Rolling fields

[Mrs C]

We have small trash paddocks for winter and they're so rutted with the mud. As it starts to dry out I'd love to get it rolled but we have no tractor or vehicle we can fit a roller to. Is there a way to manually do this, even if its just the gateways?! Thanks

 

[meleeka]

I don’t roll mine I just harrow when it’s dry enough. I have a crate filled with old tyres/wheels and some bricks and it works well towed behind my car.

I’ve no idea if it’s true or not, but I have this through that rolling just makes it drain less well.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

You can get garden rollers to push, which might be good enough for your gateways.

 

[Goldenstar]

Do you know someone who would come in and do it for you ?

 

[HannahB]

I've never rolled or harrowed, but I put wood chipings I get cheap around the gateways and they really help.

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

See if you have a local small farmers or smallholders group. They will be able to signpost you to a contractor who has discovered that looking after smaller equestrian plots is quite lucrative. We have one locally that offers a subscription service so he comes and does what is needed to be done at the right time of the year.

 

[Mrs C]

Sorry I should have said - the gateway is a funny angle and we can't get a vehicle in without taking post and rail up. Garden roller might be an idea - I'm just worried about it freezing in its current state!

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

You can buy rollers that you fill with water to give them weight, they are not easy to. I’ve manually though, you would need a quad bike.

 

[Esmae]

[QUOTE="The Bouncing Bog Trotter, post: They will be able to signpost you to a contractor who has discovered that looking after smaller equestrian plots is quite lucrative. We have one locally that offers a subscription service so he comes and does what is needed to be done at the right time of the year.[/QUOTE]

That is a smart idea.

OP If it's only gateways, as ours is, I wait until it's workable and then attack it with a rake. Good work out for you. Then I walk it down with my feet. Seems to work for us.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

What we tend to do, is as it starts to dry, feed the horses (or in our case sheep) on it and they will flatten it out. When we were farming the gateways we had to take a tractor through all winter would be in a heck of a mess. OH put the sheep troughs there and fed the sheep and they did a lovely job of levelling it out.

 

[paddy555]

Sorry I should have said - the gateway is a funny angle and we can't get a vehicle in without taking post and rail up. Garden roller might be an idea - I'm just worried about it freezing in its current state!

if it is the gateways then you could dig the mud off and put some stone/rubble down which would solve the problem for the future.
For small paddocks something has to tow a roller, the choices are quad, horse, normal size tractor but 4wd tractors often leave more mess than they resolve or a compact tractor which has a much lighter footprint. A case of whatever is available.
For the funny gateway angle can that be resolved to improve access? one alternative would be to move the post and change the angle, another would be to put the gatepost into a socket and make the rails into slip rails.That way if you wanted vehicle access you simply slide the rails out, lift the post out of the socket and you have nice gateway.
We have done that on several gates where we need wider access.

 

[southerncomfort]

We bought a Cambridge roller off ebay for a couple of hundred quid and tow it with the Shogun. Does a really good job, we're really pleased with it.

ETA: just saw your last post. In all honesty I'd be looking at widening your gateways as you'll need to be able to get vehicles in and out for all field maintenance.

 

[ElleSkywalkingintheair]

I've done 3 acres with a garden roller before, it will not do as good a job as a proper big one but certainly squashes the tops off of hoof divots

 

[blitznbobs]

I would suggest harrowing rather than rolling - and you can buy a harrow to pull behind a car

 

[sport horse]

Not sure where you are but if I tried to roll anything here it would probably sink to Australia! Harrow & roll as it dries out - if you have clay there is usually a window of about 5 minutes between too wet and too dry!!

 

[PeterNatt]

Get your gate moved or replaced and then get a grassland contractor in to maintain your field and hedges.