Hybrid Horse Keeping Equicentral and Tracks combined

Movement is integral to keeping horses healthy so without motivation to seek resources (water, food, shelter) they tend to move less than the ideal.

Track systems are designed to keep horses moving when resources are spread around the track which also limits or offers no grazing.

I have used tracks since the concept first became popular in the early 2000s with Jaime Jackson’s Paddock Paradise book inspiring my own journey.

Tracks have always worked well for me in limiting grass and motivating movement.

However now that I’ve moved to a different property, and I’m aging, I’ve found there’s a real benefit in having some resources close to the house.

It’s handy to have the shelter and resting area close by for the convenience of hoof trimming, grooming, and giving a daily feed of minerals.

All tools and equipment are located together saving lots of carrying and long walks – perhaps not so great for the humans who need exercise too!

Currently, my horses are on a hybrid system (a combination of Equicentral and track) for 6-8 months of the year.

I allow them out to graze during the daytime, and this extends the use of each pasture they rotate through.

Their mineral feeds are given in the afternoon to entice them back to the track and central yard.

This allows me to shut them out of the grazing area as sugars in the grass increase. On frosty mornings they aren’t allowed out to graze at all and this is where giving them access to round bales of grass hay in Haysaver Slowfeed nets helps keep them happy.

Hybrid works best for me

In the spring and early summer when there’s simply too much grass for them, they are managed with strip grazing while on track confinement. This gives them more movement than a small sacrifice yard or paddock.  I believe their mental and physical health would suffer if kept in a smaller, gravel-surfaced area.

On the track, their water, hay (in nets), and loafing areas are all placed well apart. They move between those frequently; sometimes slowly and at other times enjoying a good gallop!

As I have eleven horses (in two herds), this is very much a work in progress!  I am developing my system to reduce the stress and over-work on a middle-aged body.

This has included extending the gravel track that the horses walk over to enter their central yard to 50m, which is helping them self-trim. That’s quite a bit less trimming for me to do and encourages natural wear patterns that assist my trimming practices.