fields under water after today, what would you do?

charlie76

charlie76

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I have managed to preserve our grazing this winter due to careful management, rotating and poo picking daily and we have plenty of grass for this time of year, however , following the non stop rain today the water is pouring off it, our fields are all on a slope down to streams so they will drain off in a day or two.
I am thinking about leaving them in tomorrow and Xmas day and hand grazing in the garden just to give the land a chance to drain before they go back out on it. Otherwise I think it will be wrecked for the rest of the winter.
I am not a fan of leaving them in but just this once think its the right thing to do to give it a couple of days to recover.
I also think we risk injury if they run around.
What would you do?
 
Yes, I will work them, they can go out for a good long hack. They run about any way, even with daily turn out, stupid playing geldings! I think I will leave them in in the morning and work them, see what the the weather is like in the afternoon and maybe put them out later or hand graze and walk them . they will stay in on Xmas day as no one on site.
 
The weather was appalling today so i schooled the younger horse but kept both in (they usually go out during the day). I've got the hunt around tomorrow, so I'll turn out first thing for a couple of hours then they will be back in for the rest of the day. As I'm away for 4 days over the Xmas hols, they won't get ridden. I've dropped feeds down but they'll have ad lib hay whilst in. Frankly, i think they'll be fine so I'd keep in rather than wreck fields
 
I'm a big advocate of turnout no matter what the weather but sometimes, the benefits are turnout are so limited that its a toss up whether to leave in or turnout.

My mare is happy just to be with her friends in the field but the cob with very hairy legs is miserable. His field is so sodden on clay soil that he's dripping mud up to his belly, despite the field being huge and green. I've been dragging him to the field and having to run and beat him back to get out of the gate.

He'll stay in for the next two days and be exercised for 2 one hour sessions instead.

Normally, I'd move to a new yard with better draining fields but this yard manages his IR so well, that its a compromise where the price is paid in extreme weather.
 
Mmmm, am having the same dilemma OP.

Have had them out all this autumn, its been lovely (and they've been a lot happier out too), but today they've spent all day hunched up under the few twigs that comprise our "hedge", which whilst it gives them some shelter is in a wet spot in the field. Not that they should be cold coz they've got their winter-weight rugs on, and this morning after being out all night I felt their backs and they were lovely and warm, BUT I've weakened and brought them in tonight.

They'll probably be complaining to Management about their fate later on when I go down to do them last thing, but whilst there's plenty of grass, their field is in quite an exposed spot and there really isn't much in the way of shelter, plus where they were standing is quite wet underneath, so my thinking was to bring them in.

Also there is the issue of worrying whether the leccy fence will blow over in the wind during the night, and whilst I'm snuggled up in bed (not sleeping, but listening to the blessed wind like I was last night:() I don't want to be thinking of the possibility of them out there getting tied up with leccy fencing tape.

So, have made the decision, they are IN!!! Friend and I are riding tomorrow a.m. (could be interesting if windy!!!), and then they'll probably go into the Holding Pen (concrete area so not wet underfoot) with their rugs on and haynets, then, depending on the weather, we'll make a decision then whether they'll be out tomorrow night or not............ though it IS lovely to have two lovely cosy horses munching away on hay on Christmas Eve................. aw bless.
 
Whenever our fields are partly waterlogged we are asked to keep them in. Doesn't harm them and it means the fields get a bit of rest and opportunity to dry up.
Ours aren't bothered about whether they are in or out (although given the choice I'd always prefer them out) so I guess it depends on the temperaments of your horses.
 
my paddocks were rather 'puddley' by this evening but I will probably still turn out tomorrow as the big bird really hates being in, i find they don't do much running around if the ground is slippery, sensible girls ;)
 
Ours do drain really well, in a couple of days the water will be gone which is why I am erring on the side of keeping them in just for a couple of days
 
Keep in and try and ride them twice. Thats what I intend to do tomorrow ..... hack first thing, have a schooling session in the arvo .. get moaned at for spending too much time down the yard on Xmas eve and then drop the bomb that I intend to do the same Xmas day and watch the turkey fly through the air towards my head :p
 
I kept mine in today for the same reason.

They went for a long hack this morning, kept in for the day, and were then turned out in the school this evening whilst mucking out.

Tomorrow we are off on a hunt ride in the morning, and plan to turn out for a couple of hours after as hopefully they will be too tired to skid about!

It is such a balance between keeping the horses mentally and physically happy, and not trashing grazing at this time of year.....I find I just muddle through from now until spring!
 
It won't do them any harm surely to be kept in for a couple of days if it makes things easier and gives the fields a break?
 
I kept in today and horses were very happy to be dry and warm with a lovely deep bed of straw.I can't actually get my section D out at the moment so she is stabled with short turn out by the yard and then ridden most days.Before i am slated,i have tried to get her out,but she is reluctant to be turned out and immediately wants to go back to the stable,where she settles down to munch her feed in the warm.Shame as she has plenty of grass in her paddock,but sadly when i put her pot she fence walks,ends up like a mud monster and eats nothing all day.Have tried all strategies but to no avail,so the stable it is by choice.
 
I hate my horses being in - I prefer them to have just an hour out rather than nothing. But today's weather was something else. They both got hacked out this morning and kept in for the day. I might do the same tomorrow and then put them out on Christmas Day for a couple of hours. The fields at the yard I'm on are like swamps at the moment!
 
If you like me have a winter turnout paddock, keep turning out, because it's going to be trashed anyway, I like mine to be out during the day but must admit they wanted in bigtime at 3pm, they aren't stupid they know bad weather is on the way.
 
Turn out IMO

My boy is out 24/7 (Part Welshy..) although I have a stable if its really needed.. He has no 'real' shelter, and although he maybe hanging onto his haynet tonight, he would be box walking if he were in, and stressy with these gales!

I know if I was to go see him now he would be bum against the wind and head down, not to mention warm in his lightweight.. *Fat and Furry* :)
But depends on the breeding and what they have been accustomed to.. Its hard when we hear the weather outside tho.. and I will prob be awake worrying about him.. lol..
Oh for the love of horses..! :P
 
Ibblebibble said:
my paddocks were rather 'puddley' by this evening but I will probably still turn out tomorrow as the big bird really hates being in, i find they don't do much running around if the ground is slippery, sensible girls ;)
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Like mine. Now we are down the farm, luckily LOADS of grass so very wet but no mud. I have just opened up the field so they have all 6 acres now so they can get to different trees for shelter. They don't care. Looked in at 9 with the dogs and they were in the middle of the field munching grass with bums to the wind, lol.
 
I kept mine in yesterday as it was so awful and have turned out this morning for a couple of hours. Ponies would have liked to stay out longer but my arab mare has decided she doesn't do winter and spent the whole time wanting to come back in again!!
 
All of our yard is in, yesterday, and today, and prob tomorrow. none of them seem bothered, don especially is quite happy being war, dry and having a belly full of hay. We dont have the luxury of rotating fields, so what we have is what we use. the more we turn out now, making the field a muddy mess, the less grass there will be in the spring/summer. A no brainer for me.
 
kind of wish i'd left them out! yard not flooded but all roads leading to it are, had to abandon van and walk as we just couldn't get there. they are out now and will stay out for the next few days.
 
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