Tracks/ restricted grazing

[Highflinger]

Hello All
Just wanted to know what others do/recommend.
I have a fatty native that I have on a "sort of" track. It is a narrow ( around 4 metre wide L shaped strip around part of my larger 5 acre field sectioned off with electric posts). Water one end - shady trees other end. Due to virtually nil rain since March the grass on the track is very very short (virtually no green at all) and I move the fence about a metre by 3 metres twice a day to give him a bit of longer grass.( the longer is about 4/5 inches long permanent pasture with a variety of grasses and weeds) and about 1/2 a section of hay per day. He also has a minute feed of speedibeet ( a handful) to give him his vits. I put one or other of my other horses in with him on the track for a couple of hours twice a week so he still gets horsey interaction and they do groom etc over the fence. I am pleased with his weight - slimmest he has ever been but still well covered - I am amazed that he gets by on so little. There are usually 8-10 piles in a 24 hour period so he is finding something!I do worry about ulcers as I don't think the strip of grass twice a day lasts him long . The hay which I scatter is hoovered up rapidly.
He is hacked for about 1.5 hours x 5 per week but mainly in walk and trot and could do with a bit more energy.
Does this sound reasonable or what do others do.

 

[MuddyMonster]

The only thing I'd think about changing within the realms of your setup is could you put the hay into small holed haynets or hay pillows (you could still feed from the ground assuming barefoot) to help it last longer? Or, a hay box(es) with small holed netting if they are shod.

 

[ester]

All seems fine to me, I poo count too
My only concern would be picking up sand depending on soil type, we definitely don't have that problem. We do move our fence in and out so we strip graze it for a bit then pull the fencing back out and do another bit. It's mostly for hay.

 

[meleeka]

I’m not sure I’m understanding fully but Try moving the fence at the end of your strip, rather than the sides, so that you eventually have a circle, oval or square. Echo small holed nets. They’ll make the hay last a lot longer. Obviously in a perfect world he’d have a friend with the same needs for company. Don’t forget that the reason there’s no grass is because he’s eating it as it pops up so he is obviously getting something.

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

Sounds like you're doing perfect. My ponies were on a similarly "mean" regime, on what looked like a bare strip. I thought maybe I was being too mean, because their weight was actually ok, and we'd got through the spring fine, so I gradually opened their strip a bit wider, bit wider, and then it rained for a fortnight- cue one pony coming down with laminitis. And then I kept them both off the grass for a fortnight, and I couldn't believe how much grew through in that time! So basically, I'd keep doing exactly what you're doing.

 

[SEL]

I keep all 3 of mine on a U shape track arpund 1.6 acres. It should go all the way round but the grass has been too good (meadow grass) and none of them are thin!

 

[Lintel]

I am also part of a cruel gang starving fat ponies.??
It sounds like your doing a good job OP!


I have Highland/Shetland on limited grazing, not a track now but an area that I open up very gradually whilst closing the other side.
They get a strip of fresh grazing each day, strip is roughly 1m x 8m.
They are then fed a mix of straw/hay at night alongside their balancer, turmeric and a handful to chaff to eat it in!