Welford Road Track System

05/07/2026

Our hay is now baled and stacked!

First time EVER getting our own hay cut.
It was such an interesting process to see up close and personal.
Mum was a nervous wreck almost the entire time, and says she will never do it again 🤣

Thanks to Troy Sansom and his team for doing an awesome job and keeping Mum and me sort of sane through the process, they were not only timely and professional but charged a very reasonable fee for some brutally hard work.

Thanks also to Rob for carting and stacking it all for us - that was a long, hot day's work and we really appreciate it! 💚

We've learned so much, and we're thrilled with the results, so we put this video together to show the adventure to all of our followers 😁🐴

Enjoy! ☀️

05/07/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BFmRqvAqe/

👉What science says about track systems for my friends on those track liveries which follow the science 🧬 ❤️

Recent peer-reviewed evidence suggests that track grazing systems are an effective and welfare friendly approach to managing obesity prone horses and ponies.

In a crossover study of 35 ponies, those on track systems moved significantly more (around 7km/day) when compared to strip grazed ponies (5.3 km/day) on strip and showed fewer aggressive interactions. This study was however too short to demonstrate significant weight loss (Kirton et al 2025).

A subsequent study of 19 horses at HorseWorld UK found that horses managed on track systems lost an average of 10.7 kg (3.4% of body weight) over the summer, while comparable horses on restricted paddocks gained 6.8 kg (1.5% of body weight), with no negative effects on welfare, behaviour, or hoof health (Cameron et al 2025).

Together, these studies indicate that track systems increase voluntary movement, reduce social conflict, support natural grazing behaviour, and can produce meaningful weight loss in horses susceptible to obesity, laminitis, or metabolic disorders while maintaining overall welfare.

References

Cameron, L.; Challinor, M.; Armstrong, S.; Kennedy, A.; Hollister, S.; Fletcher, K. (2025) Tracking the Track: The Impact of Different Grazing Strategies on Managing Equine Obesity. Animals, 15, 874. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/ani15060874

Kirton R, Sandford I, Raffan E, Hallsworth S, Burman OHP, Morgan R. (2025) The impact of restricted grazing systems on the behaviour and welfare of ponies. Equine Vet J;57(3):737–44. 1111/evj.14411

Please support the following tracks who do not spread misinformation (and message me if you want to be added)

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25/06/2026

Got some new zebra print fly rugs to try and keep the flies at bay. I think Lark looks quite dashing in her new outfit but Sherry decided she didn't want zebras entering the herd and we had to separate them. Horses love to make things more complicated than necessary!

Took half an hour or so to convince them all to get on nicely and stand in the shade by the pond.

25/06/2026

The boys trotting down this morning to get their feet trimmed 😊
They move so nicely together ❤️

02/06/2026

Found some fallen ash tree branches on the road so we picked them up in the trailer and brought them over to the track. The horses absolutely love them.

So nice to see them enjoying what we found for them 😁

02/06/2026

Lark enjoying the scratching post a bit too much! 🤣

22/05/2026

While we were out, an airplane landed in the field beside us. Sherry didn't mind a bit! By the time we walked up the hill, the owner had left and we decided to have a closer look since it was right on the side of the path.

Sherry is so relaxed with everything, it's really quite amazing.

Couldn't ask for a kinder, quieter, more emotionally intelligent horse ❤️

22/05/2026

Sherry was out today enjoying a walk in hand (with a few minutes of ridden - only third or fourth time she's been sat on!)

She's such a darling ❤️

22/05/2026

It's absolutely fantastic to see them all coming over to greet us each time we arrive. They don't always canter over like this, so it's really special when they do.

Love these mares ❤️

19/05/2026

We're really thrilled to announce that our website is now up and running!!! 😁

There's an extensive FAQ for anyone wondering how the track works and what we offer ☺️