How important is it....

[miamibear]

.... to fertilise your grass fields?

YO hasnt fertilised ours for 3 years, the grass seems really poor quality. We had no grass by mid june, hay has been in field for a while now.

Thing is we dont get winter turnout either do fields are rested over winter. This winter he is allowing us 1 hour a day in our own fields. Is this going to make a huge mess considering we have a 5 acre field with 6 horses on it at the moment.

Any advice or opinions welcomed

Thanks

 

[Ferdinase514]

It's really difficult when fields are overgrazed.

Ours are crammed full of horses and fertilised. The grass did grow loads this spring/early summer and had to be topped but now it has all disappeared.

We have 9 horses rotated between 2, 3 or 4 acre fields. They get trashed during the winter.

Personally I think fertilising them will make a difference but will only really do any good if grazing is reduced also.

 

[miamibear]

This is what im worried about, the fields are over grazed, people wont care about how much grass we have in summer just their need to turn out in winter so the fields will get trashed and he wont do anything about it. I can see it being a disaster!!

No where to move to though unless i win the lottery!

 

[the watcher]

Can you cut this field down to make a 'sacrifice' paddock for the winter and fertilise and rest the other bits. If they are only out for an hour it is only a leg stretch after all

 

[miamibear]

I may discuss this with YO, to be honest he doesnt really care less but i will try to convince him!

 

[bellasmum]

MOVE!

 

[allijudd]

I would be surprised if the YO doesnt care about the fields.... its much more expensive to plough up and reseed the grass fields than a bit of maintenance and field management. If the fields are overgrazed, and the grass is killed off, he will be looking at a cost of about £120 per acre to plough reseed and fertilise, needless to say the fields cant be grazed untill the new grass is up and growing.
Good luck