Track or strip grazing?

[julesjoy]

The field is too wet to use in the winter, and by the time it is dry enough it has too much grass. 2x 12hh natives prone to fatness. I have put a track around the edge, approx 2.5 metres wide, which seems OK for them to race around without crashing into anything ? but I'm worried it's still too much and strip grazing would be better. Opinions?

 

[ester]

We run a track but in spring they usually don't have access to the whole track and then we strip graze round it as we get a lot of grass growth.

 

[Nudibranch]

Track but halve it if there's too much. They don't have to be a full perimeter. Mine are usually L shaped or 3 sides of a square.

 

[julesjoy]

Ooh that's interesting. Now they've been galloping round it I'm not sure how well they'd take to having a bit shut off, but I'll try that, thank you. That's if the fence survives the first 24 hours as it is with the fire breathing dragons.

 

[canteron]

Track but halve it if there's too much. They don't have to be a full perimeter. Mine are usually L shaped or 3 sides of a square.

And ideally put shelter at one end and water the other to keep them moving!

 

[meleeka]

I start off strip grazing the track, both sides so it ends up a U shape. I only let it be a loop when all the grass is gone.

 

[julesjoy]

For some reason it totally hadn't crossed my mind that a track didn't have to go all the way around. Doh! Looking at it and the sweaty ponies, they've spent a lot to time galloping around like lunatics. I have now however fenced off one side, so it's U shaped, and showed them the new boundaries so hopefully they won't run straight through them. Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[HeyMich]

Yep, we put up a circular track last year and only let them have it a bit at a time. By the end of the summer they had the whole lot and it was manageable.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Last Spring/Summer my black cob mare got morbidly obese and vet said she MUST lost some weight. We were already on Strip-grazing but this obviously wasn't sufficient to keep her weight down, especially as she couldn't/can't be ridden (headshaking).

So we set up a track and feed ad-lib hay all year round. This HAS been successful in managing her weight and also the other two horses in her herd have benefitted from it as well.

Would deffo recommend Track over Strip!

 

[honetpot]

There is something about a longer narrower track that makes them move more, they seem to spend less time standing around, and mine start with strip that extends to a U. I have two sets of three reel stakes, so it is fairly easy to adjust.

 

[PurBee]

There is something about a longer narrower track that makes them move more, they seem to spend less time standing around, and mine start with strip that extends to a U. I have two sets of three reel stakes, so it is fairly easy to adjust.

Yeah its tricky to gauge. Depending on ground conditions - if its wet soils/climate try to have curves rather than a long straight ‘gallop’ track. Mine have totally wrecked a long straight 200m track section, which im going to hardcore as its the main route to lower fields. They love to gallop on that straight! Its now a mix of mud and moss and wetter than other areas.

 

[windand rain]

track every time but need it grazed off slowly so yes strip grazeinto the track the bit you extend is the furthest from water so they have to walk/run all the way round to get food and back for water. We use a square but its blocked off so they cannot go round all the way round

 

[julesjoy]

Mine is set up like wind and rain suggests, but purely due to hose access and where the most grass is. They are grazing it off nicely so will start heading into the closed off straight next week. Still lots of evidence of them galloping around, although I suspect that's mainly the slightly mad one who isn't as prone to weight gain anyway ?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

The field is too wet to use in the winter, and by the time it is dry enough it has too much grass. 2x 12hh natives prone to fatness. I have put a track around the edge, approx 2.5 metres wide, which seems OK for them to race around without crashing into anything ? but I'm worried it's still too much and strip grazing would be better. Opinions?

I strip graze and move fence line up 18 inches every 2 days