Managing turnout/mud bath paddock WWYD?

H

Hayjay

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 January 2005
Messages
330
Visit site
I have my neddies at home, 16hh ISH and shetland. We have clay soil :-/ First year with big horse here and Oh my word, I cannot believe what a difference a set of big shod hooves have made to my land! I shut up the two acre field at end of Oct as started to get trashed. I have accepted that my half acre paddock will get completely trashed, which it has, but they are turned out from 6:30am til 8pm. I try and turn out as long as possible as big horse can get quite stiff. I have large bale hay under a cover for them in paddock as there is not a blade of grass in sight. Problem is, it's getting deeper and deeper out there and big horse seems to spend more time in shelter now or stood at high bit of field where its dryer ground. Hubby has now made me a fenced yard off their stables, it's about 25ft by 15ft. They are good friends so can happily go out there together and will no doubt wander in and out of each other's stable. So trying to decide on ratio of time spent in each area? Are they better in larger area but with deep mud or in small area but on solid ground. This is a new situation for me so opinions would be great. During the summer my husband is going to create large hard standing in paddock incorporating the field shelters so next winter they can make their own choice where to go!
 
i feel your pain, i have the same set up. Only thing Id say is that this is the worst point of the winter but really, another month and the end becomes in sight as Spring will be round the corner. I have a hardstand area and Ive left my whole field opened up now (4 acres), they have round bale on the bottom half of it, a haybox on the hardstand and the top half of my field is like standing ‘foggage’ as i tape it off and save it for this time of year. My lot really seem to rotate themselves well - round the roundbale is a mudbath of course but they spend equal time up at the far end on the rough grass or on the hardstand, the way I see it at least they can choose and have a choice of forage too.
 
I would use the yard most of the time and the paddock for a few hours a day for them to really stretch their legs
 
I think for me it would depend how much they're actually moving around in the bigger field. If he's just standing still at the hay / in the shelter, it makes sense to have them standing in the yard instead for part of the time with lots of small nets so he moves at least a bit. Equally if they're hooning around I'd rather keep them off thick mud because of tendon problems. Either way are you able to get more exercise in in other ways? That would make a difference to the best way forwards.

What about giving him access to the yard over night as well? I know it's small, but it could still increase his chances of moving and help with him being stiff.
 
Depends on whether you are at home during the day and can 'juggle them about.

If this was my land and horses, I would only turn out in the 1/2 acre on dry days, and then only for a few hours. The rest of the time I would have them with hay in the fenced area.

Is the big horse a riding horse, as if so, I would daily exercise to help with any stiffness.

If you are out at work all day, then I would be keeping them in the fenced area, and turning out in the 1/2 acre on days off.

A lot of us are in the same boat, and it is not uncommon for us horse owners to get to a stage of 'desperation' with our ground at this time of year! But don't panic, as long as your horses are fed they will cope, and your fields can be recovered. It sounds like you have a good plan of action for next winter so keep positive!
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the replies. I had not even considered leaving access to yard overnight, so thank you Theocat! My mare and I are happy hackers so try and go for a wander about three times a week but I have 500 yards of main road to ride up so unless visability and conditions are right, I won't hack out. My mare is great in traffic but Ive had two occasions where vans have come by so close I could have touched them. I wear hi-viz, so does horse and have bought fluorescent tape and hivized my schooling whip but I'm still invisible to some 😁. Re the land, I had no idea that one horse would make such a difference to the ground! Desperation is the right word L&M! I am home during the day so moving them about dependant on weather is a good plan. Next winter should be easier with hard standing in field and will hopefully have arena by then so they can have good leg stretch in there too plus somewhere for me to ride when days are dull and dark.
 
We have ours at home and last year had a 20 x 20 area around the field shelter fenced off and hard standing with road planings put around it, then had half of it covered in sand so they now have an all weather turnout area. They are in that overnight with loads of hay nets around for them to move about (we have stables but only use for tacking up etc as 1 horse has shivers and the other mild COPD so they both are better being out 24/7).
They are both put out in the paddocks for 6-8 hours but in seperate paddocks as they hoon about if together and churn the land up! Don't if they're split up. This year is the first year our paddocks have stayed in decent condition - every other year we've let them just have 1 paddock to stay in for winter which has been a mud pit with no grass and heavily churned up from about November onwards as we're on clay too. Has worked much better this way. Can pm pics of other years compared to this year and the t/o pen if you want to see.
 
I'd say if on grass they would be better of in a larger area. However if its a smaller area but solid ground then it won't really matter anyway if there is no grass. Ours are in a sand paddock in the winter and my horses legs are looking really good for it.

Mud can be extremely damaging especially if your horse already has an injury.

I'd be careful about letting them roam in each others stable. They may be friends but horses can be quite territorial and I would have thought this could be dangerous especially if the one horse attempts to go in its friends stable at the same time its friend is in there. But to be honest I have no experience of this so probably am not best qualified to give advice. Maybe they wouldn't attempt to do this and respect each others space - I have no idea.
 
applecart14 said:
I'd be careful about letting them roam in each others stable. They may be friends but horses can be quite territorial and I would have thought this could be dangerous especially if the one horse attempts to go in its friends stable at the same time its friend is in there. But to be honest I have no experience of this so probably am not best qualified to give advice. Maybe they wouldn't attempt to do this and respect each others space - I have no idea.
Click to expand...

It's a new situation, so you are right, the friendship could be tested! I will monitor how they behave when I am around for a week or so before leaving them out together.
 
No advise to offer as I am currently managing my first year of horses at home. I will say when you have a small area of land ( I have two acre large paddock and half acre small one and small hard standing) you won't regret the hard standing.
I only had a small area done as was worried about taking up too much grazing but it has been amazing - hay and water in this area. My small paddock is trashed (was designated as trash paddock) and I'd sectioned off an area of the larger paddock which is also trashed ( I've got a different plan for next year!) but they can often be found on the hardstanding- which gives them a break from the mud.
Just wish I'd had a bigger area of hard standing - so bear that in. Ind when making your plans!
 
I have 2 mares on a total of almost 4 acres. I sacrifice about 3/4 of an acre for the winter. There is a shelter and I have hardcore around it in 2 sides, extending to about 15 feet. However, over the years the mud has encroached onto it, and it needs scraping off with a machine.
What I have noticed, however, is that mares trash the field far less than geldings! This is the first year I have only had mares. Previously 2 geldings (and recently one mare).The boys would run around and play making the field even worse. The mares do not as are much more interested in eating or resting.
In your situation, as you're at home I would use the yard for at least part of the day, monitoring initially.
My advise too- get a mare, lol!
 
What a good thread. I am in a similar situation to you. I have my 2 separated, as being geldings, they were just playing and churning up the land. I had given them half of their paddock each as a trash paddock, out 8am-4pm, in a stable each overnight. The fields still look appalling. It is only pastern deep, so I suppose it could be worse and there are the odd blades of grass, but it is so wet, being on clay. The only fly in this ointment is that my cob decided he preferred the look of the greener grass on the other side of the fence and hopped over there, so you do have to consider whether the fencing is safe enough for horses wearing rugs. He was just telling me he was hungry (despite the whole bale of lovely hay available daily, that all gets eaten). I admit I have given up. They are neither of them fading away, and native, so if they are not on a perfect grassy sward I am not too worried at this stage. Let them go and eat around the poached bits! Last spring I made damn sure that I watched the field drying out like a hawk and harrowed and rolled on just the right day, so that they were not twisting their ankles on the pock marks all summer. Yeah, looking at it now, I am really glad I did that!!! If I leave them on the hard-standing they push their heads through the post and rail fencing and using a bulldozer action to get THAT blade of grass just out of reach, and leave the fencing all at a rakish angle, due to the softness of the ground. So maybe use electric fencing to safeguard any post and rail. Honestly, cobs on clay...don't do it....especially if they are grey!!!
 
Thanks everyone......glad I'm not alone! I can't see that my trash paddock will ever recover but we will harrow in the spring and fingers crossed. I've abandoned poo picking as I cant get the wheelbarrow through and there is no grass to spoil. Have decided to turn large area of trash paddock over to hard standing, incorporating the field shelters. Should be a much better setup for the next winter. The only advantage I can see to my trashed paddock is that I used to have to strip graze it all summer for my shetland. The grass that comes back will be so sparse that at least I should be able to turn him out on the half acre this summer and he will get more exercise having to work to find the grass....every cloud...... 😄
 
I am reading this thread with interest as we are looking to buy an equestrian property and will be looking at moving possibly four natives onto five acres. It depends on where we buy but we have got two we already own. I love the idea of hard standing but do you not need planning permission to put it down?
 
My sympathy!

I have two paddocks, one more than 1/2 acre, one a bit less. I save the smaller one, which is a nice rectangle and perfectly flat, for schooling when it's dry or the ground is hard enough. The larger one is completely trashed, but I mind less now than I did the first winter, as it means that they can stay out on it 24/7 in the summer: the one pony, especially, is not allowed grass. I'm also looking at having an area hardcored near the gate and the hay feeder, because the mud does get quite deep there.
 
indiat said:
I love the idea of hard standing but do you not need planning permission to put it down?
Click to expand...

Thats something I need to check. I'm pretty sure you do need planning for concrete hard standing but not sure for hardcore/scalpings compacted. We are looking at planning for a 20x40 DIY arena so I can check base at the same time.
 
My winter paddock at home was about a third of a acre, with two stables, which was sometimes under two feet of water. Like the song says, let it go. I had two happy muddy ponies, it looked awful looking at a see of mud of the kitchen window but by the end of June and half a bag of grass seed you would never know. And no, no mud fever.
I now have fourteen acres of wet clay, they are mostly in barns in groups of four, but I have two on a small mud patch with hay. As long as they have food and company and somewhere to dry out, if its really I make straw islands, they get along fine.
 
Hayjay said:
Thats something I need to check. I'm pretty sure you do need planning for concrete hard standing but not sure for hardcore/scalpings compacted. We are looking at planning for a 20x40 DIY arena so I can check base at the same time.
Click to expand...

Ah, I didn't realise! That is interesting - so basically, not all hard standing materials require planning permission?
 
indiat said:
Ah, I didn't realise! That is interesting - so basically, not all hard standing materials require planning permission?
Click to expand...

I don't know for sure re scalpings but in my eyes they are less permanent than a concrete base! Always best to check with council first re what needs planning - thats my next move.
 
You'll be amazed how your trashed field will recover by itself. Rolling it will help a bit.

I have been waiting for a friend to finish constructing a hard standing turnout area. He finally came yesterday and said he felt bad enough about not finishing it and when he saw the state of the field he felt even worse. I didn't tell him it will recover as I want him to get the turnout area finished!
 
Welcome to the ownership of land and in particular clay soil! I have nearly 50 acres and about 20 horses (I breed and have competition horses so number varies a bit). I have owned the land for nearly 40 years. Bitter experience has taught me to get everything off the land early in New Year - yes pretty much everything. The only ones now going out in the fields are a very old mare who plods about for a couple of hours before arriving back at the gate and demanding to come in and the two in foal mares who are out in the day as much as possible but do not do more than graze and wander about. The rest go on the walker and/or are ridden every day and the youngsters that came in off their fields just last week, go out in the loose school or a sand corrale. If we get a dry spell they will get a bit of time out in the fields . By being really tough on myself, and them, the fields should be ready to turnout again by the end of March. If I let them really trash a field it often dries out before you can harrow and roll it and you can never get grass to grow all summer especially if the weather becomes dry- clay has a nasty habit of being too wet to get on with the tractor one minute and then suddenly being too dry. I have all my own machinery so am not at the whim of a contractor but I can still get into problems! I think in your situation I would be firm and keep them to the hardstanding. I do not think they really like mud and I doubt that the damp would help your stiff one overly much. If you do turn out on the mud and hay out there move your hay about so that the seeds fall all over the paddock - that will help your grass recover in the spring and it is free seeds! Good luck and enjoy your land
 
I built sand turnout paddocks and they are a life saver. I have 3 in them from 4pm - 9am, and then my other 3 go in from 9am - 4pm. This means my turnout is completely saved but the horses are still getting turnout. Plus the 3 that are out in them at night are the dirty ones so has saved me loads of time on mucking out and bedding. I just poo pick them morning and evening, and the urine drains through the sand as we have drainage underneath. The pens are 15m x 15m :)
 
I would opt for the solid ground. Could you give hay outside in several haynets, so reduce the likelyhood of arguements in the stables. Also could you put a chain across the door of the smaller pony so he can get out of the way if needed. If they have hard feed shut them in while they eat. If the ground in the paddock is firm enough let them out for an hour to let off steam. Do they wear rugs? If one or both do use your normal turnout rug, I would give them access to this area all day and night, or just the bigger one if you think they might be problems overnight.
 
Thought might be helpful if post the pics on the thread as others are interested:

This is how the 'trash paddock' used to look in winter - it could be worse than this too! The shelter was already in position and there was an old hard standing area where you can see a kind of raised square, but over the years mud had accumulated so it was as bad as the rest of the paddock. As there had been a hard standing we didn't need planning permission. We paid a local guy with a JCB to come and drag all the mud to reveal the hard standing again, had fencing put up then had road planings brought in then the same guy with the JCB came with his whacker plate and compressed them. This was all done within a week as Fabio had cellulitis from a tiny cut we assume as never found anything really for it to have come from. But clearly couldn't put him back out on those paddocks and he was going stir crazy on boxrest. The turnout pen was something we had been planning for this winter but this accelerated our plans somewhat! (The same week I badly broke my finger too so my poor OH was having to do all the animals, help me and also plan all this to get installed a.s.a.p.!)

paddockbefore2.jpg


This shows the turnout pen with when it was first put in at the start of last year, with the paddocks wrecked behind it.

turnoutpen1.jpg

paddockbefore1.jpg

paddockbefore.jpg


We had sand added to half of it during this summer ready for this year - if you have road planings then the horses WILL roll on them. Fab had 'bedsores' on the front of his fetlocks and had to have overreach boots upside down to protect until they healed again, so decided on the sand option which has been great this year.

turnoutpen.jpg


This is the paddocks now - both pics taken over xmas and still looking like that now.

paddock1.jpg

paddock.jpg


Excuse the hi-viz matchy! Was just off for a hack, but good pic to show how the paddocks are holding up.

I'd definitely recommend it as an investment for anyone with their own land. It cost probably just over £1k excluding the shelter as that was already there, but has been a godsend this winter. They have 6 nets in there to wander about between - 2 in the shelter, 2 on the big tree then tied round the bottom of the fence on the 2 fenced sides. No arguments as they have plenty between them to go between and encourages them to move around more.
 
Last edited:
MillionDollar said:
I built sand turnout paddocks and they are a life saver. I have 3 in them from 4pm - 9am, and then my other 3 go in from 9am - 4pm. This means my turnout is completely saved but the horses are still getting turnout. Plus the 3 that are out in them at night are the dirty ones so has saved me loads of time on mucking out and bedding. I just poo pick them morning and evening, and the urine drains through the sand as we have drainage underneath. The pens are 15m x 15m :)
Click to expand...
MillionDollar are they built straight on earth or do they have a solid base as well as drains?
 
Any other pics of turnout areas for more ideas? Fabioandfreddy your photos are great and really useful. Does the hay get smashed into the sand or is it relatively easy to clear up?
 
I'm another with a 1/3 acre all weather turn out paddock complete with field shelter and hay feeder. We bought stone from the local quarry rather than using road planings. The field shelter is the size of 2 big stables and has rubber mats, haynets and bedding in it. My grass paddock is only just over 2 acres so mine have been confined to the all weather paddock 247 except when the field is pretty dry. I also had to make a rolling area. Mine is made from woodchip as I couldn't afford sand this year. I skip out the lot every day and feed round bale hay ad lib in a covered feeder. My 2 horses seem pretty happy with the set up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top