09/04/2026
So you’re convinced about the benefits of track systems and you want to set-up your own… fabulous!
The best piece of advice I can give you is to draw plans. Lots and lots plans! Get creative!
You do not need a lot of land to create a successful track system. My first track system was just one acre for three horses and four shetlands and created so much more movement than when they were in that very same paddock around which the track was built. A track allows you make use of small acreage, as well as enhancing a large one. It’s all about creating a track that works for you, your land and your horses.
Print out an aerial view of your land from Google Earth and have a play with the general layout of your track. Think about where the shelter will be, where to place the water trough to encourage more movement and where to put in bigger areas for playing/rolling and general horsing around. Take into consideration the layout of the land, where the low lying boggy areas tend to be, where certain areas of tree and shrubs may be and how you can enhance their usage, and where there are hills or uneven ground. Consider whether you want to follow the existing perimeter fence or if you want to build a new one and leave space for an outer hacking track or keep the horses back from a footpath.
Your plans don’t need to be professional or perfect. They just need to make sense to you and enable you to figure out the best places for things to go.
The next step is to try it out. Make sure that when you start, you use temporary materials, eg electric fencing and posts. You won’t know what works best until you get the horses on track and observe them. They’ll show you where they like to sleep or play and where their favourite toilet spots are. You can use this to your advantage, eg don’t build a bedding area in their favourite poo spot! It will also help you figure out which areas drain better, or get muddier, whether corners need to be wider to allow for machinery/poo-picking access and what you’ve got just right.
The fundamental things for a successful track system are (in no particular order):
🐴Living within a herd.
🐴Access to safe shelter (whether it be natural or man made).
🐴Safe fencing.
🐴An area of hardstanding (essential for winter).
🐴At least one larger area for playing/rolling.
🐴Strategic placing of hay stations and the water source.
🐴Constant access to appropriate low sugar forage.
Anything else is an added bonus and, over time, as your track develops, you can add things to provide enrichment for the horses, like log features, mounds, sand pits, water features and various surfaces. You also need to think about what you are allowed to do – be sure to research your local planning permission requirements or check in with your landlord about what you can and can’t do. There are many temporary options available for those running a track for their own horses, but to make a successful track livery, things do need to be more permanent.
This guide (see below) will go into detail about each of the things listed above (plus much more) and their importance. It would be beneficial for you to read through these sections before you begin designing your track system.
📖Extract from my book 'Horse Track Systems: A Guide to a Healthier Horse in Body and Mind' by Amy Dell. Chapter 2, page 8.
Buy to continue reading:
🌍Worldwide orders: https://amzn.to/3Xs8qkE
🇬🇧UK orders (signed copy): https://bit.ly/3Q7pjQ1
Photo is of my first ever track in 2015. It was on just half an acre-ish of land, and promoted way more movement than a paddock of the same size ever had.
