Help Me Figure Out Field Management? *Pic*

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MosMum

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Ok, here is the limit to my amazing artistic skills :)

163427_10150108646617565_752992564_7586416_154104_n.jpg


I love our yard, there is barn/stable to the right of this 'drawing' where our tack/feed room and some stables/the paddock are, but this gives you an idea of what I'm talking about.

As you can see, the only way into the other fields is via the Main Field. Right now, Top Field gate is shut, but I'm not really sure how we should field manage, and this has been left up to me. So far we've been poo-picking but I'm aware that if I move them from field to field, we could just harrow? However, we can't really keep them out of Main Field because, despite trees for shelter in the other fields, its the only with a proper shelter (and also where we feed hay as its closest to the feed room).

So if this was YOUR set up, how would you field manage???

Many thanks in advance!
 
I would keep the main field for winter as it's nearest and you don't want to be walking through mud if you can help it. I would keep the two far fields for summer and maybe the small field at the top make into a fatties paddock and keep the grass down and use it if there is too much grass in the summer fields for good-dooers! We pooh pick in the summer but don't do it in the winter, just harrow the fields and leave them for six months.
 
Without knowing the acreage, or how many horses there are, my first thought is that I would want to make a new gate into the main field so that the field could then be divided by electric fencing, across the top of the 'square'. I would then use this square as the winter 'trash paddock', leave it over the summer and rotate the grazing in the other fields and the top of the main field. I'm afraid I think that 'poo-picking' is an over-rated past-time and would opt to harrow instead, unless you have access to a field vac, which works well.
 
Sorry I forgot those details!

Its 10 acres between all 4 fields and Main Field and together with Far and Bottom make up most of that (top field is quite small).

There are 3 horses, my arab x (rising 2), a cob filly (2yrs) and a cob gelding (3 yrs). They're in together, all get along ok and all good doers so far.

I like the idea of dividing Main Field but would worry about them not having access to the shelter, either in summer or winter, since the rain can be persistant in either season?

If you harrow, you have to leave it 6 months after? Do you harrow in early spring then?

The green blobs (lol) are 'trees' so areas of shelter. There is also a stream which runs year-round between Main Field and Far Field along the fence line.
 
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MosMum said:
Sorry I forgot those details!

I

I like the idea of dividing Main Field but would worry about them not having access to the shelter, either in summer or winter, since the rain can be persistant in either season?


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Yes, I see that the top of main field has no shelter. How about leaving gate between small top field and top of main field open in summer? This would save the grazing in main field being churned up in winter and still give access to shelter from trees.
 
i would just use the one field with the shelter for the winter and leave the rest for the summer so they dont all get trashed and once summer comes round harrow and roll the field they have been in during the winter so you can get some use out of it for the summer.
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
Yes, I see that the top of main field has no shelter. How about leaving gate between small top field and top of main field open in summer? This would save the grazing in main field being churned up in winter and still give access to shelter from trees.
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Ok, (sorry if I sound dunce!)

So, electric fence to split Main Field as advised, shut off Far, Bottom and Top Field and leave just in lower half of Main field for winter? I would guess half of Main Field to be perhaps 3.5 acres or so, is that big enough for 3 horses to winter? Would definitely make sure of nicer grazing come spring!

As a side note, the shelter in Main Field is 3.5 sided metal sheet with metal sheet roof, do you guys put straw down in field shelters? I haven't yet.

Hmmm just noticed we could perhaps put in a gate system between the bottom of Bottom Field and the bottom of Main Field.
 
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MosMum said:
Ok, (sorry if I sound dunce!)

So, electric fence to split Main Field as advised, shut off Far, Bottom and Top Field and leave just in lower half of Main field for winter? I would guess half of Main Field to be perhaps 3.5 acres or so, is that big enough for 3 horses to winter? Would definitely make sure of nicer grazing come spring!

Yes, more than big enough, unless you have clay soil which turns into mud easily.

As a side note, the shelter in Main Field is 3.5 sided metal sheet with metal sheet roof, do you guys put straw down in field shelters? I haven't yet.
Click to expand...

If they're coming in at night, I wouldn't bother with bedding in the shelter.
 
Thanks!

The ground in Main Field and Bottom Field does turn up mud and some parts are a bit clay too.

They dont' come in at night, all three are currently out 24/7, 2 are rugged.
 
I'm probably wrong as I don't have much experience but have managed to work our grazing well so far this year so here's what I would do...
Keep the Main Field as your 'trash paddock' for the worst of the winter weather. This is near to the stables and house so convenient for dark nights and you can hay easily, it also has the proper shelter.
Now do your horses use the shelter in summer for shade? Mine certainly don't and much prefer trees so I'd then use the Far and Bottom as the main summer grazing (transferring them as soon as the ground dries slightly in spring) and leave the Main Field to recover. They shouldn't need hay as there should be grass as they'll have been rested. As long as they have plenty of trees for shade they'll be fine. Depending on size you use on field at a time or use both at once (hard to tell exact size from drawing). Then you have your Top field left which I would use late Autumn/early winter before the ground gets really wet.
The above would probably work for mine but you need to take in to account your horses like/dislikes, whether they are prone to lami, etc. Hope that gives you a starting point though.
 
I love your yard set up!

Lots of options really!.

Depending on how wet the fields get I would use the small top field and divide off the main field so its square and use that as a winter paddock. Then in summer let them have the run of the whole main field and then rotate between the far fields and the main field until next winter.

Or let them use the main field in the winter when its decent enough ground and on the wet days use the small top field for trashing. and then move to the far fields in the spring and rest the main field until summer and rotate between main and far fields until winter again. You could use the small top field for a jumping paddock/sick/restricted/starvation paddock in the meantime!
 
Thankyou Christmastime, none of them are lami's and your description does make sense. Only Mo was there this past summer but no, he didn't use the shelter for shade at all- he too preferred the trees. Thanks for the advice :)
 
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