Fertilising fields

[Stinkbomb]

Our turn out fields have just been rolled and were fetilised on friday night. I share a field with my friend and there is just the two horses. She has just rang me to say she has put her horse in the field as it will be ok ( she left Inky in thankgod ). I walked in the field last night and the little white balls of fertiliser were still on top of the grass. I was always of the understanding it had to at least rain to wash it into the ground before horses could graze on it again.
Can anyone with farming background or anyone in the knowledge let me know when its safe for them to graze?

 

[VictoriaEDT]

it depends on the type of fertilizer used. I know a yard that turns out 2 days after with lots of white balls and no rain and they have been fine. You are right though as I am sure you should wait til it rains.

 

[Weezy]

As above, depends what it is. If it is nitrogen then apparently you CAN turn out, but personally I wait for the balls to disappear - a good dew will do it, shame they waited so late to do it tho

 

[Stinkbomb]

I know. The field wasnt suppose to be being done actually as there is enough grass for my mini and a fatty 12.2hh pony! We had seperated the field with electric fencing and asked our farmer to do the gate way ( which was bare due to mud over winter ) and to leave the field. However common sense isnt one of our farmers strong points

He left the bare bit of the field and fertilised the grass bit!!!

Never mind its done now!!

 

[Llwyncwn]

If the fertiliser is 20.10.10 or similar, I was always told by agri merchant that you shouldnt turnout until it has rained in. He said that the horses can burn their mouths.

 

[Gucci_b]

HI.. WE TOO HAVE JUST HAD OUR FIELDS FERTILISED, ROLLED ECT ECT, AND COULD NOT DO IT BEFORE BECAUSE THE FIELDS WERE STILL A LITTLE TO WET TO GO OVER ON A TACTOR, WE GOT TOLD NOT TO LET THE HORSE'S OUT ON TO THE FIELD TILL IT HAS RAINED...

 

[Stinkbomb]

Thanks everyone, what i thought. Its really annoyed me because we have talked about it all week and that we cant put them out. I know its not my pony but i would hate it to become ill for the sake of waiting a few days. I wouldnt mind they have been out all winter and we have a paddock to use for turnout while we wait.

 

[henryhorn]

PLEASE READ IMMEDIATELy
You must not I repeat not graze horses on fertilised fields for at least ten days and only then after it's rained.
I know to my cost when a foal managed to eat grass in a fertilised field and died within a day.
The contractor had off loaded his excess fertiliser in the last field before driving away and no-one told me.
The fertiliser changes the gass that's already growing making it contain massive amounts of nitrates, and the horse cannot digest it.
Do a search of nitrate poisoning if you don't believe me.
I would not leave your horse in there another minute.

 

[Rockchick_uk]

OMG our YO does it with the horses in the same field!!!!

We havent had the fields done yet but tomorrow i will see what type were using.

Wait till i tell the other liveries!

 

[henryhorn]

I was unaware until the foal died just how dangerous fertiliser can be, there was no warning, he just got ill within hours and his mouth and lips turned navy blue.
I would get together with the other liveries and armed with evidence in a very nice way ask if this could not be done again in a field with stock in it.
We have in other years turned horses out within days of fertilising but now we would be very cautious . It's not worth the risk.

 

[Tia]

You have to keep animals off the field until after a rain so that all the fertiliser balls dissolve. Even then you should really wait for at least a week before putting the horses back into the field as the fertiliser can burn their insides. Your friend is very silly to put her horse out in that field.

 

[Stinkbomb]

I know whats annoying is that we'd been discussing it for ages that they were going to have to stay in afterwards but she suddenly seems to have forgotten these conversations!! Its been lovely outside and i would have loved Inky to be out but there was noway i was turning him out. You just cant tell some people.

 

[spaniel]

Please, please tell your friend to go NOW and get the horse in. He really is in serious danger. I wouldnt put anything out on fertilised ground for 2 weeks and even then it would have need to have had rain on it. The risk of serious poisoning or death is very real.