Sign in or 
Share this
Oregon
![[Untitled]](http://image.wetpaint.com/image/1/RXawLwrBI-lg9aUOuNYQJw351696/GW213H162 "[Untitled]") Walowa |  | |
Looking south across the dry lot. .........................Cleaning up the last few scraps of hay.
Water trough with gravel footing. ...................................Track along hay field edge.
Leaky riser, mud hole in the making. .......................Moving up the track in search of goodies.
Hay field irrigation, wetting down edge of track. .................... Run in shed and covered porch.
Track with temporary dead end (blue hay string) ............... Pepper along track near irrigation berm.
Looking west up toward the dry lot on the left of the drawing. Tree hill with setting sun in back ground.
 discussion | |
 The view from the house looking southwest |  The tree hill, looking west. Irrigation ditch berm mid picture. |
 South end of tree hill, nice access for horses. |  Irrigation ditch at base of tree hill. Round pen field to right below ditch berm. |
 Future water crossing. |  Gravity flow water system located on far side of future water crossing. |
In the picture below, I am standing on the irrigation berm looking southeast over the triangular section of field and on across the hay field. This field is cross fenced into four long paddocks. The cross fences are polywire on fiberglass poles and appear to be invisible in the picture. They run parallel to the fence line you can just make out as a light line running across the picture beyond the two horses in the distance. That is the existing fence line between pasture and hay field. The proposed water crossing is to the left of where I am standing. I plan to remove two of the cross fences to make irrigating and mowing easier. The track will run around the perimeter and vary in width. As you can see from the picture, the field is gently rolling in character. The green gate in the foreground is on the berm and is used for access for ditch maintenance and to keep cattle in. I do not consider it a horse friendly gate. The rounded corners and wide gap between gate and post are dangerous traps for hooves. I much prefer square corners that fit tight enough to the posts that a foot cannot be trapped.
April 19, 2009 well progress at long last. Now that the fields and dry lots have been harrowed we started fencing off the track. I started by fencing two sections that allow for access from the dry lots out around the edge of the field, left open on the far end so the horses can still get out into the paddocks. Next I will finish fencing the two missing sections and tie everything together to complete the track with no dead ends. Then the fun begins. Two horses have been living in one area and five on the other side, with a field between them. I am hoping with the track they will just move around rather than get into trouble with each other. They have been across a fence line from each other part of the time, with a lot of posturing and squealing. 5 mares and 2 geldings. If this doesn't work, plan B will be to move the two into the roundpen field with the two younger fillys . I hope to get a track around this area too.
Update May 3, 2009
I have been extending my track a little more every couple of days as the horses take the grass down. I am almost to the point I can open the whole track up. Finally got it all fenced, gates in place and an underground line to allow for charging the inner fence. Funny how this simple project just kept growing. Looks like we have a wet week in store, so I am not sure when I will introduce the two horses that have been kept separate and open the track. Right now the two groups each have part of the track. I am spreading hay all along the track and they are all busy wandering up and down. I am getting ready to start the track around the round pen field. There is a fenced area on the tree hill, but the deer have torn it down is a couple places, so need to do some repair work up there.
June 30, 2009 Update
Finally opened the track all the way around. The band of five (four mares and one gelding) and the band of two (one mare and one gelding) didn't mix right away. They stayed in separate groups, but moved around the track quite a bit. Then the lone mare started mixing with the other band and the lone gelding was cut out of the group and kept at a distance for several days. His buddy mare came and went. They spent time together, but she also hung out with the other band. The oldest mare kept running him off. There were several days of chasing each other around the track. Then the old mare came into heat and decided that the lone gelding looked pretty good to her. She buddied up with him and his mare. Now there seem to be two bands, one with three and the other with four members. One of the younger mares has taken over the roll of boss and keeps running the smaller group off. They are all turned out for a couple hours in the morning and share the pasture with little trouble, but much posturing and carrying on when they are turned back on the track. As there are two dry lot areas, each band has a home base. At times they are all on track, more or less together. It has been fasinating to watch the interaction between them. So far, only a couple of minor cuts or bites. They don't spend nearly as much time hanging out in the dry lots and sheds. There seems to be something needing checking out around the track most of the time. Cattle have been moved into the field along the ditch above the track. (This area shows up on the bottom of the map. ) The horses have to go check them out whenever they get close to the fence. The mad irrigator (my husband) is happy with the new arrangement, as it is easier for him to move pipe and big gun sprinkler around with two fence lines pulled out of the middle area. So far, we are all happy with the PP track. Now to work on the next project, around the roundpen field.
June 30, 2009 Update
Finally opened the track all the way around. The band of five (four mares and one gelding) and the band of two (one mare and one gelding) didn't mix right away. They stayed in separate groups, but moved around the track quite a bit. Then the lone mare started mixing with the other band and the lone gelding was cut out of the group and kept at a distance for several days. His buddy mare came and went. They spent time together, but she also hung out with the other band. The oldest mare kept running him off. There were several days of chasing each other around the track. Then the old mare came into heat and decided that the lone gelding looked pretty good to her. She buddied up with him and his mare. Now there seem to be two bands, one with three and the other with four members. One of the younger mares has taken over the roll of boss and keeps running the smaller group off. They are all turned out for a couple hours in the morning and share the pasture with little trouble, but much posturing and carrying on when they are turned back on the track. As there are two dry lot areas, each band has a home base. At times they are all on track, more or less together. It has been fasinating to watch the interaction between them. So far, only a couple of minor cuts or bites. They don't spend nearly as much time hanging out in the dry lots and sheds. There seems to be something needing checking out around the track most of the time. Cattle have been moved into the field along the ditch above the track. (This area shows up on the bottom of the map. ) The horses have to go check them out whenever they get close to the fence. The mad irrigator (my husband) is happy with the new arrangement, as it is easier for him to move pipe and big gun sprinkler around with two fence lines pulled out of the middle area. So far, we are all happy with the PP track. Now to work on the next project, around the roundpen field.
tangledmanes |
Latest page update: made by tangledmanes
, Jan 8 2010, 10:52 AM EST
(about this update
About This Update
Wet Western Oregon links
- tangledmanes
1 word added 1 word deleted view changes - complete history) |
|
More Info: links to this page
|
| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DollyMama | My Track for Dolly | 14 | Feb 2 2010, 1:25 PM EST by DollyMama | ||
|
Thread started: Jul 25 2009, 7:14 PM EDT
Watch
I own only one horse but, have 8 acres 800ft from the Pacific Ocean on the central Oregon coast. I first learned of Paddock Paradise from the owner of a stable where I have begun to take a monthly riding lesson to learn how to be centered and connected to ride till I am 90. I then got the book and today my husband and I started making our track system for Dolly to wander through the trees and up and about on a portion of the property. We only have a very small pasture area in our front yard. The rest of the property is timbered, and vegetated with all things growing here at the coast. She will have a beautiful and varied trail as similar to a hiking trail one comes to the coast to walk for the recreational hiker. We will make a bridge to cross a year around drainway that traverses our property in 3 separate locations. She will have a couple spots to munch her hay, to drink and to have salt and a mineral lick. I am sure the deer, elk and black bears will find things of interest also....will see how all that goes with them. We will put up a couple 3 sided shelters apart from her home barn and corral so she can choose where to hang out and munch on her hay or avoid the stormy times under cover.Really looking forward to showing this off to some of the other horse woners we have tucked away here on the coast.
|
||||
Showing 1 of 1 threads for this page
