Paradise paddocks

[lesleyking1]

Instead of hijacking other thread I'm starting a new one as I have questions for those who do PP system.
Ok Cob/TBx, 15years and Laminitic, after his dose of Laminitis he was box rested till the weight came off then put on very restricted grazing, now all is ok and he is back out with his partner and they keep the grass really down, in fact he is still slowly dropping weight so the grass level he is on should be ok, they have about an acre. We have been wondering what to do next spring as ideally it would be nice to see him have more freedom than the tiny patches of grass he had next year.
I have heard that PP system works well for Laminitics, as it keeps the horse moving. Is there anyone who manages their risky fatties using this system, how do you set it up and manage it?

[baoisglas]

I used it with my lami pony for one spring/summer. It worked very well for her. I had a track around the outside of the main field (4 acres) and 2 small grazing paddocks off to one side (about 1/2 acre each) that were rotated over the summer. Only issue I found with it was that my other horses were breaking down the fences to get to the grass in the middle, so didn't re-do it, and kept her in small rotated paddock with muzzle on during the day if needed.

[Deleted]

I have a track around each of my 1 acre paddocks, the horses live on there in spring and summer with hay, either soaked or tested for sugar levels. If you have one horse or more who are very sugar sensitive they can stay on the track all the time, then if you have others who are less sensitive you can have them on the track during the day when the grass sugars are highest and shut them in the middle bit at night. That way the group can still have time together but each of their needs are met. I had a severely insulin resistant horse here last spring who literally couldn't have any grass and I successfully managed him with my two less sensitive boys.

If you're feeding hay you have to spread it around, putting it out in one or two locations stops them moving and means the track is of little benefit.

If I get one pushing the fence over I'm afraid I get tough with them, watch and see how they're doing it. I had one grazing under the fence then 'forgetting' and lifting his head, getting zapped then panicking and breaking the fence, and on other occasions using his forelock and fly mask to lift the lower strand - that was solved by putting another strand of tape 15cm off the ground. I had one using his rug to push on the top line - in that case either lift the top strand up, remove the rug or tie electric tape to the front of his rug and tuck it inside so that if he leans on the fence the tape conducts the shock onto his chest. I've also found swapping tape for rope has helped, they seem to be able to lean on the tape and not always feel it, they don't seem to be as willing to mess with the rope. Also, ALWAYS have it on, my lot quickly learn that you sometimes switch it off and will test it with their whiskers. If it's always on they give up trying it. Also, obviously make sure the fence isn't shorting out on vegetation and if possible use a mains energiser not battery.

Ultimately the track is for their health so I've had to get inventive!

[lesleyking1]

Thanks girls, it's really interesting, this particular boy is very bright too so we'll have to keep a keen eye. How wide to you make the track? I suppose it could be narrower in the spring with the rich grass,

Something else I have wondered for these sensitive types is how surgery are nettles, if at all, I pull them up and leave them and the horses eat them up when they have wilted, are they a good thing for Laminitics and can they have too many?

[mrsfields]

i've got mine on a sort of track system here - originally it was just an idea to keep them off the rich grass - we're on clay and it's very wet, so the grass seems to grow almost all year round, and the meadows cover approx. 10 acres, so it was really to avoid the threat of lami, and also to restrict grass for my former headshaker... our tracks are quite wide though, 5 m, roughly and wider in the corners, and we keep the middle for hay... they have access to a smallish paddock at one end of the track, by the woods as the ground stays lovely and dry up there in winter, and then when it gets really cold, around end December/January, i will open up another little meadow to join the tracks, until the end of winter, then will close it up again come spring... I'm really happy with the track system, but don't follow Paddock Paradise principles closely, but just adapt it to our situation...

It's pretty hard work if you want to have lots of feeding stations... we have an open barn at one end of the track, where our hay is stored, and the horses come for shelter and water, and there is also hardstanding nearby where i put out one set of nets... then the horses have to walk down the first part of the track, about another 100 m to another set of hay nets, and after that, they reach the main track which goes round the 10 acre meadow... i have another set of hay nets right at the top of that track, but it's a nightmare in winter, so i tend to have "winter" feeding stations and "summer" ones... but i still find the horses move around the whole track looking for grass and hedgerows to nibble on, and they spend a lot of time at the far end of the track, even when there is no hay up there, and then come back down to drink and find their nets...

i really wouldn't be without my tracks now, the horses are looking so well on it and are in great shape... it's worked wonders for my semi-retired dressage mare - she is only in very light work, just the occasional hack, but has developed a lovely top line and strong back and hindquarters just thru being on track (plus forage-balanced high fat diet), and she has transitioned beautifully to being barefoot and is sound on all surfaces...

the down side obviously is the mud if you have grassy tracks, but i'm finding that the tracks are becoming more and more compacted each year, and the mud is not quite so deep now and firmer under foot... we're gradually adding crushed limestone to different parts of the track and around the barn, and the horses have got lots of dry places to get out of the mud, huge dry shelter and a 10m x 20m hardstanding area, as well as some pretty dry lengths of track (although they still have to go thru some muddy bits to get between the dry bits, but it's improving little by little each year)... the most important thing is the horses seem really chilled, good in their heads, and focused in their work...

re. keeping them out of the hay field, we ended up having to put up 4 lines of electric tape as my fjord cross would just scramble under the fencing and look all innocent and shocked when i found him in there haha! but the 4th line did the trick! (hooked up to a battery at all times!)

[Deleted]

My track width is set by the overhanging oak trees, it's dual purpose so when the acorns drop the tracks become the acorn zone and the horses have to go into the middle. It varies from 12ft at it's narrowest up to probably 30ft ish. The narrower it is the more it encourages them to move, I originally had it quite wide and someone told me to narrow it and it made a big difference to how much they moved around. Obviously the more horses you have the wider it should be, especially if there's any argy bargy in the group. I'd start with 12-14ft wide for 2 horses and add a bit of width per horse then it's a bit of trial and error, give them some wider spaces for loitering, rolling etc and extra space around their water.

Another good tip is think of the track as a flowing river - anything that disrupts the flow will slow the horses movement, eg tight turns, hairpin bends etc

[lesleyking1]

You all sound like you have heavenly places

[Deleted]

Haha, I wasn't thinking that last year when I discovered nearly 50% of my grazing is unusable in Autumn due to having about 20 mature oaks lining 2 acres!

[Linda J.]

I kept my little herd of 5, 3 foals with two mares, on a track system made with pathetic plastic stakes and electric tape, white so it is obvious at night, using a solar charger. It has worked well. We only had about 3 acres so I had to think of something to keep them moving, interested in life and healthy on so little land. It made it possible to keep my very greedy QH mare from getting too much grass and the poo picking was easier too. I have now sold the foals and my QH mare died of old age and arthritis but I still have my Arab mare and am planning a rather different track system at our new home. We have only about 1 acre of actual grazing land but 4 acres or more of woods. Yes, lots of oaks but also so much else that I hope the horse will not bother with acorns. Tracks are a great idea, especially for laminitics.

[portiabuzz]

If I ever get my own land I would definitely do this

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