Introduction

Horses tend to walk along paddock fence lines, particularly if a horse is left in a paddock by itself and there are horses in the next paddock. This concentrated hoof traffic wears down the pasture along the fence, resulting in a bare strip and eventually a hollow track along the fence - this is called 'tracking'.

Bare strips and gutters from tracking can cause rain to funnel and cause erosion. In some cases this can also cause the fence to collapse. Tracking is a more serious issue on steeper slopes because of the high risk of soil erosion.

Steps to achieve best practice

Suggested actions to avoid fence line tracking are:-

• Keep horses in pairs or herds - avoid having single horses in adjacent paddocks.
• Consider the behaviour of horses "left behind" when a mate goes out for a ride. Often serious environmental damage lasting years can be caused over an hour by a stressed horse. Yarding, tying up or placing a temporary friend in the paddock may be options to consider.
• Regularly 'spell' grazing paddocks by rotational grazing.
• Consider constructing double fencing between paddocks if tracking is a problem. It also helps to establish a shelterbelt in the strip between the double fences and if located on the boundary, can assist with disease, weed and fire manangement.
• Look at using temporary electric fencing around areas that are susceptible to tracking.
• Maintain good, hard wearing pastures (see Maintain groundcover and Pasture composition) that can help resist tracking.

Suggested actions to repair areas damaged by tracking are:-

• Remove horses, then fill in the depressions and resow pasture on the area if hollows from tracking are evident.
• Consider options to prevent tracking on these areas in future e.g. put in barriers (rocks etc) to alter direction of horse tracks away from fencelines.
• Fill in the tracking lanes with quarry rubble or other hardened surface to prevent further erosion.

 

 
Concentrated hoof traffic wears down the pasture along the fence, resulting in a bare strip and eventually a hollow track along the fence.

 

Links

• Land Management Program advisers: www.amlrnrm.sa.gov.au/services.html
• Hoofprints - A manual for Horse Property Management - J. Foyel, Primary Industries SA. Agdex 461/10
• Healthy Land Healthy Horses - RIRDC Bookshop: www.rirdc.gov.au
• Managing Horses on Small Properties - by Jane Myers. Landlinks Press available through CSIRO publishing or Horse SA: www.horsesa.asn.au
• Check the websites from your State department of agriculture for additional books and fact sheets