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Location: Studying Track Movement
Discussion: no track in my pasture
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Takelababy |
no track in my pasture
Jun 3 2011, 11:05 PM EDT
I don't have a track but have had numerous opportunities to study how much my horses move. Except for snooze times they are constantly moving as they graze. In winter they get plenty of exercise digging for grass under the snow even tho they have plenty of hay. I have two large round bales bro't in for two horses and they are spaced at least a few hundred yards apart. This in itself keeps the horses walking between bales. The bales are also as far a possible from the water source. On 3 acres I would say my horses walk at least 3 mi over a 24 hr period. I don't have a track, my small pastures are side by side with openings along one end so the horses can move from the farthest field to the water which is in the first field.
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studying track movement
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SpottedTApps |
1. RE: no track in my pasture
Jun 6 2011, 9:00 AM EDT
That is interesting. Do you have any way to put a GPS on one of them? I'd be curious as to just how much they are moving.
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Takelababy |
2. RE: no track in my pasture
Jun 6 2011, 6:33 PM EDT
| Post edited: Jun 7 2011, 5:47 PM EDT
Horses move on their own as walking aids digestion. I have followed their tracks in the snow or after a rain. In the winter they will move to a far corner to snooze out the wind even tho they have access to a good run-in. When we read of how far mustangs move, they are often on sparse vegetation and have to move more than where forage is more plentiful. If studies were published on natural rotation what people would realize is that in spring what the horses search for is different from what they seek in summer and again in fall. I'm not talking about manicured pastures but those containing what we often think of as weeds. Did you know that wild oat seeds are very high in protein, a wallop of protein from a tiny seeds and so do many of the weed seeds the horses will seek out. These provide different vitamins and minerals that are an important part of their diet. Natural foraging is what keeps horses moving.
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