How to Manage Too Much Grass at This Time of Year?

MrsMozartletoe

MrsMozartletoe

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We have loads of grass! Far too much for a lami prone 13hh Welsh cross (25-ish and retired), a 13.3hh Traditional cob (7 and on field rest), and a 16.3 DWB (she's the only one that does need it).

We have five acres for the three of them, split into two fairly equally sized fields. They are currently in an electric paddock in one field - trying to slim down the cob who since he went onto field rest has ballooned): we need to get the grass eaten down a bit I believe, but I haven't had to manage so much grass with so few horses before and I'm a bit lost :(

We've just brought home Little Lad, our lami prone 13hh Welsh cross, who is now about twenty-five we think and retired. He's had six months on comparatively sparse grazing, which has suited him, but now he's on the rich stuf. We made the electric paddock just over a week ago and had the other two horses eat it off a bit, so as LL can get used to the grass change without gorging himself.

I want to be able to let all three neds into the full winter field at some point, but obviously not if it's going to cause LL a problem, or Little Cob who is in danger of becoming Fat Cob. Dizzy the DWB is the one that needs the grass, but at this rate I'm going to have to put her on her own, although next to the others, and I'm not sure how she's going to take to that :(. Dizz gets a hard feed and the other two get a token handful to get their vits in.

Sorry, this is a bit woffly, but I'm not awake yet even though I've been up for a couple of hours.... Doesn't bode well for the rest of the day!

Basically, when will the sugars in the grass have died off enough for Little Cob and Little Lad to go on to it?

Hot choccies and Hobnobs for all replies :D
 
hi

you could do what i do which is run a track round the edge of one of the fields, put the fattys on the track and leave the dizzy in the middle, small fat ponies will then have to walk more to eat, if that is still too much just block a side off.

that way ponies and dizzy will still have contact,
 
I keep my laminitis-prone Welsh on a very small paddock and move one fence so she has very little new grass each day. I leave the rest of the fences where they are so the size increases each day but all water etc is in the bit she has had longest so she has to keep moving around in the area. Around once a month I move the whole lot and start her off again with an area not much larger than a stable.
 
Sorry, just realised I should have included:

YO, whilst okay with electric fencing to a point (gets worried about her dogs getting caught by it), she won't be happy with a track system :(

The oldie still has a pop in him and if he sees food the other side of the fence, he will make a jump for it. We can't rug him because if we do, he will go through the electric fence. This is a wily old pony :rolleyes:

Sileage. Hm. Had no idea about that, I'll try and get hold of the friendly farmer :)
 
Arghh, I have the same problem, although we are leaving everything rugless which helps keep their weight down and they are all doing a reasonable amount of work.
I would love to get some cut for haylage - one paddock is up to their bellies in really thick rich grass, can't imaging when I'd be able to put horses on that.

Farmer has just said we can have an additional 7 - 10 acres of really nice sheltered fields for the Winter so we'll end up having to strip graze all Winter as well as Summer.

We have 3 horses & 3 ponies on approx 15 acres.
 
Can you strip graze it with electric tape? The dogs soon learn to avoid it, one poke and they learn!
I strip graze anyway,but the grass is still amazingly green,and until we have colder weather and maybe some proper night frosts, I can't see the sugars lowering for a while yet.
You can buy electric fence stakes that are high, like 4' 6" or so, which should discourage the pony form popping over them.
Here's a link showing you the taller posts, bit pricey but well worth it.
http://www.partridgeshadleigh.co.uk...r-poly-post-white-53and34-singles-p-2439.html
 
I'm in a similar situation - atm on very very bare grazing, which we top up with hay. Suits my good doer perfectly. However we're moving to a new field in November with loads of grass, at just the time I will be cutting down his workload. I'm going to monitor his weight v carefully and will use a muzzle if need be.
 
We have exactly the same problem!
we have 3/ 4 acres for winter grazing, all of which is stomach high with really rich clover and grass. The summer fields they have been on just wont quit growing!!!
As well i have a 3 year old fat horse who we are trying to slim down as we dont want extra weight affecting growth. also a fat 2 year old exmoor filly and a 17 year old tb mare who really needs the grass.
we haved 3 1.5 acre fields. our plan is to split each one into 3 and then put dancer the tb mare on it first to eat it down and the tops off, then move her to the next one and then put the 2 fatties on it and then when dancers finished on the next one the 2 fatties get put on that. that way each section has a rest and fatties shouldn't get too fat lol.
its so hard though, the 3 year old is on a diet so have been trying to figure out best way to do it which will still leave us with plenty of winter grazing to last all winter, with the 2 youngsters out.
we have also been putting out rugless so they lose weight so they both look like fluffy teddy bears now :P
 
siennamum said:
Arghh, I have the same problem, although we are leaving everything rugless which helps keep their weight down and they are all doing a reasonable amount of work.
I would love to get some cut for haylage - one paddock is up to their bellies in really thick rich grass, can't imaging when I'd be able to put horses on that.

Farmer has just said we can have an additional 7 - 10 acres of really nice sheltered fields for the Winter so we'll end up having to strip graze all Winter as well as Summer.

We have 3 horses & 3 ponies on approx 15 acres.
Click to expand...


Yikes! That's a lot :o. Grass not long enough I don't think, but waiting for nice farmer to get back to me :)

Only Dizz is in work - oldie is retired (might try lunging, we'll see what vet says when she's seen him - she knows him well). LC is on field rest, though vet has said we can try lunging/long reining and see how he goes :)
 
Spottyappy said:
Can you strip graze it with electric tape? The dogs soon learn to avoid it, one poke and they learn!
I strip graze anyway,but the grass is still amazingly green,and until we have colder weather and maybe some proper night frosts, I can't see the sugars lowering for a while yet.
You can buy electric fence stakes that are high, like 4' 6" or so, which should discourage the pony form popping over them.
Here's a link showing you the taller posts, bit pricey but well worth it.
http://www.partridgeshadleigh.co.uk...r-poly-post-white-53and34-singles-p-2439.html
Click to expand...


One of the dogs is okay, but the other one has been zapped twice and still hasn't twigged :(. He gets so focused on his ball that he notices nothing else :(

We had LL in a small-ish paddock. Fencing was five feet high (we attached poles to poles. We ran the tape round and round and criss-crossed it. He still got out! Still no idea how he did it, but no matter what we tried, he was gone (luckily in a way only as far as the nearest clump of grass :cool:).

Thank you for the link though, maybe we can do something else, though not sure what.... :rolleyes:
 
DiablosGold said:
I'm in a similar situation - atm on very very bare grazing, which we top up with hay. Suits my good doer perfectly. However we're moving to a new field in November with loads of grass, at just the time I will be cutting down his workload. I'm going to monitor his weight v carefully and will use a muzzle if need be.
Click to expand...


Good luck :D. Hope it goes well!
 
rowy said:
We have exactly the same problem!
we have 3/ 4 acres for winter grazing, all of which is stomach high with really rich clover and grass. The summer fields they have been on just wont quit growing!!!
As well i have a 3 year old fat horse who we are trying to slim down as we dont want extra weight affecting growth. also a fat 2 year old exmoor filly and a 17 year old tb mare who really needs the grass.
we haved 3 1.5 acre fields. our plan is to split each one into 3 and then put dancer the tb mare on it first to eat it down and the tops off, then move her to the next one and then put the 2 fatties on it and then when dancers finished on the next one the 2 fatties get put on that. that way each section has a rest and fatties shouldn't get too fat lol.
its so hard though, the 3 year old is on a diet so have been trying to figure out best way to do it which will still leave us with plenty of winter grazing to last all winter, with the 2 youngsters out.
we have also been putting out rugless so they lose weight so they both look like fluffy teddy bears now :P
Click to expand...

Yep, ours are nekked as well :D. Dizz will have a lightweight on soon, to keep her dry for work, but the other two grow excellent coats and shouldn't need anything else now they're not in work :D
 
Mine wouldn't eat with a muzzle on at first either, the only way I could use one was to cut the hole slightly larger (there wasn't any grass going through the tiny hole it came with I don't think) It still restricts the intake enough to avoid colic and laminitis but keeps the horse happy and working harder for the grass that they do get. I'd recommend trying that, better than the problems being overweight can cause. :)
 
touchstone said:
Mine wouldn't eat with a muzzle on at first either, the only way I could use one was to cut the hole slightly larger (there wasn't any grass going through the tiny hole it came with I don't think) It still restricts the intake enough to avoid colic and laminitis but keeps the horse happy and working harder for the grass that they do get. I'd recommend trying that, better than the problems being overweight can cause. :)
Click to expand...

We've tried all sorts :(. Cut bigger holes, tried different muzzles, he just seems to shut down, after he's spent half an hour trying to get the thing off.

Thank you for the thought though :)
 
christi said:
I have 1 horse at home on 12 acres and she wears her greenguard grazing muzzle from april to october ! shes out during the day and in at night all year round .
Click to expand...


I wish LL would wear one and not end up looking like a rescue case :(.

He was still in his paddock this morning, so that's good :D. We've put some poor quality hay in to keep his interest; Dizz is now in the large field, which confused her initially, but she seemed to settle. Tomorrow we'll move the fencing out by a couple of feet, thereby keeping the intake down :)

Thank you again for all your suggestions/help.
 
MrsMozart said:
I wish LL would wear one and not end up looking like a rescue case :(.

He was still in his paddock this morning, so that's good :D. We've put some poor quality hay in to keep his interest; Dizz is now in the large field, which confused her initially, but she seemed to settle. Tomorrow we'll move the fencing out by a couple of feet, thereby keeping the intake down :)

Thank you again for all your suggestions/help.
Click to expand...

have you tried a greenguard muzzle on your horse ? , its the only 1 my horse can/will eat with on .
 
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