8 acres of insanely lush grass plus 3 greedy ponies = ?

[aradiagreen]

Hi,

I have 2 greedy cobs and possibly a 3rd arriving in a month or so plus 1 arabx. So basically 3 ponies, soon to be 4. We are moving to a new field. 8 acres of incredibly lush grass! Its also very wet, about half of it. (I worry that the water pipe leaks though the farmer won't have it - it just seems odd that its the highest part of the field that's so wet.) The field is a T shape. You're supposed to have about 1 acre per horse so I was planning to split it in half. But I'm worried about the long lush grass as 2 of my cobs are perfect candidates for laminitis! So do I reduce the area further?

Also the farmer has sheep and I wondered if he'd agree to adding a few to help cut the grass. Would that be a good idea? I'm assuming I can't cut the grass?!

There's a footpath running diagonally across the widest end of the T that makes sense, where I'd planned to fence! Grrr. Not sure how I'll get round it.

Would you save the wettest part for the driest time of year? And do you rotate between the parts at a set number of weeks or just when the grass is short?

I really know nothing about grass management (as I'm sure you can tell!). Can you recommend a book or website with more info.

Any help is much appreciated and always proves invaluable.

Hannah.

PS How many metres square is 1 acre?

 

[Honey08]

I would definitely leave the wet bit until summer. I would also split the field into four sections initially, and put them all on one bit until it is eaten down, then gradually move the fencing out to enlarge the field (assuming you're going to use electric fencing). A few sheep would help a lot (it has made all the difference on our land and meant the horses didn't have to have muzzles last summer). It would be worth having some grazing muzzles ready for Spring if they do start to look portly!

ps, how often you move them into new fields really depends on how fat/thin they are looking. I would keep at least half of it for winter, so that the summer fields get a rest for six months and the winter one does too.

 

[aradiagreen]

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. Yes I'm using electric fencing (trying to buy a joblot!) to divide it.

I can divide the 8 acres into 4 but only 2 would have access to the trough.

So you'd keep half for winter and half for summer? And maybe split that? So I'd have 4 acres put aside for next winter (or in 6months) and 4 acres to play with? I could give them 2 acres for now and then enlarge to the full 4 when its short. They're used to being on 250acres with 36 other horses! 2 acres won't seem like much space!

I bought a greenguard grazing muzzle for one last summer but he just refused to graze and kept removing it or breaking the straps and removing the plastic bit. I tried plaiting the headpiece in etc. Then he refused to be caught too. So I'll have to sell it and try a Shires though I think he'll just remove that too.

 

[Honey08]

I could give them 2 acres for now and then enlarge to the full 4 when its short. They're used to being on 250acres with 36 other horses! 2 acres won't seem like much space!

That's probably what I'd do, just see how they go on, how muddy it gets etc. If there is plenty of grass they won't care how many acres they are on!

All of ours have kept their Shires muzzles on. One had to have his headcollar over it for a while and tape over the Velcro to make it harder to get off!

 

[Equi]

Leave it until it is dry and starting to grow or you will have a trashed half. Then i would strip or maze graze.

 

[aradiagreen]

Apparently its always wet! I hadn't realised initially just how much of it was wet. I have to move asap though.

 

[putasocinit]

1 acre ea in winter, 1/2 acre ea in summer

 

[Mince Pie]

If it's a T shape I would fence the field into 2 so you have 2 rectangular fields. In the summer have a track round the outside the field and move the fence accordingly and in the winter let them have the whole field when the goodness is out of the grass, if you let it grow you could have 'standing' hay (effectively the grass has the same nutritional value of hay by this point) which will save you money/time in the winter. If managed well you could have a 'trash area' left over for emergencies, which would be the middle of the field which had the track round it.

 

[melissa1971]

I do pretty much the same as BBH suggested mine is 8 acres with 5 small ponies and 1 15hh cob ours is and L shape so spilt into two then each section has a track round outside 3 in one 3 in other then in winter they have the middle as standing hay it's saved me a fortune in hay

 

[aradiagreen]

Can I just sound like a total fool and ask what you mean by 'standing hay'? My ponies are out 24/7 unless ill. Do you mean they graze it as hay? I don't really have enough electric fencing to fence off the centre too. And I don't know how they'd feel coming from 250acres to 1 or less (the outer portion of 2 acres)!

The move has been delayed as I think the water supply is leaking - its far wetter underfoot than I first thought. No wonder the grass is so lush! I'm having to keep pestering the farmer to sort it out as I can't put them on as it is as the ground will be torn to pieces!

I'm planning on dividing the field as you suggested Broke_But_Happy though maybe not with the inner bit - we'll see! I never realised just how expensive electric fencing is! Its costing us £2-300 just to cover 300m (up to 150m with 2 strands). And we need a new trough. One local agricultural merchant says plastics best as horses can kick metal and damage the trough and themselves. Another local agr. merchant says metals best as plastic can go brittle in colder weather! Who's right?

 

[juliette]

With regard to troughs I personally prefer metal, I've had plastic ones split. You can get someone to weld a metal one if the worst comes to the worst, a plastic one has to be thrown out!

 

[aradiagreen]

Thanks. Well the grass is so lush I'm now worrying that even 2 acres may be too much for 3 greedy ponies! So know I'm thinking I might just strip graze it. Cutting the top part across as BBH suggested and a strip down the side and gradually widening it as the grass is eaten. I'll need a lot more electric fencing though!

Do you mean they just graze the standing hay or that I would have to bale it for winter? Its a shame they couldn't just graze it if necessary!

And one vote for metal trough, thanks!

 

[Sprig]

When you have 4 I would pair them up and rotate, having the fatties following the other pair so they always move on to a field that has already been grazed right down.

 

[Mince Pie]

Standing hay is basically very long grass with the same nutritional value as hay, you don't have to cut and bale it. It means that you don't have to put hay out in the winter