Was Ist Ein Gleissystem, Auch „Fahrerlagerparadies“genannt?

Rachel Fraser entdeckt die Vorteile, Pferde auf der Spur zu halten und wie Sie Änderungen an Ihrem Setup vornehmen können, ohne die Bank zu sprengen

Auf der Mission, meinen Pferden zu helfen, ein gesundes Gewicht zu erreichen und zu halten, stieß ich auf das „Paddock Paradise“oder Track-System zur Haltung von Pferden.

Das (ganz) Grundprinzip besteht darin, eine Laufbahn zu haben - normalerweise um den Umfang eines Feldes herum - mit Wasser, Heu und Nahrungsergänzungsmitteln, die an verschiedenen Stellen verteilt werden, um sicherzustellen, dass die Pferde motiviert bleiben, sich fortzubewegen.

Tracks können eine Vielzahl von Oberflächen wie Hart- und Raufaser sowie Hindernisse, zum Beispiel kleine Baumstämme, für Pferde umfassen. Einige Fährten sind völlig grasfrei, aber Heu wird normalerweise nach Belieben bereitgestellt, damit das Pferd lernen kann, seine Aufnahme selbst zu regulieren.

Entlang der Strecke sollte auch ein breiterer Bereich für die Pferde geschaffen werden, um sich zu sammeln, Kontakte zu knüpfen und sich hinzulegen.

Wie Tracks beim Abnehmen von Pferden helfen können

Track Living hat Charmaine Walkers Pony (Bild unten) geholfen, Gewicht zu verlieren.

Sie erklärt: „Damit habe ich schon lange experimentiert und vor einigen Monaten hatte ich das Glück, meinen eigenen Garten zur Miete angeboten zu bekommen. Der Landbesitzer ist fantastisch und hat sich gefreut, dass ich die Strecke habe.

“i think attitudes towards tracks are changing and the system is gaining traction. it does take some time for those with more traditional set-ups to adjust, but honestly i have seen such a change with my two, i would be sad to go back to full paddock turnout.”

a livery yard using a track system

lauren, who runs graveney equine as a track livery, explains how she came across this alternative horsey set-up: “i originally looked to a track system to help rehabilitate my horse’s hooves. she was only a youngster and had cracks and seedy toe on all four feet when i took her on.

“i stumbled across the concept of barefoot trimming and the trimmer mentioned paddock paradise systems, we trialled it with my own horse. it took three months for her feet to be fully recovered and i had seen so many benefits to her temperament that i was so excited to see what else this set-up could achieve.

“we opened graveney equine in 2014 when we bought a house with its own land and setting up a track system as opposed to a generic paddock arrangement was a no brainer to me by this point.

“we now have a track of 1km which, after some extension work this summer, will be even longer. we currently have 15 horses but with demand being so high, our improvements will see us creating space for more.

“we have seen some incredible rehabilitation through this system. people often concentrate their focus on hoof health and weight loss but we have dealt with a couple of very challenging behavioural cases and a severe neglect case too.

“our track system has thrived because it allows horses to be horses. every time a horse is asked to live outside of its comfort zone of having ‘friends, forage and freedom’, we are putting stress on their system.

“to provide a much more species-appropriate way of living means that our horses can have their physiological and psychological needs met and stand much more chance of being fit mentally and physically.

“the other thing i love about these systems is that the sky is the limit. they develop, morph, adapt and grow as you experiment with what works and what needs improving. to be able to observe behaviour and use those observations to inform your future developments really ignites the perfectionist in me!”

how to set-up a track system without breaking the bank

grass tracks are a good place to start - surfacing can be expensive or require planning and landowner permission, but a grass track can be set up relatively easily with temporary electric fencing.

use what you have - if you have hedgerows with horse-friendly plants, incorporate these into your track to offer natural variety to your horse’s diet. similarly, if your field has a shelter – natural or man-made – make sure your horse can access these on the track.

obstacles - these can be a fun addition that needn’t cost the earth. if you have branches to cut-down, these can make log poles for your horse to walk or trot over - just make sure there’s a way around the edge if any members of the herd would struggle with polework.

start small - as lauren said, the possibilities for tracks to grow and develop over time are endless, so don’t worry about having the ‘perfect’ track from the word go - you can always add to it when you see what works well for your horses.

do your research - for anyone interested in this alternative style of horse-keeping, ‘ paddock paradise: a guide to natural horse boarding ’ by jaime jackson is a must-read. there are also some very helpful track system groups on facebook to swap suggestions and share advice with fellow ‘trackies’.