Dilemma...grazing fields

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glamourpuss

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I have 2 horses & a pony. I keep them on my own grazing out 24/7.
There is around 15 acres. 10 acres is currently set aside for hay so I won't have access to that until later on in the year.
The pony is kept on a small 1/4 acre paddock (laminitis prone)
The 2 horses have been out on their spring paddock for about a month....& , because of the weather, it is beyond trashed. Grass has all gone & there is deep mud :(
They are fed 2x day & I'm giving them over a bale of hay a day as well.
I have a 2nd spring paddock, however my intention wasn't to use that for another month or so. Also it's so wet that that's likely to become just as trashed very quickly.....but it has lots of lovely grass!
I can't bear seeing them looking miserable in their mud bath...should I just move them to the 2nd paddock?
The problem being is that if they trash this paddock as quickly it leaves me with no grazing until after the hay comes off :(
I keep thinking that I should wait tomove them until it dries up a little...but this doesn't look like its going to happen any time soon :(

Any advice?
 
How about into the the new field during the day then back in the muddy one over night? Or vice versa? But if they will just run about then wait until its drier.
 
Bring them in all day with hay then turn them out at night into the muddy field with haynets until weather improves. Then sow grass seed!!!
 
Thank you.
No option to bring in at the moment as I'm waiting for planning permission for my stables. I do have a barn I could convert but I'd rather not waste the money if I'm going to get planning [fingers crossed icon]
cm2581 that's not a bad idea. I might try them in the new paddock. If it looks like they are doing too much damage I can always move them back I suppose.
 
No don't move them wait I have had to move two of mine because the builders are here and they have trashed the summer field I means trashed they are not out all the time either wait .
 
I'd say as my gut feeling - grin and bear it - Im in the same predicament plus one of my big boys has a foot abscess - If your feeding bales of hay - they will be grumpy but they wont be that hungry really - this weather will soon be gone I promise ;)
 
We have had a similar situation a couple of years ago. We had two liveries as well as our two horses and two ponies, so a bit more stress to the land. We ended up having to sacrifice an acre or two of the hay field to use as a summer paddock.. If you used the spring paddock now, even for a couple of weeks, the winter field would come back a bit and you may be able to get away without using any of the hayfield. You won't need 10 acres of hay for those equines anyway (we kept two big horses and a pony for 12 months off less than 10 acres of hay..). I don't like seeing them standing in wet mud. You only end up with mud rash or injuries from boredom..
 
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