Fields a mess - help!!

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Jojo1979

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So we moved to our property 7/8 months ago and we had an arena installed which caused some damage to our fields. We also had to keep our 3 horses confined to one side whilst the work was being done. We have 3 acres with about 1/2 acre currently unusable as it is just soil which we have seeded. Because of all the recent rain the remaining land is just a boggy mess (we are on clay) and my poor horses are churning it up. I new to land management and I need advice - help!!!
 
Electric fence to split it into smaller sections. Rotate them between the smaller paddocks relatively frequently. Try and get an area of hard standing/mud mats.
 
I would make a mud-matted area outside the arena and use the two areas combined for winter turnout, but doing that at this time of year will be also destructive. You may have to sit it out this winter and use just the arena. Long term, I would still investigate other grazing, even if it's for a couple of months per year. 3.5 acres on clay is nothing for 3 horses. I've got over 2 acres on sand for my two and wouldn't want less.
 
mmm. Clay is horrible stuff. I'd think about making a winter turnout area if you can afford it. Properly drained then membrane hardcore and compacted stone dust. That'll do you for many winters to come. Or just use your school and try not to fret about it? If you use any of the land without prep then you'll need to get used to a mess in that area and probably lost shoes.
 
3 horses and 3 acres of clay, as you're finding out is going to be difficult. Do you have stables? I think I'd be inclined to part stable and part turnout in the school while you mud mat a good sized area to use with hay as winter turnout maybe?
We had clay fields and I don't think I oculd have had them out 24/7 on it.
On the plus, ours drained if we made little channels, It was actually very satisfying! just tiny little "rivers" which would take the worst of the water to the gate and out. I guess we were lucky with it draining the right way.
 
We are on deep clay and have spent money on drainage, about 10k 10 years ago and have a drainage pond, Drainage is a bottomless pit because unless the water has somewhere to drain to and the drains are not capped by clay the water will have no where to go.

I would go with Mudcontrol mats, I have even laid them loose without the sand and they have not moved. The cheap way is to make a straw island where you feed then with at least two rounds of straw and or a heston bale, I have even made a straw walkway so you can feed them behind the fence line. You then add a bale of straw a week. They will eat it, but it stops them wandering and keeps their legs fairly dry. What ever you do don't wash the mud off, mine have been cannon bone deep in claggy clay and never had mud fever.
There will be some grass alive in spring, the roots survive better than sandy type soils, and be looking for someone to harrow and over so it with seed next spring. Be warned it will go from slop to concrete very quickly.
You have to work out how the water lies where are your least wet bits and plan for next year.
 
Jojo1979 said:
So we moved to our property 7/8 months ago and we had an arena installed which caused some damage to our fields. We also had to keep our 3 horses confined to one side whilst the work was being done. We have 3 acres with about 1/2 acre currently unusable as it is just soil which we have seeded. Because of all the recent rain the remaining land is just a boggy mess (we are on clay) and my poor horses are churning it up. I new to land management and I need advice - help!!!
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Ooooh, rather too many horses for rather too little grazing, and clay doesn’t help. At least you’ve got a lovely, surfaced, draining arena to use!
Presume you’ve got some stabling? Might be best to stable this winter, turning out in the arena by day, with hay; allow the new seeds to establish and existing mud hole fields to recover - or at least to get no worse.
By next spring you’ll have a better idea about what drains where, and how best to divvy up your land and keep rotating horses round to avoid overgrazing. If you’re surrounded by farms, should be plenty of local knowledge and advice for producing a decent sward. Good luck.
 
We’re on clay too, we originally had 2.5 acres but it’s not enough, even for 2 ponies under 13.2, so we now have 5/6 acres and have way too much grass.

If we hadn’t taken on more grazing I’d have surfaced an area so they could have a leg stretch and roll. So you’re very lucky to have a school for this!
 
I used to have mine on clay years ago. It's a nightmare and if your horses are happy stables I'd do a combination of stabling, riding, maybe turnout in school and a small amount in field. Intensive though but sloppy mud soup can be enough to make you want to give up horses!
 
I'm on clay, been here 26 years. I just accept that come November, we will be off the land until spring. I used to just use the arena for turnout but now also have some all weather turnout and a patio area off the stable for free access.

I actually like this way of keeping them as I don't have mud! The fields are outside the house (as opposed to distant) and they look beautiful like lawns. My white horse stays white too!

Paying for an all weather area was just the price I pay for having dense grazing on clay.
 
you will HAVE to create a hardstanding or all weather winter turnout area.

i have 2 on about 2.5 acres of clay, in summer they have about 1/2 acre each which obviously gets bare quickly but they have ad lib hay provided and have hedge browsing and plenty of natural shelter plus a field shelter each. Out at night, inside in the day as the TB reacts hysterically to flies. thats April to end Sept.

oct/nov/dec they are in winter paddocks (an acre each) but also have ad lib hay provided, have an all weather area, and field shelters. outside from about 7am to 5pm.

Jan/feb/march the land is too wet and they are in all weather pens and stone tracks with hay and shelters.

i spread my own muck heap back on the fields when they come off them in April (winter fields) and then Sept (summer fields) and over seed, religiously weed every week in the summer to stop anything seeding, and harrow in April to smooth ruts out.

with 3 horses on 3 acres of clay theres no way to have 24/7 turnout or survive without a hardstanding or all weather surfaced area IMO
 
We've been on heavy clay for 30+ years and the only way to cope is to provide hardstanding areas and get them off the fields as soon as it starts to turn wet (Oct/Nov) and keep them off until Mar/Apr (assuming it's dry enough) Your grazing should then be able to cope with 3 horses from late spring to early autumn, especially if you rotate.
 
I'm also on 3 acres of deep clay with 3 horses. I couldn't do it without my 20x20 surfaced turnout plus stable yard and stables, all free access. That was my minimum, and we survived like that. I now also have an arena and the track up the side of it (longer than arena, about 120m I think, with a feed station at the far end). They have a longer grass track in summer. I do feed hay all year round as one of mine has to be kept grass free or as good as. I managed to cut an acre for hay this year!

Keeping horses on small clay acreages is only possible with hardstanding areas.
 
2 on 3.5 acres of clay, winter = day turn out only on the approx 2.5 acres we’d taken hay off and was essentially tall/foggage to protect the ground.

Very old undisturbed lay though with a thick sward and far too much grass in summer.
 
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