Formation of pasture on the territory of current Slovakia has been related to livestock husbandry and deforestation in the Neolithic Period. Slavs in the 4th and 5th century A.D. grazed the livestock on pasture near the settlements. During the feudalism the pastures belonged to landlords. The urbar’s and pasture’s societies were created. Pastures are divided according to the method of use to individual and collective. From the 14th to the 17th century Wallachian colonization conditioned the formation of mountain sheepherding. In the period of capitalism were created the urbar, village, pasture and compossessorate communities. Plenty of animals caused damages to forests and soil erosion, therefore were issued the Acts on the organization of cattle grazing on common pastures. In the term of collectivization after World War II passed the pastures into ownership of uniform agricultural cooperatives. Development of agricultural mass-production led to excessive concentration of animals on pasture, the intensification by fertilizer, amelioration of wetlands etc. After the year 1990, nationalized properties were returned in the process of restitution to their original owners. According to the current statistical data in the comparison between the year 1920 and present there were more pastures than a meadows, their share has declined by succession to forest. In recent years, there is increasing of share of pastures caused by grassing of arable land on slopes areas, but they need is less because of the decrease in livestock since 1990. Besides their production functions come to the fore also their non-productive functions. Agri-environment schemes, NATURA 2000 etc., help in ecologisation of the countryside.