An investigation into restricted grazing techniques in the UK and their impact on equine welfare

Abstract

Most domestic horses in the UK are grazed on pasture cultivated for production animals, which have contrasting energy requirements to horses. Health issues (e.g. obesity, laminitis) can develop due to excessive energy-rich grass consumption, therefore horses may require restricted grazing. Little research exists on restricted grazing methods’ (RGMs’) efficacy at managing health issues or on potential welfare implications. An online questionnaire was distributed via social media resulting in 503 responses. Strip grazing was tried most frequently (67.6%). Respondent perception of welfare impact differed significantly between methods (P<0.001), with strip grazing considered to negatively impact welfare least and stabling most. Perceived welfare impact was not associated with the methods being used by respondents, suggesting owners may be unable to use their preferred method. Indeed, 24.0% reported yard restrictions determined how they managed their horses, while ease of implementation influenced the initial decision of which method to use for 52.3%. Next, the behavioural impact of two forms of strip grazing was evaluated in an intervention trial of 11 ponies (control n=4, condition 1 n=3, condition 2 n=4). There was no significant difference in the overall percentage of scans ponies in any condition were observed grazing, though time of day ponies grazed most varied between control and strip grazed conditions. Ponies in the strip grazed conditions were recorded grazing new grass (available daily once strip moved, not available to control ponies) during the greatest percentage of scans, as opposed to grass in other areas of the field (P=0.002). There was no difference in performance of stress-related behaviours between conditions, though this was a small trial and a larger sample may have yielded differences. Further research is required to establish whether scientific evidence supports owner-reported effectiveness or negative impacts of different RGMs, so the best advice can be made available and equine welfare optimised.

Date of Award	20 Sept 2020
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Jo Hockenhull (Supervisor), Susan V Horseman (Supervisor) & Toby G Knowles (Supervisor)