rested paddock and length of grass??

[Kezza]

we have rested our winter paddock since early May and it has grown quite a bit. Was hoping the yard owner would cut it but they can't so we've put horses back in it as is.

Is that ok? They seem to be eating it at the moment ... how long should you leave a paddock if you are not planning to cut it as we want to continue rotating between our 2 paddocks so neither become too overgrown but whilst still allowing them to rest.

Thanks

 

[spaniel]

It should be fine as long as the grass has seeded and has started to go woody and stemmy. It doesnt look very nice but the power will have gone out of it now. Just be careful that you dont get a big green flush in a week or two once the rain has got to it again.

In the height of the growing season, ideally, Id have one area split into three and rotate each one at three week intervals so each patch gets 6 weeks off.

However it all depends on how big the field is, how many horses are on it and whats growing in it!

In your circs I would get them off it once its down to a couple of inches in length and then allow it to come up again for a month to give you some grazing to take you into the early part of the winter.

Sorry its a bit wooly but without seeing it and knowing the details Im being a bit vague!

 

[Kezza]

yes it's woody and stemmy so all ok there. We were going to divide the field they've just gone into but we don't want it to grow any more.

So we should leave the one they have just left until the grass grows to about 4 inches then move them back in it for a while before moving them back to the current one? I don't think they will manage to eat the current one down all that much before then though so we will still have an overgrown paddock ...

 

[spaniel]

You might be grateful for the overgrowth come winter. Autumn seems to be coming in very early and there are a lot of fields that are bare earth right now. Yours should be able top stand up to a fair amount of horse hoof damage as the roots will still be strong plus you should get a longer eating season out of them!

 

[Kezza]

ok so put them back in the one they just came from when it gets to around 4 inches regardless of how much they have eaten from the new one and then wait for it to get eaten down to about 2 inches and put them back into the longer one? and just keep doing that?

thanks

 

[spaniel]

Sounds like a good plan!