Field wwyd

[chaps89]

I have an acre and a half for 2 ponies.
I lost about a third of an acre to brambles which have been strimmed and weed killed over summer and if we stay next year, we will rotovate and re-seed those areas.
Currently I still have my track system up from over summer.
They moved into the middle about 5 weeks ago and have now grazed that down, they have the run of track and middle at night and little pony is shut on the track in the day as he's obese.
The bigger pony comes in during the day, out at night. Little pony lives out 24/7 with the exception of the very worst of weather when he'll come in during the day too.
My track is mullered now. Not helped by the bit at the front of the field, by the gateway of course, being very low lying and mostly underwater. Admittedly, once away from the gate it's not too bad.
The middle bit is still quite well draining and looks ok.
Do I
1) keep the track up, it's already trashed and just deal with it come spring
2) take track down and let them both have the whole lot all the time they're out and hope by them only having the field gateway they spread out and don't trash any particular area
3) track down but section a bit off for little pony in the day for him to trash but preserve the rest of the field a bit better?
4) Give in and bring little pony in daily to try and save the ground
5) Something else I haven't thought of?

Sorry it's long.
I suspect if the weather hadn't been so bad I would have taken the track down before it turned horrible, and grazed the middle bit sooner but I wanted to wait for the weather to turn before letting them have the middle bit to eat, by which point it had become very wet and now I'm not sure what to do!

 

[Scotsbadboy]

What would make life easiest for you?

I feel your pain, my fields are just sopping wet. I have three acres for one large shod horse and the grass is thick and well rested so it is helping with the amount of water we have but im bringing in for the worst of the weather (mostly because he's a bit of a fairy and likes his comforts!) I'm impressed you have a track on an acre. I feel more inspired to do one on my three acres for summer!

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I think I'd be tempted to pull track out now and prob pen an area by main gate with 2 opposite entry points to alleviate immediate poaching, but I haven't seen layout to be able to give honest opinion.
It's going to be vile here till xmas eve and then we have frost coming... hurrah!
With the amount of rain forecasted, I'd be tempted if mine, to bring in both for 12 hr stretches to save field , then when frost has hopefully dried things up a bit, pony could revert to staying out 24/7? Just my musings tho.....

 

[meleeka]

I have a similar amount of land and I would have already taken the track down. I have a hard standing area this year which has really saved my field. I have it electric fenced off and gate handles between each of the posts so that I can move the gateway when the mud gets too deep. Thanks to this rain I’m half way across now, but the mud hasn’t been past hooves yet.

Personally I’ve always maximised the space they have to minimise mud, rather than saving bits. I’ll end up with too much grass in spring anyway so it can be harrowed and rested then.

 

[chaps89]

Rudimentary, and very much not to scale drawing!


Its around the coral and along the footpath edge of the field that are suffering and muddy. Normal kind of winter gateway mud really, but we're only 2 months in, 3 to go! The shaded/underwater area is pretty bad too but soggy as opposed to muddy really.
Tbh, the rest of it I reckon you could walk across in trainers but I'm conscious we still have 3 months till Spring.
I do wish I'd got the track down sooner but there was too much grass then it's just been wet forever since.
No point putting away electric fencing wet, it will only go rusty.
My coral is a mud pit too, thats the lowest point of the field so the actual main gateway is coming up to a foot underwater and turning them around to do gates means it's pretty churned up. Where I have grass mats in, it is at least solid underfoot but I didn't mat the whole of the coral, something learnt for if we're here next winter.

I think bringing them both in and allowing the field to dry a little and getting the track down next time it's dry and giving them the whole space is a good plan. Thanks, useful to bounce ideas about

 

[PurBee]

As the field slopes to the gate and that area is suffering badly, i know now isnt optimum timing due to xmas, but i’d get a truckload of what you call in the uk road planings/hardcore and make a path from the lower gate to the lower left track that runs along the footpath, as that looks to be the shortest area to cross to get to not so muddy track. Like you said, there’s 3 months to go of winteryness, and ime, hardcore is the only solution to mud!

Or look close by for empty 1 acre fields to rent?

Or are you able to make another field entrance To completely avoid using the current one? Up by the field shelter/brambles, can you create an opening near there at the boundary of the field and have temporary 3 strings electric fence gate?

 

[PurBee]

I’ve always changed access into field routes when they get too muddy. depends on the boundary of the field.
It’s easy to hoost-off nailed-on fencing boards between posts and create another gate entrance if you’re dealing with a fenced boundary...?

 

[Scotsbadboy]

I’ve always changed access into field routes when they get too muddy. depends on the boundary of the field.
It’s easy to hoost-off nailed-on fencing boards between posts and create another gate entrance if you’re dealing with a fenced boundary...?

Im doing that this year, i have three paddocks and there is a gate in the center to field two and center to field three. They get terribly muddy so im going to remove rails either side to distribute the usage between fields and avoid (as much as you can) one muddy gateway.

 

[Vodkagirly]

I would open it up for the winter

 

[chaps89]

Got the track down yesterday, phew. Horrid way to spend a day but it would have had to come down for the field to be harrowed come spring anyway so might as well be done now.
Having seen the 'how are your fields looking' thread, I don't think I should whinge about mine ? at least once you're past the gateway and flooded bit the rest is pretty good.
I can't put a gateway in down the field shelter side as that is also houses.
There's no vehicle access at this time of year, you access my field from a footpath off the road, to get a vehicle in you have to go through 2 other peoples fields as 1 of them has road access.
Adding another gate and hard-core may be options for next winter if we're still there though. It's a livery yard but the YO is quite accommodating, would have to depend on cost really. Just need to keep saving my pennies for mud control mats, at least those could come with me and don't need PP.

 

[cauda equina]

Re your bramble patches - I wouldn't bother rotavating, just cutting the tops off regularly should be enough to kill them
There were brambles encroaching around the edges of my field this spring, growing several metres into the field.
I topped them couple of times with the ride on mower and they've virtually given up now

 

[chaps89]

The brambles seem to have been killed off now - they were a couple of metres high when I moved into the field and had been left for several years.
They were topped with a tractor machine initially then I weed killed and strimmed them twice over summer.
They look to be dead now but there is lots of short spiky bits coming out of the ground and alot of roots.
I had got it all fenced off but the ponies kept breaking through so I gave in and took that fence down last week but it's not great to have them walking on it and it wouldn't hurt to have that as grass rather than wasteland tbh.
Hence thinking rotavating to chop it all up then seeding?

 

[Dasher66]

I'd put the track on the brambles next year. The ponies will trample them for you and the grass will come up through.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I don't think rotavating the brambles will help, probably just spread them if anything. I would keep cutting when you see them and put the track through them. Ponies should eat the shoots off as they come through.

 

[Gloi]

Get the ponies on the bramble patch. They'll chew up the stumps and roots.