Keeping horses healthy while protecting pastures

Advancing equine management practices benefit horses, their owners, and the land they depend on.

By Julie Shlisky

Mud is a familiar sight during wet weather. In areas trafficked by horses, hooves compact soil, grass disappears, and erosion follows. For decades, the standard solution has been to limit pasture access by rotating fields for grazing and then confining horses to dry lots. Horse owners can manage diet and give pastures time to recover, but it comes with tradeoffs. Dry lots are restrictive for horses — animals evolved to stay moving during the day. 

Postdoctoral fellow, Kristine Ely, at the Middleburg Agriculture Research and Extension Center (AREC) is interested in balancing pasture protection with horse health, particularly on small and mid-scale operations common across Virginia. 

"Horse owners tend to undermanage their land and overmanage their horses." Ely said. This can mean sacrificing land stewardship for the health of their horse. “Managing the land with the horse in mind, we can implement a pasture management plan that prioritizes both.”

With funding from the Virginia Horse Industry Board, Ely is studying an alternative pasture management strategy that could bridge that gap: grazing tracks. 

Used in parts of Europe and only recently gaining attention in the United States, grazing tracks replace the traditional dry lot with a looped pathway around the perimeter of a pasture. Horses travel along the track while forage in the center of the field is protected and allowed to recover. Water, hay, and shelter are placed strategically along the loop to encourage walking along the track.

Using the same footprint as traditional rotational grazing systems, the research asks whether track grazing can better support animal health while also reducing erosion and pasture degradation. Little is known about how they perform in the Mid‑Atlantic region, where wet soils make erosion a constant concern.

Along with overall equine fitness and wellbeing, Ely and Middleburg AREC researchers measure forage health and erosion patterns, comparing areas of concentrated traffic along the track with the preserved pasture interior. 

“Protecting that interior land space may hold additional environmental benefits beyond the horse operation itself,” Ely said. 

Partners including Virginia Working Landscapes and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute are interested in whether protected pasture interiors could provide improved habitats for wildlife, such as grassland birds. The Fairfax County Soil and Water Conservation District is also engaged, supporting training efforts to help landowners learn how to implement track systems.

From Stall to Soil: Closing the Nutrient Loop on Horse Farms

Ely is also leading a research project that explores how horse farms can improve both equine health and environmental sustainability through better stall management. The study compares traditional pine shavings with two types of hemp bedding, evaluating their performance in the stall and their potential as compost.

“Our goal is to close the nutrient cycle and build healthier soils that support productive pastures,” Ely said. “By making better use of materials already available on the farm, we can improve soil health and reduce the need for imported fertilizers.” 

The team measures ammonia and dust in stalls — potential issues for both horses and humans — to recognize how they perform as bedding materials. They are also interested in how effectively each material composts. Horses produce nearly 50 pounds of waste a day, with bedding adding quickly to that load. When properly composted, this waste can safely return to pastures as a nitrogen-rich soil amendment, building organic matter while reducing parasites and weeds.

Composted bedding locations are indicated to evaluate material breakdown and nutrient release. Regions correspond to test materials (pine shavings, fine hemp, and hemp hurd), as well as positive (standard fertilizer) and negative (no additive) controls, to ensure that experimental results are valid.
Composted bedding locations are indicated to evaluate material breakdown and nutrient release. Regions correspond to test materials (pine shavings, fine hemp, and hemp hurd), as well as positive (standard fertilizer) and negative (no additive) controls, to ensure that experimental results are valid. Photo by provided by Kristine Ely for Virginia Tech.

Both projects explore how everyday horse management decisions affect both animal welfare and environmental resilience. Reflecting CALS land‑grant mission of integrating research, Extension, and community partnerships, Ely’s team is co-hosting several hands-on educational programs this Fall offering practical, science‑based solutions for Virginia’s horse owners.

October’s program will take place at Rapidan Equine Sanctuary in Fredericksburg, VA. Sanctuary Executive Director, Kim Reid was inspired to make changes after attending a community class hosted by Ely last year.

“After learning about grazing tracks with Kristine, I was motivated to implement it for the equines and land we care for,” Reid said. 

The Sanctuary's miniature horses, Frank and Beans, were significantly overweight, but even on a smaller scale, installing a track system at the sanctuary required a meaningful investment. The results, however, quickly became apparent. 

 “We gradually saw them begin to lose weight. They’re trotting more and they’re more curious,” Reid said. “They’ve each lost about 50 pounds over last year and are more interactive and playful with each other and with our volunteers.”

For Reid, the experience reinforced the importance of embracing new ideas.

"We're always striving to learn and grow, for the horses, people, community, and land we care for," she said. "That can require change, but we're willing to explore new ideas because they can change lives. We should never stop asking if there's a better way.

To learn more about this story, contact Julie Shlisky at juliesb@vt.edu.