Broodmares and foals on the veld need enough clean water

Horses are herbivores and can survive on natural grazing, but what about the water?

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In South Africa, the type and amount of grazing available varies a great deal from season to season. In the rainy season, the natural veld grass starts off short and juicy and green, with no roughage. In autumn it is long and juicy with lots of seed, but in winter it becomes hard and fibrous.

NATURAL BALANCE

Overgrazing and too much manure in a grazing camp will prevent the regrowth of grass and create an abundance of weeds when the spring rains start. In nature, zebras move long distances, following the type and nature of grazing as the seasons change. In winter they graze on soft grass near rivers and streams; in spring they move to burnt areas where the spring grasses are emerging, then back to the hard, dry standing grass. This balances the inputs into their digestive systems. Broodmares on natural grazing in South Africa do not have this sort of mobility unless they are kept on huge farms with no fences.