Strip Grazing....

[charlyan]

Have Welsh cob x who has bulged since going onto new grazing a week ago and gorging himself. He is porky but not overweight- YET! Vet was out to do vaccs yesterday and suggested strip grazing to keep his weight in check. He has quite a gassy tummy anyway so we agreed grazing muzzles are probably not the best option as we'd rather he didn't have periods without any food. I am paranoid about him developing any foot problems and want to keep his weight in check before it becomes a problem.
Just wondering what kind of a size of area do people use for strip grazing? He has a Shetland pony companion in the field with him, who quite happily ducks in and out under the electric fencing- (therefore grazing area for one only) and is out 24/7 at the moment. <font color="purple"> </font>

 

[MagicMelon]

It really depends on the grazing as to how much you give them to begin with. Id definately be putting the shetland in with him though as it sounds like the grazing is rather too good for a greedy sheltie too!

Just give them enough room that they're comfortable, and every day just move the fence a tiny bit. It'll probably get to a certain point where you dont want to move the fence out anymore and they can just stay in the "maintenence" paddock for the rest of the summer.

 

[pottamus]

My vet advised me to put my Welshie in a 20 x 20 area around his stable and then move the fencing 1 foot every day. So that is what I have been doing! I have also had my field topped too. He has ad lib year old hay too.

 

[ISHmad]

Grazing muzzles don't stop them from eating! They allow the horse basically about 25% of the amount of grass which they would get without it, which fulfills the need to trickle graze. With a muzzle on at least they can have the run of the field.

But strip grazing can work really well too. The thing to watch out with strip grazing is to make sure that you keep moving the fence every day as Pottamus says. Otherwise the new shoots which come through if you don't are so sugar and fructan laden it defeats the object.

 

[charlyan]

Thanks for all the advice. I would restrict the Sheltie's grazing too but she belongs to the guy we rent land from and he's happy to leave her with the run of the whole field (5 acres which is currently split into 3 paddocks). Vet did say to keep moving the strip grazing fencing every day by approx 1 foot.

ISH_Mad, thanks for the tip about the grazing muzzles allowing them to trickle feed- I've never used one and I wasn't sure if they prevented them grazing completely or only partially. Does this apply to all makes, or what would you recommend? My vet seemed to prefer not to use them unless we had to though, but it's probably worth keeping them in mind for the future. I do agree that he would get more exercise if he had full run of the field as opposed to a smaller fenced off area.

 

[ISHmad]

Hi Charlyan. We use the Shires webbing ones on ours, as the headcollar part has a breakaway point in it. When you are getting your horse used to them, you need to poke grass through the hole in the bottom so that he gets to understand that he can still eat. Believe me, after an hour or two you will hear them merrily munching away, and when the muzzle gets taken off you will see bits of grass in the bottom. And obviously they can still drink water, scratch their fieldmates etc.

Personally I would steer clear of the Greenguard grazing muzzles as they are difficult to fit. And although I know there are people who do get on with them, I know more people who don't. The other worry with Greenguard is that the headcollars which they sell to go with the muzzles don't have a breakaway point in them - which is just not worth the risk IMHO.

Hope that your boy continues to lose weight. I often think looking after the good doers is more difficult than looking after poor doers TBH!

 

[charlyan]

Thanks again for the advice- think I'll be looking out the Shires catalogue tonight! They're not overly expensive and prob worth having one in the tack box as back up. Def wouldn't be happy turning him out with something he couldn't break out of if he got caught up, plus the Greenguard ones seem a tad pricey from what I recall.
Think you're right about good-doers being hard work!