Strip-grazing: Reduces pony dry matter intakes and changes in bodyweight and morphometrics.
Authors: Longland Annette C, Barfoot Clare, Harris Patricia A
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Strip-grazing: Reduces pony dry matter intakes and changes in bodyweight and morphometrics Managing obesity in pastured equines remains a significant welfare challenge, as unrestricted grazing often results in excessive dry matter intake and unwanted weight gain. Longland and colleagues investigated whether controlled grazing strategies could limit these outcomes by comparing three paddock management systems in twelve mature ponies over 28 days: total paddock access (TA), strip grazing with a moveable front fence only (SG1), and strip grazing with both front and back fences (SG2). Ponies on unrestricted access consumed significantly more herbage dry matter (2.33% of bodyweight daily) compared with SG1 (1.82%) and SG2 (1.59%), resulting in four times greater bodyweight gain (4.82% versus 1.16% and 1.54% respectively); critically, only the unrestricted group showed increases in cresty neck score and body condition score, whilst both strip-grazing groups demonstrated reductions in abdominal girth measurements. These findings suggest that strip grazing—particularly the dual-fence system—effectively restricts intake to target levels and prevents the morphometric changes associated with equine metabolic syndrome, offering practitioners a practical management tool for weight-prone individuals and those requiring rehabilitation from obesity. The technique's effectiveness in preventing fat deposition around the neck and abdomen makes it especially valuable for high-risk populations, though individual monitoring remains essential to ensure adequate nutrition is maintained alongside weight control.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Implement strip grazing with a lead fence moved daily to effectively control pony weight gain and prevent obesity—reduces dry matter intake by approximately 20-30% compared to unrestricted paddock access
- •Adding a back fence to strip grazing (SG2) provides additional control over pasture intake and morphometric changes, with no significant difference in weight outcomes compared to lead fence only (SG1)
- •Monitor body condition and girth measurements as practical tools to assess grazing management effectiveness; unrestricted grazing produced substantial increases in condition score and girth measurements within 28 days
Key Findings
- •Strip grazing (SG1 and SG2) significantly reduced dry matter intakes compared to total paddock grazing (1.59-1.82% vs 2.33% BW/day)
- •Strip grazing limited bodyweight gains to 1.16-1.54% over 28 days versus 4.82% in unrestricted grazing
- •Only unrestricted grazing animals showed significant increases in body condition score (+0.94), cresty neck score (+0.5), and rump width (+2.11cm)
- •Strip grazing with back fence (SG2) produced significant belly girth decrease (-5.53cm) compared to unrestricted grazing increase (+4.15cm)