The Winter Paddock: 5 Tips for Low-Sugar Grazing When Grass is Scarce
As the seasons change and temperatures drop, a common challenge emerges for every horse owner: managing a paddock when the grass growth has slowed dramatically or stopped entirely. For sensitive horses, ponies, and those prone to laminitis, the challenge is twofold: how to cope with grass scarcity while strictly controlling sugar intake.
Don't let the colder months compromise your pasture health or your horse's diet. Here are 5 essential tips for managing low-sugar grazing when winter grass is scarce.
1. Prioritise ‘Sacrifice’ Areas
When the ground is wet and growth is minimal, allowing horses to graze a large, fragile paddock will only cause poaching (damage from hooves) and mud. This creates the perfect environment for grass to be ripped up by the root, promoting weed growth when spring returns.
- The Fix: Section off a small sacrifice area—a high-traffic area that you are willing to let become muddy. This protects the majority of your pasture from irreversible damage, allowing you to focus your feed efforts on hay and low-sugar forage while the rest of the grass remains dormant and protected.
2. Understand the 'Sugar Spike' Myth
Many owners believe cold weather guarantees low sugar, but grass can store Fructans (a type of sugar) overnight when temperatures drop below 5°C. The Fructans are then only used for growth once the sun comes out and the temperature rises. If it’s sunny but cold, the grass may be high in sugar.
- The Fix: Graze animals on cloudy, milder days if possible. More importantly, focus on managing the pasture through quality seed. Avoid feeding your pasture with high-nitrogen fertilisers in late autumn, as this can encourage a high-sugar flush before the grass fully goes dormant.
3. Supplement with High-Fibre, Low-Sugar Forage
When grass is scarce, your horse’s primary source of fibre must come from hay or haylage. This is the single best way to ensure low sugar intake while keeping the horse’s gut healthy.
- The Fix: Test your hay for Non-Structural Carbohydrates (NSC), which includes sugar and starch. Hay with an NSC level under 10% is generally considered suitable for laminitic or sensitive horses. If testing is not possible, soak your hay for 30–60 minutes to leach out some of the soluble sugars.
4. Prepare for Spring: Repair and Overseed
The winter paddock is created in the autumn. The best way to ensure that your field has a low-sugar profile for the next year is to overseed damaged areas now before the ground freezes, or be prepared to do so the moment early spring hits.
- The Fix: Invest in a low-fructan, low-sugar grass seed mix. The best choice is often a Ryegrass-Free blend, as Ryegrass is known to store high levels of Fructans. Our Horse and Pony Ryegrass free mixture (containing: Meadow Fescue, Strong Creeping Red Fescue, Timothy, Smooth Stalked Meadow Grass, Tall Fescue, and Cocksfoot) is specifically designed for this purpose. This gives you a naturally safer pasture for the year ahead. Use these to repair the poached areas of your sacrifice zone as soon as the weather allows.
5. Implement Daily Movement
When grass is sparse, horses spend more time standing around, which is unnatural. Keeping them moving is vital for both digestive health and joint mobility.
- The Fix: If using a sacrifice area, use a Paddock Paradise or track system to encourage movement around the perimeter. Hide hay nets in different spots or utilise slow feeders to extend feeding time and stimulate natural behaviour.
Looking Ahead: The Puzzle Seeds Solution
Don't wait until spring to think about your pasture. Using a specialised, low-fructan seed like the Horse and Pony Ryegrass free mixture for dormant season repairs or future planning is the best investment you can make for your horse's health and your field's durability.