
Horse Track System Building as an emergent, collaborative process
While gathering case studies for our soon-to-be-released online course (Building a Horse Track System (on the West Coast) and having conversations with horse stewards about their track systems, one common thread that emerges is the feeling that their horses have been a key part of the vision and construction team!
When horses are given freedom and choice to move on land, they naturally create their own “tracks” and preferred ways of moving through the space. Often our job becomes to listen and follow their lead (and couldn’t we apply this concept to so much of our time with our horses?).
And truly, aren’t we creating a track system with our horses as a central focus?
There is no need to rush the building of a horse track system
In fact, it is deeply informative and interesting to allow it to emerge like a work of art, with you, your horses and the land working together to figure out what would like to occur and be built. In this way, we get into right relationship with our horses, the land, and all the other creatures (animals, insects, birds, plants, trees), rather than imposing our will forcefully on the space and in doing so, creating disharmony or even dis-ease.
Often, if we listen and tread lightly, we can preserve and even support biodiversity (and in doing so, increase populations of helpful insects, birds and bats, and give your horses a selection of great medicinal plants to choose from), maintain many more trees (forest tracks are a great way to increase enrichment for your herd), reduce run off, and keep top soil where it’s meant to be. You might think I’m heading right out on a limb, but if you’ve ever spent time on a piece of land that has been stewarded in this way, you’ll feel the quality of harmony, a sense of things being in balance.
From extractive to collaborative
What I am proposing is shifting from an extractive mindset (eg. how much can I get from this land, how much return on investment will this get, how many trees can I sell, how many horses and elements (ring, roundpen, little paddocks) can I fit here) to a collaborative mindset (eg. what would work best for this land, these ecosystems, how can I work with the trees and forests, what is needed to move water well through the land, what would give back to the natural world around us, how can we work in harmony of giving and receiving).
Perhaps this sounds familiar, as it also applies to how we train and work with horses, as well as our own roles in a working environment. It just feels better when things are done together, in collaboration, in the timing and rhythm that works for all.
Take the time to sit with your horses on your land and watch where they like to hang out, or make a temporary track and see what the high traffic zones are or if there are areas that don’t really seem to “flow”.
This can give you information about where to create your hard standing area, where to put your shelters, hay areas, water and more. Don’t be afraid to go slow and do things bit by bit, as you gain understanding and clarity from your herd. Go slow to go fast, as they say.
Building a track system is meant to be an enjoyable, creative and fun process for all concerned.
Encouraging our horses to play a part in the creation of their habitat is key in allowing this process to be a success.
Want to learn more? Our Online Course Build a Horse Track System (on the West Coast) is now available for self study – sign up here