Grazing animals tend to graze in spotty, localized patterns unless the land is managed to encourage widespread movement. When patchy grazing occurs, forage availability is reduced and grazing selectivity is lost, resulting in reduced animal performance. The shape of a pasture can affect uniformity of grazing. Even utilization of these areas is often difficult and requires changing the grazing animals' habits and patterns. Animals will readily travel over a mile to water on level terrain, but they may not travel even a half-mile in steep or heavily rolling terrain.
Animals create and maintain grazing patches.
Forage outside the patches is not utilized until regrowth on overgrazed patches slows. An effort should be made to increase the utilization of forage by increasing the number and size of spot grazing areas. Grazing animals prefer certain forages over others. Preferred forages are said to be more palatable. The relative palatability of a plant species depends on factors such as the palatability of other species present, stage of growth and water content of each species, and soil fertility level.