Track/strip graze

[Devlin23]

Sorry for the long post in advance. So our pony is ... fat she was when we got her and have been working on it!
She's currently living out (unrugged! Unless requires a fly rug), I want to say her field is approx 1/2 acre perhaps a little smaller. Is a long rectangle. I'm swaying towards possibly putting a track in place so that she can always get to the natural shelter as she doesn't have a shelter (livery yard). She's 14hh cob, would you say approx 5 big strides would be wide enough of a track for her?? She's in there by her self. Then my thinking was as the track gets bare can move it in abit at a time.
She has a separate winter field which is slightly smaller, we are planning to leave it untouched and then when it comes to the back end of year strip grazing it when we let her in there, other than making sure nothing poisonous in there would there be much else we need to do in there over summer? I'm sure I've seen yo with a roller (would need double check) so it might be that could ask it be rolled but limited as not our land.
Appreciate anyone's helpful advice

 

[Burnttoast]

It's a shame she's on her own (for her sake and because tracks are way more effective with multiple horses that keep each other moving). I would make it narrow (3-4m) and not change it all summer. When you run out of grass feed soaked hay at the opposite end from the water, or spread the hay very thinly (little handful every 4-5m) right round the track to keep her moving. Then graze the middle at the start of winter before moving to the other field. Leave the winter field to go to seed, just watch out for moulds on the grass if the summer's wet.

 

[J&S]

Can we assume you are riding her as well? I do hope so because the fat pony I bought really only started to loose weight and keep it off when she had (and still has) adequate exercise.

 

[Devlin23]

Thank you for your reply its very much appreciated. She is in her paddock alone but she is surrounded by horses and they can all see and talk to each other. Her and her neighbour groom each other over the fence and trot up and down together. We don't have the option of herd turn out unfortunately.
And yes she in work, approx 3/4 times a week, due to work I can't do much more as I work long days and yo ask not on the yard after 8/9pm unless emergency as they live on site.

 

[paddy555]

Thank you for your reply its very much appreciated. She is in her paddock alone but she is surrounded by horses and they can all see and talk to each other. Her and her neighbour groom each other over the fence and trot up and down together.

I tried a track and it didn't work with one horse alone as there was no incentive to move.
One of mine has to be in a field on his own and it a fat sort. So I took a 2 acre field divided it, put his friends in one side and fenced a 12 ft wide track the length of the dividing fence and then fenced an L shape at the bottom. That worked brilliantly, his friends canter down the field and he canters on his side. When he goes out he takes off and immediately canters the length and round the L shape. (that appears to be a novelty to him)
Mine is all in electric fencing and this is the only way I have managed to get restrictive grazing to work to get movement an in his case lots of fast movement. It sounds very similar to what you are doing.

When he runs out of grass I shall move his fence slightly but he seems to have got the basic idea of moving fast which is what I really wanted.