Managing paddocks

[Exmoor horseman]

Hi

We have 2 paddocks - 1 of 0.5 acres and the other with around 2 acres. We have 2 16.1hh Irish types. I would like some advice as to how we manage the paddocks in winter and summer so they can refresh themselves. We were thinking of just using one paddock in the winter (which will get trashed) and then letting it refresh over the spring then use the two of them alternately after that until winter again. Does that seem sensible. Presumably we trash the half acre one??

It isn't easy to split the 2 acre field.

Any thoughts gratefully received. Horses will be in overnight from Nov-March. Paddocks will be poo picked every other day.


Thanks!

 

[L&M]

Depends on how much you want to turn out on the 1/2 acre - tbh 2 x 16.1hh will really trash such a small area, especially if out all day, and it may take a long time to recover. If you have to reseed etc it may not be useable until the following winter.

Why can't you split the 2 acre paddock? To me I would want it split, then rotated over the spring/summer mnths, giving the trash paddock a complete rest.

 

[sueonmull]

We had a field that we kept purely for winter turn out accepting that it would get trashed. However, what actually happened was that while it was rested between May and November the grass recovered and stood up better that we'd expected to wear and tear in the next winter. The grass was never lush but it grew enough to provide something to pick at and keep them occupied. We only had a few hours turn out during the day in winter. We religiously went round treading in any divots and also poo picked daily. You might also want to give a topping in spring, reseed, add lime, treat weeds etc while it's resting in the summer.
Can you split the bigger field with electric fencing to allow you to alternate the grazing?

 

[Exmoor horseman]

thanks for the replies so far. i guess we could split the 2 acre paddock - just need to manually provide water then. that would give us 3 areas. on thhat basis would we use 2 areas over winter and then use all 3 on a 10 day rotation when the grass starts to grow again??

 

[L&M]

I have a couple of paddocks with no water - it is a bit of a pita filling them up by containers, but the benefits to rotating the grazing outweigh this!

If it was my land I would go with your original plan and use the smaller area as a winter 'trash paddock', then resting it all spring and summer. Then divide the 2 acres and rotate these areas every couple of weeks throughout the growing season. They in turn will be then rested over the winter so should have grass ready for spring turnout.