big field management tips?!

huskydamage

huskydamage

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I have my small pony in a massive 8 acre field. There arn't any others to graze with and the YO doesn't really get involved in the field management, we are pretty much left to our own devices. I have no idea how to manage this field and because my pony I hard to catch, I tend to fence it in half in the summer and then the other half goes like a jungle.
If I leave her loose to run in the whole field, she becomes a wild thing that is a law unto herself, galloping from one end to the other!
But sectioning this field hasn't worked well so far, because the rest just goes crazy. Last year there were thistles taller than the pony!
I've toyed with the idea of doing a paddock paradise- type system so I can make a track round the edge and then my pony can walk round all of it and hopefully it wont do the jungle thing so much...but this is way too much grass to keep on top of,
be grateful if anyone has any tips or suggestions! :confused:
 
never thought of sheep, but I think they might go AWOL with the rubbish fencing and eat the neighbouring crops lol :D
hhhmmm so what happens with the bit in the middle of the paddock paradise, do you just keep making it smaller, or put them in it occasionally?
 
in paddock paradise the middle is supposed to be reserved for letting them in for 10 minutes a day or so for a gallop round or allowed to grow and cut for hay.
 
I would either fence her into a small section (or a paddock paradise track around the outside) and get hay off the rest of it (could be sold if you won't use).
 
huskydamage said:
I have my small pony in a massive 8 acre field. There arn't any others to graze with and the YO doesn't really get involved in the field management, we are pretty much left to our own devices. I have no idea how to manage this field and because my pony I hard to catch, I tend to fence it in half in the summer and then the other half goes like a jungle.
If I leave her loose to run in the whole field, she becomes a wild thing that is a law unto herself, galloping from one end to the other!
But sectioning this field hasn't worked well so far, because the rest just goes crazy. Last year there were thistles taller than the pony!
I've toyed with the idea of doing a paddock paradise- type system so I can make a track round the edge and then my pony can walk round all of it and hopefully it wont do the jungle thing so much...but this is way too much grass to keep on top of,
be grateful if anyone has any tips or suggestions! :confused:
Click to expand...



I would start by putting electric fencing or heras fencing. Cut into 4 manageable paddocks. Why has this not worked for you so far???


Then use and rest as you alternate, this way you can weedkill safely while improving the other 3 . Maybe have a couple of other liveries too small ones which don;t disturb the maintenance schedule

You could also get hay off two while you use the other two




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From what you say part of the problem is what to do with the huge amount that isn't eaten? Can you mow it for hay? Or sell the hay crop for someone else to mow it? Not only will you get the hay crop to use or sell (less the contractors cost) or the money but mowing does help hugely with reducing the coarse long grass and biennial weeks like thistles. Just so long as there isn't any ragwort................
 
One pony will never eat all the grass that grows on 8 acres, I'd section it off to managable field sizes that work for the nutritional needs of your pony - s/he may well only need an acre or so over the spring/ autumn when the grass is growing.

I'd then stick an ad on preloved or similar offering the rest of the field for hay making - it'd be hard to get a contractor in to make hay for you on 6 ish acres but someone may well come and make if for themselves and give you some of the hay as 'rent'. You could get 500-600 bales of six acres and I'm guessing your pony wouldn't need that much a year anyway so maybe ask for 100 bales as 'rent' and the rest the person who makes it is free to do what they want with.
 
hi not sure where any of you are but I am in the cambridgeshire area and have some sheep available for grazing management be it short or longer term. thanks
 
Graze one acre and hay or haylage (best idea) the rest - sell it as standing hay/haylage then you won't be lumped with a bill and the storage and removal of bales.

This is what I did one year with mine - worked really well. I split the acre into two ½acres paddocks with electric fencing. After the haylage was cut I left the paddock to recover and used it split into one acre paddocks in rotation through the winter - it supplied the horses with 'Hay on the Stalk' the paddock came out of winter grazed down well and then ready to be left to become hay again.

Or you could do the paddock paradise around the edge and leave the middle for hay/haylage.
 
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