Rutty poached and now hard fields

[Michen]

The field my horse is in at livery has good grass coverage but is very rutty and poached from the winter (I find it uncomfortable to walk across). It's now gone hard from the warmer weather.

Yard owner has promised to Harrow but this may not happen, and one of the other fields was harrowed but it seems to have made little difference?

I'm getting concerned that when my horse has his moments of madness and gallops around he is doing so on hard uneven ground. It seems to be asking for trouble.

Not sure what to do as I love the yard otherwise and finding somewhere you can turn out all year round here is not easy at all, but I'm concerned about his legs he's currently on his own in the field and will have a field mate in three weeks, maybe between them they will flatten it out?

 

[FfionWinnie]

It needs rolled rather than harrowed. Sounds like you will need some rain before it is worth doing it tho.

I wouldn't be particularly concerned if it were mine but they are mostly sensible and don't run around very much. Geldings do seem to career around a bit more by the sounds of it!

 

[Auslander]

If yours are anything like mine, it's too late to use a normal chain harrow on them. Mine are being power-harrowed and rolled imminently - it's the only way they'll be salvageable. Come October, they'll be shakaerated/mole ploughed, in an attempt to break up the clay pan, and help with drainage moving forward.

 

[Michen]

Yard owner won't roll, I've tried asking. She says it ruins the grass I doubt it will even be narrowed to be honest. Just worried about his legs as he does have the odd gallop like a lunatic.

 

[JillA]

Given the rain we are due on Tuesday and horses' weight it will be levelled out before you know it. Is he living out? Most horses just mooch when they live out, the galloping is usually those who are still stabled at night.
But rolling ruining the grass? Excuses excuses..................she will need a seriously heavy roller now it has dried though, I don't bother with mine, there is usually a very small window between too wet and dried out. I let equine tootsies do it for me

 

[be positive]

Mine were harrowed on Thursday and rolled this morning just after some rain, the difference is amazing, no more ruts and the grass will be encouraged to grow, it certainly will not be ruined otherwise why would the farmers spend the time and effort involved to do it.

 

[Michen]

I know but sadly she doesn't have that opinion and she's the owner so I have to respect that. I'd be happy to pay a contractor to do it even!

Guess I will have to hope it levels out naturally. Yes he's stabled st night. He gallops around when he thinks it's too early to be caught, maybe twice a week? But I don't even like the idea of him walking on it to be honest. Maybe I'm being precious!?

 

[SusieT]

dont worry, horses are able to cope with turnout on hard or soft ground - it's more ebing asked to be athletic on it for a prolonged period of time that will be a problem. it's natural for ground to be soft in winter hard in summer

 

[Mike007]

dont worry, horses are able to cope with turnout on hard or soft ground - it's more ebing asked to be athletic on it for a prolonged period of time that will be a problem. it's natural for ground to be soft in winter hard in summer

Rutted poached ground that has dried out is entirely another matter and can wreck a horse. It should have been rolled earlier . As for rolling ruining the grass ,what utter tosh!

 

[Michen]

Argh, stressed

 

[samlf]

It is too late for harrowing to make enough of a difference - my field was only harrowed this year (as opposed to last year, it was harrowed then rolled as more rutted), but it was done at exactly the right time (21st April) before it got too hard. It is still a little rutted but the horses moving about is levelling it out.

My farmer says rolling does temporarily affect grass growth, but usually the benefits outweigh that risk.

 

[L&M]

I sorted my oh's paddocks a couple of days ago.

Tbh they were too hard to harrow, but the harrow did break down some of the ruts and worst poached areas - after a rolling they were hugely improved, even with baked mud.

I will do them again after the rain on tues, but was pretty pleased with the intial results considering how hard the ground was (and this was just with a quad and 4 ft chain harrow).

 

[JennBags]

Argh, stressed

No point getting stressed over it, you need to review your options.

1) move yards
2) insist with yo that she does something and risk upsetting her
3) put up with it

 

[Kylara]

I'm hoping the rain on Tuesday will mean that when mine get harrowed, reseeded and rolled on weds/thurs the ground will be the right amount of wet/dry for it to be effective!

 

[Dave's Mam]

Yard owner won't roll, I've tried asking. She says it ruins the grass I doubt it will even be narrowed to be honest. Just worried about his legs as he does have the odd gallop like a lunatic.

That's garbage. I had mine rolled JUST as the weather turned. Just starting to dry off & the grass is fab.

 

[Honey08]

Harrowing is more about pulling dead grass through and spreading any droppings rather than flattening, isn't it? Rolling is to flatten. I don't understand your yard owner, ruts become puddle, which become boggy areas.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Yard owner won't roll, I've tried asking. She says it ruins the grass I doubt it will even be narrowed to be honest. Just worried about his legs as he does have the odd gallop like a lunatic.

This is total and absolute rot I'm afraid. As a YO myself I have a duty of care and if horses are turned out in fields that are rutted there is an inherent risk of injury.

If YO is too tight-@rsed to maintain the pastures adequately then OP and anyone else at this yard should seek better livery elsewhere IMO.

This sort of thing makes me angry as it puts all YO's in a bad light (..... fuming).

 

[Dave's Mam]

This is total and absolute rot I'm afraid. As a YO myself I have a duty of care and if horses are turned out in fields that are rutted there is an inherent risk of injury.

If YO is too tight-@rsed to maintain the pastures adequately then OP and anyone else at this yard should seek better livery elsewhere IMO.

This sort of thing makes me angry as it puts all YO's in a bad light (..... fuming).

Exacty. Whilst we maintain our own paddocks, we literally rent the space with no other services, there is a contactor on site who does it for Mates Rates (well, his wife did mine for nada, while she did her own field next door. Yes, I will be supplying cake & cider.)

 

[sport horse]

It has been a very difficult spring - first too wet and very quickly too hard. I have harrowed and rolled some but am awaiting rain to do the others. The ones I did early the horses trashed again as the land was really pretty wet. The harrowing actually does knock some of the ruts and poached bits about and the roller then makes a better job of flattening it out. Now weknow why farmers are always complaining about the weather!