New 2 acre field, to do list?

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Lplates

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Help gratefully received!
Obviously checking fences, poisonous plants (I know the obvious ones, any tips on the less obvious?!) etc.
Thinking of getting it forage tested as looks v lush.
Other ponies allowed to use it for last three months and poo picking was never done, apparently low worm counts and regularly wormed, so not too much of a worry, but manure everywhere - would you get it harrowed?
One corner a quagmire round old feeding station - can you re-seed now?
Anything else I should be considering, apart from where to site lovely new hardcore area and field shelter?!
Thanks!
 
I'd get it harrowed, close off the area that's a quagmire and chuck some seed down. If it grows you're onto a winner, if it doesn't it'll pick up dramatically anyway.

Anything else you should be considering - yes, planning permission for that hardstanding and shelter.
 
jemima*askin said:
I'd get it harrowed, close off the area that's a quagmire and chuck some seed down. If it grows you're onto a winner, if it doesn't it'll pick up dramatically anyway.

Anything else you should be considering - yes, planning permission for that hardstanding and shelter.
Click to expand...

Unless shelter is mobile and can be moved.
 
Harrow for sure. I would top it as well. Depending if you can do this without ploughing up the place.

Quagmire around feeding station: Move the feeding station and let it regenerate by itself, we re-seed in Spring when it begins to dry up a bit if we have to reseed at all.

Hardstanding: On the driest, highest, most sheltered position you can find, and move the feed station there.

I have no idea what forage testing is, but it sounds as if samples are taken for plant identification, yes?

Many other points to take into consideration such as
soil type?
how many horses are you planning to put on it?
What size are they?
Will they need restricted grazing?
Do you plan to split the paddock?

In addition to sorting out any toxic plants, shrubs, trees etc there are plants that horses do not generally eat that are either invasive or can be irritants, I would get rid of those too, gorse, knotweed, burrs, brambles, soapwort, milkweed, st johns wort, clover - I hate clover in my fields and plough the stuff up, our climate seems to encourage the bacteria that causes slobbers (slaframine poisoning) the horses never eat it anyway and if they do pick at it they all end up looking rabid. I hand seed corn, alfalfa, oats and sunflowers, some is picked up by birds but they are all plants that horses will pick at, plus they are pretty and beneficial for wildlife.
 
Planning in progress...
Weirdly you don't need planning for a hard standing area and you don't need planning for a mobile field shelter, but you do need planning permission if you are going to put the field shelter on the hard standing.....❓❗️
 
Lplates said:
Planning in progress...
Weirdly you don't need planning for a hard standing area and you don't need planning for a mobile field shelter, but you do need planning permission if you are going to put the field shelter on the hard standing.....❓❗️
Click to expand...
Are you sure you don't need planning permission for a hard standing area? I always thought you did. Which county do you live in?
 
Lplates said:
Planning in progress...
Weirdly you don't need planning for a hard standing area and you don't need planning for a mobile field shelter, but you do need planning permission if you are going to put the field shelter on the hard standing.....❓❗️
Click to expand...

That's because they know that if you put the shelter on the hardstanding you won't be moving it!
 
Lplates said:
Planning in progress...
Weirdly you don't need planning for a hard standing area and you don't need planning for a mobile field shelter, but you do need planning permission if you are going to put the field shelter on the hard standing.....❓❗️
Click to expand...

Also if you do have a movable shelter, you do actually have to move it every so often, otherwise the local coucil can demand that its taken down!

Someone on here posted about theirs a while back, their council told them that it was classed as permanent becuase they had not moved it on a regular basis.
 
If you have a bog round the feeder area, then surely it will be too wet to harrow??
You could well wreck the paddock completely

I'd tape off a third or so (use the driest bit), poo pick the lawn areas & put yours out. Then poo pick as much as you are able on this and the taped off area.
Once the ground dries in the spring, then get it harrowed anyway as this will do the ground a lot of good - and also rolled too :)
 
Don't worry about the clover for the time being - you can spray it in the spring and reseed the area. We finally sprayed our clover patches this year and now there is just lovely grass. You do need to harrow but it may be to wet to do it now. If you have to wait until spring to harrow, you could always kick the poos for now so they won't sour the grass so much. When spring comes, make sure you harrow and roll the paddock and rest it for a while if possible. You can also do any spraying/reseeding then to give the grass a chance.
 
LJR said:
In short, they will improve the field, great for cross grazing with horses. Their feet will level the field, and it will be much easier to harrow and top once they have been in there :)
Click to expand...
Oh of course. Sorry I thought you meant to help with planning permission.
 
Certainly need planning for any type of hard standing down South, even if its a small area for parking or around muddy gateway.
 
Patchworkpony said:
Oh of course. Sorry I thought you meant to help with planning permission.
Click to expand...

oooooooooohhhh that does bring to mind the sheep sitting round a long table, poring over plans and discussing the best way of getting permanent accommodation past the planners with pencils tucked behind their ears :D
 
Lplates said:
Planning in progress...
Weirdly you don't need planning for a hard standing area and you don't need planning for a mobile field shelter, but you do need planning permission if you are going to put the field shelter on the hard standing.....❓❗️
Click to expand...

You do need planning permission for a hardstanding - it's a change of use of the land for which you must seek permission. You are changing grazing land to something else. If you are told to remove it is a really big and messy job and pretty much ruins the land around for grazing for at least 12 months.
 
Cahill said:
imo it is classed as `engineering works` council will want plans of where to &how drainage :(
Click to expand...

That's what my local council said too. I had to apply for retrospective consent, which fortunately was agreed, otherwise I'd have had to remove the hardstanding.
 
Patchworkpony said:
Would that apply to 20 - 40 ml road chippings just raked over muddy ground?
Click to expand...

in theory yes.....council could demand plans (and fee)...x section drawings...membranes...6" of this and 3" of that...where is it going to drain to?...pipes underneath...disposal of the spoil.....list is endless
 
EQUIDAE said:
You do need planning permission for a hardstanding - it's a change of use of the land for which you must seek permission. You are changing grazing land to something else. If you are told to remove it is a really big and messy job and pretty much ruins the land around for grazing for at least 12 months.
Click to expand...

You dont need planning permission for a hard standing as long as the material use of the land is not changing ie horses grazing land,grazing land is not defined under planning law. Some councils quite wrongly try to extract every last penny from applicants and bend the rules in their favour. You can change grazing land to whatever you want without having to ask anybody. There are lots of old wives tales going the rounds and this is one of the myths. The council that advised the OP to their credit stuck to the planning rules and guidance in their advice some councils dont.
 
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