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Post by Dawn Perkins on Apr 27, 2012 20:19:58 GMT 1
Looking at Liz's charming post today of the horses happily standing in a pond/lake blowing bubbles brought to mind the concept of "Paddock Paradise", developed by Jaime Jackson in America after observing wild horse behaviour (and comfort behaviours). I have no personal experience of paddock paradise systems and only know of those I have seen on the internet. However, I had always intended to install a track of some kind for any pony I might get. Quite apart from the benefits for barefoot horses, the psychological benefits become very obvious when you actually watch videos of the horses who are lucky enough to enjoy them. I came across this website, which seems to be based in America but has international contributions. There are videos of various set-ups - some fairly barren and uninteresting but nevertheless providing incentives for movement, others benefiting from fantastic natural features (particularly the set-up on St Vincent with the wild/feral herd who are worked at liberty). Suggestions are made for making the tracks more stimulating for the horses and there are diagrams of various lay-outs which people have put in as well as an FAQs page and details of slow feeding nets :- paddockparadise.wetpaint.com/page/Paddock+ParadiseCynthia Cooper, who has a track system herself, has suggested an additional use as, initially, a way of ensuring that mares and foals get the most grass by putting them on the grass in the middle while the other horses use the track around the edge. Later, it provides a kind and gentle way of weaning the foals. It's the second article down on this page:- naturalhorseworld.com/Articles-Foals.htmThe horses in Liz's video look so blissfully happy choosing their own form of entertainment and perhaps a track system could incorporate various items of entertainment, whether natural or man-made, too. Dawn Perkins
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Post by Dawn Perkins on Apr 27, 2012 20:22:26 GMT 1
I don't know how I managed to get a sad face into my post. Slow feeders aren't exactly a sad topic!
Dawn Perkins
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Post by liz on Apr 27, 2012 21:32:00 GMT 1
A friend of mine up north uses this system on her NH friendly livery yard. She has worked very hard to make the most amazing facilities.
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erika
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Post by erika on Apr 29, 2012 12:50:22 GMT 1
Sounds wonderful but I think that few of us have enough space to set up such a scheme. Also would make poo-picking a bit of a challenge.
I do have some things for the horses, I have a couple of fenced trees in the paddocks which act as good scratching posts and are essential anchor points for the electric fencing in this weather. Also by accident, I had a large drainage pond dug and banked the earth up around it as a means of disposing of the earth. I now refer to this as the play mound as the horses love mouching around on it and sometimes in the pond as well. It is quite overgrown full of nettles, docks and brambles but this doesn't seem to put them off. It is also quite cool on hotter days.
Erika & George
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Post by Dawn Perkins on Apr 29, 2012 19:16:00 GMT 1
Hi Erika, Your set-up sounds lovely and so much nicer than a plain grass square!
The smallest "paddock paradise" track system I have seen in this country is a perimeter track for two horses around a 2.5 acre field.
I suppose the principal benefits of a track system would be:-
1. To restrict grass for laminitic types or very good do-ers, who need less food and more exercise. Starvation paddocks for laminitics are the worst of all worlds - short, stressed grass with high sugar levels and no possibility of exercise. A track system would solve both those problems.
2. To provide movement (ideally day and night) for horses whose owners can't get to ride them very often. Most established track systems have at least one field shelter installed along the route.
3. To save the main, central area(s) from poaching in wet weather or being over-grazed in very dry weather, thereby maximising the amount of grass available overall.
4. For barefoot horses, to give plenty of movement over varied surfaces to encourage self-trimming.
5. To provide interest and variety for horses and an incentive to chase each other to keep fit.
I agree poo-picking could be more of a challenge but some people seem to leave it to break down on stony areas where there is no grass. The other obvious disincentive would be if you didn't actually own the land yourself and whoever does own it isn't keen.
I have seen road planings advocated for wet areas on tracks because they are very cheap but I recall that Sarah Braithwaite had a problem with these in hot weather when they became tarry. They caused abscesses in the hooves of horses who had stood on them to eat hay, rather than just moving over them. The consensus seems to be for crushed stone or pea shingle, possibly laid over geo-textile on only those areas which tend to get poached.
George seems to be an extremely happy boy, Erika, and it may well be a case of "if it ain't broke..." However, for other horses who may not have very exciting surroundings and could do with being a bit more fit, it might be reasonable to consider it. The main initial investment would be electric fencing (which many people already use to divide paddocks up) and then ad hoc orders of stone where and when needed.
As with barefoot, it won't be for everyone but I am sure there are some owners who would find it very useful.
It would be lovely to see some more photos of George!
Best wishes, Dawn
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Post by angelac on May 1, 2012 20:02:52 GMT 1
My HNC tutor applies this to her land, as far as she is able and plans to expand on the idea upon moving. I would love to do it but lack the space. Maybe one day. Must put the book on my reading list !
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Post by Dawn Perkins on May 2, 2012 13:29:29 GMT 1
Hi Angela, It seems that Scotland is faring far better with the weather than we have been, for once! I hope you have been getting some of those warm temperatures and sunshine which they have been showing over Scotland recently! I don't know how much land you have but this is a link from a page on the "wet paint" website I mentioned in a previous post. You can see that you don't actually need that much acreage (and could probably manage with two one-acre paddocks instead of three if you had a couple of good-doer ponies, rather than horses, or if you fed more hay so you could keep them on the track for longer:- www.rochestertrailriders.com/2010/12/creating-a-pasture-or-paddock-paradise/It still wouldn't work for everyone but it shows you don't need the 60 acres which Nic has unless you have a substantial herd! Best wishes, Dawn
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Post by angelac on May 2, 2012 14:30:10 GMT 1
Thank you Dawn. That is very intersting. I shall print it off. It also makes me feel better about having to use my hard stand area ( the equivilent of the mud paddock) for a considerable portion of the year. YES we have good weather ;D I have realeased the boys into the field at last. It is just about dry enough. There is not much grass but that doesn't really matter. I shall give them a few days of relative freedom ( though still stable at night) and then start some small amounts of work. I think the stretch will put them in a better frame of mind. Best wishes Angela
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Post by Dawn Perkins on May 2, 2012 16:07:11 GMT 1
This footage shows how ingenuity by Joe Camp ("The Soul of a Horse") led to just one and a half acres of steep, bare rocky hillside in Southern California being used as a paddock paradise track for 5-6 horses. It resulted in them moving, over a 24-hour period, between 8-10 miles as they went from pile to pile of hay:- www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTI4afF3JA8Obviously, there is quite a lot of work involved in putting so many piles of hay out twice a day but the horses are fit and their hooves look to me pretty much self-trimming. He has now moved to Tennessee, which, by the sound of it, is much more like Britain in terms of climate. I shall be interested to see how he modifies the new track system to restrict too much access to grass. Dawn Perkins
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Post by Dawn Perkins on May 3, 2012 8:27:58 GMT 1
I came across this website from America where someone had just created their first "paddock paradise" track. What is interesting to note is that one of his/her mares was prone to laminitis and a spurt in grass growth would normally have caused problems. However, this owner clearly believes that the ability to move constantly over the track, even during that period of grass growth, prevented a problem. Although diet is critical in horses who are prone to laminitis, constant movement appears to be of a mitigating factor and, once again, this highlights the inappropriateness of small "starvation paddocks" which permit no movement::- thenaturalhoof.homestead.com/paddockparadise.htmlDawn Perkins
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Post by Dawn Perkins on May 3, 2012 16:52:38 GMT 1
I thought I would point out that, although a track system is very good for horses who aren't in work or who are overweight or lame or susceptible to laminitis, it is not something which would necessarily be justified for horses who are in a decent amount of work.
The problem for quite a few horses and ponies is that, for various reasons of practicality and other commitments on the part of owners, they do not always get enough work, particularly in the short days of winter, and a track certainly helps to supplement the ridden work. It also enables owners to keep poaching to a minimum or, at least, confined to the track and it is certainly something I would consider doing in some small way.
Dawn Perkins
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Post by angelac on May 3, 2012 19:01:42 GMT 1
I think thats an excellent point Dawn !! I hate having to keep the ponies totally on the hard stand through the long winter . I have been thinking that something needs to change and this could be the answer. Meantime they have been so enjoying life back out in the field , though are very keen to return to the stable for supper and bed.zzzzz Alas I think our bonny weather has ended meantime. At least some good has come of it with proper turnout re instated plus a little work. Best wishes to everyone for the weekend Angela PS Mine includes Tesco bag packing to raise school funds
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erika
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Post by erika on May 5, 2012 0:02:43 GMT 1
Very very interesting debate. One other problem I have is that my fields are clay so any amount of tramping about over the same area would destroy them totally. Also I don't feed hay unless it is about -10. We have used 28 bales of hay all winter for 4 horses. I also do not spray my fields at all so whilst we have grass we also have lots of other things such as plaintains, yarrow and dandelions which the horses seek out. At the moment George and Murphy are free roaming about 5 acres that they have been grazing all winter. They spend ages seeking out that special something which may have grown in the last hour! Having watched the video with the 2 horses I wish I had dug my play pond deeper! Erika & George
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Post by angelac on May 5, 2012 14:31:51 GMT 1
Not a hint of Paradise in the paddock today !! We have snow again and bitterly cold winds In truth for the past couple of days the horses have been queing to get out of the field and back into Stable Paradise
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Post by sarah on May 5, 2012 17:05:20 GMT 1
I cant quite believe this weather .... no snow here, just wet , muddy fields, grey skies and a cold wind. My horses are SO fed up with the weather, they desperately want rugs off and some sun on their backs. Fingers crossed for some better weather soon. Sarah. x
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