Equine concepts in tortoise husbandry?

[Mad_Moose]

Probably a really out there discussion point - I keep seeing tortoises likened to horses in this forum in terms of how they should be kept space wise, being a long time equestrian and animal scientist by education (but a very new tortoise keeper) I was wondering if anyone had thoughts about theoretically using equine strategies in tortoise care to encourage movement in slightly smaller spaces (like paddock paradise type setups, where you purposefully make the animal travel a farther distance to get to a specific resource in the enclosure, create a cyclic travel pattern with one resource on one end and and a second on another, blocking the "direct paths" of travel so they have to go around, or create a "moving target" for their feed with enrichment items - like feeder balls, or smaller food caches scattered around different spots in the environment)

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Probably a really out there discussion point - I keep seeing tortoises likened to horses in this forum in terms of how they should be kept space wise, being a long time equestrian and animal scientist by education (but a very new tortoise keeper) I was wondering if anyone had thoughts about theoretically using equine strategies in tortoise care to encourage movement in slightly smaller spaces (like paddock paradise type setups, where you purposefully make the animal travel a farther distance to get to a specific resource in the enclosure, create a cyclic travel pattern with one resource on one end and and a second on another, blocking the "direct paths" of travel so they have to go around, or create a "moving target" for their feed with enrichment items - like feeder balls, or smaller food caches scattered around different spots in the environment)

Hello!

Many of the "tricks" you have mentioned are actually used in tortoise enclosures:
1. Blocking line of sight - so tortoise can't see the other end of the pen to encourage explorative and foraging behaviour. Achieved with walls, plants, substrate elevations, ramps and so on. Also small re-arrangements.
2. Growing plants for encouraging grazing and foraging behaviour.
3. Scattering foods or changing food bowls location
4. Providing temperature and lightning gradients so tortoises move to thermoregulate.
5. Pure exercise things like hamster wheels for smaller species.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

There are two reasons why I have made this comparison in the past:
1. Tortoises need locomotion for healthy digestion, like horses.
2. Larger hay eating species grace similarly to horses, and many people don't realize how much room is needed to provide a grazing area outdoors. A too small area for grazing will result to a muddy mess where nothing grows, similar to horses.

create a "moving target" for their feed with enrichment items - like feeder balls, or smaller food caches scattered around different spots in the environment)

Many use feeder balls which roll on the ground, I myself have one of those "hamster hay balls" that I hang to make my tortoise to reach for his food.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello and welcome! Definitely a good discussion point! What kind of tortoise do you keep?

 

[Mad_Moose]

@Littleredfootbigredheart I have an adult russian tortoise that was given to me last week by a coworker - so I've been reading up all I can on here to try and improve his current setup!

On setup size and grazing, when you move from space for movement to space to prevent poor quality forage and footing - the conventional wisdom with equines is the opposite of setups just focusing on movement. For pasture maintenance the current *best practices are to decrease the grazing space to control the rate and amount of movement over the grasses that bind the soil and prevent them from damaging the forage too badly, and move them through similarly small areas as they eat through the currently available forage. Ideally you'd follow their grazing either with a different grazing species to break up the parasite cycle or with chickens to harrow the manure and eat the parasites from the manure, but if none are available you'd just make enough small sections that you return to rotation spot 1 after ~ 31 days to prevent them from picking up a higher parasite load.

Does their smaller size and larger footprint (literally, big feet for their bodies) in tortoises make them less liable to just trash large open expanses? (i.e I can give my horse 5 acres to graze on, but they will find the same spots to stand and eat from and often won't go for all of the available grazing unless prompted, which still creates extremes for stressed and short forages and in wet seasons, giant mud pits across the whole pasture)

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I would want to get the opinion of people who have owned larger tortoise species @Tom @wellington @Maggie3fan @Yvonne G

 

[wellington]

I would want to get the opinion of people who have owned larger tortoise species @Tom @wellington @Maggie3fan @Yvonne G

My leopards only destroy their walking path. All the grasses/weeds between the pathways do not get eaten down enough at all, that I have to weed whack a couple times a summer.
Way back in the day, when I had horses, they never grazed their pasture clean. I would feed their normal meal and the rest of the day they would graze if they wanted. I do the same with my tortoises most days, except I let them graze first and then feed either mulberry leaves, greens or mazuri.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I don’t suppose we could see your enclosure?

 

[TammyJ]

I don’t suppose we could see your enclosure?

Why would you not suppose that?

 

[TammyJ]

Why would you not suppose that?

Tammy. Don't start.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Why would you not suppose that?

Oh Tammy

 

[Mad_Moose]

I don’t suppose we could see your enclosure?

I'd be happy to share what he started out with, what I've adjusted it to so far and my drawn plans for his permanent home and setup, but it would likely be derailing this forum post itself

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I'd be happy to share what he started out with, what I've adjusted it to so far and my drawn plans for his permanent home and setup, but it would likely be derailing this forum post itself

Feel free to make another thread if you wish! But also don’t worry about posting the current one here too! We love seeing what different set ups people create