Horses returning to field after harrowing?

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crystalclear

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If you have harrowed your field, how long do you have to wait to put horses back on or can you put them straight back on? Poo picked daily and no fertiliser used!

Thank you
 
There is no reason they cannot go straight back on, the fields would benefit from a few days to recover, one of mine was rolled and harrowed last year with 2 ponies "helping" from a safe distance most of the time.
 
I was told at least 6+ weeks. Harrowing disturbs and brings Equine Grass Sickness and Atypical Myopathy bacteria to the surface. A lot of horses get EMS after recent harrowing.
 
Hahathats brilliant, I bet they were a great help. Perfect, so give them a few days rest, ideally but if in doubt they can go straight back on?
 
Logic dictates that I leave my fields after harrowing until they've at least had a good wetting from a storm or two of rain. (Don't usually have to wait long in Scotland!). My reasoning is that harrowing disturbs the soil and some of that will be deposited on the grass for the ponies to eat.

Having said that, I have recently put my herd back onto a harrowed field, but then I am feeding hay almost ad lib so they are not forced to eat contaminated grass. They do wander around picking at it, but I suspect they are just taking newly emerged shoots.

For me, that is an important fact. Even a field infested with ragwort will not harm horses if there is also plenty of grass. They only eat ragwort when there is no alternative because it has a bitter taste.

I don't know if I'm right, but I'll continue to do what I'm doing until someone can show me I'm wrong! BTW, we don't seem to have a worm problem either. In past years, I'd occasionaly notice the odd worm in poo. But I can honestly say I haven't seen more than a couple in as many years so I must be doing something right!
 
We harrow with the horses still in the field. not always, but sometimes. Ideally I leave them off for three months for worm control.
 
I've moved the horses for now as I wasn't sure, just wanted to be safe! I realise proper chain harrows have hooks or such underneath to dig up ground? Mine is a DIY one with two heavy bars and some chain so probably hasn't dug into the ground or done much damage, just dusty?
 
Our fields were so badly churned up after this wettest winter on record that we have rolled first. When it has rained, probably Thursday according to the met office, we will harrow and then roll again.

Rolling was done around the horses yesterday and today, but once harrowed and rolled the fields will be shut to recover, which with some warmth should be just a few weeks.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Our fields were so badly churned up after this wettest winter on record that we have rolled first. When it has rained, probably Thursday according to the met office, we will harrow and then roll again.

Rolling was done around the horses yesterday and today, but once harrowed and rolled the fields will be shut to recover, which with some warmth should be just a few weeks.
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I have done exactly the same. Much against Yo,s Husbands supposed farming knowledge!. I want to bash what grass divots I can ,back into the sward so that they dont just dry out and die. Supposed expert wants to harrow and then roll. It will be too dry by then!Rolling fields in the dark tonight ,so as not to loose the "five minute window " for rolling. It would have helped enormously if Yo,s husband hadnt taken away the bungs so I cant water ballast the roller. I am having to go real slow to get any effect. Fortunately fellow liveries are very supportive.
 
Mike007 said:
I have done exactly the same. Much against Yo,s Husbands supposed farming knowledge!. I want to bash what grass divots I can ,back into the sward so that they dont just dry out and die. Supposed expert wants to harrow and then roll. It will be too dry by then!Rolling fields in the dark tonight ,so as not to loose the "five minute window " for rolling. It would have helped enormously if Yo,s husband hadnt taken away the bungs so I cant water ballast the roller. I am having to go real slow to get any effect. Fortunately fellow liveries are very supportive.
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My darling husband beached the tractor and roll in a gateway yesterday. I now have a devils dyke.
 
crystalclear said:
If you have harrowed your field, how long do you have to wait to put horses back on or can you put them straight back on? Poo picked daily and no fertiliser used!

Thank you
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I harrowed my front field last night and ponies went out today, the back fields farmer harrow's it while the horses are in there , never had a prob except it spreads the poos that past that morning but since we dee poo daily, we have never had a worm burden nor had any problems leaving the horses out there or putting them straight back out

In fact he is coming tomorrow am to view the fields to harrow
 
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I harrowed one field that needed the poo spreading a couple of years ago just prior to it being needed. It was dry (summer) and the poo that had been spread took WEEKS to be taken in by the worms or washed in, it was just spread far and wide so there was very little clean ground. Just keep an eye on it and use your judgement as to when the field is grazable, much depends on the conditions and the weather.
 
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