Muddy Field Dilemma as Snow Begins to Thaw

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suej102

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Hi everyone - I am hoping for some of your valuable feedback as we head into the next weather problem here following the piles of snow we have had of late. i.e. the flooding!

I have a 2 acre field with my 17'3 and his mate (14hh). We have a lovely big field shelter but no stables and/or hardstanding. The snow, as far as my field goes has actually been a blessing as they have just been standing around eating hay on frozen ground and it hasn't been churned up too badly.

As with last November, I am dreading the water that will be sitting on the field now that the thaw is coming. We are on a slight hill so I can tape across the bottom half of the field and keep them at the top, although this area will be churned up pretty quickly, it is the best I can do with what I have got.

I was so stressed/depressed about this all before Xmas and am having tactical discussions with my Husband as I think that putting a small stable block up would help alleviate the problem (ie. can have them off the land half of the time?). However, this is expensive and, to be honest h
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e seems really happy living out and has been handling the mud and snow brilliantly. He is 20 years old and had a previous bone spavin so is best to keep him moving around etc.

What would you do if you were me? Would you 'rest' the bottom half of the field for a couple of months and leave them to poach up the top half and try to stop stressing about it permanently, or would you move your horse off to a livery yard nearby (lots more work/cost) and rest the field now for the next few months and bring him back in the spring? I also need to fertilize the field (roll/harrow?) at some point too and am not sure how to manage this with just 2 acres.

This is my first paddock I have owned and it is our first winter here so I am trying to use it the best I can - your comments would be really welcomed.

Thanks in advance!
 
Don't panic, in my experience the grass always seems to grow back how ever poached it becomes over winter. Although dividing the field at this stage is tempting, in my experience it is better to wait until the grass starts to go. I then ask the local farmer to harrow and roll my fields and then divide the field.
 
I know what you mean, i colud have wept at the state of the top of my field before the snow so god knows what it will be like when it all melts. I have 6 on 4 acres but they are only out for about 7-8 hours a day. There is nothing i can do really they have to come over the worst bit to get to the gate and thats where they hang around too. My OH is getting annoyed with me for stressing over it but it looks such a mess. Suppose we just have to live with it and hope it recovers
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I am in similar situation at the moment - my 2 live out 24/7 on about 3 - 4 acres and am dreading the snow melting because it will be back to mud, skids, trying to push wheel barrows through a quagmire and stepping back divots in.

I know I shouldnt worry about it and I hate the field looking such a mess BUT it will grow back in spring and then I will be moaning about too much grass! I do section mine off but actually only becuase it is easier to poo pick that way and was trying to save some grass over autumn because it was so dry!

I have my field shelter in a small turnout paddock which is about 1/4 of an acre with a gate leading to the bigger field and i have kept my two in there whilst we have had snow more for convenience and to get them to eat some haylage (they would much rather be searching for tiny shoots of grass under snow than god forbid eat some lovely readily available haylage!!!!).

That is now completely trashed but I am not so worried about that area its useful to have an area with hardly any grass etc anyway during the summer. could you perhaps fence off a area similar round your field shelter so that they can go in there at night... just so you are feel like you are keeping them off the field a little....

to be honest though once the mud comes back with a vengence I will be letting mine out in the big field again as dont like them standing in mud allday. At least if they have some space they can move out of the worst mud.... and the field does and will recover (its just looks a mess and is hard work to maintain at the moment)
 
Why not build a hard standing area? You don't even need to fence it off - if you feed hay/haylage on there they will congrgate there anyway and given the choice horses will often elect to stand on dry ground anyway rather than mud. You might have to live with the muddy mess for now as it's probably not advisable to build anything until spring anyway but at least you'll have it for next winter.

Also have a look at this website http://paddockparadise.wetpaint.com/page/Paddock+Paradise+Videos

Paddock Paradise systems are fantastic, they save your land, save you time and money and your horses are happier and healthier too as they move around a lot more.
 
that is a fab website. I looked originally at the track systems and then the hay feeders caught my eye - I have been looking for a way to feed hay in the field to my 2 horses without all the waste and mess and didnt really like anything on the market (eg hayhutch etc) so have been pestering my husband to build something and lo and behold there are the plans. Plus I love the idea of the big bale haynet!! Fantastic

I think you should post the link to this in NL as hay feeding ideas!

thank you again!
 
I would not worry too much as it will recover in the spring. My lad is on less than an acre all year (less than that in the summer) as he is on restricted grazing. We are on pure clay so the field does look a mess after 6 months of winter, wet and him running about like an idiot! It starts growing back in April and before I know it everything is green again and I am wondering how to stop the grass growing so well!
The first year I had him I got it all wrong in winter and put him on too small a patch that he completely trashed until it was 1 foot deep mud...even that recovered by mid summer with a bit of seed down.
I have my field harrowed in the spring as soon as it is dry enough and this levels out the ruts and shoe marks nicely.
The other thing I have done this year is to have a lorry load of bark chiipings dumped outside my field stable where it gets really poached and deep mud...this has stayed in place lovely and means I am not struggling over mud but have a firm base to walk on. It also gives him somewhere a bit dryer to stand on when he is not using his field stable.
I would not fence off areas until March April time as nothing will grow until then...just make sure you have plenty of hay etc to feed whilst it recovers a bit as there will not be a lot to eat by the end of the winter.
 
As a few people have said in similar posts and ive got to agree, grass is really tough and more often or not the worst it looks the better it will come out in spring. Im all for resting areas etc, grass does need rest esp in these conditions, when its wet compaction is a big issue for drainage, if you have more than the 1 field its better as 1 can be rested while the other has horses in, if its only 1 field, half it if need be, let 1 side have a bit of a rest, ive advised this more than once on this forum as in the long run its the best thing to do, as said above in a post, ull be suprised how much diffrence it makes if you get someone in to harrow and roll the field.
The grass harrow (tined) works wonders on grass, rips out all the old dead/moss grass and airs it at the same time, encourages new grass growth and with a bit of rain after this operation and a rest it greens over no end.
 
This is how I manage my small paddock. I have 4 ponies on it all year round (sometimes 3). I sacrifice the track which runs round the perimetre of the paddock and use the middle and side as and when. Some people let it grow and cut for hay depending on the size. Mine do have a yard and shelter to stand on though as my track incorporates it.
Mind you...even the track grows grass back come spring...
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Hi,
Last winter where i used to be field was completlely trashed, only for it to grow back with tonnes of clover = very obese horses!
Harrowing and rolling makes tonnes of difference, well worth doing when it is ready
At the yard i am at now they dump hardcore in the gateways makes a lot of difference
 
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