setting loose on paddy fields

Question
hello ma'am, can i set loose horses on paddy fields for grazing?

Answer
Hi Rohit,

I can honestly say I don't have a lot of experience in allowing horses to graze paddy fields, so my answer can not come from personal experience.  I would think that the grazing conditions of a paddy field would not be very good for horses.  I would be concerned first of all with the horses standing in standing water for long periods of time.  If there is still rice in the field, I would be concerned with excess non-structural carbohydrate (starch) consumption that could increase your horse's risk for gas colic.  Conversely, if the rice has been taken off and they are simply foraging rice straw, I would be concerned with the shear amount of indigestible fiber that could cause impaction colic.  Also, the wet growing environment of the rice may make the plant more susceptible to mycotoxin development and the consumption of high levels of mycotoxin-contaminated feeds can cause metabolic disorders in horses.  Theoretically, it is something I would not really recommend if you have alternatives..but again it's not a practice I have any familiarity with.

Thanks, Corlena