How to keep "free range" horses this Winter?

[rmasterson]

I have 3 horses on 7.5 acres with access to stables as and when they want. They are fed and hayed morning and evening but doors are always open. This system works really well (usually) for me & them. The problem is that the land is like a swamp, very wet and very badly poached. There are some dry bits here and there but after the wet Summer it's in a pretty poor state. My riding horse is becoming prone to drops and infections as a result of his feet being wet all the time but has had a bout of lymphangitis and the vet advises against standing him in where possible. (He is on a break till after Xmas) If and when it freezes I will have to shut them into the yard as the fields will be lethal.
My question is really whether I should shut them in the yard (giving them a little room to mooch about) with a round bale of hay in a bid to save the land or should I just let them be when it's not frozen and worry about repairing the damage in the Spring when it dries up (hopefully!)
Would shutting them in really be of any benefit to the ground? I love keeping them as naturally as possible so stabling them really doesn't sit right with me even apart from the lymphangitis risk.

 

[Enfys]

When horses have round bales (judging by the behaviour of mine) they tend to just stand and eat, and eat, and eat, go for a drink, mooch about, have a nap and then eat some more They choose to live a very sedentary life.

In your position I would yard them but give them access to the field for a few hours a day so that they could have a hooley if they wanted to. Horses kept out full time also tend to be much more aware of their footing and less likely to be stupid in deep/hard/rutted ground.

The land will recover, restricting access to land will save it only by 12 hours a day (for example) so yes, it will make a difference in that it is only being trampled for that time they are out. Perhaps it is feasible to fence off a smaller section that they can go into in addition to the yard if they choose to rather than the entire acreage? Bet they stay in the yard 90% of the time

 

[LCH611]

I agree with Enfys. In the snowy period last year when mine had a big round bale to munch on, they actually only bothered to move about in approx 1/4 acre (it is a 10 acre field) as I could see from the hoofprints where they had been. The water trough was frozen so they didn't even have to go over to that as I was bringing water up to them. I did think given that they were mostly all babies they might have prefereed to run about & play in the snow, but clearly not!

 

[MerrySherryRider]

I agree with Enfys. In the snowy period last year when mine had a big round bale to munch on, they actually only bothered to move about in approx 1/4 acre (it is a 10 acre field) as I could see from the hoofprints where they had been. The water trough was frozen so they didn't even have to go over to that as I was bringing water up to them. I did think given that they were mostly all babies they might have prefereed to run about & play in the snow, but clearly not!

Exactly this. Ours were on 14 acres and during the snow the hoof prints didn't stray much beyond the round bales - and I had to saturate their feeds and put apple juice in the water to encourage them to drink.

 

[pottamus]

Yes I would yard them during the day or at night and let them in the field the rest of the time. It will give their hooves a chance to dry out and save your land a bit.

 

[Jools1234]

how do you stop your yard freezing?

i put hay out for mine in the snow and they leave it and go and dig up the grass, but i always leave half an acre ungrazed for the whole year now just so they have that option in the snow.

mine come in for a few hrs every day and this is the first yr i have done that-my are out if the ground freees too, ithink if they live out they are less likely to roar about and slip/injure themselves

mine wont come in if the track freezes or for the time we have snow on the ground

 

[rmasterson]

Thanks for replies & good advice. I've been keeping them in during the day with hay & will continue with that for a while. I can shut the yard gate so as to keep the risky one moving a little. I'm also treating their feet daily with either hoof hardener or iodine.
I scatter salt on the concrete if I know its going to freeze and it works well to prevent ice forming on the yard.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I have 3 horses on 7.5 acres with access to stables as and when they want. They are fed and hayed morning and evening but doors are always open. This system works really well (usually) for me & them. The problem is that the land is like a swamp, very wet and very badly poached. There are some dry bits here and there but after the wet Summer it's in a pretty poor state.

Sadly this can happen if you have horses out full time. This is why I wont have grass liveries. I have 10 animals on 8 1/2 acres my fields are green and one of the two paddocks they are on now is 2 ft long. I rest 2 and use two and front paddock is ponies only .
This works well


I suggest you divide field up so some can rest .

My question is really whether I should shut them in the yard (giving them a little room to mooch about) with a round bale of hay in a bid to save the land or should I just let them be when it's not frozen and worry about repairing the damage in the Spring when it dries up (hopefully!)
Would shutting them in really be of any benefit to the ground? I love keeping them as naturally as possible so stabling them really doesn't sit right with me even apart from the lymphangitis risk.

Well it might not sit right but I always say look after your land and it will look after your horses. I think you need to put them in at night for the benefit of the land or the problem wont improve.

People say 1 1/2 acre for first horse and 1 acre for each one added. But land can cope with more if you look after it. As I said we have 10 animals, 11 when full this is a picture of ours taken now and the resting pair.
This is the bottom field top one is 2ft long we closed it off in the summer as we had too much grass and saved it for the winter ie now. So when most have no grass this should keep them going for a while they are on winter regime now 7am - 3pm turnout

see how green it is

this is the field they left last week which now has 2-3 months off

Its the only way to maintain grazing, take care of it dee poo weedkill fertilize-rest.


Sadly if this is not possible as you like the * Free Range bit* things wont improve sorry.

 

[YasandCrystal]

I must say with 7.5 acres and only 3 horses I would rest at least 4 acres and maybe an extra acre after Christmas.

I have 10 acres with only 2 horses on it at the moment. I rested one 2 acre paddock from late summer and have just opened that up and mine are now refusing hay as there is so much grass for them. They get one small hard feed each a day and are out 24/7 currently. The rest of the land is shut off to them and I will only move paddocks as necessary. Our land is also very wet by the way.

I always go by the advise of a wise old farmer who told me that fields should be used until Christmas and then shut off some to rest to give a good spring/summer crop. I rotate mine and will rest over winter the paddocks we used last winter. We depoo and then muck spread in the autumn and chemical fertilise and spray for weeds in the spring.

I think a smaller area (3.5 acres) for grazing now and round bales of hay will preserve your land

 

[Spanish Eyes]

I have similar issues, and this year built a yard which has been gravelled, which has a gate leading onto a small trash paddock. I was planning on keeping them on the fields until Christmas, but had to take them off early because the field is already trashed (we live between two moors, and it never seems to stop raining )

The horses are looking the best they've looked at this time of year, and are actually eating less hard feed because I've upped the hay. They mooch around, eating, eating, eating and do look a little bored, and sleep a lot, but are doing pretty well.

 

[Dry Rot]

You've had some good advice about conserving the grass, but have you considered the drainage? Effective drainage relies on soil organisms (worms, moles, etc) digging passages through the soil, also the soil itself, allowing the water to pass through. The soil wildlife cannot live if it is saturated and if you squeeze the air out (which horses' hooves do!) , most soils become compacted and won't allow water through anyway.

Start at the bottom. Is the outflow of your ditches/drains blocked? You might need to approach a neighbour to make sure the water can get away. Then examine internal drainage. Drainage is expensive but having to keep horses in and losing grazing might be even more expensive long term. If in doubt, get your local drainage contractor to advise.

Plant roots also need air to survive and if land is left water logged you'll end up with only less productive species, then finally rushes.

 

[Auslander]

I'm on a small yard with only 5 acres, and 9 horses, so grazing is precious, and carefully maintained. In order to preserve it for the summer, our YO has built a track round the perimeter for winter turnout, with hard standing in front of the gates. We're putting piles of hay all the way round so they have to keep moving round the track, and they're more active than if they were standing in a field eating hay from one place.

It's working beautifully at the moment. They have the odd squabble, which tends to get them moving round the track, rather than horses getting pinned in corners and damaged. It's going to get trashed, but as there is hardstanding at the gates, it's not going to be too much of an issue. They don't seem to hang around the gateways as much as they did when in fields either - they're off marching round on their giant horsewalker.

 

[rmasterson]

Thanks all for your very helpful replies with photos and everything! I am going to close off the lower field and save it for Spring. I've always had 2 horses on the land and it was never a problem if anything I would have too much grass in the Summer. Between the incessant rain and the addition of a big footed 17hh heavy type the land is under serious pressure.Was going to include a photo but can't see how to do it!?

 

[TwoStroke]

I'm on a small yard with only 5 acres, and 9 horses, so grazing is precious, and carefully maintained. In order to preserve it for the summer, our YO has built a track round the perimeter for winter turnout, with hard standing in front of the gates. We're putting piles of hay all the way round so they have to keep moving round the track, and they're more active than if they were standing in a field eating hay from one place.

It's working beautifully at the moment. They have the odd squabble, which tends to get them moving round the track, rather than horses getting pinned in corners and damaged. It's going to get trashed, but as there is hardstanding at the gates, it's not going to be too much of an issue. They don't seem to hang around the gateways as much as they did when in fields either - they're off marching round on their giant horsewalker.

I do this, too .