Any tips on coping with knee deep clay ?

[JLD]

Help - I know everyone is in the same boat and compared to some I am lucky as my home is fine but I wondered if any one had any tips on managing daily tasks as I am really struggling. I have my pony at home, a disc prolapse and have 2 acres of sloping very heavy clay ! he is up on a yard at night and out in the day in about an acre with free access to yard and stable , he is choosing to be out so I guess there is still grass but if I gave him hay in his stable he would never go out. Obviously with limited grazing I need to manage it carefully but I can no longer get a wheelbarrow 3' out the gate let alone across the field to poo pick, I can't walk across it without going over at least twice, and wrenching everything slipping countless times so carrying a trug is a no go but the poo is mounting up as haven't been able to do it for 3 weeks now. Am I missing some trick that someone knows, or do I just give up until it dries up but who knows when that will be ? I can't keep my electric fencing up either as no solid purchase in ground for posts. Today also gutted as couldn't get my hay delivered to the hay shed as only access to yard is across field so was delivered to my then dry garage which has now flooded (as my neighbours haven't maintained any drainage ditches for years !) trashing 50% of it. Tired and so so wet !

 

[Copperpot]

I'm no help I'm afraid. I've given up on poo picking. I gave 3 on 7 acres and am just pretending I can't see the mounting poo piles!

 

[Enfys]

Right.

#1 You are no good to your horse, family or yourself if you are damaged, so give up on the poo picking for a while - it will still be there when the ground dries up.

#2 Pull, don't push. Get a sled.

Sorry about your hay, that is a massive pita, and expensive waste of money. Have you got pallets?

 

[ROMANY 1959]

My friend uses a plastic sledge with a tug tub on top with a long pull rope... Saves pushing and carrying .. She started doing this when ground was frozen and rutted...and it works on clay mud too!

 

[Auslander]

I don't poo pick in winter. The horses are all worm counted/wormed as required, and I refuse to suffer death by poo. I get the fields harrowed in spring, then poo pick when the ground is dry.

The birds are very happy with this - I can barely see any piles, as they descend and spread it all for me!

 

[laura_nash]

I gave up on poo picking a while back! You say you have 2 acres and he is out on about 1 acre, so presumably it is split up? If you have some clean grazing waiting I would give up on poo picking for now and worry about it when things dry up. The last field mine were in I had planned to harrow in the summer but it already has no visible poo, the rain seems to have beaten it into the ground! Not sure if worm eggs survive drowning, but I'm certainly not worrying for now about the poo left in the summer fields that are currently part of a lake.

I sympathise on the fencing posts falling over constantly in the wet ground, I have the same problem and don't have a solution I'm afraid. I've fixed a few hooks to trees etc to try and hold the fencing up, but they still keep going over and had both ponies happily resting on the septic tank lid a couple of days back.

So sorry about the hay If it was in your garage would it be covered by your house insurance?

 

[oldie48]

I also don't poo pick in winter. I have 2 on 7 acres of heavy clay over the winter, they are stabled at night. I move them to smaller paddocks in the spring, which I do poo pick and make haylage from the winter grazing. Both have clear worm counts. I think you need to be a bit kinder to yourself!

I don't poo pick in winter. The horses are all worm counted/wormed as required, and I refuse to suffer death by poo. I get the fields harrowed in spring, then poo pick when the ground is dry.

The birds are very happy with this - I can barely see any piles, as they descend and spread it all for me!

 

[Nappy Croc]

We have 5 on about 4 acres as our winter turnout and try to save the rest of the land, it's all clay so everything gets trashed, you just spread the mess using more. We don't poo pick the churned up fields. It's bad enough just turning out and getting in!

 

[FFAQ]

I also have given up on poo picking. However, the sled idea is an excellent one!! I have started 'working' Munchie in harness this winter - he delivers the haylage to the field, and I am planning on using him to harrow and roll the field if it ever dries up. I am so tempted to let them out on the half that has been resting since the summer, but I know there's no point - it too would be trashed within a day.

 

[JLD]

Thanks all - am off to buy a sledge tomorrow, even if I can just do a bit I will be happier although the bottom of my field flooded since I posted so at least I can't see the poo - I am still unsure how it flooded - we are on a hill !! My hay was on pallets, the people uphill from us have totally blocked and trashed drainage ditches, and have denied us access to sort it out. So instead of the water being diverted down the usual ditches it just flows down onto us !

 

[spacie1977]

The problem with leaving it all winter is that not only is it poor worm management, but all the grass will sour, and you're already limited with turnout so will want to look after what little grazing you have. I'd use a tug tub and form a big pile in the middle of the field to deal with when it's a bit drier. At least then the poo won't be covering the whole field, and it'll be easier than trying to push around a wheelbarrow.
You're lucky you can turn out at all though; my turnout is on a steep clay slope and it's not safe in this wet weather for my lad to charge about on it so I have to use our outdoor school and sand pens. So he's getting some form of turnout but not much. But poo picking is easier at least.

 

[Pebble101]

I don't poo pick in winter. The horses are all worm counted/wormed as required, and I refuse to suffer death by poo. I get the fields harrowed in spring, then poo pick when the ground is dry.

The birds are very happy with this - I can barely see any piles, as they descend and spread it all for me!

This is what I do but I have 2 on 6 acres in the winter.

I know someone who has about 6 piles around the edge of her field - it's a lot easier if you don't have to drag it across the field. It is never moved but just rots down.

 

[Sukistokes2]

i have just under 4 acres, I currently have 2 horses but did have 3. I have a winter area and a summer area, all mainly split with electric fencing. In the winter they trash the winter area and i do not poo pick, as you would be taking your life in to your own hands at times. They are out all day and in at night, it gets very deep and becomes impossible to lead through so I let mine walk in one at a time and they walk straight in to their stables. I move them off in the spring and then rotate them over the rest of the grazing throughout the rest of the year, which I do poo pick. My worm counts remain good and I have to worm rarely. The winter paddock is left from April to October and rolled and topped by a local farmer. I find that most of the poo is walked in to the clay anyhow. Clay is difficult and you have to deal with it the best you can but there is no way i'd be going out there and picking poo in deep clay mud, there is no grass so they eat hay anyhow. Why risk your health by stressing about it?

 

[AandK]

Mine are out 24/7 on clay type ground, so very wet now (although not knee deep!). I have been at this yard for just over 3yrs now, so this is my 4th winter. Old yard was very well draining so I poo picked all year round, every day. I tried my first winter here and quickly gave up! It was just impossible to pull or push a wheelbarrow of wet poo through the mud. I only poo pick from March/April to Oct ish now.
ETA - horses are worm egg counted/blood tested and then wormed as appropriate, so I know this routine is doing them no harm.

 

[Luci07]

Thanks all - am off to buy a sledge tomorrow, even if I can just do a bit I will be happier although the bottom of my field flooded since I posted so at least I can't see the poo - I am still unsure how it flooded - we are on a hill !! My hay was on pallets, the people uphill from us have totally blocked and trashed drainage ditches, and have denied us access to sort it out. So instead of the water being diverted down the usual ditches it just flows down onto us !

Get onto your council, say your house is now in danger of flooding and you need them to clear these ditches immediately. They should also have sand bags they can offer you to keep your garage dry. My village flooded badly last time so a local response group was set up (I just enjoy the benefits) but I see the emails and know that they are quick to get the council out to support unblocking drains etc, while working to clear ditches as well.

 

[Lanky Loll]

I don't poo pick in winter. The horses are all worm counted/wormed as required, and I refuse to suffer death by poo. I get the fields harrowed in spring, then poo pick when the ground is dry.

The birds are very happy with this - I can barely see any piles, as they descend and spread it all for me!

This but also to be honest if it's that bad I wouldn't be turning out for the time being.

 

[Suby2]

I am so pleased that I read this thread. My field is not clay but is very wet/muddy and I have been struggling carrying soaked hay across and trying to poo pick. Went to Go Outdoors and bought a nice red sled for £8. Best £8 I have spent. I can now easily take the hay across and poo picking (with the trug on the sled idea) is also much less hassle.

One bonus is that the wheelbarrow left ruts in the mud but the sled flattens it!