Those who use a track system......

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scewal

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How much hay do you feed?
It was suggested to feed adlib hay using a track system, but in my eyes good doers will still gain weight having constant access to hay?!
Opinions greatly received.
 
I don't have mine set up during winter because it gets too poached, but the idea is you place hay around the track, well away from the water etc so they have to move to get it. Lots of separate piles so they can't just doss and eat, but how much hay is up to you and the condition of your horses. Some horses will scoff whatever, some will eat what they need and then go investigating some hedges or bits of grass. The track makes for more exercise, not less food necessarily.
 
Ditto JillA. We don't have any with weight problems on our track admittedly - three TB's and a Shire/TB, so they have adlib hay in very small piles all the way round the track, which is replenished when needed.

We opened ours for one day last week, then it sodding well rained again, so we're back to turning out in pens. So irritating.
 
When mine's been on a track it has definitely reduced food intake. Hay can be restricted by using small holed nets, putting out plenty of well spaced small piles at regular intervals and feeding the recommended daily amount rather than ad lib. Soaked hay is lower in calories than grass, so lower calories plus more movement = weight loss.
 
Our track kept horses are far more mobile than the ones who are turned out in the fields. Its lovely to watch them marching round purposefully.

Not so lovely when they use it as a racetrack...
 
I don't feed hay and my ponies are on a track 24/7 year round.....the middles are divided up and the ponies have access to one at a time. In spring I can strip graze the middle sections so they get a bit of fresh every day.....there have been winters where I haven't fed hay - or the ponies have ignored it.....I find it is good to limit the trashing to the edges of the paddocks....
 
I use the track system in summer, not for feeding hay,j ust for summer grazing. I have had fabulous results, but I do not use the full, large regime for hoof care, just the smaller system for weight control. Highly recommend it.
 
I dont know how that would work for us , we have a couple at the moment that need more ad lib and a couple of fatties, do you have seperate regimes ?
 
maree t said:
I dont know how that would work for us , we have a couple at the moment that need more ad lib and a couple of fatties, do you have seperate regimes ?
Click to expand...

Last summer I had a fatty good doer and older pony who needed more. Both out on track at night, fatty in starvation paddock/ corner during day, older pony in the middle.
 
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