{"id":37610,"date":"2023-04-08T06:00:40","date_gmt":"2023-04-08T10:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yourhorsefarm.flywheelsites.com\/?p=37610"},"modified":"2023-04-07T15:58:37","modified_gmt":"2023-04-07T19:58:37","slug":"spring-grazing-guidelines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yourhorsefarm.com\/spring-grazing-guidelines\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring Grazing Guidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s finally spring and I know my horses, for one, are happy. I\u2019m tapering off their winter supply of hay as well as the senior feed as they graze the growing green grass. We know that all horses love spring grass, but unfortunately, it can also be harmful in some cases. Let\u2019s dive into a few spring grazing guidelines.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Spring<\/p>\n

Spring Grass Facts<\/b><\/h3>\n

Remember that thing called photosynthesis that we learned about in middle school science class? It\u2019s the process where plants make sugar\u2014also known as nonstructural carbohydrates, or NSCs\u2014using sunlight, water, and nutrients from the soil. This means that sugar is plentiful in grass, but certain types of grasses store more sugar than others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Aside from being higher in sugar, lush spring grass is also higher in moisture content (75-85%), and it is about 50% higher in energy and protein when compared to later growth in the season. It\u2019s important to note that drought and soil nutrient deficiencies can stress grass, causing it to store more sugar than usual. Likewise, when the nighttime temperature falls below 40 degrees F, the grass will retain high levels of NSCs throughout the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Precautions with Metabolic Horses<\/b><\/h3>\n

High NSC levels can spell trouble for horses with metabolic problems such as insulin resistance or Cushing\u2019s disease. Therefore, these horses may need to be kept off of spring pastures for the most part or wear a grazing muzzle when they do graze. However, about 12 weeks into spring, the NSC levels in grass tend to decrease, making it safer for some of these horses to graze.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Spring<\/p>\n

Other Cautions with Spring Grass<\/b><\/h3>\n

Horses without metabolic problems that are kept on pasture year-round usually don\u2019t have too much trouble adjusting to new spring grass. However, those that have been kept in a dry lot or mostly stalled for the winter may experience problems if you turn them out onto lush, green pasture without letting them acclimate to it slowly.<\/span><\/p>\n

If horses are moved to spring grass too quickly, they may experience the following problems:<\/span><\/p>\n