21/05/2025
"It's not MAGIC !!!!" is a favorite expression of mine ๐คฃ
This is a lovely post from Maddie discussing some important aspects we need to optimise to ensure our tracks achieve the best life for our neddies. Hope you enjoy ๐
๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐๐ ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ. ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ?
Yet again, the misconceptions surrounding track systems are doing the rounds on the internet. The reality is, and always has been, that track systems are NOT magic. They require planning, thoughtful decision making, research and the ability to keep going when things ultimately go wrong. They are, however, brilliant at providing our domesticated horses with a lifestyle that fulfils their every need and if done correctly, allows them to reach an optimum level of health and soundness.
If you have a horse living on a track system that is gaining unwanted weight, the answer typically lies in how youโre feeding them, what youโre feeding them and how much movement theyโre getting.
Grass is one of the biggest causes of weight gain and obesity and can remain a problem despite your horse being kept on a track system. New grass growth interferes with the actual function of the track system itself, interrupting the process of going from one hay station to another, which is where a huge amount of that all-important movement is achieved.
The grass itself also remains problematic and highly unsuitable for the equine species, unless youโre fortunate enough to live in a semi-arid environment with the right type of grasses available. Even small amounts of grass growing on track are often not as small as we think and are being consumed by our horses. Therefore, my first suggest is to ensure your track system is grass free.
With the grass eradicated, horses kept on track systems are predominantly fed a diet of adlib hay. In our case, we feed netted meadow hay. The type of hay you feed your horse is absolutely crucial; hay too high in sugar, starch and potassium negatively affects the horse, increasing the likelihood of Laminitis, EMS and obesity.
Horses produce stomach acid continually, whilst they only produce saliva when chewing. Saliva, mixed with a source of fibre, is needed to neutralise the stomach acid and so, if the stomach is left empty, we expose our horses to an increased risk of ulcers, as well as colic. Therefore, we know feeding adlib forage is essential to the health of our horses. However, it does require some thought.
Providing adlib hay is somewhat of mental battle for many owners, fearing their horseโs weight gain means that they cannot learn to self-regulate. However, in our experience, weight gain is to be expected amongst the majority of horses when first introducing adlib hay. That isnโt to say that they cannot go on to self-regulate, but they do need to be given the oppurnity to learn to do so in the first place.
Providing a herd environment or at least companionship, enrichment and free movement is essential to their success in this respect โ there must be a reason to move away from the hay in the first place. Additionally, hay net size and placement around your track is also vitally important. You must feed your horse and/or herd based on the number of horses, and the size of your track. For example, feeding a large herd of horses a few small haynets closely hung together is asking for trouble, as is feeding your 2 horses multiple large, netted bales. Smaller tracks and herds are better suited to small haynets that are distributed throughout the track, whilst still ensuring there is more than enough for everyone until itโs time to refresh. Larger bales are okay to feed on large tracks amongst large herds but can contribute to camping if not done correctly.
Unfortunately, years of traditional horse keeping has encouraged restriction above anything else. Weโre taught a fat horse should have their hay restricted, going hours without forage, instead of encouraging movement.
Movement is just as important as what and how you feed your horse. There are very few horses who just know how to self-regulate right from the get-go, which is why creating an environment that encourages movement, exercise, increased fitness levels, stamina, weight loss and muscle gain is so important. However, this encouragement of movement shouldnโt end when horses are learning to self-regulate on hay but continued through their day to day life in partnership with adlib forage.
Letโs look at it this way.
Movement is essential for the overall health of our horses, and affects blood and lymphatic fluid circulation, digestion and gut motility, hoof growth and overall health, muscle mass, fitness levels and stamina, joint health, weight management and more. Movement is needed continually on a day to day basis. Without it, you will not have a healthy horse.
Adlib forage is also essential for the overall health of our horses, and decreases the risk of resource guarding behaviours forming, anxiety, colic and ulcers. Adlib forage is needed continually on a day to day basis. Without it, you will not have a healthy horse.
Weight loss is achieved through burning more calories than what is consumed. Therefore, movement is required to counteract our horseโs consumption of hay.
Movement is needed and essential and adlib forage is needed and essential. It doesnโt make sense to restrict forage in an attempt to encourage weight loss, increasing the risk of the above issues, and limit movement, typically automatically done through environment, affecting multiple different bodily systems and functions. Both areas of our horseโs needs can be fulfilled, and at the end of it, we have a healthy horse.
So lastly, make sure your horse is getting enough movement. Grass, other horses, enrichment, track width and hay net frequency, size and type all directly impact how much movement our horses get. However, movement should be first prioritised with weight gain instead of over-restricting forage. By all means, make sure the hay is suited to your herd and horse, but donโt go down the rabbit hole of restriction over encouragement.
Track systems require out the box thinking, adaptability and an owner who is willing to solve various problems as they arise. Micro-manging your horse might be tempting, but generally speaking, they require time to adapt to life on track, and therefore, additionally require our patience. Track systems arenโt magic, they need to be done right. They donโt fail just because.
