>>> "Five full-grown horses, moving into six to eight-inch grass, will need >>> only one tenth >>> of an acre, or approximately sixty by seventy feet of new grass to consume >>> for the >>> day. Most people think in terms of two and three acres per paddock. We >>> actually think >>> in terms of sixty by seventy feet for five full-grown horses." So if you >>> allow grass >>> four weeks to re-grow after a day of grazing, five horses could be >>> supported full time >>> on a total of just three acres of good pasture! This "intensive rotational >>> grazing" >>> requires subdividing your pasture into many small paddocks, and moving your >>> horses to >>> a new one daily.
That only addresses the feeding angle though. We also have to consider their mental health and their physical condition. Horses are also programmed to forage and roam, and they need room to romp and explore, mentally and physcially. A few years ago, we decided to stop thinking of our pastures as dining rooms, but instead as recreation rooms. It's a balance we all have to face, and depending on our circumstances, we'll each probably do it differently. Is it more important to preserve the quality of the grass, or to put first priority on their mental and physical health? There's simply no way that I'd put five full-grown, full-sized horses in a 60x75 foot paddock, even if I did move them daily. That's tiny when you consider their mental health. My goodness, most round pens are 60-feet in diameter (my oval pen is about 60x90), and no way would I leave five horses in an area that size! The other angle is that if you keep your pastures in prime condition, as apparently this is intended to do, you will constantly be worrying about weight issues, IR etc. Couple that with a lack of exercise, and that could be a real problem for our ponies. Again, it's always about balancing the lesser of the evils. Karen Thomas, NC
