The state of my fields!!

[MyBoyChe]

My summer paddocks, the only ones with some shelter in them, currently resemble the Sahara!! Absolutely no grass and a good covering of topsoil visible. I can rest them all winter when i can use fields without shelter during the day, but do I need to do anything to help them recover! Im worried that as soon as it rains they will turn to mud. If I just let them stand between now and next spring, will nature do its thing? Have never had fields this bare and dry before

 

[SEL]

My summer paddocks, the only ones with some shelter in them, currently resemble the Sahara!! Absolutely no grass and a good covering of topsoil visible. I can rest them all winter when i can use fields without shelter during the day, but do I need to do anything to help them recover! Im worried that as soon as it rains they will turn to mud. If I just let them stand between now and next spring, will nature do its thing? Have never had fields this bare and dry before

I've just fenced off the middle of my worst paddock (also sahara) so they're having to walk around the outside of it to get to the shelter. Once I think there's going to be some reliable rain I'm going to over seed it with a rye free paddock mix. The horses will be off that paddock until next Spring. I also have these enormous holes in the ground which I'm filling with poo and a friend has recommended a spade full of sand to help with drainage etc whilst we're at it. Any particularly bald bits will get some hay over the top of the grass seed as a mulch to help protect the seeds from pheasants

My winter field is as worrying. Horses haven't been on it since March but its got no growth at all

 

[Highmileagecob]

We are starting to get a dew fall now that the weather has cooled, which can only help to add moisture. Our pasture is like a bowling green, but the horses are doing just fine.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I've just fenced off the middle of my worst paddock (also sahara) so they're having to walk around the outside of it to get to the shelter. Once I think there's going to be some reliable rain I'm going to over seed it with a rye free paddock mix. The horses will be off that paddock until next Spring. I also have these enormous holes in the ground which I'm filling with poo and a friend has recommended a spade full of sand to help with drainage etc whilst we're at it. Any particularly bald bits will get some hay over the top of the grass seed as a mulch to help protect the seeds from pheasants

My winter field is as worrying. Horses haven't been on it since March but its got no growth at all

SEL, if you are wanting to help drainage then shovel a bit of gravel in 1st, that can act like a French drain, or assist where water pools x

 

[SEL]

SEL, if you are wanting to help drainage then shovel a bit of gravel in 1st, that can act like a French drain, or assist where water pools x

That's a good idea. I've never seen gaps so deep - some of them must be all the way down through the topsoil to where the chalk layer is.

I've just started strip grazing them into the field I was hoping to keep for a couple of months and despite checking for cracks once the grass has been devoured there are some huge ones showing up.

I'm only just shy of feeding winter hay portions and they're all ravenous in the morning

 

[MyBoyChe]

I see youre in Bucks too SEL, Im North side so not sure where you are but we are on clay so as soon as all this top soil gets warn its going to be a mudbath!! Im feeding hay am and pm, ponies are bored, too hot, covered in flies and Ive just about had enough now. My winter fields have no grass in them either, weve eaten it all through July and August, theyre not as bare and will stand a half days grazing every day through winter but its dire. I feel so sorry for anyone with proper livestick trying to make a living right now!!

 

[Hallo2012]

once you move the horses off them harrow the muck heap in, wait for some rain then chuck grass seed down, any old hay or straw etc

 

[SEL]

I see youre in Bucks too SEL, Im North side so not sure where you are but we are on clay so as soon as all this top soil gets warn its going to be a mudbath!! Im feeding hay am and pm, ponies are bored, too hot, covered in flies and Ive just about had enough now. My winter fields have no grass in them either, weve eaten it all through July and August, theyre not as bare and will stand a half days grazing every day through winter but its dire. I feel so sorry for anyone with proper livestick trying to make a living right now!!

Further south than you - more towards Ox border - but the lack of rain has been devastating this year.

We pump from a well and I was told when I bought the property it hasn't run dry in 200 years, but its very stressful being able to see the bottom of it and hoping desperately the spring that comes down from the chiltern hills is still filling it up slowly

If we get heavy rain mine will have to go in the winter field because they will just turn the ones they've been on to mud and they'll be sliding everywhere.

once you move the horses off them harrow the muck heap in, wait for some rain then chuck grass seed down, any old hay or straw etc

I've got the muck heap ready to go if we get a decent amount of rain promised. I chucked the old one on back in March and I'm still finding lumps because it just didn't rot into the soil this year.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Even just putting hay and hay sweepings on the field help it re seed mine are exactly the same it looks like Spain here I'm in Hertfordshire, it does come back but I don't fertilize or re seed my fields mine are to good doers and one has cushings so I don't want loads of rich grass.

 

[milliepops]

Its dire here. I have an acre at the yard,2 horses with no opportunity to rest it just an acre of dust/mud now.

 

[catembi]

North Beds, heavy clay, lots of cracks, no grass...and these fields were rested from about October to Spring to 'save' them... I really wonder why I bothered! (Actually, I've just remembered why - horses on large hard standing = horses NOT covered in clay & lovely clean, dry legs & feet.)

So should I be tipping gravel down the cracks, then? I might have got some gravel somewhere left over from having the arena put in.

 

[Lintel]

Argh well two days of downpours and mine are boggy!! I'm sure they will dry up in no time though given the recent weather!

 

[Goldenstar]

Fourteen acres plus of lush green grass and an acre and a half of overgrazed yellow grass with weeds that looks like something from a RSPCA case video if it was not for three extremely well large horses wearing muzzles and one fat old horse whose had his front lower teeth out and can’t use a muzzle .
I am not sure how they do it .

 

[SEL]

North Beds, heavy clay, lots of cracks, no grass...and these fields were rested from about October to Spring to 'save' them... I really wonder why I bothered! (Actually, I've just remembered why - horses on large hard standing = horses NOT covered in clay & lovely clean, dry legs & feet.)

So should I be tipping gravel down the cracks, then? I might have got some gravel somewhere left over from having the arena put in.

I'm going to. I was shoving poo and sand down to fill them (ankle breaking size) but gravel will help drainage and my land gets boggy.

@milliepops 1 acre is tough. We really need rain now to give grass time to grow even a bit before winter