best way to manage 7 acres

[Flicker51]

well it looks as if i may soon have access to 7 acres for 3 horses. They would need to be together rather than in separate paddocks. Question is - how should i separate the land ? Should I :
1. divide into 2 and use /harrow/rest - not poo pick because of size of field or
2. divide into one acre paddocks and poo pick and rotate around more regularly ?

They will be stabled overnight in winter but probably live out in summer/brought in for the day only

Interested to hear your opinions !

 

[Miss L Toe]

It depends on the winter carrying capacity, you may have to sacrifice part of the area for winter use, also fencing is expensive so less is more, I would think that no poo picking would be fine, just keep worm counting.

 

[Irishbabygirl]

I would embrace in your space and just electric off what you need at the time, poo pick and rotate - you might even have enough to save for hay!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

not poo pick because of size of field

What you mean this is too big to depoo??half 7 acres??


We have 8 acres at the back. ours are divided into 4
2 in use two resting - poo picked daily . I got 3/4 of a road trailer (equivalent to 4-5 wheelie loads)

out of our fields at the moment every morning , as they are out over night, ! hr to do but I would NEVER not do it.



harrowed weedkilled and fertilized yearly.


The only time we shut middle gates is when new horses turnup and need to be separated for the first week.

I suggest cutting into either 4 or two that way you always have some resting .

We generally do 3 months on 3 months off.
IMO poo picking goes with the job of owning fields, keeping them clean - worm free. Yes its a pain to do but IMO you muckout a stable everyday so mucking out field is just as important.

 

[Honey08]

Depends on the ground and grass coverage, and whether your horses are good doers etc.

I would split the field into two or three sections with elec fence (but hide the energiser well - they are so nickable!) and see how they go on in one section. Work out which bit would be best for winter - most shelter and easiest access etc, plus dry ground if a wet field..

I have two big horses on 16 acres, five of which they rarely go on as it is too wet. They are stupidly good doers, so only go out on about 4 acres in summer, with grazing muzzles. I usually poo pick in summer, but haven't so much this yr as its so wet and the grass is so long! We top it at the end of summer usually, and roll and harrow in spring. Each used field is rested for at least six months.

 

[NoseyPosey]

We have 4 horses on 5 acres on a slight hill at the top and we've seperated it into 5 areas - 3 long paddocks which get rotated on a judgement basis, a flat "training" paddock for jumping, long reigning etc. and a smaller area for lungeing, grooming. The horses are usually together but we have the option of seperating them if needs be. We've also sectioned everything off so that whichever field they are in, they can take themselves into the stable and/or water if they want.

We poo-pick a barrowfull every day which keeps on top of it. Dividing it up makes it easier to poo-pick instead of having to clear a dispersed area in our experience.

 

[Flicker51]

Thank you for all your replies - think I may need to invest in a paddock hoover ! not sure my knees would stand an hours poo picking a day
They are currently out with a large livery herd on 40 acres so poo picking definitely not an option - field is harrowed and rested.

I guess I need to see a year through as the soil drainage etc is a bit of an unknown atm - at least its quite high up and not too close to any streams so flooding not an issue

Thanks again - good to get the feed back

 

[Miss L Toe]

Re this poo picking business, surely horses avoid a recent poo heap so they will not be picking up live worms/eggs, are you saying that the eggs are around after the poo has disappeared, is there any scientific evidence, I have been in several yards none of them poo pick, and I have never had a high EPG or seen any "worm ridden" horses.
I can understand it when horse are kept on areas the size of a tennis court, but most of ours are in fields, often grazed by sheep.

 

[Dry Rot]

Re this poo picking business, surely horses avoid a recent poo heap so they will not be picking up live worms/eggs, are you saying that the eggs are around after the poo has disappeared, is there any scientific evidence, I have been in several yards none of them poo pick, and I have never had a high EPG or seen any "worm ridden" horses.
I can understand it when horse are kept on areas the size of a tennis court, but most of ours are in fields, often grazed by sheep.

Me too! Another rural myth? How come you're advised to keep poo samples cool when transferring them to do a faecal egg count in case they hatch and then they tell us that infections can lie dormant on pasture for months?

I used to see worms in the poo of my small herd but I've been meticulous about poo picking and worming before moving to clean pasture and haven't seen a worm for ages. Yes, I know that doesn't mean they aren't infected, but I think it does indicate there is no massive infection. I also keep a lot of dogs and it is only the youngsters that seem to need regular worming and then only until they develop a resistance.

The Americans don't understand our obsession with worming. I've always put that down to climatic variations but I'm not so sure. There are parts which have a very similar climate to our own.

 

[CBFan]

I would divide up into smaller paddocks and rest and rotate - perhaps saving half for hay each year.

As for poo picking, I prefer to do it for the simple reason that if you don't then it turns the grazing very patchy as the horses won't eat soiled ground as the grass grows back sour... it also encourages the spread of weeds.