# Paddock Paradise in the High Desert?



## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

Has anyone had any experience using a track system on the high desert? I am thinking of putting one in so the horses will be more likely to move about during the day, the only problem is that all the examples I see are in areas that, well, grow grass. Where I am at we get about 9 inches of rain and rain equivalent on very young volcanic ash soil, therefore our land is mostly sage brush, rabbit brush, some antelope bitter brush, and bunch grasses which the horses pull out by the roots when they try to graze. 

Is it still ok to implement a track system without the daily romp into the center pasture that so many seem to emphasize?
Do you have any tips or tricks for successful paddock paradise tracks?


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

You don't need the grass part to have a successful paddockparadise. I have similar conditions, not high desert, but an old dairy, the soil is so bad, only tumbleweeds grow. I put my arena in the middle. They can still go romping in there;-) 
Or you can connect the track diagonally through the middle, if you have no other use for it. Anything that makes them move


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## Hailey1203 (Dec 12, 2010)

What exactly is Paddock Paradise? I went on thier website, but im still pretty confused


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Hailey1203 said:


> What exactly is Paddock Paradise? I went on thier website, but im still pretty confused


Search on YouTube. 
It's basically a track, wide enough to safely accommodate the amount of horses, as a drylot, with slowfeeders spread out, one source of water, sometimes smaller obstacles, short, anything what makes them move more, and make life more interesting and natural without the risk of overeating on lush grass.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

These tracks often become susceptible to erosion. I have four areas side by side. Started with one, added another a few years later, etc. The top end is open and the previous fencing remains. After reading about the tracks, and watching the horses, they get plenty of movement as they always have to come to the top end to go into the next grazing area.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

Saddlebag said:


> These tracks often become susceptible to erosion. QUOTE]
> 
> 
> The erosion issue is the only thing at this point that is stopping me from putting it up today! And why they will ONLY get the track, no grazing on the center, since the plants are ripped up so easily leaving the soil bare and prone to erode. (And I am a soil conservationist by career so I'd feel awfully hypocritical letting my land turn into a dust-bowl ).
> ...


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

I would think going up and down an "alley" would cause more damage than a round track.....
Watching my two...they rarely run. It's 95% slow movement. If the wind picks up suddenly I see them buck and kick...for about a minute.......
I think the round is critical for constant movement. No finish line there, so to speak.


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## NaturalHorseGirl (May 27, 2012)

If you go to www.aanhcp.net and click on "news and articles," you'll see a lot of different articles about Paddock Paradise but, in particular, you'll find an article called "Paddock Paradise in Lompoc." This might help give you some additional ideas.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

A side by side would work with an opening at the far end. If hay is placed in small piles in each side spaced well apart the horses will nibble a bit then move on to the next. Once they tasted all the piles they'll settle down and finish a pile and move on to another. This is why the piles are small. I have set out two big rounds as far apart as possible (dealing with deep winter snow) and the two horses move back and forth. They are also placed as feasibly far apart as possible from the water supply to add more movement.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

I'm not sure if the paradise paddock really makes the horses move more than just being in pasture? Wasn't there a study that showed this was not the case?

Mine do not seem to move more on the track than they do when allowed access to large pasture. But what I have found my track is fabulous for is a replacement for a dry lot. My horses barely move in the dry lot so they do move much more on the track.


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Cat said:


> I'm not sure if the paradise paddock really makes the horses move more than just being in pasture? Wasn't there a study that showed this was not the case?
> 
> Mine do not seem to move more on the track than they do when allowed access to large pasture. But what I have found my track is fabulous for is a replacement for a dry lot. My horses barely move in the dry lot so they do move much more on the track.


paddockparadise is MEANT to be a drylot, with limited access to lush pasture for horses who have or might have metabolic problems. And for people with limited land/pasture, to make the most out of it. 
I'm pretty sure with a big enough drylot and the feeding stations spread out just like in a pp, horses would move the same.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

deserthorsewoman said:


> paddockparadise is MEANT to be a drylot, with limited access to lush pasture for horses who have or might have metabolic problems. And for people with limited land/pasture, to make the most out of it.
> I'm pretty sure with a big enough drylot and the feeding stations spread out just like in a pp, horses would move the same.


Some people are under the impression (and I've seen articles stating this as well) that a horse will move more on a track than they will on a large pasture and have have made the transition to a track setup when limiting the pasture really wasn't the goal - just creating more movement was. It doesn't work like that which has been proven by studies utilizing GPS tracking.

I got the impression from the op that her goal was more movement and not necessarily saving pasture/limiting grazing - which is why I posted what I did. On the other hand if her goal is saving pasture while still promoting some movement then the track option is great.


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

I don't think she even has pasture. 
If I had 50 acres grass, I wouldn't bother with a track, not even in winter, being in Cali, unless I had IR horses. 
With 5 acres I would create a track, to not ruin all pasture. With IR horse, same thing. Having the 5 acres in a rainy area, I'd definitely have the track.
So it's merely about necessity, I think. I think it's a great idea, especially for people with little land. Grass or not;-)


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

If you have no grass - what is the point then? Just let the horses have it all - they will get the same movement and you reduce risk of over eroding a track area.


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Well, in my case, I have roughly 2 acres drylot, track, and arena in the middle.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

*The point*



Cat said:


> If you have no grass - what is the point then? Just let the horses have it all - they will get the same movement and you reduce risk of over eroding a track area.


The horses cannot have it all because even though it isn't an irrigated pasture, my land does have other value, including some areas with rare native vegetation and fantastic wildlife habitat. Also, half of it is off the edge of a cliff:?...

One horse here came on the verge of founder and I am pretty certain she has metabolic issues, so even if pasturing the land was an option, I would not chose it. Basically the horses are stuck in a dry lot and I want to make their life as interesting as I can given the situation. 

I am aware that the track system is in no way a perfect solution! Unless a horse has thousands of acres to roam at will, erosion will occur from repeated hoof action on the soil, especially when the soil does not have an intense root system and exudates to hold it together in a structured profile.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

karliejaye said:


> The horses cannot have it all because even though it isn't an irrigated pasture, my land does have other value, including some areas with rare native vegetation and fantastic wildlife habitat. Also, half of it is off the edge of a cliff:?...
> 
> One horse here came on the verge of founder and I am pretty certain she has metabolic issues, so even if pasturing the land was an option, I would not chose it. Basically the horses are stuck in a dry lot and I want to make their life as interesting as I can given the situation.
> 
> I am aware that the track system is in no way a perfect solution! Unless a horse has thousands of acres to roam at will, erosion will occur from repeated hoof action on the soil, especially when the soil does not have an intense root system and exudates to hold it together in a structured profile.


Actually this is one of the situations I would use the track option. If its a choice of small dry lot vs track around a larger area type decision, I would go for the track if possible.

My misunderstanding is I thought you had a sparse pasture that was fine for them to be on but though adding a track instead around it would make them move more.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

Oh how I wish I had sparse pasture! I have a lawn that my gelding occasionally gets 30 minutes of hand grazing on when we don't feel like mowing 

If you look at my avatar pic, that nice sandy patch...the whole dry lot (almost an acre) is like that. It was native grasses and brush when i brought the horses, but was 100% denuded in literally 3 weeks. The soil here makes keeping horses quite challenging because it is relatively new volcanic sands that can't hold roots worth a darned. But, my horse seems happy about this, since his favorite activity just so happens to be rolling!


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