does this look ok for horses ??

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mariebx19

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i will be renting this field for my 2 horses starting next week ? does it look ok for horses ? can they eat they long plant things ?












 
Just hunt round for ragwort and other toxic plants. I would electric fence the existing barrier to be sure they can't get out/get legs stuck in the wire.

All looks ok to me.
 
It's difficult to see, but I think IMHO I would need to be a bit more confident on the fencing myself. Is it all animal proof? The equine type to keep in, and seeing you are near houses the human kind if they get interested in the ponies?

Not sure that has helped? :confused:
 
thanks.there is no ragwort or other plants.yeah i am hoping to get fencing before i get them in.people are always walking there dogs through the field and there is a field beside this one with riding school horses in it and they through sticks for their dogs in the field with horses,that is the only reason i dont want to rent it and incase any dog/person does hurt or try to steal them.but the field is a 5 minute walk from my house so i can be there all the time (cause my car is of the road just now so having to rely on people to take me to the yard-a few times every week) and when i am there it is so busy,i can barely do anything with the horses.i will start looking for good,cheap fencing,either wire,metal or electric.
 
mariebx19 said:
i will be renting this field for my 2 horses starting next week ? does it look ok for horses ? can they eat they long plant things ?












Click to expand...

  • With decent fencing
  • A thorough check all round for hidden rabbit holes etc
  • thorough check for dangerous objects
  • some work on removing weeds etc
  • checking water supply
  • removal of all rubbish


Then I would say yes
 
Agree with above, the tall plant things are docks, horses won't eat them and they can start to take over so a bit of spot spraying wouldn't harm.

A diecent fence - especially as it opens stright onto a road.

There is a lot of grass - will you section it off and let them eat down bits at a time? If you have good doers then there's a big risk of getting pretty fat pretty quickly with that much grass.
 
Thoroughly check for weeds and remove them.
Check for rabbit holes etc, fill them in.
Sort out the fencing - that stuff is sheep netting primarily and having had a horse get his leg stuck in that (out hunting, though, not in field), I can tell you it can be pretty nasty to deal with the resulting injury. I would want more than just a bit of electric fencing. Can you afford to get up proper post and rail?

You mentioned people walking dogs through - is there a public footpath running through it? If not then I would want to put up good, solid fencing to prevent people from getting in. I think I'd probably put up post & rail, then a line of electric fencing inside that as well. Make it as difficult as possible for people to wander in and out. Depending how much you want to spend you could even think about getting hedges laid...

What about water - will you take it with you or is there a water supply already there?

Get some decent gates put up in the fence line (not opening straight onto the road, ideally), and some good chains/locks to secure them. TBH if people want to steal your horses or stuff then they will do, but you can make it as difficult as possible.
 
i am going to get fencing before moving them to make a good sized paddock so they are not getting too much grass and so they stay away from the road until i can get fencing for the full field.i will probably get the wire mesh with tiny holes,about 4-5ft in hight and that will give me time to remove the weeds and rubbish from the field.there is a river down the hill at the field so i will fill a few big rubber buckets and carry that to the field.at one of the livery yards i have been to there was loads of ragwort in the big field which the owner didnt even remove and i really dont see any ragwort :confused: i will have good locks on the gate,will build shelter eventually but they have live out since i have had them with no shelter/rugs and have been fine.
 
River water doesn't tend to be particularly clean! I'm not sure I'd be giving that, especially given it looks like you're in a fairly urban area so it's probably full of run off from the road (petrol/ fuel, oil, chemicals etc).
 
there is another field down the hill from me where riding school ponies are kept and they have been drinking that water for over 20 years.it runs through dean castle country park which is a few minutes walk from the field.
 
grass looks ok. beware of ragwort. fencing is terrible and unsuitable for horses. rubbish and dangerous objects need removing.Also I would be very concerened about yobs and feral children living on that nearby housing estate. your horses could be targets for abuse.
 
Also if people have been using it as a dog toilet for a while, there's a much higher risk of tapeworm eggs which can be picked up by horses eating the grass.
 
Horsesforever1 said:
grass looks ok. beware of ragwort. fencing is terrible and unsuitable for horses. rubbish and dangerous objects need removing.Also I would be very concerened about yobs and feral children living on that nearby housing estate. your horses could be targets for abuse.
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This, but also it looks like it is in pretty constant use by people already and they are likely to be peed off if they are now prevented from doing so, which may lead to problems (even tho it isn't their land).

I wouldn't touch it personally but hey ho.
 
yes,i hope to get fencing before putting them in,everything will be removed,that is the thing i am worried about-the people and other animals,but i will be getting fencing that should stop anything/anyone from getting in and horses getting out/trapped.the horses will be wormed regularly and it is a quiet enough area just dogwalkers walking through the field,but i will always be there and eventually get cameras which you can watch live on your computer and/or a caravan to put in the corner of the field,to be there more maybe even overnight.i just really want it because right now i am only able to see my horses a few times every week because my car is off the road and even when i am there it is busy and i cant really get working with them,and people dealing with my horses when they shouldnt,they get herded/lead nearly every week and moved into different fields,and because my oldest horse is bad to lead i dont know how it is being done and yesterday he was soo scared from his headcollar and wouldnt let me put it near him.and hopefully being able to work with him everyday will help him improve.
 
Is the well used path through the middle a foot path? If so, and to be honest to keep the piece even if it's not, I'd create padocks either side of it so the dog walkers (and there must be a lot to wear the grass that much), can keep using that one path without getting in with your horses.
People get very anoyed when 'their' access is blocked and they may well leave gates open, take down electric fencing etc. just to continue walking where they always have done - even if they have no legal right to the land at all.
 
well there is a path for walkers all round the outside of the field.i hope when the horses are in it they will have the decency to stay out but i will have good fencing and will be there most of the time,have signs up.
 
Best thing to do is make friends with the regular dog walkers then they will act as extra eyes for you. You will no doubt meet them when you take the land over and start fencing.
My neighbour has fenced a footpath across his field and it keeps everyone happy.
 
that is the horses moved to the field now,they were both great to lead and load today:eek: very shocked.and today the man that works at the livery yard mentioned that he moved my horses last week and got pulled across the yard for the hay and he can be a bit too rough with them which is obviously the reason domino was scared from the headcollar:mad: every yard i have been to have always hurt him in some way and domino ends up terrified,and i can always tell when something has happened with the way he acts :mad: anyway this is them in their new field:)



and i know i have posted about this before and got replys but feeding horses is so confusing....because at the livery yard all the fields had barely any grass domino has got a bit skinny and phoenix has been REALLY bony since i got him,will the grass in this field be enough to put weight on ?? or should i feed hay/haylage too ?? or pony nuts and chaff,maybe with something to gain weight ?? obviously i dont want them to get laminitis or anything so dont want them getting too much,i dont know if all that grass would be enough ??

just to show how skinny they are

 
Have they been having a feed at the previous, if so it might help to continue to give them a feed whilst they build up. You could also get a weigh tape and check them regularly to see how they are doing. Keep a record of their weight and then you will have more information about their condition.
One thought occurs to me have they been wormed recently, might account for condition.
If they are getting more grass than they were when they have been on poor paddocks, just keep an eye on them, cobs don't usually need hay in summer if they have grass.
Hope you enjoy them on their new field I am sure they will like having the grass.
 
no they werent getting any feed,they were wormed last week,i will start to do that with their weight and yeah they are loving the grass :)
 
They don't look too bad for coming out of winter and with all that ungrazed grass to eat. I'd keep an eye on them by using the weight tape once a week and writing down what they both measure each week so you can see if they are going up or down.
I suspect if you put hay out in that field it would just get ignored for the nice grass!
If they aren't used to getting feed the grass will build them up better than hard feed at this stage.
 
you really need to get some help with looking after your animals, all your posts indicate a real lack of knowledge and if you are keeping the horses in a field and you are the only person seeing them daily then you have no support from someone with knowledge.

your horses do not need you till sit in the field all day-although its a nice thought when all the work is done-what they need is a farrier and you to have help in person with looking after these horses, just to give you some guidance as to what they really need.

i would suggest that you get a vet out just to give them a health check and look at their feet.
if they have the feet issues that your other post suggests then putting them in a field full of grass could well be sending the youngster to a very early grave and cost you a fortune on the way, and i am not exaggerating.
 
As others have said, these horses are in poor condition and your posts indicate an alarming lack of knowledge. Please get a vet, asap, before the damage to their health is irreversible. :(
 
An experienced farrier could tell you already if there are potential problems with the hooves. Generally, a farrier charges £ 10 for a horse without shoes.
In your case it might be somewhat more dependent how far your field is and how easy you can catch and handle those youngsters.
 
I agree with the above, I am sure with maintenance the field will be a nice home for them, how big is it? Maybe you could section it off so they don't blow up on the grass especially if they haven't been having a lot of grass before this, but you really do need to get a vet and farrier for them, please. It may save you heartache and money in the longer run if you do it now.
 
dilbert_uk said:
An experienced farrier could tell you already if there are potential problems with the hooves. Generally, a farrier charges £ 10 for a horse without shoes.
In your case it might be somewhat more dependent how far your field is and how easy you can catch and handle those youngsters.
Click to expand...

depends on where you are as to cost, round here its between £20-30 for a trim
 
i dont actually know the size of the field.i will be building a paddock but looking for electric fencing to put round the paddock to keep people away from them since they will be enclosed.the farrier was phoned today,it is £20 per horse.
 
Prices charged by farriers seems to vary considerably, might be something to do with the distance they travel on their rounds. My youngsters are £25. each for trim. Have known our farrier a long time and his father before him, now his son is in the business so I go on reputation and personal knowledge so am willing to pay their rates.
 
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