Track Paddocks: Combating Horse Boredom
- Posted by Alayne Blickle
A confinement area (or paddock) is an enclosure meant to be your horse’s outdoor living quarters when keeping them off pastures. Using a confinement area protects pastures from overgrazing and soil compaction, especially during winter months when grass plants are dormant and soils are saturated.
If you’re familiar with confinement areas, you probably think of them as small areas that don’t give horses much opportunity to move about. However, an emerging trend, called track paddocks, may change the way you view confinement areas. Track paddocks are large, long corridors that circle the perimeter of a pasture or other area. The goal of a track paddock is to encourage horses to move about more freely and interact with each other.
Track paddocks are based on concepts brought to the forefront by author Jaime Jackson in his book Paddock Paradise, A Guide to Natural Horse Boarding. Jackson introduced a new way of looking at confinement areas based on his research into how horses live in the wild. Jackson’s ideas draw from his observations on how the horse’s natural instincts stimulate and facilitate movement, which Jackson feels helps keep a horse sound, both physically and mentally. Jackson and many others who have tried this approach feel track paddocks have many benefits including fewer vices, healthier hooves and overall improved horse health
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Written by:
Alayne Blickle
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13 Responses
re: Track Paddocks: Combating Horse Boredom
Really enjoy the article as well as the idea for track paddocks. I have seen more and more people invest into the tracks and both owner and horse are much happier for it! Still I agree with others that fencing used to create this paddock track is very
re: Track Paddocks: Combating Horse Boredom
Great concept. Any fence can be safe if you add electricity to it. Strategically placed electric tape, rope, or wire does the trick. Shame on the snobs who think only their fences are the best fences.
re: Track Paddocks: Combating Horse Boredom
I just have to make a comment about farm fencing. We have used this type of fencing for decades with great results, but we always install ours upside down so the large openings are on the bottom. We also raise it off the ground about 10-12
re: Track Paddocks: Combating Horse Boredom
Thank you Alayne for sharing this great idea of track paddocks! My mind is now running with possibilites for our farm with regards to options for both winter grazing and a more stimulating environment for our resident pony (who is aged and lamini
re: Track Paddocks: Combating Horse Boredom
As you all are noticing and as I have found in my 18+ years in this biz, fencing choices are very personal. (: What I try to do is offer good options. From there horse folks can do their own research to make their own choices. I did a Smart Horse Keepi
re: Track Paddocks: Combating Horse Boredom
Barbie, I recommend that you still need to pick up manure in a track paddock. If we don’t pick up manure when the winter rains come it will all turn to fine organic MUD and make your nice track paddock a mess. See some of my past blogs for information
re: Track Paddocks: Combating Horse Boredom
I couldn’t see the wire that closely on my "fone," but I still would never use a t-post, capped or otherwise. And "field fence" vs "chicken wire?" Same principle, therefore equally dangerous. Neither have any place on a ho
re: Track Paddocks: Combating Horse Boredom
Well I have to agrre with Christy, while the track adea paddock is great. Field fencing, metal post whether capped or not and barb wire or braided wire is dangerous for any horse. If a horse lands on a metal post even capped, it will pierce right throu
re: Track Paddocks: Combating Horse Boredom
Lisa & Christy,
I think as long as the t-posts are capped, it’s ok. I have a paddock paradise on my property, and I’m pretty sure it’s fairly normal for at least the internal fencing to have t-posts. You at least need the t-posts to give a m
re: Track Paddocks: Combating Horse Boredom
@Christy – I don’t know if you carefully examined the pictures or not. The "metal posts" are capped t-posts, the "barbed wire" appears to be electric braid (look closely) and the "chicken wire" is actually field fenc
re: Track Paddocks: Combating Horse Boredom
Thanks for also showing us everything NOT to do for horse fencing. Why, with such a great idea, would you model it with fencing made of metal posts, barbed wire, and 4-inch chicken wire???? Not one of those materials should ever be near a horse. Huge f
re: Track Paddocks: Combating Horse Boredom
I have put in a track paddock and it has worked out great. It has hills and the horses have increased their hiney muscles considerably. heehee. They love it and make the trip around multiple times for the Bermuda grass hay we put out for them to contin
re: Track Paddocks: Combating Horse Boredom
Great to see the concept of Paddock Paradise here…. Lots of ideas and photos on the Paddock Paradise Group’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/…/49923958207<""e: Track Paddocks: Combating Horse Boredom
Great to see the concept of Paddock Paradise here…. Lots “