Paddock Paradise Horse Track System
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2020
- This week, Sean takes you on a tour of our Paddock Paradise Horse Track system, which is where our horses live full time. We have used this type of system for managing minis, standard, and draft horses, as well as boarding horses, and all thrive on it!
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Totally loved your setup there , the horses are happy doing what they are supposed to do being horses. Stimulating and keeping them healthy , I love how you thought about the design and how it was going to work for your lovely equine heard , only issue I see here is the trees taking down the electric fence at times , the trees In The middle could have tree protection like wire mesh wrapped around them so the horses don’t kill them but if your not concern it doesn’t matter . Great video and great content ,thanks.👍
You should be running an earth wire along and in between your two hot strands.
Most people don’t run their fences efficiently or effectively.
On long systems of track you should also be placing more earth rods so that a zap doesn’t have to travel all the way back to the units earth rods.
Also on long fences like track systems you should have a minimum of 3 “galvanised” earth rods placed 3 metres apart and driven in to a depth of 1.5 metres 😊👍🏽
I’m envious of your property 😍😍
I have used a track system for just over 3 years now, I would never go back - they also work very good on small lots! Host says it about 50 different ways, use the layout of your own land, for those of us in wetter states, think about water flow, lol! Great video thank you! Its great seeing more people move to this.
Well done for creating such a great track system for your horses. And thank you for making this educational video.
I hit like as soon as you said barefoot. Your horses are very lucky to have people who care about what's best for them and not just what's easy for the humans.
GREAT job, and gorgeous track! My track is about 10' wide, with 12-15' corners (no draft horses here). I agree that they should be narrow to encourage the back horse to "push" the front horse along.
I wish my husband was as involved as you are- God bless you! Again, really terrific PP.
Thanks for a very, very nice, inspiring and informative video about your paddock paradise! Greetings from south of sweden 😊
I LOVE this, and when I have my own horses someday, I will definately make them live this way. As nature intended them to be... even though we ''keep'' them for ourselves, at least make them the happiest
Great set up and idea thank you for sharing them 😊👍
Awesome setup!
This is awesome 😎👍 thank u much for sharing
Very informative, thank you!
Fantastic video, very informative and educational. Thank you so much for sharing.
Great video!!
Wow!!! What a great and informative video! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. God bless you all!!!
Thank you for such a diverse view of your paradise paddock. The horses sure must love their home. My husband and I plan to do implement a track too. I love how you described the benefits for the horse and how to decrease erosion. Thank you so much.
I wish my horse could live there! :) Very helpful video, practical and inspiring. Thank you! :)
Thank you for sharing this. Just found your channel! I am just going to be getting started on my track system! LOVE this!
One of the better videos I have seen on the Paddock Paradise system... and oddly, I wasn't even looking for PP videos tonight 🤣
You have such a great understanding of horse's needs! I'm pretty happy with my set up, but I'm still jealous of yours ;) Good work!
No need to be jealous! ANY track system that encourages more movement is much better than a confined stall or bored horse!
Awesome video. We just bought some property and will be looking to keep horses in the next 5 years or so, and this was just the kind of information I needed to start planning out how we want to keep our horses!
I want to do this on my property, wish I had the trees that you do! I love this!
Trees have advantages, but keep in mind most mustangs do NOT live around a bunch of trees. Additionally, they can be hard on fences too! Tracks can be great with or without them!
Great PP. Would be great if people read Jaime Jackson's books, Paddock Paradise on this track system he conceptualised after studying wild horses, and the Natural Trim and the Natural Horse books as well. His Natural Trim book is a great read with the Paddock Paradise book, because the PP is an integral part of maintaining the healthy hoof and horse, and the books provide a clear insight as to why this track boarding is the way to go...
I agree. I used to work with BLM horses, and always tried to maintain our domestic horses as naturally as I could. Jamie Jackson’s work introduced us to the concept of PP and self-trimming. I also recommend any works by Pete Ramey.
@@ADifferentWay Pete Ramey was a student of JJ. Went off in a more commercial direction, with many of JJ's basic ideas and research findings 😞
That is the first time i hear about this! So logical from a horse mental and physical health point of view!
Over the years, we have used almost every typical method of horse housing--stalls, paddocks, pastures, corrals, etc. Now, We LOVE our track and hope to never use any other type of management!
Really helpful and thorough on all the consideration in doing a track. Thank you so much. Could we get an update video?
I’m not sure what you mean by an update video. Unfortunately, we actually moved not long after this video was made. I do plan to have another track system in the future, however, so let me know what your thoughts are on updates, and I’ll be sure to incorporate that in the next video we do offer!
Merci pour vos bons conseils qui me seront très utiles pour aménager un sentier pour les chevaux dans le boisé derrière l'écurie. C'est très apprécié
Glad you found it helpful!
I wish I could have a horse they are such amazing creatures I've been looking for a horse and I couldn't find one we're looking for a half linger
We really want something calm and gentle and gelding it would be nice to have one
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@@ADifferentWay Hello! I am fascinated and want to ask questions. How do I find you on Patreon? How do I get to you, Sean, to ask questions?
I apologize for the inconvenience, but we wound up canceling our Patreon due to some issues with that program. That said, we are still very active on Facebook, and all of our more recent videos have a link directly to our Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/redgatellc , where we can be easily reached! Hope that helps.
I love everything about this, and plan on starting out track soon. We have 100 acres, mostly woods, this is the first track I have seen in detail through the woods, and love it! My question is, how often do the horses, if at all, get turned out on grass. As you were showing the map,mit looked as though you had a nice grassy area, do they ever have access to that? Also, I know much has to do with temperament, but how many horses have you turned out at a time on this track? Thanks for all your time, I'm so ready to get started!
Thanks and glad it helped! We love our track! We have extremely lush higher grass, really not great for drafts, so we allow them up to 1/2 day turn out on grass during the growing season, but we usually use grazing muzzles to prevent them getting fat. On track , we’ve had up to 6, but could have done plenty more-that’s just all we had. As with any turnout, you just have to be sure no horse is too big of a bully and none get bullied much. Try to avoid tight corners or “traps”, and always have a couple more hay bags or hay piles than horses so everyone can eat without being bothered. Also with a lot of horses, keep the majority of track a minimum of 15-20 feet wide to prevent a “low” horse getting trapped in the middle of a stopped herd. Hope that helps!
@@ADifferentWay it does, thank you! Right now we do about half day turnout as well, the rest of the time we have them in a "sacrifice" field, we don't stall. I hate how they just stand at the hay nets though. We don't ever plan on having a bunch of horses, but I wasn't sure if there was a rule of thumb! Thanks again for your time. I can't wait to check out the other videos!
Great video...so helpful! May I ask how many acres do you guys have?
25 total for the farm, but the track winds through about 8 acres, for a total length between 3/4 and 1 mile.
Thank you for such a great video, love your set up and very lucky horses. How did you clear the tracks? Did you let it happen naturally overtime from the horses or did you clear it with equipment? Thank you 😊
We cleared some of it by hand, but later hired a dozer to clear a trail and do some other erosion control work for us. Either works, but the dozer was definitely quicker!
@@ADifferentWay thanks for your reply
Fantastic breakdown of the track system, truly appreciate it.
A couple questions if you don't mind. Are you still grain feeding and in feed stations? Do you find when it is time to work that they are difficult to harness and focus or happy to get to work?
We would bring the horses up every morning to get their supplements in their individual tie stalls. We basically just opened the gate, and they filed in to their assigned stall. If anyone needed additional supplemental feed, we could give that then as well. As far as work ethic, I found it much better than I’ve seen prior to having a Paddock paradise. The horses never seem to have that pent-up energy, and when we put on their harnesses or saddles, they knew it was time to work. Admittedly, part of that is training and routine, but no doubt the track served a purpose in keeping them in good condition, mentally stimulated, and prevented that spunky energy buildup.
Thanks for the informative video.. what do you do with a hill that gets muddy? It's the only area for them to get through a particular area and it's got a good slope on it so I'd like to make it better.
There are many options, so it really depends on your budget. Erosion mats are an option, but quite pricey (we’ve seen these on riding trails). Natural mulch can work, but can get just as lucky with time (we’ve tried this!). Our current solution is gravel. The steeper the slope, the bigger gravel base you will need to keep from washing downhill. You can always top coat the big gravel with smaller gravel, pea gravel, or ag lime, if your horses have tender feet. Hope that helps!
@@ADifferentWay thank you! That was VERY helpful! I used a matic to chop the hill into more of a trail and used a bunch of large rocks that we have by the creek.. I also trenched it in hopes I would create a water route.. I just did this today so I'm really thrilled that you messaged me back, again thank you! Hoping im off to the right start. We just opened our first part of the track today and plan to improve and expand. Loved your informative video.
You spoke about moving the hay bags around, the advantages over a bulk feeder, and the potential for damage to trees. I don't have horses yet, but plan to and also plan to use the PP system, but with a bulk feeder or feeding wagon that i would move around occasionally. What do you think of a sled/stone boat that you could hang a few bags off of and move to a different spot as needed?
That could certainly work. One of the downsides is that all your hay would be in one location. It would work better to create multiple feeding stations so the horses are forced to move around as they empty bags, rather than stay stationary. Movement is the purpose of the paddock paradise, and the more you can encourage movement, the better the system is!
@@ADifferentWay Excellent point. Thank you!
Great setup! Do you have to worry about potentially poisonous plants along the fence line?
We have had a number of poisonous plants both in and along our track system, as well as in our pastures. We just live in an area where potentially toxic plants are plentiful, and nearly impossible to fully eliminate. These include things like black walnut, wild cherry, and pokeweed, among others. Although we do tend to remove wild cherry when possible, as it probably has the most dangerous effect, for the most part we take the stance that as long as our animals are provided a good and constant source of nutrition, they tend to avoid anything toxic or bitter tasting. It seems to of worked for us so far. On rare occasion they may take a nibble of a plant as they pass by, but they never have consumed enough to cause any issue.
Any problems with minis trying to go under the lower wire? How do you train them not to?
Also, do you haul away manure or just toss it over the fence?
We never had a problem with our mini trying to go under. He stayed with the herd. If you do have an issue, assuming he respects electric wire, simply lower the lowest rope. Ideally the ropes are about upper thigh levels and nose level as a minimum. Our horses are trained to have a healthy respect for electric rope though, and will actually stay in with a single rope about upper thigh/belly level. As far as manure, we live in an environment that allows for quick composting. We allow ours to build up, and then scrape our track to collect the formed compost for the garden. Here’s a video on that: ruclips.net/video/89ogUlZahBY/видео.html I know folks in drier/arid environments who simply make a daily habit of scooping into a collection container and hauling it, or flinging it over the fence into the pasture. There’s a lot of ways to deal with it based on your climate. The great thing about a track, though....if you miss a day, it’s ok, since the horses aren’t forced to stand in it all day. It just means more work for you later!
Do you numerous water tubs along the trails? How far did they have to walk to get their water?
On the shorter, original track, we only had one water trough. It was less than a quarter mile walk from one end of the track to the other, which is no problem. On the longer track that was deep in the woods, they had a water, trough way up at the house, and then there was, a natural creek crossing further down on the track. While the total length of the track with sections added together was close to a mile, the furthest point was probably only about half a mile from one end back to the water trough itself. We found this really encouraged them to move. They would get into routines, much like wild horse herds. We would space the hay along the further end of the track, so they would move between hay nets, and then they would walk a half mile or so up to water several times a day.
what brand of poly electric rope have you found to be the best?
So far, of the styles and brands we have tried, we have found Electro-braid poly rope fence to be the best. Due to the length of our track, resistance is a big issue for us. The Electro-braid is 55 Ohms/mi, which is really good conductor and low resistance for braided rope. Of course, equally important to the type of fence you use is all the connections you use in between. The more splits and breaks and connections that you have in a fence, the more your resistance will increase, and the less effective your fence will be. Hope that helps!
Do you have any quantity of snow? Does it change how you manage your track?
We get decent snow in winter. 4-6" is most common, but much deeper (3-4 times that) is possible. It doesn't really change much. Just prior to winter, we try to do a good clean-up of manure, and ensure the sand and higher areas are clean, as they will provide the necessary dry areas through the mucky parts of winter. Also, when we know a freeze is coming....we try to get out and scrape everything as smooth as possible to prevent the big "pot holes" from icing over.
Do the horses get a sore muscles when you first put them on a track system?
We have had a number of horses, whether new purchases, rehab, or boarding, added into our track system. I have never noted any muscle soreness. More likely, especially with our slippery clay soils and steep hills, I see new horses very cautious about where they place their hooves, and sometimes hesitant to take the downhills or slippery slopes. Usually, within a week, they began to speed up, and within a month, they become quite sure-footed! This comes in very handy on trail rides, when the terrain gets a bit treacherous. Our horses already know how to handle the challenge, and seldom even hesitate!
Question for ya about setting up this kind of system - when you fenced in the track did you clear the existing underbrush or did you just leave it for the horses to clear? Im out in the PNW, some areas of decently heavy undergrowth, downed trees, some slash piles, etc. I totally understand the concept of leaving natural elements for the horse to have to navigate, but how much is too much in concern for their safety? I know theres lots of factors, including the personality of the horse, but just looking for your insight since it looks like we have a somewhat similar environment. Thanks for your time and this wonderful content!
We did allow the horses to help clear brush at one point, it definitely was not preferred. Their skin is not as thick as cattle or goats, so they tended to get quite a few scrapes and nicks. When we built the track deep in the woods, we actually hired someone with a bulldozer to come in and basically scrape a path. This also made it much easier to install the fencing. He did two trips… One in, and one out, which resulted in some trees and shrubs being left inside the track area. Hopefully that makes sense. So the horses could create their own path, but if you have the budget for it, I definitely recommend having someone scrape a path for you. It was much safer for the horses, and much easier to install the fencing and maintain!
@@ADifferentWay , thanks for the reply. Yes that makes perfect sense. I mainly use my livestock to clear (goats, pigs, and a cow) but I'm a lot more cautious with the horses.
The area I'm looking at tracking has a natural track throughout, and other areas that the elk move through that should be easy to widen. Fortunately we've got a tractor, a landscape rake, and a brush hog - if needed. Now just gotta wait till the dry season 🙏 thanks again and God bless your endeavors!
Hey Sean - Great video. We love your paradise track system & have a question:
We have 2 Miniature Donkeys that we keep on a rock crusher dust paddock and plan to create a paradise trail around and through our woods for them. We have read that oak leaves, acorns, maple leaves etc. are toxic/poisonous to donkeys/horses? Right now we are constantly cleaning their paddock of these items and are concerned about maintenance of paradise trails through the woods. Obviously, we're new to the Equine World since we just got our Little Donks. 2 months ago. What are your thoughts about the consumption of these tidbits...
You may have noticed that our track is lined with Oak trees, poke weed, and a variety of other plants that could be considered toxic. We have taken the approach to ensure our animals always have good, desirable, palatable forage. We have found that if safe alternatives are always provided, the horses will not eat the toxic plants. Certainly, there is always a risk, and in fact, we have even seen our horses tasting or taking a nibble of these weeds or acorns. However, we minimize that risk by giving them access to some type of healthy forage 24 hours a day. We have found that most animals’ instincts are still strong enough that they will only eat toxic plants when there is no other option. In our experience, we have never had a problem.
A Different Way - Thank you that puts our mind at ease - We too provide water & forage 24/7. We also check on our donkeys many times a day up to late in the evening- Thanks for your reply...
How do you manage ticks?
We only had a bad tick problem, one year, in which case we brought the horses up every day, and just picked the ticks off. They tended to congregate on the lower belly with thin hair. That said, we also started an improved diet regimen about that same time, and never really had another major issue with ticks. Make sure your horses are getting the necessary mineral and copper they need for a healthy immune system, and this will naturally decrease, their attractiveness to the ticks and other pests.
What brand do u think is the best electric fence?
There are a lot of variables-length offense, number of electric strands, power source available, moisture in ground, etc., which means it really boils down to what’s right for you and your situation. My personal favorite is a good electric charger, we have used Parmak for many years, but we also have one Stafix brand plug-in variety we love. As far as fence, I prefer white electric rope, with copper wire, as it tends to transmit current more efficiently. Most are not copper, as copper is more expensive. Hope that helps!
@@ADifferentWay thank you so much. Love all your info. You r so detailed and really care about the welfare of the horses!!!
Anyone tried this with cows and horses together?
Well, we haven’t personally tried the two together, I have stumbled across people online who have and say it works great.