Field Maintenance Advice Please!

[Maisy]

I have recently taken on some new fields (about 5 acres in all I think, split into 3) for my girls.

The fields have been grazed, (though not 'over grazed' I dont think) by horses for years, but I dont think any maintenance has ever been done. There is a fair bit of grass, but also a lot of thistles, clover a bit of buttercup and the odd bit of ragwort.

Obviously I have dug up the ragwort, but am wondering what I can do with the rest?

Ideally, I would like to weedkill the rest to give the grass a chance. I'm thinking that I would need to get someone else in to do it as it would all need going over, and would be too much to do with a knapsack. THe only problem there is, access to the field is through the owners garden, and I already feel bad enough about taking my horses through......a tractor wouldnt fit anyway....are there contractors with quad bikes who do such things??!!

Also, I dont really want to fertilize as I have a pony (not laminitic atm but wouldnt want to induce it!) and a cobby horse, who although she can take the grass, she doesnt really need it! They will be coming in at night during the winter so will be getting plenty of hay etc. However, I am thinking that after years of being grazed, am I right in thinking I ought to put *something* back into the land????

Does anyone have any idea on the cost of doing whatever needs doing, and where to find anyone who would do it anyway??

TIA!

 

[Natalie_H]

We have 4.5 acres split into 2 fields & 2 smaller areas. We have someone who weedkills with his 4x4 pickup. He charges about £50 for the 1.5 acre field, and £100 for the rest. We rotate which half he weedkills each year so the horses can be left off for the 4 weeks they have to be off.

We fertilised by hand this year (don't recommend it - worst job ever) but only because the land had been overgrazed in the past with 5 horses on it 24/7. Now there are only our 2 on it. Wouldn't bother fertilizing if your grazing isn't bad. If you get rid of the weeds, they will stop strangling the grass anyway so the grazing will be better.

Don't know where you find someone to do it though. Best asking around in your area. The guy does ours does it as a sideline to his main job. It's hard getting people out to do such a small area (hence why we fertilized by hand).

Hope you find someone!

 

[PeterNatt]

Don't fertilize it. Fertilized grass is dangerous for horses.

Get a strimmer and strim the thistles.

Leave the buttercups and clover alone.

Horses do not need 100% grass in their fields!

 

[PennyJ]

All I do (and I'm not saying its the correct way of doing things)

I dig out ragwort, docks, thistles and nettles.

I haven't fertilised the field in the 2 years I've been there.
I have clover and buttercups that would benefit from spraying to reduce/eliminate them, but I have 2 NF ponies who are very good doers and are doing better than I would like as the grazing is at the moment. They are out in the daytime on about 1/2 acre shared between them currently and still putting on weight! By the end of winter the ponies will have the run of the whole field as the electric fence gets moved further and further down. When next years spring grass comes through the cycle will start all over again.

All I do do is top the non grazed 3/4 of the field regularly using an old lawnmower to give the grass a better chance over the weeds.