PennywithHenry
Well-Known Member
Hi all. I don't know if you'll remember but about 3 weeks ago I bought henry, a very poor TB gelding. I had him on livery but was moving him to his own paddock and stable just up the road from my house mid-April. This has now gone wrong, the farmer who owns the paddock has been taken ill and his son and daughter in law will be helping out on his farm, and the daughter in law will be using the paddock for her own horse.
Due to some problems at the livery yard, initially the fact that there was only an hour or so's turn out per day on a bare paddock for a leg stretch more than anything I had decided to move Henry to this paddock and rotate this with what land I have at home. I havn't lived here very long, and already in place is an approx 3/4 of an acre paddock split into 3 and another small paddock with a brick shelter round the back, it's all very grazed and 'sick'. Over the summer it was going to be refenced into two paddocks, plus the one round the back, re-seeded where needed and rested.
Now....I've lost my 'summer paddock' of the farmers....went to the yard this morning and met another problem....
At the yard they all look down their noses at Henry anyway, like its his fault he was chucked out and starved all winter....they have two large paddocks, mares in one and geldings in another....apparantly 'everyone' has been kicking up a fuss that when turnout starts being introduced next week they don't want their horses turning out with my 'scabby nag'
I was given a weeks notice to vacate the premises though was so upset I phoned my husband, who came down with the car to pack up my stuff and walked Henry the 20 minutes home there and then. He's now currently grazing my approx 1/3 acre lawn that surrounds the house.
With regards to the paddocks, I know that with the small amount of land I have (4 paddocks spanning about an acre) I'll probably have to add additional forage all year round. As for stabling the old brick built shelter has a door and is lovely and cosy, have bedded it out and he was more than happy in there whilst we sorted him out....I was thinking about investing in a mobile field shelter but I think that will suffice, and it opens int the small back paddock.
Would the best bet be keeping him and his companion (a little fatty welshy arriving later) in the one back paddock with plenty of hay etc while we continue the original plans for the other land. Would the three paddocks together be better leaving as three in terms of rotation or splitting into two (it surrounds the house and gardens on three sides hence I think the reason it was originally fenced into three)
The back paddock with stable would be the winter turnout/paddock as the grass is sparse due to it being an old roadway.....
So I guess my question is, to simplify without the above ramblings, what is the best way to manage the land? Also, with the limited grass would it be better over the summer to turn out onto the grass for, say, a certain amount of hours then move him back into the back paddock, or let him graze continuously until the grass is shorter then move onto the next paddock?
I look forwards to your advice, many thanks, Penny
Due to some problems at the livery yard, initially the fact that there was only an hour or so's turn out per day on a bare paddock for a leg stretch more than anything I had decided to move Henry to this paddock and rotate this with what land I have at home. I havn't lived here very long, and already in place is an approx 3/4 of an acre paddock split into 3 and another small paddock with a brick shelter round the back, it's all very grazed and 'sick'. Over the summer it was going to be refenced into two paddocks, plus the one round the back, re-seeded where needed and rested.
Now....I've lost my 'summer paddock' of the farmers....went to the yard this morning and met another problem....
At the yard they all look down their noses at Henry anyway, like its his fault he was chucked out and starved all winter....they have two large paddocks, mares in one and geldings in another....apparantly 'everyone' has been kicking up a fuss that when turnout starts being introduced next week they don't want their horses turning out with my 'scabby nag'
I was given a weeks notice to vacate the premises though was so upset I phoned my husband, who came down with the car to pack up my stuff and walked Henry the 20 minutes home there and then. He's now currently grazing my approx 1/3 acre lawn that surrounds the house.
With regards to the paddocks, I know that with the small amount of land I have (4 paddocks spanning about an acre) I'll probably have to add additional forage all year round. As for stabling the old brick built shelter has a door and is lovely and cosy, have bedded it out and he was more than happy in there whilst we sorted him out....I was thinking about investing in a mobile field shelter but I think that will suffice, and it opens int the small back paddock.
Would the best bet be keeping him and his companion (a little fatty welshy arriving later) in the one back paddock with plenty of hay etc while we continue the original plans for the other land. Would the three paddocks together be better leaving as three in terms of rotation or splitting into two (it surrounds the house and gardens on three sides hence I think the reason it was originally fenced into three)
The back paddock with stable would be the winter turnout/paddock as the grass is sparse due to it being an old roadway.....
So I guess my question is, to simplify without the above ramblings, what is the best way to manage the land? Also, with the limited grass would it be better over the summer to turn out onto the grass for, say, a certain amount of hours then move him back into the back paddock, or let him graze continuously until the grass is shorter then move onto the next paddock?
I look forwards to your advice, many thanks, Penny
