New land owner, field management advice needed.

[L&B]

We are very lucky to have secured our own little spot of land and as it is our first, I am in need of some general advice on how best to manage it.

It is a 3acre plot, I am told a loam type soil and it slopes v gradually downhill and into a small brook beyond the boundary running the length of mine, and neighbouring fields. It has good natural shelter to the length of the field provided by mature trees and hedgerows.

I am intending on having my two horses graze it, year round, out 24/7 summer (May - Sept) and 1/2 days winter (Oct onwards) British weather taken into account. I do have access to two stables on the land also with a small 12ft x 5ft hardstanding.

As we do not have any equipment of our own and the access to the field is difficult (via a short uneven lane at a smidge under 2.8m wide), also farmers even MORE difficult to co-ordinate locally; I was wondering what peoples thoughts were on how to manage the grazing so that we don't create too much work for ourselves to undo/rely on others for?

My husband seems to think to allow the horses to graze the entirety of the 3acres, year around. I tend to think to paddock off into 2 or 3 and rotate - using the lowest part of the field in summer, and the upper part in winter to avoid poaching.

 

[SamBean]

We have 2 acres split into 2 fields with the furthest holding water more so we rest it over winter, then let them in at spring and shut the other field off. They have just moved back out of the 'winter' field into the further one again for the last time this year. Saying that, depending how mild it is in autumn I may open them both up for a few weeks if it means I can stall bringing them in at night for a bit longer.
The other thing is keeping on top of poo picking to help keep it good.

 

[L&B]

We have 2 acres split into 2 fields with the furthest holding water more so we rest it over winter, then let them in at spring and shut the other field off. They have just moved back out of the 'winter' field into the further one again for the last time this year. Saying that, depending how mild it is in autumn I may open them both up for a few weeks if it means I can stall bringing them in at night for a bit longer.
The other thing is keeping on top of poo picking to help keep it good.

That sounds very much like my Plan! Do you have stables for yours at all? And how many do you have on there?
Definitely! I am fastidious over poo picking. I like a tidy field.

*The other issue I need advice to overcome is that the people on the land previously always poo-picked, however, have left two very large (and overgrown with brambles/docks) muckheaps. We have a farmer willing to spray them for us, but he is reluctant to remove the muck as he says given how they have been left he is not convinced there won't be junk/debris buried within them. Any advice?
Also, how do you manage the muck you remove?

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Are the stables on the highest driest bit? If so, I'd be inclined to fence a half acre trash/diet paddock round them, then divide the rest in 2 with the lowest damp area for summer or frosty winter use. (My wet one is used late autumn and through into Jan/Feb if weather is dry or frosty).
If you can split so it all interconnects from stable area, then you can graze all at once when weather allows, and close off during wet/growing times.

 

[Gift Horse]

Congratulations 😊
I’ve got about 5 acres of grazing which I manage with no kit.
Every piece of land is different you will find the best way to manage yours in time.
The access to our fields is too tight for modern machinery.
I have three paddocks all of which are accessed off a hard core track.
I poo pick everyday.
I hand pull/ dig out docks, rag and thistles.
I strip graze into mature long grass/ standing hay all year round and rotate the paddocks giving each one a good rest.

 

[SamBean]

I have 2 stables just off from the larger ' winter' field and double gated for safety. The plan is to replace the fence around the stable area so I can leave the gate open for them to come in when they want over winter, not sure if it will be this or next year before that happens though. I have a muck heap with grass growing out of it which is 12 months old now, we will leave this but are on the lookout now for a tipper trailer to put muck onto with the intention of asking a local farmer if it would be possible for them to remove and empty for us.
We strim and dig out brambles and dock leaves.
Could you bag up any of your muck heap and offer to local allotments or something?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

You can get equipment, such as rollers/harrows to fit quads or small tractors, if you find that you need to use such stuff. I would suggest that you don't put any permanent internal fencing in until you have been there a few years, if at all. Electric fencing can be put into any configuration and can be changed as often as you like. We have been using a track system for the first time this year and have found that it definitely keep the horses moving more. I wouldn't allow them constant access to all 3 acres at once.

 

[L&B]

Are the stables on the highest driest bit? If so, I'd be inclined to fence a half acre trash/diet paddock round them, then divide the rest in 2 with the lowest damp area for summer or frosty winter use. (My wet one is used late autumn and through into Jan/Feb if weather is dry or frosty).
If you can split so it all interconnects from stable area, then you can graze all at once when weather allows, and close off during wet/growing times.

Hi, yes they are on the highest/driest bit. That's a good idea. So have a 'sacrifice' paddock, kind of...
Not sure how I'd interconnect it all but can certainly take a look and try!! Thankyou

 

[L&B]

Congratulations 😊
I’ve got about 5 acres of grazing which I manage with no kit.
Every piece of land is different you will find the best way to manage yours in time.
The access to our fields is too tight for modern machinery.
I have three paddocks all of which are accessed off a hard core track.
I poo pick everyday.
I hand pull/ dig out docks, rag and thistles.
I strip graze into mature long grass/ standing hay all year round and rotate the paddocks giving each one a good rest.

What a reassuring reply!! Thankyou!!
I am so unbelievably excited and hope (although nothing/no space is 100%) that it all comes together as it's all I've been pining after for a very very long time. Some people love liveries; I've always been content on livery, but desperate for my own space! How do you manage your muck? As above... I am going to struggle with that too I suspect due to access (similar to yourself)

 

[L&B]

I have 2 stables just off from the larger ' winter' field and double gated for safety. The plan is to replace the fence around the stable area so I can leave the gate open for them to come in when they want over winter, not sure if it will be this or next year before that happens though. I have a muck heap with grass growing out of it which is 12 months old now, we will leave this but are on the lookout now for a tipper trailer to put muck onto with the intention of asking a local farmer if it would be possible for them to remove and empty for us.
We strim and dig out brambles and dock leaves.
Could you bag up any of your muck heap and offer to local allotments or something?

That sounds brilliant good for you! You've got it all planned out.
Yes I said same to hub, we could do with borrowing a tipper or trailer of some description. Just difficult what we can squeeze down the access path.
Good to know trimming/digging up brambles and docks is doable!
Could deffo bag up muck -- could put an ad' out I guess?

 

[L&B]

You can get equipment, such as rollers/harrows to fit quads or small tractors, if you find that you need to use such stuff. I would suggest that you don't put any permanent internal fencing in until you have been there a few years, if at all. Electric fencing can be put into any configuration and can be changed as often as you like. We have been using a track system for the first time this year and have found that it definitely keep the horses moving more. I wouldn't allow them constant access to all 3 acres at once.

I did look into hiring a quad, but it seems extremely expensive (not sure if just locally)... Noooo, I have HEAPS of good quality electric fencing from being on diy-livery so I hadn't intended on putting any permanent fencing across - aside from around the hard standing by the stables to make a sort of 'yard' and safe space to tie up.
I didn't think total access was a good idea either - what are your reasons against it (ammo for the hubs )

 

[SamBean]

I hope so - We have had it for 2 years with our house but horses 12 months so still finding our feet with it but so far been ok. It's a bit overwhelming at first!

 

[GSD Woman]

One thing that might work with the muck pile is to save feed bags and advertise free horse poo to gardeners. Tell them you can provide some bags but they have to fill the bags themselves. Back when I gardened some friends and I would scour Craig's List for people giving away horse poop. We would caravan out to barns and take as much manure as we could fit in a pick-up truck bed and several trash cans that we would load into our cars.
BTW, do you all call pick-up trucks to differentiate between pick-ups and lorries?

 

[Gift Horse]

[QUOTE="L&B, post: How do you manage your muck? As above... I am going to struggle with that too I suspect due to access (similar to yourself) [/QUOTE]

I’ve tried a few things (I only have 2 horses btw) - for a while a chap from the local allotments parked a trailer up. I would fill it then call him to collect it.

I created a muck heap, turned it regularly and spread using a wheel barrow and a fork once it was well rotted (3yrs) this is the hardest option - a good gym workout alternative!

Currently I tip it in three small areas I planted up with trees these are fenced off so the horses can’t trash them. I grow some willow which I coppice for the stoves in the house and some beech and birch, alder and other native species. I tip the muck in these wooded areas (fenced off and well away from the horses) the birch are 8ft now after 4yrs!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I did look into hiring a quad, but it seems extremely expensive (not sure if just locally)... Noooo, I have HEAPS of good quality electric fencing from being on diy-livery so I hadn't intended on putting any permanent fencing across - aside from around the hard standing by the stables to make a sort of 'yard' and safe space to tie up.
I didn't think total access was a good idea either - what are your reasons against it (ammo for the hubs )

I don't like them to have open access in spring/summer because they are likely to guzzle the lot and walk down what should be growing, in winter depending on how wet it is, they can trash the lot. If we have a dry autumn, you might want to let them have access to the lot, or you might not

 

[SamBean]

So much for having it sorted - one used to jump the water between the fields save him going through the gate for fun and I got home from work yesterday to find one in each field. Despite me putting a bar up to stop him which had worked (we have a bath in with the hedge). I put the bar higher so it was flush with top of hedge so I'd say just shy of 5 1/2ft thought nothing of it. This morning husband got up to find them both waiting by the stable gate for breakfast! There is a slight dip in the hedge, probably about 2 inches but still high and wide and guessing they have both jumped it. So much for me saving a field and giving them the better grazing! need to think quick.

 

[Hack4fun]

Another vote for use of an electric fence. It will take a few years to work out a good system. I would not worry about a quad bike but you could think about a small tractor and trailer and loader. You can attach a topper to it which makes light work of any weeds. For the old muck heap, just dig it out over time and scatter on a resting paddock.