Resting fields

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How important is it to rest all fields? Does anyone get away with not resting and still have ok grass?

We have 4 acres spilt into 4 fields. 3 of the fields are next to a road - the 4th is as the bottom away from the road and lane and is where the water / field shelters are. I'm currently using this as a 'night' paddock (they live out) for 2 ponies and 1 horse - then we have the other 3 rotated for day time grazing.

I'd like to just keep using the bottom field as their night time bit as I like them away from the road - just unsure how long the paddock will hold up if we do that. I do have a way to rotate between that
field and one of the others which has a thick hedge at the top
border so is ok for them to use at night - but I would prefer them in the bottom bit.
 
We have to rest ours, otherwise they wouldn't have any grass. We have 6 acres split into 2 fields. 4 Horses on this. We rotate all the time so there is always grass.
 
Depends how many horses, and how you poo pick too. Soil type etc drainage.

I like to rest fields or strips of fields etc as I have a good doer and I have some of last summers long grass still for him to go back onto soon. I do this so he doesnt go back onto short lush new grass. I like to rest land and as soon as he is moved when the weather is dry will chain harrow the field to break up the ground spread any old poos etc.

I think it just gives the field a pick me up to rest it and not let it go stale etc.(Thats my theory anyway)! I will now spot grazon too as I had a right dock problem which is much reduced. Just a buttercup problem last year which I was going to Lime but havent got round to.
 
the only way would be to try it?
my paddocks have lots of grass even tho they are out most the time. i only fed hay in the field for about a month.
so if the paddock is big enough and is only used overnight it should be fine
you may need to change the way the fields are managed for winter though.... depends on drainage etc...
luckily the summer one is great in summer as it has a pond so that helps keep the ground from going rock hard and dry too early... the winter one is bigger and on a slope and has only a strip of bare patch by the gate.....
 
LaurenBay said:
We have to rest ours, otherwise they wouldn't have any grass. We have 6 acres split into 2 fields. 4 Horses on this. We rotate all the time so there is always grass.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what we do with 5 acres and 3 horses. We've only done this in the last couple of years and it works well. We also make sure they are fertilised and chained and harrowed which will be done in the next few weeks.
 
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