Anyone have a 'field' in a wood? And getting rid of Blackthorn query.

[canteron]

I have quite a densely wooded wood that borders onto my field and am thinking of opening it up for the equines. I am thinking that in Summer it could be a way of increasing turnout without increasing grazing.

Has anyone done this and any hints/things to beware of?

There is a bit of blackthorn that I know I will have to fence off and try and kill - anyone successfully got ride of blackthorn?

Many thanks in advance

 

[Dubsie]

We have an acre of woodland, that lies fairly wet and has lots of Alder trees, it'd be no good as grazing due to the wet, but the Alder balance it nicely. We shut it off all winter, but it provides rotational grazing with our top paddock from about April onwards - I do a week on each or two weeks on each, depending on how wet / how much growth. We thinned some of the trees, took out enough so we have a mini XC course in there utilising ditches, logs etc, the ground is always just soft enough even if we've nto had rain for 6 weeks, so provides a good place to exercise too. Where the cover has been thinned the light has come in and we get a good growth of grass. I also strim the nettles and they wilt and provide additional fodder, one side also has a mightly crop of cleavers which they love. It's also thick with bluebells in places which they don't touch at all. They love going in the woods as it's cooler when hot, the ground is damper which is nice for a good roll for the one that likes to get muddy, and they can get away from the flies a bit. Funnily enough I always envisaged they'd get scratches and cuts from being in the trees, and despite the fact they sometimes hoon about in there I've yet to see them crash into trees or come back up with an injury, they seem quite capable of belting through the trees at a gallop without mishap. I think the biggest thing is to keep walking the boundary as very often a tree/bit of tree falls and has a fence down.
If it's dense, then I'd be looking to cut down several to make 'paths', so as to let light in and encourage grass growth, so as to maximise grazing (if you need grazing). You should be able to find someone with a chainsaw (and a log burner) will do it for the wood if you don't have the equipment yourself.
I'd simply hack down the blackthorn and burn it, then spray the root with Roundup or similar.

 

[canteron]

Dubsie, thanks for that reply, really useful. Looks as if I have a project now fencing, cutting back blackthorn and getting it ready for Summer! Interesting that they don't touch the bluebells. It has a beautiful cover of bluebells in the Spring, so I was anticipating letting those go over and then letting them use it.