How are your fields looking?

[Classic]

With the wet weather we have been having, how are your fields coping with all the rain?
My field seems to be just about coping but hoof prints everywhere and worried it will get really churned up if we have anymore rain. Our neighbours have had to go back to winter turnout regime as they have developed quite a deep pond in the middle of the field!
When will this rain ever stop!

 

[Montyforever]

Absolutly fantastic never seen it look so thick, lush and well covered .. Not happy because I have a laminitis prone pony!! Silly grass/weather!

 

[KSR]

My gate was muddy before I moved in.. Now it's been raining most days since, it's very sticky and horrid.. There is a slight rise towards the middle of the stable field, so it has short grass and has a fair bit of hoon marking.. The slighter incline is sodden where the field meets the Devon bank perimeter.. We fenced off the steeper incline yesterday which is knee high grass and I'll move them down that end to rest the shorter grass by the weekend..

Hayfield is due to be cut but again clay soil so waterlogged with the persistent rain.. The bottom hayfield with the pond is the same except the steep incline means all the water should head down to the bottom..

Where on earth is summer?

 

[pootleperkin]

Wet and a bit churned - not helped by the idiots charging around this morning when they escaped to the wrong side of the leccy fence. You know, it's easy to jump over a bit of saggy tape, but impossible walk back over it when it is lying flat on the floor!

 

[Goldenstar]

Please don't make me look I can't bare it !!!!

 

[Tash88]

Lots of lush and beautiful grass (thank god mine isn't prone to laminitis...) but there are a couple of 'ponds' where the ground dips a bit. As most of the horses are living out it isn't too bad by the gates as they aren't waiting there to come in; it is a little muddy in places but I think I'd rather that than the ground being so hard they're at risk of concussion. I'd like a happy medium really!

 

[noblesteed]

There is standing water in the area which we normally use for jumping! Horses are making dints in the ground and we can't ride in it. Our field is really well drained usually as it has a gulley down the middle. We have an arena-sized flat area in the field which we use for schooling and jumping. Last year we used it from April through to November... this year I think maybe a week or so in April. We haven't even bothered getting the jumps out yet this year... The grass is appallingly long despite the farmer topping it for us and my horse has had a lami scare and is now in a grazing muzzle the whole time. We are lucky enough that our 2 horses don't churn up the field so much so haven't had to be brought in, only to dry off a few times. Mine is also having to have barrier cream on his heels so he doesn't get mud fever... in JULY!!!!!
Our field is used as the car park for the local show... beginning of August so has a while to dry out I suppose! The showfield next door has 5 horses in it and is like a swamp around the gateways...

 

[Auslander]

There are ducks in mine! Alf has been chasing them!

 

[learningcurve]

Too much of the green stuff...never happy.

 

[miller]

Knee/mid thigh grass - best it's ever been. Free draining fen soil so no mud :0)

 

[Jane_Lou]

Summer paddocks, perfect, enough grass to keep them happy but they have them pretty chomped now so they are holding their weight well. Winter paddocks, knee deep in grass which they will get after the end of September to munch over winter as standing hay, keeps them super happy in the winter. No real mud to speak of even at gateways, they are in at night though so they never hang around the gates and we are on sandy well draining soil which makes a massive difference.

 

[rhino]

There are ducks in mine! Alf has been chasing them!

Brilliant!

Ours are not in a good way, but unlike most places the grass never really took off this year - first year ever I've not been worrying about weight gain, quite a relief actually The gateways were bad (fields all on steepish hill with gate at bottom) but actually the rain has been so heavy in the last week or so that the mud has washed away leaving hardcore only at the gates

 

[Ranyhyn]

Really rather good, it's short and firm where it should be and long and lush where it should be.
However, I don't think we've had the same rain in S Wales as everyone else!

 

[touchstone]

Mine is several ponds with eight fat sheep that have thankfully eaten all the grass off, I've never known a summer like this.

 

[TJP]

WET! Muddy gates & muddy horses. Grass is lush so riding horses & ponies are cooped up in 1 paddock as they resemble fat bullocks. Hail & rain storms this afternoon. Broodmare and foal are in and out like yoyos between heavy downpours. Fed up to he back teeth with this weather. Got soaked riding on Monday and roasted in the sunshine yesterday! Can't ride or jump in the fields as they are cutting up so much - rant over!

 

[Marydoll]

Wet at the gate, the rest is fine, albeit knee high

 

[aimsymc]

Muddy at gate but not bad elswere. Never had alot of grass this year to start with not complaining as my girl lookin good on what there is.

 

[Enfys]

About average for this time of year, average temperature over the last couple of weeks 30C +. We are on sand so it dries out really fast, feeding hay in some paddocks. The lawns are brown and crispy Such is life

Hay fields are growing though.

 

[dunkley]

We have ducks, too! Knee high grass in places, and loads of mud. Can't poo pick without using 4x4, and that's very iffy in places Feel sorry for YO - he spent hours filling in all the drive potholes, and the rain has washed them all empty again!

 

[FairyLights]

Lush grass growing [too] quickly. Horses in for around 12 hrs a day now and sometimes more. Smallish paddock created with electric tape in the bottom field for when they are turned out.

 

[Wundahorse]

I have several water features in my paddocks,all naturally occuring and no help from the Groundforce crew.

 

[LollyDolly]

Muddy!
Sadly my paddock hasn't managed to dry out with all this rain so there is quite a bit of mud around, also the grass is getting rather lush as my pony only goes out for 4 hours a day so it's not getting eaten enough but still growing

 

[You Wont Forget Me]

Soaking! Our field sits on a rather steep hill so its usually only the bottom that gets swampy or really wet but the whole field is just now, and dont even get me started on the gate area
Are we ever going to get a summer?

 

[olop]

My paddock is belly high full of grass, not a chance of him churning it up at the minute. Never seen so much grass in july before!

 

[HashRouge]

Our fields are wet (waterlogged in places ) but they generally look quite good. But that is because of the amount of space per horse - the currently have the run of 3 fields and there's only 5 of them. Not too much grass either, as they've been rotated fairly regularly between the horses and donkeys, so not too much time for the grass to grow.

 

[The_snoopster]

Small summer paddock is spongy and has a nice green shimmer over it, its usually a dust bowl by now. I prefer to feed a small ammount of hay to my fatties and keep them away from lush grass this year the tiny ammount is a minute ammount. Winter field is very thick with grass, and I am hoping to only have to feed hay when there is thick snow on the ground this winter, I do have small pools forming but luckily the horses have not churmed them up into mud baths yet.

 

[mayangold]

Really good. I think we're getting less rain in Cornwall than other parts of the country in the first time ever! Keeping it topped or it would be up round my ears.

 

[moana]

Green and mud free

 

[amandaco2]

Despite topping five weeks ago its knee deep in parts again.

 

[Jaycee]

How are my fields looking?..........Really, really, lush, still growing thick and fast but no mud thankfully!
Will we get any hay cut this year?......who knows!