02/08/2026
๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ -- the driest July on record!๐ฑ๐ฅต
As we move into August, do you notice your grass getting browner by the day? ๐
The lack of rainfall has hit us all ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ. In fact, July 2026 is thought to be ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ in almost 200 years. ๐ฎ๐ช
It was the first two weeks of July where ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ by over 30%, plummeting below the 6 year average. Whilst ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ for many of us in the coming weeks, the growth rate will struggle to get back to its usual score.๐ง
๐บ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐? ๐ด๐ด
It is really important to avoid generalisations when looking at the relationship between our horse's waistlines and the grass growth rate but, a lot of us have fat horses despite very brown paddocks.๐ท๐
๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ'๐ ๐๐ต๐.๐
When plants are stressed sugar accumulates. ๐ฑ๐
Stress happens when grass lacks any of the following items:
๐ง,๐,๐ก (no prizes for guessing which we're missing!)
And the worst part is- the accumulation of sugar has been coupled with a pretty poor volume of fibre - leaving horses to feel hungry too. ๐ด๐ฝ
So we may see our horses spend longer grazing and less time resting or playing to try and chase that gut fill. ๐ฑ
๐ฆ๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ ๐ด๐ผ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ?
Not exactly. ๐ซฃ
Depending on your pasture, some of your grass may still have seed heads which are, unhelpfully, ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐๐ด๐ฎ๐ฟ (ryegrass typically sheds its seeds between May and August). Seed heads appear when the grass is quite tall (about 30-60cm๐), but this would typically make the grazing unsuitable for good-doers โ
It's a ๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐บ๐บ๐ of problems. Sugar in the short grass, sugar in the long stuff. In fact, ๐ป๐ผ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ด๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ so you need to stop wishing for a fool-proof solution sadly. ๐ญ
However, if you have pasture which is a bit shorter (around 20cm and without seed), but longer than the brown dust bowl many of us have, you may be able to utilise this. ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ต!โ
But, as with anything, ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ, so take a minute! โ
Typically, if you have an overweight or metabolic horse, don't look at your rested field and turn them loose, freeing them from the desert-like conditions of their summer pasture indefinitely.
The risk of gorging๐ท is very high, so considering any or all of the following would be a great idea:
๐ฑA well fitted grazing muzzle
๐Strip grazing
๐ดPoor doers first
โณ๏ธA phased introduction
And remember... check for:
๐ฆถFootsoreness
๐ฅHeat (in any amount of feet)
๐ซ Flexibility/softness in soles of the foot
๐Swelling above the eyes
โ๏ธShifting of weight from one foot to another
๐ด Lethargy
๐ฉบPulses
๐ฑFirmness in the neck
Share if you found this useful โช๏ธ
