anyone got any grass yet?!

[D66]

Yes, loads. The fields were grazed last year by sheep and are so lush that we have taken on next door's horses to eat it down a bit.

 

[Meredith]

We haven’t had rain for a while, just snow last weekend. No rain forecast for 2 weeks.
I compare the grazed field, which looks barren but isn’t, to the other which was last grazed in December. I know my pony has eaten the difference. I feed a very little hay night and morning. His belly says he is fine. I cannot use the second field until July. ( EGS )
OH has cut the garden grass, I hesitate to call it a lawn, twice and it needs cutting again. The grass has grown, somehow you don’t notice it.

 

[Annagain]

Not noticeably but the boys are barely eating any hay overnight (still in at the moment) and we have very green sloppy poo so they must be eating it as soon as it comes through.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

More than I need for sure. I have just shut off hay fields a month earlier than usual - I still have half a barn of last years hay and already contemplating that it is time to start strip grazing as one of my donkeys is laminitic and my old mare is better kept on the trim side for her own wellbeing.

This time last year I was desperately buying in any hay I could find for the four of them, just goes to show the difference if you remove one very greedy 17.3 equine labrador from the herd!

 

[MarvelVillis]

The horses are still in their winter fields and have hay every day. I think YO is allowing us to move to the summer fields in May but tbh the grass hasn't been growing that well due to lack of rain I'm just grateful hay is included in my livery price... but I bet the YO isn't!

 

[PapaverFollis]

There is no notable difference between the grazed and fenced off areas of my field yet, and they have been coming in hungry when asked to come in. There must be something out there because they aren't coming for hay before being asked... but it's not exactly shooting up. The neighbours did a first cut of their lawns yesterday though.

 

[Pippity]

Even the summer fields are pretty bare when you look close. She's getting enough in her winter field to keep her belly not-empty, but she's always very keen to come in to her haynet. (Good - she had steroid injections last week, so the harder she has to work to eat, the better.)

 

[Asha]

the fields that are resting have some growth on them now. But im having to put hay out in the fields that are being grazed as its not growing that fast. But to be honest im happy to do it, as my old girl hasnt looked as good in ages. Crest and fat deposits right down, shes out 24/7 and is sooo happy. Its fab to see.

 

[Nudibranch]

Quite happy with the dry. We have springs appear in the middle of the fields in the winter so nice to see everything dry up. And less grass is perfect for my good doers. Could do with a bit more warmth though (in which case the grass will grow and they're back on their track).

 

[SEL]

Its not growing very fast but it must be sweet because I have 3 x hungry but fat horses - they've piled it on recently because it was too short to muzzle.

So the electric fencing it out and piles of soaked hay which can be eaten through muzzles despite complaints to Pony Line.

 

[Widgeon]

It doesn't look like it when you look at the ground,pony's belly tells a different story ?

Our fields look like we have nothing at all, but pony has gone down to a fraction of the hay he was on in the winter. And I see him grazing, so there's obviously something to graze on. Not much though. It's very dusty too and a lot of ours are coughing :-(

 

[dorsetladette]

It doesn't look like it when you look at the ground,pony's belly tells a different story ?

I'm in the same boat. The ground is not really telling the same story as the belly on B.

 

[fankino04]

Mines getting tried in a muzzle on Saturday morning, first time in 13 years of owning her...

 

[eggs]

The summer fields that have been rested since last autumn have got a little bit of growth but not enough for me to want to swap over from the bigger winter field. As others have said we do actually need a bit of rain now.

Whilst the winter fields looks pretty bare they are not so interested in coming in at night as they were a few weeks ago so there must be something coming up. I did have a bit of a tidy up this morning and chucked a couple of large wheelbarrows of old hay that they had been ignoring if it was put in a stable out into the field this morning and they all rushed over and started scoffing it. They get a large bag of hay each before going out in the morning but I don't usually hay in the field.

 

[hollyandivy123]

out over night in a muzzle, then in to soaked hay through the day, not much grass which means she has to move about more to find the long bits

 

[Scotsbadboy]

Yes plenty but it doesnt really look like its growing. Im strip grazing the last half paddock of standing foggage and feeding hay and im happy with his weight. Bucks area.

 

[Highflinger]

Very little grass here in Surrey - it has greened up a bit but very short . We are on sand. . Very cold nights and dry. We had quite a lot of snow Monday although it did not hang around. They are still keen for hay .

 

[PapaverFollis]

Given the palaver we've just had coming in from the field I'm going to hazard a guess that mine is growing now. ?

 

[PurBee]

Where the herds of wild deer cant get to, there’s plenty of grass growing west ireland!

unfortunately, my paddocks are slim pickings...it’s slow this year, these cold nights.

 

[Wishfilly]

We have a little bit, but not loads. Hardly scientific, but in the corner where my water buckets are (and I often tip them) the grass is better/lusher. Even the fields that are currently empty don't have loads of growth (although the cross country field at the yard which isn't grazed at all does look lush).

FWIW I am West Cornwall and we aren't out of hay, but a lot of what is available is not great quality and more expensive than usual/last winter. I do think hay stocks were impacted a bit by the weather last year.

Apparently we have only had 8% of the average rainfall for April this year so far (not sure if that is in Cornwall or the whole of the UK). It's hard to see how this wouldn't have an impact on hay...

 

[scruffyponies]

Not even growing on the water meadow, and the ground is only 3" over the water table, (we had a look down the old well). It has just been too cold and dry.

 

[southerncomfort]

Given the palaver we've just had coming in from the field I'm going to hazard a guess that mine is growing now. ?

Well I didn't think their was a blade of new grass in the paddock but having just poo picked I was amazed at the number of sloppy, bright green droppings!

I gave them the option of going back in the winter field overnight but was politely but firmly told No!

 

[ycbm]

I'm at 1100 feet in the North and I've had my mare in a muzzle and on soaked forage since February. Judging by the lawn and poop quality, it's definitely growing.
.

 

[PSD]

We haven’t got a big lush field like we usually do but it is there. Mine are stood by the gate shouting to come in by 4pm, they go straight for their hay too.

I don’t mind though, after what I went through last year I’m paranoid about grass and sugars.

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

It's trying here but not enough, we're still haying almost the same amount as we did all winter!

 

[scats]

In our totally rested summer fields, far too much. Mine aren’t going anywhere near it.
I’m still rotating between my two all-year fields. Dare I say we could do with a bit of rain...

 

[NLPM]

Doesn't look like we have any, but any inaccessible areas (behind the shelter/the gate airlock, etc.) are looking very lush so I assume the fields are growing at a similar rate but eaten before they have chance to look like anything is growing. The horses are looking well too.

The paddock rested since December is mid-calf height now in places.

 

[catembi]

Actually, I stand corrected... I have no visible grass, my two have unrestricted access to the yard with 6 stables, full hay net in each...and this morning the nets are all still full...! ? So they are somehow eating enough grass not to touch any hay...! Oh well, grass is free, unlike hay! ?

 

[Spottyappy]

We have none, still feeding copious amounts of expensive hay.
I had to use my usual “spring” field in th winter because of the weather, and sycamore seeds. So, 8 had 2 fields trashed instead of 1, but I got them off of the spring field mid February, and its not recovered at all.

 

[spotty_pony]

we have lots but mainly due to having lots of land... I don't think the parts which have been eaten down are growing back much yet - it's been too cold!