How is your ground and how are you coping?

R

Ranyhyn

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 November 2008
Messages
21,273
Location
Funny farm
Visit site
As above really, our ground is like concrete, we are lucky though that we're 20mins from the beach so if I do want to do fast work we can just walk to the beach.

How is it affecting you?

Kitty
 
Our fields are like concrete and I can't believe we haven't had rain for ages. None forecast up here this week either.....at this rate, there'll be no grass left and we'll be having to stable them at night again so that they get some haylage in them!!
 
I`m a bit screwed, council are currently contemplating closing the one and only bridlepath in my area...so my only option is to ride in one of the fields which are rock hard cracked clay so am not riding at the moment really except for a walk....is rather annoying and if council do close the bridleway they can say goodbye to my council tax...useless twits!
 
Generally it is like concrete, but some bits have a sort of sandy, dusty top layer, which isn't too bad. And there are some softer bits where you can have a short canter. Very dry fields, though.
 
ground is rock hard here to! ideal for the horses feet in the field as mine are barefoot but we have the beach 5 mins ride away for any canter work. could do with abit of rain though :-(
 
Absolutely rock hard, and grass is slow to appear. I'm just doing short road hacks atm, trying to do some schooling whilst out. It's not so bad as horse is a baby so getting out and about is good for him but do hope for rain soon for the grass and to soften the ground so we can do a bit more work.
 
Like concrete! IF I had a horse to ride I wouldn't be getting out of trot at the mo, unless I was in the school.

We've not a drop of rain forecasted for the next two weeks either.
 
But its perfect for laminitis/cushings horse as she's out 24/7 as the grass is like you would expect in August! Although not brill for her feet she's doing fine mooching around. Not much fun for riding on though, its not rained for weeks and weeks here
 
We are also in Kent - ground rock hard and cracks everywhere. We only canter/jump in the arena now. Grass pretty hopeless too, although we have 10 acres we have to supplement with feed for 2 horses and 2 ponies.
 
Like concrete here too :(

Hacking now limited to walk & trot only (and has been for over a fortnight now).

I now seem to be doing the same routes I'd do in mid winter when its very boggy as am preferring local roads & lanes with pretty level surface rather than dry dusty tracks over commons with hard dried ruts in them
 
I think my ‘living the French dream’ bubble may have burst! :(
No rain for weeks and weeks. My paddocks are awful, like sand pits, no grass growth and what is there is starting to parch. I was lucky enough to get some fertiliser spread at the beginning of February and wash it in. We have had no rain since. Starting to get depressed and wishing we had never moved from Scotland :(
I am resting 3 of my 6 acres. It was starting to look not too bad, on closer inspection though, the damn place is infested with marestail!! Gutted!! :mad: Thankfully I have good doers and they are coping quite well.
Hay!? Well my supplier ran out in December. I have nothing left, if the drought continues I am in deep 'doo doo' as nobody wants to sell. This hay season is starting to look quite grim :(
 
The ground is like concrete, the grass isn't growing and I can't find any hay :(

We have no rain due in the next two weeks according to Metcheck.

Not good :(

Luckily I have bagged my hay for this years cut, and have added an extra 50 bales to what I was going to order just in case we are in the same situation next year.
 
Ground like concrete. No rain til thur forecast and then only a bit of drizzle. I fnd it incredable that people are still competing in the likes of endurance rides and show jumping [in fields,not menage or indoor] events. Thats just wrong,the ground s way to hard. my youngsters are coming in during the day so they can lie down on soft bedding if they wish and they do every day. it must be awful fo those poor horses left out in rock hard paddocks and asked to trot canter and jump under these conditions. why dont organisers just cancel the events?
 
I am quite lucky in that I have an indoor and outdoor for fast work but I have to stick to walk on hacks. Too hard to even trot. I have to water the outdoor but have sprinklers for the indoor. We have an ok amount of grass but with the horses living out I have started to put straw beds out in the field. Stupid and soft I know but I feel better knowing they can have a lie down on something soft if the want. They have lovely thick beds in their field shelters and hay in there but they don't bother going in there ever.

My stables are in an American barn style set up and even with every door open it is getting too hot and stuffy so trying at all costs to keep all of mine out. It is quite dusty in the barn too so better for the horses to be out rather than risk cough or anything else.
 
My ground is like concrete- so hard its ridiculous! I can't ride my mare because she's only 12hh so I usually long rein or lunge but I haven't wanted to do anything with her because the ground is so bad. My lower field is actually ok because the grass is quite good in there and has a cushion effect but I don't want to risk it. I'm even considering taking water down to the field to water it if it doesn't rain soon! She's coped fine, not footy at all- her shelter has rubber matting and shavings in it so she can go in there if she wants anyway.
 
We have lots of rain today and and a small amount yesterday. I swear the grass is growing as I type this! Just come in time here as it was getting very hard and the stock on the moors were getting very short of food.
 
I am lucky I have a good arena (or two) at yard. The bridle path is now rock solid and I went XC schooing at Great Westwood last week, in places the ground was baked already, the grass gallops were ok for the most part as they have a good covering of grass.

I really want to go back again though, so quite hoping for some rain too,
 
Flax said:
:eek::eek: I have never heard of putting straw beds out in the field before :eek::eek: doesn't it blow away? :D
Click to expand...

Nope doesn't blow away, the pile of straw (or as I have made it sound a straw bed) it's in a well sheltered area under the trees behind the field shelter and away from any wind tunnels or any way it could be blown away completely. Parts do blow away a bit but it just makes me feel better attempting to give them something. A friend with broodmares has done the same for hers and I was debating whether it was worth it as have never done it before myself but with them refusing to use the field shelters I thought it worth a try. They mostly like to roll in it as it is obviously more comfy than rolling on the concrete ground, but they do have a little snooze there when they feel.

My sister thinks I have turned into a crazy horse lady and becoming a fluffy bunny hugger and would leave all of ours to get on with it but I won that argument and did it without her knowing.
 
Last edited:
Don't think it's rained for 8 weeks here :(. We've seen rain in the distance a few times but it skirts round us (local micro-climate apparently!).

The fields are rock solid but we still have far too much bright green lush grass.
 
I don't remember the last time it rained, here! Although the ground is like concrete, it's brilliant for his feet! Reduced to mostly walking on hacks, though and I'm dreading the hay bill...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top