Track systems - do they work for losing weight?

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MagicMelon

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So my Arab x TB x 1/8 cob mare is unfortunately still too fat after GAINING weight over the mild winter and on the rocket fuel hay we had. She events and show jumps as if she isn't overweight (she's always forward going and tanks round XC no problem) but she is and I just haven't been able to get enough weight off her. The vet came yesterday and told me she was obese to which I'm utterly horrified. I do agree she's fat but I didn't think she'd be classed as obese :( She's worked regularly although I would like to increase her hacking distances. I have her and my other horse on a 1.5 acre paddock so rarely do I have too much grass, they live out 24/7 and feed-wise all she gets is a tiny handful of low sugar chaff. I tried sectioning off a quarter of the field for her but she got pretty upset at being apart from my gelding (even though just over the tape) and paced a lot or broke through it / jumped it which is unlike her to get so stressed so I cant do that again. My veteran gelding is the opposite of her and loses weight quickly so he can't really be cut down grazing-wise to be with her. I even stopped rugging her before the end of winter (in NE Scotland!) in a bid to get her to lose some before spring and she's not been rugged since. I need to lose weight too so I was even seen trotting her out up and down the road on my run last night just to try and burn off a few calories.

The vet has suggested a track system round the edge of the field. Has anyone found this to actually work? I know the idea is they have to move more to get places (like back up to my stables which are open so they use when they want) but I just cant imagine it would make much difference to a horse that spends much of the day lying flat out in the field dozing... I just feel all it'll do is churn up the edge of my field making it boggy. Otherwise she suggested a muzzle but I just hate them, Ive tried them with other horses in the past and they either got them off or looked utterly depressed with them on. My grass really isn't long enough for her to be able to get anything through one.

I've never had a horse who lived on fresh air like she does but this year really has been a struggle after she didnt lose weight over the winter as usual.
 
They increase movement which can only be a good thing even if the weight doesn't fall off-sectioning off small paddocks really doesn't help ime. You can put narrower sections in which seems to move them along more and put hay at farthest point from water etc. After the last ten days of rain my place is now too wet for one and I've taken it down.
 
They do work but I don't think we could run ours in winter, it would just turn into a bog of mud.

A different alternative while still using most of the field is people run lengths of fencing so they have to zigzag back and forwards.

Otherwise work, work and more work, hills was a revelation for Frank, but I did a lot of interval training when we only had the somerset levels, he absolutely had to keep his fast work up.
 
You could just put an electric fence across the middle of the field, diagonally would probably be best, with the water and hay adjacent to each other with the fence in between, the horses would need to walk to the far end of the fence to go round it to get to the hay/water.
We have a 'U' shaped track in our field, which means that the horses have to go up and down a hill to access water etc., They certainly look fitter for it.
 
Yes laminitic pony has not had a bout in more than 3 years since being put on a track. Grass is bowling green length and is a u shape blocke near the water so they have to go all the way round yo drink and all the way back to eat
 
Yes they work - I use them over summer and as soon as the oomph has gone out of the grass either strip graze back or put the one who needs a bit more into the middle for a few hours.
 
I think you need a pony ‘mover’ to really make it work. If they are to settled they will just stand around. I have long narrow fields it perfect for doing this. They have a 12 metre strip. If grass is growing I move some of the fence out and some in. Yes it does get muddy, but you have slimmer ponies and the rest of the field is fog gage for the winter so I need less hay.
 
Its been very hard this year hasn't it?
You say she has broken through fencing so I would be careful if setting up a track as she will possibly do again to get to the lusher middle grass.
Just a suggestion but have you had your "rocket fuel hay" analysed ? If you only have 1.5 acres I assume you must feed a fair bit of hay with 2 horses on that size paddock?
In our experience its the hay that mounts up the fat - with good doers we have found it definitely needs to be soaked - we have also recently purchased the proper trickle nets & these are doing wonders slowing down their intake - I reckon 2 slices of hay which would normally take them less than an hour to eat is taking them 3 hours to eat.
Also we are tying the nets up on beams in the middle of the stable - you obviously have to be very careful they are safe & ours are barefoot - this slows them down greatly as they can only nibble tiny amounts - Ive seen a lot of people tie up in trees if you have that option.
If you can get hold of oat straw then add this to their hay ration.
A really good facebook page to join is the horse track system as they have some excellent ideas & even if you cant do a track system there is lots you can try in paddocks.
 
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Tracks definitely work. I have an L shaped or u shaped one at the end of winter. Its 400m long and I keep it about 6 metres wide, but widen or narrow according to the grass. The youngster gets time off the track on the main field ech day as she is still growing and less prone to weight gain than the metabolic Fell. I can see the improvement in muscling when they go on it as well (mine takes in two hills).
 
We set up a track for ours last Tuesday - we've only let them onto half of it just now as the grass is long, I was terrified of letting my EMS boy have all that grass at once - they definitely move A LOT more though. We're going to open up the rest of it this week (maybe tonight) and I can't wait to see them exploring the new end of it!

I thought they would balloon going onto the new grass but they haven't at all (sugars have been low lately too which helps).

The field is on a hill with water at the top, by the entrance back to the yard where they mill around waiting to come in, in the mornings. I've put a salt lick at the bottom of the hill. Once the grass has been eaten down (and before they start trying to go through the fence to get to more grass!) we'll let them strip graze the middle/change the configuration of the track slightly every few days to expose new grass. We're just playing it by ear really! But ours definitely haven't put weight on, even going onto fresh grass. Will be interesting to see how they look in a few weeks/months time.

I'd say try it, especially now in summer months as you probably won't be able to in winter due to mud.

My boy is still a bit tubbier than I'd like so I'm going to clip early this winter, as soon as winter coat starts coming through, keep him clipped nice and short and avoid rugging as much as possible, apart from a rain sheet in the worst weather. I also weigh his hay (soaked hay in summer, low cal haylage in winter), feed through a small holed net, and give a trug of Topchop Zero for him to nibble at to keep his gut going as it's calorie free.

When the sugars are high (I go off the Laminitis app, one off payment of about £6 but worth it as a reference point), I muzzle him. I hate them too, but I would rather he be muzzled than have to be PTS due to a lami attack (I won't box rest him again, he just does not cope at all). But my boy is fairly high risk whereas yours is "just" overweight and has no prior history at the moment, so you probably needn't be as stringent/paranoid as me!
 
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Loosing weight takes a number of tactics, and excercise is one clearly of them, hence track systems definitelty help with that. They certainly don't do do any harm.

We run a proper track, where the field is split into two then a full 'lap' track is built. Its amazing how they move around it. I put a GPS tracker on one of the horses a few years ago, and even though this tracked area covers just over 1 acre, he walked 8 miles overnight! Although interestingly he didn't do many full laps, he was up and down, then did a lap, and ambled back, then mooched off again. At one point he reached a top speed of 19mph, which is when they must have had a charge around together!!

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Tiddlypom said:
And mine. I have a hybrid equicentral/track system to suit the layout at home.

I’ve changed from this:-


To this:-
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I think that is a great idea with optimum effect with minimum effort.
I also wanted to say how impressed I am with those lovely circles in the arena!
 
canteron said:
On one of the charity website (WHW or Blue Cross?)they did a study and even if you just make the field a ‘L’ shape they move about 50% more!
Click to expand...

That's really interesting.
and an idea that those who cant have tracks could utilise - just split your square field with a dogleg run of fencing rather than straight.
 
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catkin said:
That's really interesting.
and an idea that those who cant have tracks could utilise - just split your square field with a dogleg run of fencing rather than straight.
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Just making your square into 2 triangle with electric fencing with one end blocked off and the other open, with the water and any hay at the furthest possible points to encourage movement works well.
 
My track definitely helps them lose weight. Possibly something to do with how they use it though...
It's not called "the racetrack" for nothing!
 
Have not read all replies however 1.5 acres seems a big area to have them on over summer? My two fatty ponies are literally in less than a quarter of an acre and are supplemented with a bit of soaked hay and straw. It would be extremely difficult to keep their weight down if they had free roam of 1.5 acres.
 
Peter7917 said:
Have not read all replies however 1.5 acres seems a big area to have them on over summer? My two fatty ponies are literally in less than a quarter of an acre and are supplemented with a bit of soaked hay and straw. It would be extremely difficult to keep their weight down if they had free roam of 1.5 acres.
Click to expand...

That’s the beauty of a track. They can have a track round the edge of the whole lot but the actual area grazed is probably more like 1/4 an acre.
 
Yes they do help I have a sort of track for Fatty it’s a crocked Y shape with a field shelter in a small paddock in the middle of the Y .
While Fatty is not slim he’s still fat it has definitely helped .
If I built this place again I would build a proper track system but I am too old now it not worth the outlay .
If your pony can be worked work it more that’s usually the best way .
It’s very hard when you have a fat one and a slim one and they don’t settle separated.
 
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Track systems all the way! lol!
It's the perfect way to keep the range of beasts I have at mine at the minute. Big youngster who can have all he can eat stays on the middle. Cob and connie rotate between track and middle and shetland stays on the track always.
Winter is spent in a rested field and strip grazed.
I love seeing them tear round it having fun.
 
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Ok guys, far more positive than I was expecting. That's my job for tonight thanks! I'll put up a track all the way round starting and ending at the stable block (where their water is and shelter). I'll need to leave a big enough bit in the middle so I can ride as I dont have a school! Will see how it goes, thanks all!
 
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