Mowed grazing, grass cuttings all over field

Hoof_Prints

Hoof_Prints

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Hello, the landowners kindly mowed the horse's fields yesterday... (they are not horsey! though they were helping) so now the field is covered in grass cuttings, and I mean really covered. I managed to rake and clear two sections, but its a big field and pretty impossible to clear the lot. The horses have been turned out in the cattle fields and muzzled for now, but they can't stay in there- will they be able to go on the mowed field once it has dried out fully? and if so, how long will that take? Otherwise I suppose its a long hard week of scraping up grass cuttings!
 
The mowings will be fine if dry and long like hay, this is regularly done by farmers [known as topping], using hay making type mowers.
The dangerous mowings are those from a lawnmower which are short and prone to overheating, a horse gorges itself and the cuttings ferment in the tummy. Without seeing the field I am hesitant to say it will be OK, but I think it is unlikely the grass mowings as you have called them are what I would call lawn mower type mowings. Try posting a photo.
 
Oh right thanks, I would say that they are like lawnmower type cuttings in most of the places as the grass wasn't very long to start with- and the mower was more like a giant lawnmower as opposed to the thing they used to cut the thistles down the other week. I will get a photo later !
 
Right, I suspect this is a forage harvester used for making silage, so yes, the mowings might be too short......... keep raking and pray for more hot sunny days to dry out the mowings. Once they are dry and dispersed you should be OK, but if there are little clumps of grass or it is heating up in the field, I would not be 100% sure..
Thank him for his work and explain that if possible it might be best to collect such mowings in a trailer even if they are to be dumped on the manure heap.
 
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Yes I know about ragwort, I checked the field for it a week ago and we didn't have any (which is unusual as we normally do!) The grass is in clumps and I imagine it has been warming up. I did thank him and asked if he could possibly collect them but I suspect he will forget! and even so, it won't be done for a good while :p I know they mean well..

I think my best and safest option is to padlock the front field which has been mowed all over, and leave that to dry out for a few weeks , as it would be impossible to move all that grass by hand. And try to rope some people in to helping me shift the grass in the other turn out field as only they sides as a few patches were done. I did take me two hours to clear two patches though!
 
If the clumps of chopped grass can not be collected, take a rake & spread them out, this will allow the chopped bits to dry out & disintegrate. Leaving clumps will kill the growing grass underneath as it is starved of air/light.
Generally horses will not eat the clumpy cut grass as it begins to fester like compost & becomes unpalatable.
 
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