My new horse is use to a dirt paddock. Mine is pine trees and some grass. Should I introduce area slowly?

Question

My new horse is use to a dirt paddock. Mine is pine trees and some grass. Should I introduce area slowly?

Answer 1

Introduce him slowly over the next few weeks.  Be careful if he start to eat the pine needles.  you may want to make sure that the area has been completely cleaned and make sure there is nothing else in the turnout that could be toxid to him

Answer 2

I think your horse will adjust without any mental anguish.

Answer 3

Yes. You really must. Even if your grass is not luscious, its still like a change in diet.

Answer 4

Yes, introduce the grass slowly. If he eats too much grass at once, he could get laminitis (sp?). So let him eat for a short while, then let the times get longer and longer. And if you get snow in the winter and he cant eat grass then, do the same in the spring.

Answer 5

Hi

No I dont think you need too..

Unless they have a history of founder or illnesses from quick changing of food.

My old/new horse hadn't seen grass for 4 years except maybe at shows or somewhere and she took to our pasture grass really good.

I would reccomend it to little ponies or horse that get fat easily and get ill easily.

But I think people stress to much about th whole switching feed thing over a huge length of time.

Ive owned horse my WHOLE life and had alot fo horse through out that time I have never really intoruced it over a huge period... I have never had a horse go down due to colic or anyhing worse thing my horses have ever done is cut a leg.

Answer 6

yes. give the horse a half hour more or so each day. do not give any more or else the horse will founder. and you dont want that!! good luck.

Answer 7

yes. you wouldnt want your horse to get sick from eating too much since they aren't used to that being available

Answer 8

yes introduce it slowly a horse in pasture with no grass then alot can make the horse founder and that is VERY bad it can sometimes ruin your horse here is a horse that foundered.

http://naturalhorsetrim.com/sugarprogres...

Answer 9

Spring grass? Always. Let your horse out for small amounts of time, increasing the time with each turn out. It won't take long. Some horses handle grass better than others.

My gelding got loose once right as Spring Grass was coming along. We just came home from Vacation to find him plopped down in the grass, ill. It was a scary experience. So just be careful, introduce the grass in manageable time periods. You should be alright to leave him/her out constantly after a week.