Strip grazing uses moveable fences to gradually give access to limited amounts of fresh herbage. A horse is turned out in one section and once that section is grazed down, the lead fence is moved forward to release a new section of ungrazed, mature pasture.
To better understand the “nutritive value” and digestibility of pastures, researchers collected and analyzed forage samples from grazed and ungrazed sections of strip grazing pastures. Based on those calculations, they suggested that strip grazing can be used for weight loss by adjusting the distance the lead fence is moved.
“This means that horses and ponies can lose weight and decrease their risk of developing hyperinsulinemia and laminitis while still having access to pasture,” Fowler said.
That said, there are some horses and ponies that should never have pasture access, such as those actively suffering a flare-up of laminitis. Further, strip grazing for weight-loss purposes can only be performed during summer months, after the rapid early spring growth period is over.
*A.C. Longland, C. Barfoot, and P.A. Harris. 2023. Strip grazing: Changes in biomass, nutrient content and digestibility of temperate, midsummer pasture by strip-grazed or ‘free’-grazing ponies, over 4 weeks. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 131:104957.