition to its high water content. Give your horse time to acclimate so that the bacteria population can adapt. How long? Allow at least 2 weeks for the transition to pasture grass, but preferably a little longer. This applies equally well to horses that are skimpy and need to gain some weight. A nice long time on fresh pasture may seem like a good idea then, but can cause problems.”
Maartje warns that one year is not the same as the next. “Last year went well? That is no guarantee that you can do it exactly the same way again now to avoid problems. Nutritional and fructan levels can vary enormously from one year to the next.”
Tip 2: Limit grazing time during the transition to pasture grass
Horses are like children. Give them something tasty and they pounce. Research has shown that horses allowed into a fresh pasture eat the fastest in the first few hours. They can wolf down many kilos in a short period of time. “If you want to introduce grass gradually, it is wise to limit the grazing time. The duration matters a lot, they can eat a huge amount in a few hours. Start with half an hour and slowly increase it.”
“When you take them off grass, it is wise to offer them low-energy roughage or even replace part of your hay or haylage with straw to manage weight gain in the grazing season. If this is also different from what you feed in winter, they should also get used to it gradually. So start this a few weeks before you let them make the transition to pasture. It is not wise to give them nothing for a while after a period of grazing. To avoid digestive problems, horses need almost unlimited access to roughage. The rule of thumb is no longer than four hours at a time without it, including at night. You can, for example, choose to offer your roughage in a slow feeder for the night, so your horse will last longer.”
‘Give the body time to get used to the new situation’
Tip 3: Pay attention to the weather
Fructan in grass can cause many health problems. It is a natural carbohydrate, which varies in content under the influence of heat or soil conditions. Is your horse prone to laminitis or a sugar-related condition? If so, take this into account.
“Fructan is a ‘storage carbohydrate’, a substance that the grass plant needs to store sugar when it cannot grow. Low temperatures, drought, unfertilised soil with insufficient nutrients, overgrazing combined with sunny weather can cause fructan levels to skyrocket. The plant does produce sugar, but then it cannot yet use it for growth, so it is stored. This is also why it is often said that in spring and autumn, when the nights are cold, it is not wise to put your horse on grass in the morning. By the way, this refers to the temperature of the soil, not the air. But unfortunately it is not that black and white, other factors also come into play. Fructane levels can even vary by the hour,” says Hartog’s nutritionist.
Tip 4: Maintain your pasture
After a muddy winter, it may be necessary to re-seed trampled parts of a meadow. Grass is not the same everywhere. It is therefore wise to use a special horse grass seed mixture. This contains grasses that are better for horses and provide a dense turf, so there is less trampling.
Fertilisation is sometimes seen as undesirable for horses, but that is a misunderstanding. A sparse, overgrazed pasture is a risk for sensitive horses. “Sparse grass cannot grow well, which actually increases fructan levels. In addition, horses can ingest a lot of sand if they nibble on the short blades. Grass needs nutrition to grow. If this is provided and the temperature and amount of water is sufficient, fructan production is lower.”
“Which type of fertiliser is best? That depends entirely on what the soil needs. It varies by soil type and also depends on previous use. It matters whether cows have walked there before or whether it has not been fertilised for years. Ask someone who knows about it or have soil tests done. It is wise to repeat this every three to five years. There is also fertiliser specifically for horse pastures. If you really don’t know and still want something, that is a safer choice. Remember to let a meadow that has been fertilised rest for at least three weeks before putting horses on it. Using horse manure is a risk because of the parasites it may contain. It is better to compost it first. If horse manure is used, wait at least six weeks before putting horses on that pasture.”
Tip 5: Make sure your horse does not get too fat
In the wild, horses gain weight during spring and summer. Fat is stored as a reserve when there is less food, during the winter. Nowadays, we provide the feed supply and horses no longer lose weight during the winter. As a result, it is important not to let them gain too much weight in spring and summer. Overweight horses can develop all kinds of health problems, such as insulin dysregulation or laminitis.
“It is better to be a little too cautious and prevent problems than to restrict grazing only when a horse starts showing symptoms. Long, spent grass with lots of texture, which is also less palatable and therefore less likely to be gulped down, is better for horses. Especially for frugal types who gain weight quickly. During the transition to pasture also consider additional measures such as a grazing mask and strip grazing, where you offer only a small strip of fresh grass per day,” says the nutritionist.
Horses on pasture usually get plenty of energy and protein from the fresh grass in spring and summer. This allows them to gain weight quickly. Supplementing a lot of concentrate is unnecessary and even undesirable. “Give them less or leave out concentrate. To ensure that vitamin, mineral and trace element levels are still maintained, you can add a balancer. Then they won’t be short of anything.”
