Finally my own fields,- Paddock management questions

Storminateacup

Storminateacup

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Hi Folks,
my wonderful MIL has finally agreed that we can put our horses up to her Croft 37 acres of arable land and rough grazing with a steading and outbuildings ( she is 90 and feeling a bit lonely - I think!)
So a few questions please, we've topped both the 2.5 acre and the 3 acre field today with an industrial mower but it doesn't pick up the cut grass. How long should we wait until we are able to put our two horses back in safely?
One is 14 years old Gypsy Cob and the other is my new 4 year old 16.2hh ID/cob appaloosa. Both are pretty heavy and both have lived on fairly poor grazing in the past, one on rough grazing in Ireland.
The fields are of meadow grasses and the 3 acre one has been well grazed in the last year by sheep. Still the grass was about 3ft high, with no weeds or ragwort. The 2.5 acre field has not been grazed in years and was really rough grazing lots of moss right at the bottom and very dense.
Neither field have had any pesticides fertilizer or lime on them in 20 years and would be considered 100% organic. We want to do organic veg in future for ourselves, and plan to use the horse manure to fertilize the soil in the poly tunnel.
I am a bit worried, more so about my youngster as he does get rather loose droppings at times.( without any ill effect)

We are also putting up post and rail fencing in one field and the other field is not so bad so will be putting up electric fence posts in that one as the winter overflow.
Can anyone give me any recommendations for best type of fencing for horses, and that will also let our planned shetland sheep move between fields.

With this much grazing and a planned 3rd horse do you think we will have enough grass throughout the year for 24/7/365? Should I need to have to feed hay or hard feed all three horses are hacks primarily, one is an AQH wintered out in Iowa without a rug. ( I have ordered about 150 bales and some straw for the field shelter for the worst weather.
We are on a hill in North/east Scotland, so according to another post on this forum some months ago, I could have up to 3 months of snow!
 
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hi

no idea about the cut grass time but from what ive read before if its spread out it shouldnt be long.

id be tempted to seperate further as this would allow you to keep them in a smaller area when its warm and grass is good and u need to limit there weight gain but also u will be able to save the grass for when u need it

also i tend to give a hard feed anyway as it means you can garentee they get all the vits and mins they need. a couple of handfulls of a low cal mix wil do
 
I would certainly agree with the hay and feed part, North East Scotland was certainly caught out last year and thankfully we had plenty hay booked and paid for and feed in. I have mainly good doers but even they had extra hard feed during that three months, nothing heating but they needed it for filling and keeping warm, some of the temps were way down -20C or so and they were living out with shelter, bear in mind our grasses were practically ruined during that three months of undercover snow.

If this is your first Winter on this land, I would err on the side of caution and use fencing you can move until you can see what unfolds in front of you and during various weather conditions. Then come Springtime you can maybe start to plan better. That is just my opinion though having spent last Winter on new land (thinking it would be similiar to our last) and wishing I had done things slightly differently, this Winter things are reorganised. I managed 3 ponies and 2 horses on 8 acres so you should be fine.
 
Ref fencing, I have just put up wooden posts with mains electric fencing tape on it. Works a treat and I only have the top strand on. Bottom strand is not elertified so dogs can get under it and not zap their tails.
Same should work with sheep.

I am also in NE Scotland, to be honest, last winter was pretty unusual with the amount of snow we had.

You have enough hay and straw (for about 5 years!!!!!!) and as long as they have shelter I would just keep an eye on their weight before feeding them any hay.

You have enough grazing for them all. I tend to think, if you can see the grass, they can eat! If we get snow, then you will need to supplement with hay, unless they are dropping weight.


Where abouts are you?
NE scotland is a big area!!
 
Both fields slope away to a natural stream at the bottom so the field drainage should be good enough. Hubby lived here all his life so he knows where the problems are around the croft. I always feed sugar beet and Alfa Hi fi lite in winter as hot mash to keep them all well hydrated. Lot of people have recommended Happy Hoof so I ll probably go with that as well.
 
guido16 said:
Ref fencing, I have just put up wooden posts with mains electric fencing tape on it. Works a treat and I only have the top strand on. Bottom strand is not elertified so dogs can get under it and not zap their tails.
Same should work with sheep.

I am also in NE Scotland, to be honest, last winter was pretty unusual with the amount of snow we had.

You have enough hay and straw (for about 5 years!!!!!!) and as long as they have shelter I would just keep an eye on their weight before feeding them any hay.

You have enough grazing for them all. I tend to think, if you can see the grass, they can eat! If we get snow, then you will need to supplement with hay, unless they are dropping weight.


Where abouts are you?
NE scotland is a big area!!
Click to expand...


Oooooh thank you wont buy any more then but was worried about having the two young horses and heavy snow fall like last year - it was awful.

At the moment the grazing could easily take ten horses, -there is sooooo much!

Reckon Ill be able to cut paddock No 2 for hay as well.

We are at Kincardine Hill, Ardgay.
 
I think the rough grazing will be ideal - much much better than manicured full of sugar lawns that you see horses grazing on nowadays. I would just let them much their way through it using the 2.5 acre field to start with with maybe the real fatty in a smaller part of that field using electric fencing. Then leave the 3 acre field for the winter / hay as sounds better quality grass.

If you are feeling very adventurous you could do a track system.... google Paddock Paradise. Its very good for encouraging movement etc and also regulating grass intake.
 
Jericho said:
If you are feeling very adventurous you could do a track system.... google Paddock Paradise. Its very good for encouraging movement etc and also regulating grass intake.
Click to expand...

Thank you, Yes I fancy getting the paddock Paradise system going around spring time in the the 2.5 acre paddock. I am a barefoot enthusiast so its one of our things is'n't it?


May I also add I am so overjoyed to be moving my horses to my own place, I have had it up to the neck with Livery yards, both Yard Qwners and horse owners, farmers I have rented from and people who think they can tell me what to do with my horses, usually to suit their own purposes, and the prejudice against myself, ( I am from London -see, now moved to the Highlands !); against my methods of Horse training, (Natural Horsemanship); my choice of equestrian pursuits, (western riding); and my choice of horses ( Irish draught/cob youngster bought direct from ireland who was super cheap, and hubbys super expensive American Quarter horse mare who is currently in training with Garry Stevens in Derbyshire. For the first time in my life I will be able to tell them all what I think, ands not suffer the consequences, and wont give a stuff!!!!!

I do hope to be able in the future to offer horse owners, livery myself, with a proper contract ( some thing that appears to be as elusive as hens teeth in the Highlands), and an assurance that people will get what they pay for!!
However that is some time in the future.

Rant over!!!
 
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