Poo picking, normal for larger yards not to?

[Welshie Squisher]

As in title really, I've moved to a yard with fields 4 or 5 times the size of previous yard, with 10+ horses in a field.

The yard doesn't poo pick, i can understand why with fields so big, I can't imagine what a job it would be! It's always been this way, I guess nature takes care of itself!

Is this normal for larger yards?

Also, in the past I have always had worm counts done and wormed according to those results, this being when they were in paddocks poo picked daily.
I'm not sure what to do now worming wise.

 

[unbalanced]

I asked my vet about doing a worm count last year when I was at a large yard when no one poo picked. She said it wasn't worth bothering with as the results would come back as needing to worm so I would be paying twice both for the wormer and the worm count. She told me to worm with equest then after 13 weeks with equest paramox then after another 13 weeks with equest again and keep cycling like that. Just do that unless your yard has a worming policy in which case I would follow that.
To be honest I have been at a lot of big yards and I have never seen one which asked liveries to poo pick unless they had small individual fields - they rotated and harrowed instead.
It must have been fine - when I moved to a small yard and did a worm count for the first time ever she got pretty much zero worms.

 

[Spring Feather]

My fields are all large acreages and I do not poo pick. Fields are harrowed and rotated. Poo picking is usually standard (and necessary) practice when people keep too many horses in fields or paddocks that are too small.

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

My fields are all large acreages and I do not poo pick. Fields are harrowed and rotated. Poo picking is usually standard (and necessary) practice when people keep too many horses in fields or paddocks that are too small.

***asking with hope**** poo-picking 3 ponies on 3 acres all on same worming cycle of Equimax (the double worm type one) ...necessary or not?

 

[indi4]

Every yard I've been on if your in a big field you don't poo pick, as the fields are far to big, they then get harrowed once or twice a year. If your in a small paddock then you have to poo pick. The yard has a regular worming program that all liverys have to follow

 

[mini-eventer]

I disagree.

It is worth worm counting!
I am on a yard with large fields lots of horses on them and they are not poo picked. I worm count and I have only had clear counts or one or two very low counts. There is no point shoving chemiocals into them unneccissarily.


I worm for worms such as tape that do not show up on a worm count but I would do this what ever the turn out situation.

 

[Bosworth]

We worm count and don't poo pick. i have large paddocks, about an acre and a half per horse, with no more than about 4 horses in each large paddock.

We have zero counts 4 times each year usually, and we worm accordingly. I do make sure that every horse that comes on the yard is worm counted before it is allowed on any of our grazing. We also have winter and summer grazing so all our fields get months rest ompletely which takes us outside the worming cycle so any worms would die as a result.

 

[Spring Feather]

***asking with hope**** poo-picking 3 ponies on 3 acres all on same worming cycle of Equimax (the double worm type one) ...necessary or not?

Hmm don't know really, depends on other factors. I also have a handful of small paddocks and they are about 3 acres each. For the most part I don't poo pick them (except in quarantine situations where I always remove the poo) I harrow but then they aren't used very often. I don't think I'd poo pick a 3 acre paddock with only 3 ponies in them. I'd do the same as I do with mine, rotate and harrow regularly. But it does depend on the ground, lay of the land, size of ponies etc etc

 

[Pearlsasinger]

'Poo-picking' is a new phenomenon, seen only on yards with small paddocks and often over-stocked.
If your fields are not over-grazed and are rested at various times of the year, you do not need to clear the muck daily/weekly. Harrowing will deal with the problem and actually the normal weather-cycle will clear much of it. Cross-grazing is also useful.

 

[Welshie Squisher]

Thanks for the reply's.
Well the paddocks are in permanent use so don't get rested but they are big and seem to manage themselves, there is even grass in them still at this time of year so I guess they do ok.

I think I will worm with equest pramox in March and worm count 3 months later and take it from there.

I gotta say I really don't miss poo picking
But I do want to know that my horses are ok and not infested with worms.
What happens if others don't worm in the paddock?
Will mine be ok as long as I worm on a regular basis?

 

[JustKickOn]

If your fields are not over-grazed and are rested at various times of the year, you do not need to clear the muck daily/weekly.

I would disagree with this. If you have 3 horses in a 3 acre field, and the field is not poo picked for two weeks, there will be a fair bit of poop in their field. When you consider that horses wouldn't normally graze by where they have pooped, this limits their grazing quite a bit.

In my opinion, it's definitely worthwhile. Not only that, but it's a work out. If you have a manageable size paddock and keep on top of it, it's an easy task.

 

[Spring Feather]

What happens if others don't worm in the paddock?
Will mine be ok as long as I worm on a regular basis?

No that won't do. All horses sharing the pasture land need to be wormed at the same time.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

'Poo-picking' is a new phenomenon, seen only on yards with small paddocks and often over-stocked.
.

Borrox! I've been doing it for yrs - so have most of the neighbours in their fields

Muck out a stable - and muck out the field has been the saying in our neck of the woods for a long time. Only not doing it if field is a huge size.

Yes, I have smallish paddocks compared to some (5 acres divided into 6 paddocks & a school patch). However, a dieting/lami horse/pony needs a restricted area to graze, thats not a new phenomenom is it?

Have got 2 on those paddocks, so not really overstocked am I? Paddocks are looking lovely - and clean.....

....and weed free too, down to keeping the rank grass at bay & cutting or pulling odd weeds if they do come up - not by spraying chemicals!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Borrox! I've been doing it for yrs - so have most of the neighbours in their fields

Muck out a stable - and muck out the field has been the saying in our neck of the woods for a long time. Only not doing it if field is a huge size.

Yes, I have smallish paddocks compared to some (5 acres divided into 6 paddocks & a school patch). However, a dieting/lami horse/pony needs a restricted area to graze, thats not a new phenomenom is it?

Have got 2 on those paddocks, so not really overstocked am I? Paddocks are looking lovely - and clean.....

....and weed free too, down to keeping the rank grass at bay & cutting or pulling odd weeds if they do come up - not by spraying chemicals!

OP was asking about normal practice on large yards, not asking about small paddocks for laminitis-prone ponies, which are obviously a special case.
IME, most 'livery yards' have sprung up within the last 20 yrs, (which is recent to me). These are the places with small paddocks, too many equines and an expectation that clients will 'poo-pick'.
Prior to that, most horses were kept on farms/RSs, usually with mixed grazing, which helps to break the worm-cycle and keeps down weeds.
I'm not sure why/how the chemicals got into this discussion - I certainly don't use them!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

All I can add is that round here, we've had many large livery yards for xyz yrs & many of them have mucked out their smaller paddocks as far back as I can remember. After all, most big yards tend to have small paddocks nr the yard as well as big fields. Yes, those big fields do tend to be harrowed, but I know of 1 or 2 that still get these cleared via staff or vaccumm
Its just been the odd (usually pretty run-down or scruffy) yard that hasn't - and boy does it show up.

Apologies, but the 'poo-piccking' you refer to, has been called mucking out the fields in our neck of the woods since I can remember

 

[Spring Feather]

Borrox! I've been doing it for yrs

You've been doing it for years because of this \/ \/

Yes, I have smallish paddocks compared to some (5 acres divided into 6 paddocks & a school patch).

Interesting you further go on to say this \/ \/ Which is what us people with large fields are saying

Only not doing it if field is a huge size.

However, a dieting/lami horse/pony needs a restricted area to graze, thats not a new phenomenom is it?

Cattle, goats, sheep and many other hooved animals CAN get laminitis ... but rarely. Why is that? No laminitis is not a new phenomenon however it is definitely much more prevalent since more and more people keep these oversized pets in areas which are too small for the animal to get the required amount of exercise and often they are being overfed with feeds designed by man rather than being the natural diet of equids.

Have got 2 on those paddocks, so not really overstocked am I?

It depends. Your paddock sizes are tiny at less than an acre each however if you rotate weekly or fortnightly then maybe no but if you keep them in each of your little compounds for much longer term then possibly yes.

There is far more to keeping a healthy well balanced horse than just pretty green paddocks with no weeds. Horses are designed to roam for hours and hours a day. These little areas do not facilitate the needs and desires for the horse to wander and of course this, combined with inappropriate feeding, has to be one of the major reasons that horses develop such cases as laminitis and other conditions which are a great detriment to horses.

Anyhow the OP was asking about keeping horses on large acreage not tiny areas like you are keeping your on and whether she needs to poo pick or not and most of us who also keep our horses on large acreage have said it is quite usual and unnecessary to poo pick large acreage fields. You are comparing OPs situation to yours which is a totally different scenario

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

You are comparing OPs situation to yours which is a totally different scenario

Not quite m'dear - I was originally responding to Pearlsasingers post, VIS:

'Poo-picking' is a new phenomenon

to add, its a little insulting to make assumptions regarding others pasture management isnt it?
I won't take offence tho, as this appears a common theme from your good self

 

[Chestnut mare]

Is it DIY livery or full livery? I've always poo picked but was on 1 yard which had huge fields and we didn't poo pick. I didn't like it as don't think it was done properly and was always loads of poo left behind. Guess the idea should be to Harrow then leave the field to rest but we had to go straight back on it.
There is a large livery yard up the road from us and the owner is out there poo picking all fields every night (full livery)

 

[Chestnut mare]

Doesn't make sense.....should say the fields were 'dragged'!

 

[Piglet]

I am at a small yard but quite a lot of acreage and we don't poo pick as the fields are big and with us all working different times there would be arguments as person A would be doing more than their fair share. There are summer and winter grazing, horses wormed twice a year, it is totally alien for me to not poo pick as when we had the horses at home before parents sold house I poo picked every day.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Not quite m'dear - I was originally responding to Pearlsasingers post, VIS:



to add, its a little insulting to make assumptions regarding others pasture management isnt it?
I won't take offence tho, as this appears a common theme from your good self

As, in my first post, I was replying to OP, commenting merely on the lack of what she called 'poo-picking' (I don't call it anything, I don't do it), I am not sure why you appear to have taken offence at my describing a system of pasture management, which you say is not yours.
I don't mind admitting, however, that I wouldn't be surprised if 5 acres divided into 7 areas was over-grazed. I don't know how many animals you keep on your 5 acres, so I can't comment on your arrangements.

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

Hmm don't know really, depends on other factors. I also have a handful of small paddocks and they are about 3 acres each. For the most part I don't poo pick them (except in quarantine situations where I always remove the poo) I harrow but then they aren't used very often. I don't think I'd poo pick a 3 acre paddock with only 3 ponies in them. I'd do the same as I do with mine, rotate and harrow regularly. But it does depend on the ground, lay of the land, size of ponies etc etc

Thanks for that...ponies are 11.2, 12.2 and 13.2 (growing) - land is sloping with drainage ditches with patches of reeds...middle-size pony doesn't belong to me and her owner seems to have given up on poo-picking..so I do what I can given that I am also the only doing the daily haying/checking/watering and any maintenance of the field...so I try to keep 'areas' clear and vary which areas I clear..esp now grass is poor, to try to give them more chance to nibble. Grass has not been rested til now but plan to split off an acre to get the first flush of spring grass thro (and pick that completely whilst resting) and then move them back into the 2-acre bit once there is some good growth there...was planning to also pick the bit they are in once I've shut off an acre for rest.
Harrowing..not sure whether the farmer does it - he farms a good way away and is in his 70's so may not be high on his list of priorities, but if not and he's agreeable, may be able to pay a neighbouring farmer to do it...

 

[Spring Feather]

to add, its a little insulting to make assumptions regarding others pasture management isnt it?
I won't take offence tho, as this appears a common theme from your good self

A common theme?

What assumptions did I make that insults yours or others field management? You were the one who told us how you keep your horses in small areas and I responded that this is a factor in recent historical incidences of laminitis et al rising due to the small areas horses are kept in and the man made feeds that they are given in these modern times. How on earth is that insulting? It's a fact even though many people try to deal with it as best they can.

 

[MissSBird]

The only time I've poo picked at my yard was when the pony was in a little paddock due to a ligament injury. The fields arn't overstocked and they take care of themselves.

For the record, all of our yard uses worm counts and follows the same routine. Except the tapeworm/encysted wormers that you should always do regardless, most of the yard comes back perfectly clear. I've never had to worm my boy or girl, bar the necessary ones I mentioned above.

 

[Spring Feather]

Person with the big long username with the 3 little ponies , if you can split your 3 acres in half and are able to get the farmer to come and harrow when you take the ponies out of each area for resting, then it will make poo picking easier if this is what you choose to do, or have farmer come in regularly to harrow which will do a similar job whilst organically fertilising the paddocks at the same time. TBH the field sounds great and poo picking would not really be necessary providing you can harrow. Without harrowing or poo picking a field can have many areas which become unpalatable. Even fields which aren't poo picked do require management to keep them in good condition. Hope that helps.

 

[kirstyl]

I would disagree with this. If you have 3 horses in a 3 acre field, and the field is not poo picked for two weeks, there will be a fair bit of poop in their field. When you consider that horses wouldn't normally graze by where they have pooped, this limits their grazing quite a bit.

In my opinion, it's definitely worthwhile. Not only that, but it's a work out. If you have a manageable size paddock and keep on top of it, it's an easy task.

Agree with you. At this time of the year, we poo pick a couple of times a week but in the summer when the horses are out over night we poo pick every day

 

[Ravenwood]

I've never poo picked! In my experience, if horses are in large enough fields they chose their own "toilet area" and always go there. So effectively all dung and wee is in one or two places in a field - the rough patches as such. I've seen this with many different horses in several places.

The fields are not harrowed but are topped in summer.

The only time I have cleared a paddock is when a polo pony was turned out on his own in a very small bit of paddock recovering from injury.

I worm count too - always seems to come back as zero or thereabouts but do worm them all at the same time once a year.

 

[Welshie Squisher]

Thanks for the most recent replies.

Firstly, poo picking isn't an option, not unless I want to kill myself! My 2 are in seperate paddocks that house about 25 horses in total and both fields are really big

I don't think anything is done to the land bar it being fertilised in the spring and yet the paddocks are in much better condition than the yard I came from which poo picks.

They had 5/6 horses on less than 2 acre paddocks, horses hanging out at gates by 10 in winter with the paddocks being bald. Now I have a long walk to get mine as they have loads of grass.

My concern is worms and the health of my horses, they are for certain much happier now so that's not an issue.

 

[noodle_]

can i hi-jack and ask.............how/when.why what - worm counts???

who do you send them too etc?? my mare hasnt been wormed since summer Its suddenly dawned on me tonight.... id rather do a count if needby and not worm - they are indivually put out and i poo pick daily!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I don't think anything is done to the land bar it being fertilised in the spring and yet the paddocks are in much better condition than the yard I came from which poo picks.

They had 5/6 horses on less than 2 acre paddocks, horses hanging out at gates by 10 in winter with the paddocks being bald. Now I have a long walk to get mine as they have loads of grass.

My concern is worms and the health of my horses, they are for certain much happier now so that's not an issue.

TBH, I think that your second point explains the first point, perfectly.
I'm not surprised that the horses were waiting to come in at your previous yard. I am surprised that you didn't have horses with lots of injuries from being in such cramped conditions.

I really don't think that you need to worry too much abut worms, either. They are usually a problem where fields are over-grazed. You should ask YO about the normal worming programme, or choose to worm count and then worm or not as you see fit.