# Strip grazing Qs



## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

Pics of the land and some lines where the fencing would generally be. 
*New Q! Should I use some kind of electrified rope so I can easily pick up the fence on post and move it over? That way, I won't have to buy a million posts and keep wire on each strip. Or is that actually better, to always have them up?
Would I be able to connect poly rope or the such to 14ga wire??*


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

No one?


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

I have a few thoughts:

- have you seen poly wire? I would use a hardwire for perimiter but then if just going with step in posts the poly wire is very easy to roll up on a spool and move. 

-10 feet seems very narrow, even if it's just the sheep 10' seems very narrow

-the pictures give me a good idea of what is in your mind but what is in my mind might not work as well:

My idea for your pasture situation would be to run one center laneway (build it up with some driveway mix about 8" deep) then split your padocks off of that into probably 4 or 8 sections (either 1 acre or 1/2acre aprox) 

at the top of the laneway you will have your main gate, as well as your water tub. then a few slinky or bungee gates (i really like the bungee gates since they don't tangle like a slinky) close the horse & sheep out of all but one section and rotate through. 

you will quickly be able to figure out (partially depending on rainfall) if you need to move your animals to a new section every 2 days, ever 5 days ect...

I would deff keep them from getting it too short though, some people deffinition of "my horse ate the pasture down short" varies, if rotational grazing I would pull them out when the pasture is down to 3-4inches tall and move them to the next. If I remember correctly the ideal height is 6-10" of most pastures so the grasses are still good but pulling them out before they do damage

you might also need to go through and clip pastures right after you pull the horse out so the whole thing grows at a uniform height



yes a lot there, probably won't go quite that technical but just my .02 to make the land work the best and get the most out of it


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

This is what I was thinking of.
Mare would have a long rectangle where she can go in to get to the barn and the water. From that rectangle, I can attach hotwire and move her over. The rectangle would be all wire gates hooked together on the posts. I'd have an extra spool for the pens that aren't against an established fence. 
Sheep are not penned at all, they roam free where ever they want.
I fence off the green area further with solid fencing when we have lambs. Rest of the time they are open.


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

Personally I would remove every other yellow line and have it as 4 sections to go into. 

then just 4 simple bungee gates and see how that does for next summer

might need to adjust individual pasture size since some areas look to have more scrubby stuff to them but I think you have a good grasp of what to look at.


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

Well, it's 4 acres and just one horse, so I rather have many narrow sections than a few fat ones where she won't mow and just wander instead. Right now they could be wider, since the grass is done growing, but spring/summer will have to be strips and not blocks.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Instead of what you have in mind, why not build a track 15' wide that follows the perimeter fencing? This will leave an untouched area in the middle. The track will encourage movement. If it goes thro a rocky area that will help toughen hooves. Ever few days put them in the middle. The horse will have no trouble grazing steep land. Check out Paddock Paradise and see how other folks have set up tracks. Mine is a little different because I started with one large rectangle than a few years later another was added, then a third much larger area then a fourth. Openings were made at the top end so the horses have to come up to the top end to enter another pasture and it keeps them moving. Moving aids digestion and helps pump blood back to the heart.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

Do the animals get along? does the pony and mare fight? chase the sheep ? If not , and the pony is not a stallion, I would simply Make two larger pens, the sheep will graze what the horses dont.  let them graze down one side then put them in the other while the other pasture recovers.


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

"Paddock Paradise" does nothing for mowing, not what I want.

Pony is a pony, aka fat, he needs to be in his pen only. I do not restrict the sheep and if I tried, I would need solid fencing 3ft high. Plus their water is in the pony's yard [2ft deep, mare's water is a 3ft trough, sheep are 2ft minis.]


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

you have a good grasp so just go with some poly wire for now and let us know how things go


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## Sherian (Aug 28, 2012)

I did strip grazing with sheep to keep my fencelines chewed down. I used white electric rope with white tread in posts. I just left the rope strung on the tread ins and moved it as a unit - threading and unthreading the rope was a pain. I used two strands so they couldn't reach over or under - probably would use the top and middle notches for horses - she is probably capable of jumping over it as the tread ins are usually not high but if you have a perimeter fence that isn't a big deal. if you you talk to farmers who use strip grazing for cattle they'll tell you the rule of thumb is put them on the grass when it is at eye height (when the head is down grazing) and move then when it is at nostril height.


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

If I am reading this right, your horse will be kept in a 10x40 area, correct? I would at least triple that to be 30x120, and even that doesn't have a whole lot of area to move around. 10x40 feet is enough room to jog for a few steps, but nothing more for a horse. Horses are made to move around and run, not be kept in a little pen. Also, you would probably have to move your horse 1-2 times every day. I would fence as many 80x120 areas in as I could, which is a quarter acre. 200x200 feet is roughly an acre.


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## Cruiser (Aug 28, 2011)

The OP said that they were going to make the stripes 10 to 40 feet wide not 10 by 40 feet.

I would make them roughly 20 feet wide and as long as possible( or wider if they would be under 100 or so long). Also from the pictures the pasture looks like it wouldn't hurt to mow and other maintance for it. I wouldn't use temporary fencing it would be a pain to move, at least have enough posts you wouldn't have to more them daily (which they would in a 20 by 100 area), if you make seven paddocks just rotate through them for a week, each in a state of mow, rest or in use, harrowing.


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