Paddock Paradise? Track system?

[Landcruiser]

Does anyone do this? With what results?
My lifelong barefoot good doer is currently on DIY in a pretty standard set up of individual paddocks. Not my favoured option. We are (HOPEFULLY!!!!!) buying a place with a very few acres and without wanting to jinx it I'm already planning my track system. I'd be very interested to hear whether others have done this, and particularly...

Do the horses move significantly more?
Do you manage to keep them on track all year or just in summer? (New place will be on clay, and low lying)
Do you feed hay all round the track or in set stations?
Is anyone else doing a track on a small acreage?

New place has 2 horse paddocks of about an acre each plus another acre which will be smallholding. The horse acres including a gone-to-seed sand arena and decent size hardstanding stable yard and the whole place is unusual in that land is VERY long and narrow - 20-30 m wide and 3 adjoining paddocks plus house and yard in the middle, almost 500m long in total with woods behind and a road in front. I'm planning a figure of 8 in the 2 horse paddocks where the narrow part crosses a stream and the top of the 8 is the sand arena and yard. (8 will be about 200m long and 20-30m across with two fenced off sections in the loops).
Not that I have thought about it as we haven't exchanged contracts yet!!

 

[happyclappy]

I use the Racetrack but not Paddock Paradise. This is brilliant for my needs, keeping obesity at bay, but this is not set up to enhance hoof care.

 

[TigerTail]

I have a track on v sandy well draining soil and can't use it all year else it would be a bog. No way would heavy low lying clay work 8/9 months of the year I'm
Afraid you could gravel an area probably near a gateway proper ie dig it off put a base and membrane down as pea gravel is one of the best things for feet.

 

[canteron]

I think you just have to do the best version of it you can using the principals.

Yes, they do move significantly more. If you search around on the World Horse Welfare site on weight management there is a video where they have just taken an "L" strip along 2 sides of a field and I think they reckoned even that made them walk (from memory) a staggering 30% more.

 

[Landcruiser]

I'm "planning" to pea shingle the strip next to the sand arena and then restrict to that, the sand, and the stable yard with open stables for winter/wet. Not ideal but better than stabling I reckon. Apparently the previous owner had up to 9 horses on the 3 acres!

 

[NZJenny]

I don't do a very flash paddock paradise as such, but do manage a track during the summer just using tape and waratahs hooked up to the electric fence. Is that maybe an option, so you can shift it depending on ground conditions?

 

[southerncomfort]

I use a track system but it's rented land so can't implement the full PP system.

I've found it absolutely invaluable for keeping my natives weight down, promoting good muscle tone and keeping my oldie moving.

Can't use it during the Winter due to clay soil but use it throughout Spring/Summer/Autumn.

 

[Landcruiser]

That's good to hear, Southerncomfort.
I'll be using electric fencing. The field boundaries are good hedges and/or stock fencing which is in poor condition.

How wide are people's tracks?

 

[southerncomfort]

Depends how many horses you have on it. I have 3 on mine so I have it wide enough that 6 horses could run along it side by side. I also make it much wider at corners. That way if any squabbles break out their is plenty of room for them to get out of each others way!

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