Field Management and Poo Picking??

[Holzdweaver]

As iv only ever been on livery yards where the fields where all done by tractors/machinery by the owner, i have no idea about field management. Iv moved my horse (15.3 TB)and pony (13.2 BRP) into their own field which i rent.

Just need a little input about if im doing it right and if not why not, any help would be much appreciated

I have split the field into three separate paddocks using electric tape and wooden posts on the corners and gateway. Iv also done all the way round the field as i have a thing about fencing lol.

There is a lot of weeds... Nettles, docks, thistles, ragwort, cow parsley etc. Now the horses have eaten off all the cow parsley so thats no problem anymore lol, and i pulled up the ragwort before the horses even got in there. iv been pulling up the docks/thistles/nettles by hand when iv been poo picking so that gets done once a week, i dont pull them all out as there are far too many, just a bit at a time.

This is what i do to each paddock:
Graze for one week so it has Rest for two weeks, i poo pick once a week when i put them into their new paddock, so before the two weeks rest.
Is this sufficient??

I work full time and so do it on my day off, am i going to ruin the field by only doing it once a week?

I also have some rough ground, meaning bog and marshy areas with reeds, now i dont do anything with these bits, i dont poo pick or anything, i just leave it as they tend to just take the tops off things instead of actually grazing on it. Should i be poo picking these bits too? even though they dont graze it off short?

Should i be chain harrowing/rolling/topping the fields even though im doing the work by hand?

Sorry for the amount of questions, any answers/advice would be received gratefully

 

[L&M]

That sounds fine too me and don't think you will do the grazing any harm by poo picking once a week then resting for 2.

I would personally poo pick the marshy bits if the horses are wanting to graze those bits.

Well done with your weeds - if you have a strimmer/old mower that would make your life easier. However well you 'weed' it is likely you won't get all the roots so may find it an on going job. I have a lot of docks so mow them down twice a year and less and less come back each year.

Harrowing would help the grazing as will help pull out any dead grass and 'finish' off any poo you have missed - this in turn will help new grass growth.

Rolling is only really essential if the ground gets heavily poached - I am lucky as have a sandy/clay loam that never gets too muddy and find that the harrow evens out the ground just as well.

Good luck and enjoy having your own land!

 

[Goldenstar]

Agree that a mower makes topping easier I use our ride on mower for topping it makes a huge difference.( mower does not like it much though)
I had been on DIY livery until we bought a house with grazing and stables when We got married I had no idea at all how much work and cost was involved in looking after the paddocks however nothing beats having your own.

 

[Holzdweaver]

Thank you very much for the input, makes me feel like im not going to totally wreck the place lol and that what iv been doing sounds ok

I do have quite a lot of 'tufts' of grass, like mini hillock type grass things which are really tough, would rolling help squish these down a bit? or would i need ot dig them out?

I really need to chain harrow and top i think and i have been asking the farmer up the road if he will top it for me, but as there is boggy bits he isnt keen on it at all, Il keep at him though, surely he isnt going to get stuck in his tractor? xD

Might have to teach the pony to pull machinery at this rate hehe

 

[bumblelion]

That sounds fine too me and don't think you will do the grazing any harm by poo picking once a week then resting for 2.

I would personally poo pick the marshy bits if the horses are wanting to graze those bits.

Well done with your weeds - if you have a strimmer/old mower that would make your life easier. However well you 'weed' it is likely you won't get all the roots so may find it an on going job. I have a lot of docks so mow them down twice a year and less and less come back each year.

Harrowing would help the grazing as will help pull out any dead grass and 'finish' off any poo you have missed - this in turn will help new grass growth.

Rolling is only really essential if the ground gets heavily poached - I am lucky as have a sandy/clay loam that never gets too muddy and find that the harrow evens out the ground just as well.

Good luck and enjoy having your own land!

^^^^this!^^^^
I'v got a knapsack and spray my fields myself in the spring and autumn, (huge ragwort problem!), works really well and I save a fortune not having to get a contractor in!

 

[Goldenstar]

You tend to get that lumpy grass when it's not been grazed for a while. The farmer will not be able to top wet and boggy areas tractors are heavy and you do not want to churn it all up get him to top all the areas he can then try to keep on top of it your self I get a contractors spring time to roll ( although I have my own roller this year for the first time) and if I need it this time of year to top before I rest the sumner fields for the winter .

 

[Bangagin]

I don't know how large your patches of nettles are, but I tend to leave quite a few clumps as my mare loves to eat them when they die back. I pull them up and leave them around the field so they wilt and she can eat them when they are growing actively.

I poo pick once a day - twice at weekends or when I'm not working - but that's so I can keep on top of things rather than do one big poo pick.