05/06/2026
🌱Why Managing Grass Intake Matters 🌱
It’s a long one but DEFINITELY worth reading!!
Ponies are well known for their ability to graze almost continuously, often with their heads down and barely pausing for breath. Research has shown that some ponies living out 24/7 can consume up to 5% of their body weight in grass dry matter each day. For a 250kg pony, that’s an incredible 12.5kg of dry matter daily.
While horses generally consume less relative to their body weight, many can still rival ponies when it comes to grass intake. It’s no surprise that some good doers seem to visibly expand as soon as the spring grass arrives.
At its simplest, weight gain occurs when horses and ponies consume more energy than they use. Energy is expended through exercise, maintaining body temperature, and supporting basic bodily functions, known as the basal metabolic rate. When calorie intake consistently exceeds these requirements, excess weight is gained.
Obesity is estimated to affect up to 70% of some pony populations. Excess body weight significantly increases the risk of health problems, including laminitis, making effective grass management an essential part of horse and pony care.
The Hidden Calories and Sugars in Grass
Spring grass is far from a low-calorie feed source. It can provide 11 MJ of digestible energy per kilogram of dry matter — and sometimes even more — putting it on par with some competition feeds.
A 250kg pony may consume enough calories from spring grass alone to meet the energy requirements of a 500kg racehorse. In practical terms, that’s equivalent to eating more than half a bag of conditioning cubes every day.
Grass can also be surprisingly high in sugars. Levels of simple sugars may reach 15%, while water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) can account for up to 35% of the plant. A 250kg pony grazing unrestricted for 24 hours could consume almost 2kg of simple sugars and up to 4.5kg of WSC in a single day.
Studies have shown that ponies given unrestricted access to grazing for six weeks can gain up to 16% of their body weight. To put that into perspective, it would be similar to an 11-stone person gaining nearly 2 stone in just six weeks.
Restricting turnout time doesn’t always solve the problem either. Ponies can compensate by binge grazing, with some consuming almost 1% of their body weight in just three hours. For ponies on a weight-loss programme, this can represent around two-thirds of their recommended daily forage allowance.
It’s also important not to assume that winter grazing is calorie-free. Grass continues to grow whenever temperatures remain above 5°C, and even mature, stemmy or brown-looking pasture can provide more calories than a good doer requires if consumed in sufficient quantities.
