The Effect of Strip Grazing on Physical Activity and Behavior in Ponies.

The research article focuses on the impact of strip grazing on physical activity and behavior in ponies. The study demonstrates that while strip grazing does not significantly affect the ponies’ physical activity, it leads to preferential grazing of newly available grass.

Methodology

• Two separate studies were conducted with ten British ponies being used in each study. The ponies were randomly divided into either a paddock A or B in the first study. Paddock B was further divided into seven equal strips with the ponies given access to one new strip per day over the course of seven days.
• In the second study, the ponies were individually assigned to three different fields for 14 days: a control field with unlimited access, a record-breaking field that increased in size daily, and a field that was strip grazed using moving fences.
• These methods were combined with the use of accelerometers attached to the poll of each pony to monitor physical activity. This data was then broken down into twenty-four-hour periods and each 10-second epoch was classified as standing, grazing or moving using pre-established cut-off points.
• Additionally, behavioral monitoring was performed through direct observation on days 12-14 for the second study only.

Results

• The data from the accelerometers revealed that strip grazing did not significantly affect the time the ponies spent in each physical activity category in either study. This suggests that the allocation of grazing space did not impact the overall levels of physical activity.
• However, the behavioral observations revealed that all ponies spent the majority of their time grazing within 4 hours of the moving of the fences. It also showed that the ponies that were strip grazed spent significantly more time grazing the fresh grass compared to other areas.
• Overall, the results indicate that while strip grazing does not seem to impact physical activity levels, it does influence grazing behavior by promoting the consumption of newly available grass.