Spring Grazing Season Is Here — Is Your Horse Ready?

The grass is green, the sun is out and your horses are ready to run. But before you open that gate, there are a few things worth knowing — because the transition from winter hay to fresh spring pasture is one of the most critical moments in your horse's yearly health calendar.

What Can Go Wrong?

Spring grass looks innocent, but it is loaded with non-structural carbohydrates — sugars and starches that accumulate rapidly during early growth phases. When horses go from a winter forage diet straight onto lush pasture, their gut microbiome simply does not have time to adapt. The result can be serious.

Laminitis is the most well-known risk. When the gut is overwhelmed by excess sugars, the resulting inflammation can disrupt blood flow to the sensitive laminae inside the hoof — the tissue that holds the pedal bone in place. In severe cases, the bone rotates. Laminitis is painful, progressive and in some horses career-ending. Ponies, overweight horses, and those with metabolic conditions, like EMS or Cushing's disease are at the highest risk.

Free fecal water is another common spring complaint. When the hindgut microbiome is disrupted by sudden dietary change, some horses begin passing watery liquid alongside normal manure, staining the tail and hind legs and causing skin irritation over time. Easy to dismiss as a cosmetic issue — but it is your horse's gut telling you something is off.

Both conditions share the same root cause: a gut that simply has not had time to adjust.

How to Introduce Spring Grazing Safely

The good news is that with a little planning, most horses can enjoy spring pasture without any problems at all.

Start with just 15 minutes. This sounds almost too short, but it gives the gut microbiome time to begin adapting to fresh forage. Increase turnout by 10 to 15 minutes every few days rather than jumping straight to hours.

Feed hay before turnout. A horse that arrives at the pasture already partially full will graze far more calmly. Hungry horses gorge — and gorging is where problems start.

Time your turnout wisely. Grass sugar levels are lowest in the early morning before midday and peak in the late afternoon and evening. Early morning is always the safer choice for horses at risk.

Warm them up first. This is something I feel strongly about as both a vet and an equine chiropractor: do not put a cold, fresh horse straight onto spring grass. Longe them, ride them or work them on the ground first. A horse that has already let off steam, is far less likely to bolt, buck and injure itself. Cold muscles combined with explosive movement on uneven ground is a recipe for soft tissue injuries — and I see it every spring.

Know your high-risk horses. A lean, healthy horse in regular work can typically handle more than an overweight pony or a horse with a known metabolic condition. Assess body condition honestly and manage accordingly.

When to Call Your Vet

If you notice a horse standing reluctantly, shifting weight off its front feet or showing warm hooves and a pounding digital pulse — call your vet immediately. Laminitis moves fast and early intervention makes an enormous difference to the outcome.

Free fecal water that persists beyond the initial transition period or that is accompanied by weight loss or general dullness, also warrants a veterinary check to rule out underlying causes.

At EquiGGvet, I combine conventional veterinary medicine with certified equine chiropractic care to support your horse from the inside out — gut health, musculoskeletal balance and everything in between. Spring is one of my busiest seasons

and I am always happy to advise on individual management plans.

Have questions about your horse's spring transition? Get in touch — or drop your own routine in the comments below. I would love to hear how you handle the first turnout of the year. 👇