An Accidental Paddock Paradise

by Fiona (NSW, Australia)

I had a few odd areas (around the shed, up the driveway, around the house) that needed grazing around my property (I hate mowing!!), and I wanted to rest my other paddocks, so I set up a network of laneways between these small areas using electric fence tape. It was amazing how much the horses moved, and they really seemed to enjoy the different “landscapes” – I set up a watering trough close to the house (easy to check) and also included some grazing around some stockpiles of recycled road surface (basically recycled highway – tar road all ground up to a gravel-like consistency, which we use on our driveway). My horses hooves trimmed themselves!!

They developed a natural mustang roll, with the slight curve to the side wall, and the extra hoof material wore off naturally. I was very impressed!! My horses are mostly grass eaters (previously managed by fencing off half the paddock at a time so they dont eat too much), as I am a weekend only rider. I am going to set up another “network” of interlinked areas in their big paddock for the next grazing area (instead of just halving it like I used to).

This way I am rotational grazing as well as paddock paradising! I have some natural rocky areas on farm and will include that between the water and the nicest grazing and see how that goes. If it doesn’t keep their hooves trimmed, I will move some of that stockpiled material into their paddock, and create a fenced track across it.

My electric fencing is easy to move – I use a garden hose reel to wind up the tape, and use the portable ’step in’ style of posts (we call them piggy tails because of the curved insultated top). The horses get so excited when they see me moving the tape! They know it means a fresh paddock (which will now be a paddock paradise).