Just too much grass.

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SammyDingle

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I never thought i would see the day i was asking this question..

I have just been offered a lovely 3 acre field for my 3 :) Only problem is the grass is so long!

Now one will be in a restricted pen which will be rotated every other week or so (trial and error) But my problem is the other two. Being natives they live off thin air as it is!

Am i best just strip grazing and rotating their field also? Shall i limit them to a few hours a day?

Bearing all this in mind i am moving them from a yard with very poor grazing.

Any hints and tips very welcome as my head is full of nervousness and excitedness!! :D
 
Is there someone you could borrow some sheep off to eat it down a bit? if not I would probably suggest strip grazing but it depends on the grass really, is it stalky and old or lush and been fertilised? Whilst you were getting a bit to start of strip grazing from I would restrict turnout if possible, like stable through the day with hay. That is what I would do anyway but might not be right.
 
The fencing isnt good enough for the sheepso farmer next door wont put them on there. There is a guy who has calves but he has to bring them over in a trailer, he wasnt too keen on the idea last time he was asked.

I was thinking in through the day and out for a few hours while i am there..

Its lush but hasnt been fertilised for 2-3 years, last year it was grazed down to mud but has come back in full force!
 
I have too much grass and some of mine have to be severely restricted, so I put them on the lush bit where I am strip grazing them, but move them off after a few hours onto a much more bare patch and then hay them at night. Seems to be working so far, the only trouble is moving the fencing every day while the ground is so hard!
 
Sprout thats a good idea, thats kind of what i was thinking.

Its the two natives im worried about, the TB is in 15x15ft pen.

I think they will be on very limited grazing for a good while. On the plus, atleast they will have grass in winter.
 
If it is grass that has grown during last spring it will now be classed as old grass and should have seeded, anyway old grass doesnt hold the fructans like new grass, i.e. growing from short with bursts of rain and hot weather, strip graze until nearly down then go for it. Fence off half the field or a quarter it wont take long for them to chew it down.
 
Thank you. You have all put my mind at ease.

Catherine22- Its only because its not had horses on for months, i will be in the same postition next year i imagine :(
 
I would never just put horses on lush grass, whether they are natives or not, even if it has grown and seeded. Always best to do it slowly; Start off by leaving them on half an acre or so for 15 mins while you do jobs and then increase each day. Might take a month for them to eat it down, best be safe than sorry!

As soon as the temperature dips below 5 degrees you are safer to let them on more. This is how I manage mine ( for the last 10 years ) and never had a problem, I have 5 acres and manage from May to October on an acre for 2 horses, 2 ponies;
 
I have the same problem as moving my lad to a new field and stable in October time. I have fenced off an area about the size of three stables and am putting him on there for half an hour per day. This will continue until it is bare and then I will start to leave him on for longer periods whilst strip grazing him onto more by a few inches per day. It will be a long process and probably be a while before he can go on it permanently, but he has had laminitis in the past so have to be careful, is a native too. This is what my vet recommended I do whilst monitoring his weight and feet.
 
Sounds like a really good plan that and i think i will steal this idea from you.

I must say it will be lovely to actually see my horses grazing through winter as for the past 8, yes 8 years they have been on rubbish grazing. Im looking forward to looking after and managing my own land for once!
 
ChestnutConvert said:
Ditto this i have one paddock that has been rested for 2 months and still not much growth on it. Have heard similar in other parts of the country, worrying about winter now...
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I know, it is a worry. I've had half of mine fenced off for ages as well and apart from being slightly less dusty that the side they're in, its no greener :-( Winter isn't normally to bad as they're on ad lib haylage so I'm not as concerned about the grass (lack of) then, it's just I didn't want to have started winter feeding in August. We are forecast some heavy rain on Friday so I'm keeping my fingers x'ed we actually get it this time!
 
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