Age old ! Strip grazing advice

[maxweg]

I have two natives living out 24/7 all year on 2 acres approx , fairly well draining and poo picked everyday !
neither are in work although do some ground work but wouldn’t really describe it as “work”
I’ve worked hard at their weight over winter and both have lost approx 50kg since arriving last year and I’m now happy with their weight so don’t want them to gain for obvious reasons

it’s not possible to do the track system and I don’t want to muzzle as one is prone to rubbing the muzzle off

the question is people’s opinions on strip grazing , how wide do you make the strip, how often do you move it ? Surely when you move it to fresh grass then it’s defeating the purpose , do I still need to make a starvation paddock then turnout onto the strip ?
sorry lots of questions !
Ideally I don’t want the grazing to get too long as will need to get someone in to cut it

 

[ester]

why do you need someone to cut it if it gets long?
If/when we strip it is long and stalky by the time they've got about half way. The only time it has been a pain is if that space then isn't big enough to ride in as we only have the field.
How much it gets moved depends on the grass quantity and how they look which I know isn't very helpful!

 

[meleeka]

Why can’t you have a track? I strip graze on a track and it works well. I only have one in the summer months and take it all down each winter. I start by strip grazing round the track until they have the whole circuit when move the tape in a bit each day. , but move it back on the other side so they don’t actually have any more land to graze. They do however have the whole two acre track to move around so it Keeps them much more active.
The grass in the middle section gets left until late autumn when it’s start strip grazing inwards until it’s all done. I may have to feed a small amount of hay all summer (I only move fence once a day) but I’m feeding less hay than others I know come the Autumn so it works for me.

 

[DD]

I strip graze mine very successfully including the EMS one I find it easier than a track and a lot cheaper to set up.

 

[maxweg]

Thanks all, due to the location of the field the land owner has requested I don’t do a track nor is it left to grow too “wild and overgrown” so I feel the best way forward is strip grazing .

 

[alibali]

I strip graze as the configuration of my fields don't really allow for a track (long and thin strip of land amounting to 2 acres). In summer I leave them a couple of small paddocks to graze and feed a small amount of hay alongside. I leave about 2/3 of the total all summer and it does become "wild and overgrown" and in doing so provides a wonderful habitat for seed eating birds and hares.

Then once the grass stops growing I figure out approximately how many days there are until it starts growing again and gradually strip graze into the overgrown part moving the fence every 4 days or so. I ration out the remaining grass so they get a fresh strip every 4 days right through winter until the next growing season. The long grass protects the ground and even this year with all the rain I had very little mud, just in gateways.

I rotate which part of the field is summer grazed and which part rested. I have a 15.3 Arab and a 11.2 Welsh A, both good doers, both mildly Cushing's. They're out in summer and out in daylight in winter. It took me several years to perfect the system but I'm pretty happy with it now. Hope that gives you some ideas.