Question - How should I divide the field?

Meowy Catkin

Meowy Catkin

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So, I have three that are a good weight but the grey is tubby and even though she is being worked, she's possibly tubbier. So I want to split the field in half with my electric fence kit, but do I do it down the length or across the width?

Photo of the field and the good doer. :rolleyes:

100_2208.jpg


It's sloping and gets steeper towards the top. If I split it widthwise, they will be at the bottom of the hill on the flattest land with the worst grass. They will have shade to the right during the hottest part of the day (which they don't stand in :rolleyes: ) and shade to the left in the evening. They will have easy access to water.


If I split it lengthwise, they will have the shade to the right (I would put them in the right hand section) for the hottest part of the day. Better grass at the top of the hill, but the water at the very bottom so they will have to walk up and down the steep hill several times a day.

I can't decide.

:confused:
 
OK - third option. A big circle of electric fence with the horses on the outside so they have the day and evening shade, water at the bottom and a strip of better grass at the top.
 
I'd track system round the outside for the tubby one as this makes them move so much more. We did ours last week and it's amazing how much more they move. Our field runs up a hill also and that is where we've put water so they have to go up hill to drink, they are fed at other end. We havn't tracked all the way round as it gives us the option of extending fence every so often to give them some grass.

Our middle bit is now resting after being used all winter. But we could use it if nec xx
 
3rd option sounds good or I would do the length of the field, mine where possible have long thin areas and really move around more this way, more exercise especially as you are lucky enough to be on a hill, my land is totally flat.
 
So a U shaped loop might be best then?

Fab idea ST. :D

BP, I can do it with thin walkways and a larger areas for grazing at each end, away from the water. So they end up walking more. The water would be at the bottom of the U at the bottom of the hill. The grazing areas could be at the top of the hill in the two top ends of the U.
 
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re the using a track it is def working quite well for frank and the anglo looks ok on it atm but will are watching her weight so she doesn't drop too much as she is in full work. She is notably slimmer than this time last year! When we move the fence in a bit she gets an hour or so first and they are also getting supplementary hay.

Just a bit of food for thought ;)

you could put tubs on the track and let all the others in the middle :p
 
you could put tubs on the track and let all the others in the middle
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I fully expect to find Miss greedy guts in the middle and the slimmer ones still on the track. She did once jump an electric fence and a ditch (thus proving that arabs are only pants at jumping if there is no reason to put the effort in :p ) to get to a tiny patch of better grass. Infact the first thing that her breeder told me when I went to see her as a foal was, 'she's a gannet!'
 
i'd do the wiggliest horse shoe shaped path- bit like your "U" shape but more curved and maybe join the two top ends together - so more of a circle but with the split in the top so they can't go round in a circle, have to walk all the way round the circle to get to the other half (does that even make sense?)
Then you can curve one arm of the "U" back in on itself to get to the new grass as a strip graze if and when required- cue having to walk round the whole loop to get round to each arm.
 
pmsl!

out two are very good with leccy, tho the palo does an excellent job of doing yoga and getting under the fence (also helps her get a bit more grub!) Frank on the other hand.. was not built for yoga!

I think you need to experiment a bit sometimes to work out what works best. We have had it down to a fine art over the last 7 years... then I stuck a spanner in the works and told mum I wanted to do a track . . .
 
coss said:
i'd do the wiggliest horse shoe shaped path- bit like your "U" shape but more curved and maybe join the two top ends together - so more of a circle but with the split in the top so they can't go round in a circle, have to walk all the way round the circle to get to the other half (does that even make sense?)
Then you can curve one arm of the "U" back in on itself to get to the new grass as a strip graze if and when required- cue having to walk round the whole loop to get round to each arm.
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Diagram please. :D
 
I do a track system around the edge and split the middle into two paddocks for rotation. It helps keep them fit and occupied on the track, and allows me to rest areas for the winter. I have a 2.3 acre paddock and it's taken about 60 fence stakes and 400m of tape to do the job
 
Faracat said:
Diagram please. :D
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paradise-grass.jpg

um... ok...this is a diagram i did a while back so not necessarily as easy to put into practise but gives the idea :D
So start with the black shape - then you can work towards the blue (ignore the black bit at the bottom - that was a "gate". For the black horse shoe curl them round to each other so that the two arms are "facing" each other - think like taking a sausage and folding it round on itself but its still split where the two end touch :p diagram required for that?
note - it takes tonnes more electric tape but very effective- the red is because i couldn't change the area of grass without coming in from a different section ;)
 
Thanks for the diagram (very helpful) and all the suggestions. :)

I need more tape, as I only have 200m. :( I'll do the best that I can with what I have for now, but I have lots of ideas for the future (after a shopping spree :p ).
 
Faracat said:
Thanks for the diagram (very helpful) and all the suggestions. :)

I need more tape, as I only have 200m. :( I'll do the best that I can with what I have for now, but I have lots of ideas for the future (after a shopping spree :p ).
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Think i've got about 600m (might be 800 :o) round less than 2 acres :o:o
 
Stinkbomb said:
Get tape from ebay. Paddock perfection and cheap and quick delivery x
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I'll look them up. :)



shysmum said:
beautiful girlie xx:)
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Thank you - she's a poppet really and an endless supply of entertainment. ;)



I did the best I could with the kit that I have and ended up doing an L shape with the tape. I can re-do it when I have more tape. It was quite a challange though because they all wanted to 'help' :rolleyes: and chestnut mare did her very best to be in the section that I was fencing off with the good grass. I was able to herd her out before I connected the tape end to the fence - so all the horses are now the correct side. :D
 
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