Getting the most from my fields - What would you do?

[3Beasties]

I'll try and keep this as short and simple as possible. Hopefully it will make sense to you!

I am renting a small private yard. It has 3 stables (one of which is a tack room) and 3 small paddocks, totaling approximately 5 acres.

I am keeping all 3 of mines there, Charlie, an 18 year old, 16.1hh TB who is a poor doer. Missi, a 16.3hh ISH that lives on fresh air and Millie, a 12hh Section A that only has to look at grass to put on weight. I would like slightly more weight on Charlie but alot less on the other two.

Field 1 - Smallest patch of the 3. No field shelter but the stables are in this paddock so they could be used as a field shelter. Not been grazed for over a year but had hay off it approximately a month ago. It has come back well and currently has a decent amount of grass. I'm not planning to get hay off it next year so it can now be used year round.

Field 2 - This paddock has one large field shelter. Horses have been on it since they moved there at the beginning of may. There is now not much grass left (but probably enough to keep the fatties going till Winter!). Ideally I want to rest this field now so it comes back ready for next Spring/Summer as this will then be their main paddock.

Field 3 - Similar size to patch 2. Has two field shelters in it (owners used to have electric fencing between the two to keep their horses in separate sides of the field). Like patch one this hasn't been grazed for over a year but has recently had hay off it. It has slightly less grass then patch 1. I plan to get hay off this next Summer so ideally need the horses off it by April at the latest so it can be fertilized and then left. This paddock is the furthest from the yard but will be my main Winter patch so I don't want to over use it now.

I had hoped not to have to feed hay in the fields over Winter so am trying to work out how best to manage the grass situation now. I'd like patch 2 to grow a bit before Winter sets in so that it is stronger for the spring and will also be a back up for Winter if I get really short of grass so ideally need to move the horses off it soon! But to which patch?

My main concern at the moment is the fat ones. Millie lives in her grazing mask and is still fat on a fairly bare field. Missi won't keep her mask on so I'm going to have to buy a different style and hope it is Moo proof! I can increase Millie's exercise slightly (ride and lead and lunging) but will struggle to increase Missi's (Lack of time and energy!) - she will be doing more fast work and jumping so that may help though I guess!

Charlie would benefit from being on one of the grassier patches.

So what do I do? I keep making a decision and then changing my mind

At the moment, although it's likely to change, I am thinking that Charlie could be in patch 3 permanently (either the whole of it or fenced in half) whilst the other two are in a small section of patch 2 overnight and in with Charlie during the day. Problems with this are Charlie may not eat when on his own, he can see/touch the others but may still stress. Also not sure how Moo will like being confined but I guess I won't know till I try!

Any thoughts, ideas or anything else would be much appreciated!

Flake ice cream and a glass of cider if you made it to the end!

 

[Alphamare]

Use electric fencing to create rings around the two fields you don't plan on using in the winter. Put the fatties in the rings and put Charlie in the middle with the best and rest of the grass.

 

[Alyth]

The best thing we did with our land was set up a track system that goes around the perimeter of all the paddocks. Electric fence was used for the internal fence and the middles were split and are accessed rationally......I would try and get the shelters included in the track area as well as all water troughs......google paddock paradise or track systems for horses, lots of ideas to use!!

 

[ihatework]

I'd keep the 2 fatties on field 2 for the foreseeable, put the skinny on field 1 to graze it down and leave field 3 to grow for winter

 

[3Beasties]

I'd keep the 2 fatties on field 2 for the foreseeable, put the skinny on field 1 to graze it down and leave field 3 to grow for winter

I like this idea but have two concerns.

First one being, when does grass tend to stop growing? It needs some growth before Winter.

Secondly I don't think he'd settle at all in paddock 1 on his own due to the layout of the fields, he would be more separated from the others then he would if he were in paddock 3.

I am happy to give it a go though!

 

[3Beasties]

Use electric fencing to create rings around the two fields you don't plan on using in the winter. Put the fatties in the rings and put Charlie in the middle with the best and rest of the grass.

(Can use paddock 1 and 3 for most of Winter - 3 needs resting from April on-wards though)

The best thing we did with our land was set up a track system that goes around the perimeter of all the paddocks. Electric fence was used for the internal fence and the middles were split and are accessed rationally......I would try and get the shelters included in the track area as well as all water troughs......google paddock paradise or track systems for horses, lots of ideas to use!!

Humm, guess I could do a track round paddock 2 and leave Charlie in paddock 1 or 3!

 

[LynH]

Your situation sounds very similar to my own. I have my three at home on 5.5 acres with 3 stables currently being built in one of the paddocks. My land is split into 4 equal sized fields but one will now have the yard and arena in it. I have a 16.1 TB who is 22 and retired but needs more grass than the other two who are a 16.3 ID mare and a 13.3 Highland pony. The last two do not need as much grass as Fainne, the TB so they are muzzled at times.

Like you I try not to feed hay in the winter until necessary so I strip graze. I keep two of the paddocks resting during summer so I can strip graze the long grass as standing hay. I also strip graze in summer and muzzle the two fatties for the first day when I move the fence so the new strip is eaten down a bit by the TB before I take their muzzles off at night. I ride the ID and the Highland is lunged and ridden a bit by my nephew so their workload, muzzling and strip grazing has helped keep their weight under control. I am planning to use the new stables this winter to give the TB more hay and feed than the other two. Last year I fed the two fatties a high fibre molasses free diet and the TB had a higher fat and protein diet but they were all fed the same volume so I could feed them in the field together. I also let the TB out into a resting paddock when the others are being worked so she has the opportunity to get some better grass without permanently being on her own. I graze all fields down over winter so that come spring they can go into one already grazed field whilst the others are left to recover. I haven't taken a cut of hay off them yet as I needed to focus on weed management this year but hopefully next year they will be more suitable as I do have a bit too much grass atm.

Good luck, it's hard work having one horse with different feed requirements to the others but I have managed to keep them all happy and healthy with the help of electric fencing and muzzles.