Fencing off pond?

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Does anyone graze their horses in a field with a duck pond? Is it fenced? If not have the horses ever got in?

There is a pond close to the corner of one of my fields. I'm just wondering whether to fence it off. If the horses got in they could get out again but they would soon wreck the bank side if they made a habit of it! Just wondering what people's experiences are of horses taking a dip of their own volition! I have not had the water tested but I will - I expect its clean; the fish, plants and fowl are thriving.
 
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I have, but not as a regular turn out field. Mine wouldn't go in our pond.

I think I would probably fence it off, are the field and pond yours?
 
I have a natural pond in one of my fields fenced off even though I dont use it. Unfortunately the people who owned the property before me lost one of their horses when they got stuck in a muddy part :( .
 
Thanks PorkChop. Yes field and pond are mine as are the horses (mine and my sister's) so no concerns about other people's property. The horses live on a track most of the year and I would like to extend it round the outside of the pond but it's a tight space for two rows of fencing so I thought the water might act as the internal boundary. Sorry probably not describing it well!
 
I used to keep my horse at a place that had a big pond in one field. Most of them ignored it but a few enjoyed getting in up to their bellies and splashing around in it. Filthy boggy pond water... nice.

I'd have stuck some electric fencing round if given the choice ;)
 
Thanks milliepops, they couldn't paddle so much as it's not graduated on the side they have access to, they would have to jump in and swim! (they could get out the opposite side where it is stoned and graduated)
 
We don't have a pond, but have a year round bog area in the field, it only dries up in the driest of summers. It has a stone trough set in at ground level in it which they love drinking from as it's all filled from springs. They also love munching the plants and sometimes the mud in the bog. I really should get the water/soil analysed.

It depends on the pond whether I would fence, is there any way you could make it a safe natural feature for them? Gravelling the edges or something? If not I'd fence it :)
 
I have a pond in my field, ponies love paddling and wading in it. It's quite shallow, maybe 1m at its deepest in winter and like a shallow bowl so easy access in and out.

If access in and out is easy I'd leave it, if steep and awkward then I'd fence it off
 
I would fence it off too. Many years ago we had a stream/river running along the bottom length of a field which the horses could access and paddle. However my father's horse somehow got stuck in there and vey sadly drowned. I would never risk it again.
 
We have a pond in one of our fields. Its very shallow and easy to get in and out of on all sides. I regularly find my horse and some of her friends in there eating big mouthfuls of weed. She is also clever enough to have worked out that the middle of the pond is slightly deeper than my waterproof boots, so if she doesn't want to be caught she stands there. I think if the sides were steep I'd want it fenced off though.
 
We used to be on a yard with two ponds in the field and it caused no end of trouble! The field owners wanted the ponds fenced off so that the bank didn't get wrecked, but the horses LOVED the ponds so much they kept breaking the fencing (proper post and rail too). Some of them were very keen on getting in for a paddle. My horse hates water though so she never really went near it. How deep is the pond OP, and are any of your horses water babies? :p
 
They can also become marooned....

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HashRouge said:
We used to be on a yard with two ponds in the field and it caused no end of trouble! The field owners wanted the ponds fenced off so that the bank didn't get wrecked, but the horses LOVED the ponds so much they kept breaking the fencing (proper post and rail too). Some of them were very keen on getting in for a paddle. My horse hates water though so she never really went near it. How deep is the pond OP, and are any of your horses water babies? :p
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Sorry HR I missed your post earlier. The pond is deep in parts - too deep to walk across for horse or human. Other areas are shallow and stoned so not boggy (good footing). My horse can be a bit silly about water x-country, he has got much better of late but I think he would keep out. The other horse (my sisters) likes it!
I think I've decided I'm going to mow that field for hay instead it's a hassle because it's a small, wet, awkward field but better that than a fire crew and a sling hoist!
 
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