Rewilding Land Without Restricting Horse Movement

In the UK alone, equestrians are responsible for managing approximately 400,000 hectares of land (Root to Reef, July 2025). How can we manage this land to improve grazing, help pollinators, rare plants and animals, sequester carbon, rebalance our ecosystems and support the climate?

We talk a lot about rewilding, but what is it really? Can we rewild horse pastures? And when it comes to it, are we really willing to? Would you turn your show garden into an allotment? Or have guests over before you’ve tidied the house?

Many of us are used to seeing “tidy” fields, albeit often overgrazed ones. The reality of rewilded land is that it often looks like organised chaos, with shrubs, trees and wildflowers popping up here, there and everywhere.

We’ve called our first seed mix The British Rewilding Mix because that name resonates with most of our customers. Ecologically, though, it’s a wildflower and herb mix designed to help restore soil health and boost biodiversity, both above and below ground. 

When we speak to customers, that’s actually what most want to do.  Help the soil, increase diversity in the horses’ diet, and make pastures more resilient to drought and heavy rain.

We’re ready to let our managed grasslands become more like meadows, but not necessarily shrubland or woodland, and that’s perfectly fine. It’s our land to steward! Improving soil and biodiversity alone are huge steps towards a healthier climate and happier horses.

Before we can think about rewilding properly, we need to:

1. Stop harming our soil

2. Restore health to our soil

3. Increase biodiversity in and on the soil

Then we can begin true rewilding, if we want to.

Each of these stages takes time. We have to learn about the land we steward (every patch is different) and take small, steady actions while still giving our horses the freedom they need year-round.

So let’s start together at the beginning, and think about how we can rest our soil

Most of us don’t have acres to spare for rotation, and despite our best efforts, overgrazing often creeps in. 

We all want to give horses space to move while letting pastures recover. Here are some practical ways to protect soil and biodiversity without stabling horses unnecessarily.

Create a Track

Create a loop or track around the perimeter of your land. This encourages movement for horses and rest periods for central grazing areas. Research supports that reduced trampling and longer rest times improve soil structure and root growth (Neuenkamp et al., 2024). Note the track will get very poached and may need to be temporarily or permanently surfaced. Note that track systems (Paddock paradise systems) are grass free and enriched to encourage natural horse behaviours.

Indoor or Outdoor Loafing Areas

Designate surfaced spaces where horses can roll, rest, and socialise without damaging fields. The surface prevents poaching and provides valuable rest zones in wet weather.

All-Weather Turnouts

Install all-weather paddocks. Unlike loafing areas, these are often bigger and encourage more movement at speed. According to AHDB (2023), protecting soil from poaching in winter helps pastures recover faster in spring and reduces compaction.

Stables with Outdoor Sections

Give stabled horses access to small attached paddocks or runs to allow free movement and reduce stress.

Large Stables with Half Partitions

Shared, social housing supports natural grooming behaviour and herd bonds, reducing boredom and anxiety when horses can’t be out full-time.

Sacrifice or Buffer Paddocks

Use one small area during wet months to save your main pasture. These can be reseeded with non-cultivated grasses and herbal leys in spring.

Rotational or Strip Grazing with Rest Periods

Divide pastures into sections with temporary fencing and rotate based on grass recovery, not the calendar. This builds resilience, encourages plant diversity, and balances nutrient cycling (Pasture Fed Livestock Association, 2024).

Shared or Communal Track Networks

Collaborate with neighbours to create shared movement routes or turnout areas, reducing grazing pressure for everyone.

Feeding Areas

Offer hay and water on firm or surfaced ground. This takes hoof impact and keeps gateways healthy. If firm or surfaced ground isn't available, more the hay and water stations regularly to spread hoof impact.

Shelter Belts and Hard-Standing

Plant native shrubs or small trees for shade and shelter. These not only protect soil from erosion but also enhance carbon storage and wildlife corridors.

A Living Pasture Is a Healthy Pasture

Rewilding doesn’t have to be about abandoning control. It can be about partnership. When we understand what the land needs, we can support recovery rather than fight against it. Healthy, biodiverse soil supports strong pastures, healthier horses, and ecosystems that sustain themselves.

If we create the right conditions, healthy soil and diverse vegetation, nature will do the rest.

References & Further Reading

Dr Peter Jeffs, Root to Reef. https://root-to-reef.com/wilding-with-horses/ 

Pasture Fed Livestock Association. (2024). Biodiversity and the Wider Environment. 

https://www.pastureforlife.org/research/pfl-standards-biodiversity-and-the-wider-environment/ 

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. (2022). Less intensively managed grasslands have higher plant diversity and better soil health. https://www.ceh.ac.uk/press/less-intensively-managed-grasslands-have-higher-plant-diversity-and-better-soil-health 

Neuenkamp, L. et al. (2024). Comprehensive tools for ecological restoration of soils. Frontiers in Environmental Science / PMC. https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-024-07275-2 

Scottish Rural College (SRUC). (2012). Technical Note TN643: Weed Management in Grassland. https://www.sruc.ac.uk/media/qrokfpiy/tn643-grassland-weed-management.pdf 

AHDB. (2023). Improving Pasture for Better Returns. https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/improving-pasture-for-better-returns