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The Medieval Pasture produces grazing superior in
both quality and quantity over the more modern
ryegrass based equivalent. Yet its costs are far less
in both terms of time and money than the modern
ryegrass systems currently used for equine grazing
This is a system which re-introduces a greater range
of diverse plants into the meadow. It complies with
Government advice on improving the biodiversity of
Britain’s countryside and improves grazing for
all grazing animals. It is based upon a mixture of
fine grasses which are resistant to trampling and
extreme grazing pressure.
At the moment, the UK’s main type of grass used
for equine grazing is agricultural rye type. This
type of grass was cultivated and
“improved” as animal food during and
after the war as it is laden with fructose (sugary
stuff) helping put weight on food animals or
encouraging excessive milk production. It is however,
bad news for horses and indeed all grazing animals as
it can induce laminitis and due to its monoculture
format doesn’t provide a balanced diet.
But why use the Medieval Pasture at all surely modern
feedstuffs and a bit of grass is all that is needed?
Well for some this might be acceptable, but health
issues such Laminitis, gut ulcers, tying up and a
general fall in condition suggest this diet is not
all it is “cracked up to be”. No, horses
and indeed all grazing animals, require a broad
spectrum of plant material to not only be healthy but
also to be able to do the things we ask of them.
The Medieval Pasture system fed and powered the
war-horses of the 11th through to the late 15th
centuries. These horses were expected to not only
gallop into battle with a very heavy and armoured man
on their backs but also carry their own armour as
well. This however is not the whole story of course
the man had to get to battle first and if he was
lucky come away again, all on an animal fed on
nothing more than herbs and fine grasses. If it
could do all that for those animals what could it do
for yours?
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