01/06/2026
🌱Does restricting grass really matter that much?
Horses can eat a full a 24 hours’ worth of their recommended intake in just 8 hours of turnout.
Here’s what that actually looks like:
⚖ The average horse can consume 2.25 - 4.5 kg of fresh grass per hour
⏰Over 8 hours of grazing, that equals 3.6 - 7.2 kg of dry matter
⚠Depending on grass sugar levels, that can mean up to 1.65 kg of sugar in a single day from turnout alone!
That’s a LOT of sugar from “just grass”…
Managing Turnout Smartly
🌱Grazing muzzles can reduce grass intake by up to 80%.
🌱Heavily grazed pastures create stressed grass and stressed grass can contain more sugar per kg than longer grass or preserved forage.
🌱Turnout is important for mental and physical wellbeing, but it’s not always “low risk” when it comes to sugar intake.
🌱Balancing grass access, pasture management and the needs of each individual horse makes all the difference - especially for good doers or those prone to laminitis.
Smart grazing = healthier horses
