Brambles in field

[badgerdog]

I'm thinking of renting a field for my horses for the winter. The fencing is good but it has quite a few brambles around the perimeter. Will I need to cut all of this back and what's the best method of doing this?

 

[pottamus]

My hedges have brambles in them and around and about...I leave them be to be honest as I think they make the hedge better all round and my horse eats the blackcurrents off them too! Why not get a farmer in with a hedge cutter to trim them back...they will need doing each year though to keep them from getting out of hand.

 

[AmyMay]

If the brambles aren't encrouching on your grazing, I'd be inclined to leave them. They are a good wildlife habitat - and horses like having a munch on them.

 

[badgerdog]

Thanks! I've read that horses eat them I was just worried that they would get their legs caught. They are creeping along the ground rather than growing upwards!

 

[Darkhorse007]

... I had a pretty bad experience this summer with my horse getting into the brambles bush an getting a nasty puncture wound to the stifle area. Still not fully sound - 4 mths later.

But then again... he is a bit daft sometimes

 

[badgerdog]

Sorry to hear about your horse. I heed your warning.

 

[Donkeymad]

I'd leave them. Our fields are full of them on the hedges, never had any problems.

 

[Passtheshampoo]

I have P&R fencing and brambles do grow through and along the ground as in your field. I tend to cut them off with a pair of garden pruners as it's usually me who trips over the damn things anyway!!