News Notes

Do Restricted Grazing Systems Affect Pony Behavior?

Using a track system to control a pony’s weight might be better than using a strip system because they move more, according to a recent study that compared both.

Due to concerns about equine obesity—40% of leisure horses are obese—some U.K. owners have restricted grazing for their equids, mostly using one of 2 methods: strip grazing or track systems. A strip system, which is the most common, involves limiting grazing to a specific area—usually a rectangle, which is increased over time with fencing. The track system involves using fencing to create a track around the perimeter of the pasture, which is also increased gradually.

U.K. researchers from several institutions compared them to see which was better. They used 4 groups of ponies kept on pasture and randomly assigned them to each system for 5 weeks.

They tracked activity levels using electronic surveillance for 24 hours, as well as measured morphometric parameters including weight, body condition score and cresty neck score, as well as activity level. These parameters were measured weekly. The ponies grazed for around 68% of their time on both systems.

They found that the ponies moved more and travelled greater distances on the track system than during strip grazing. However, neither system provided significant changes in morphometric parameters, they said, but added this could have been due to the length of the study because weight loss can take several months, even with strict dietary restrictions.

However, the ponies on the track system engaged in more positive behaviors, including less overt aggression, which experts consider to be indications of welfare. “Thus, there may be physical as well as psychological health benefits to the track system,” the researchers wrote. MeV

For more information:
Kirton R, Sandford I, Raffan E, et al. The impact of restricted grazing systems on the behaviour and welfare of ponies. Equine Vet J. 2024 Sept 14.
https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.14411