Strip-grazing is a pasture arrangement that allows caretakers to control the amount of grass and calories horses consume. It’s a setup the team at Redwings Horse Sanctuary, in Norfolk, U.K., uses to manage ponies and older equids with restricted grass intake. 

“It’s something we can make adaptable depending on the ponies and their individual needs,” said Rachel Angell, head of equine operations at Redwings. “It works really well if there’s just two ponies in a field or if we have a group.” 

How Strip-Grazing Works 

At Redwings, the staff uses temporary electric tape fencing to subdivide a large field. Every day or couple of days, as the grass gets eaten down, they move the fence line back to give the horses access to a new block of grass. Angell said they might also install a fence line behind the group of horses and move the two lines down the field together. 

“The benefit of that is when they get to the end (of the pasture), you can turn around and work your way back,” she said. “The ponies have a large enough area to enable them to act natural and have the freedom to run around if they want.” 

The ponies always have access to fresh, clean water and, ideally, a shelter. “The beauty of (strip-grazing) is that you can adapt it accordingly depending on the individual group’s needs,” Angell said. 

Related Content

• Developing a Feeding Plan for Your PPID Horse or Pony
• Pasture and Obesity Effects on Pony Laminitis Risks
• Ethically Restricting Feed Intake for Horses

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