Topping buttercups in field

I think if you topped the cut buttercups would dry out pretty quickly in weather like this. Once buttercups are dried the toxic compound in them dissipates, that's why they're not a problem in hay.
 
I have a small paddock that I put my little EMS pony in and as a result of overgrazing as I want the paddock to be as bare as possible we get lots of buttercups.

Got my husband with lawn mower to mow them off tonight before they go to seed - mower picked up all the cuttings so that I can put the pony back out straight away. Personally I am not happy to put horses back out on to fields that have just been topped with or without buttercups I normally like to leave it a week for the cuttings to have dried up to almost nothing and for the grass not to be so stressed.

I did spray my big paddocks last year as I was plagued with creeping buttercups and clover and there is definitely a right and a wrong time to spray these. If my memory serves me correctly the agronomist advised to do them before they flower as the weed killer had a better effect. I still had to keep the horses off for approx. 4 weeks though.
 
I thought with Headland Relay/Polo it was best to spray before flowering (creeping buttercup) -and to keep horses off at least two weeks.It's a few years since I did it. It kills by causing overgrowth so best to do it while they are in full growth mode.
 
I keep my ponies on a private yard, we've been there almost a year. I estimate from googleearth that it's just shy of 3 acres. I have two small 2 ponies (one muzzled) and yard owner has one 15.2hh. All are out in daytime winter, out at night during summer.

Durign the time we've been there, the field has not been rested. In the main part of the field, the buttercups are pretty bad, and I am thinking this is partly due to not being rested. I did ask the owner what they usually do about resting the field and have been told that they don't. We have plenty of grass really even though it apparently never gets rested or treated at all. Owner asked my advice - which really is the blind leading the blind. My feeling is that we should divide it in half and rest half now. When I mentioned resting, the owner thought I meant for a week but I'm thinking months!

It's clay soil, but reasonably well drained.

So .... what's my best bet, get it topped, divide in half and rest half until winter... or what? Any advice gratefully received.
 
Two ideas, one is radical and may not suit you anyway.

Plan 1] form a track system as per paddock paradise, this improves fitness and is used where the ponies tend to get fat. The middle can be left all summer and used in the winter.


Plan 2] split in to 1/3 and 2/3, use 1/3 when grass is flushing, top 2/3 and or spray, then turn out horses and rest 1/3 for a month.

If the field has had horses for many years it might be a good idea to soil test for acidity and lime half of it.

A weeks rest will have no effect, a summers rest will probably be OK but unless you lime or spray it will not change much.
 
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Bonkers2 said:
Two ideas, one is radical and may not suit you anyway.

Plan 1] form a track system as per paddock paradise, this improves fitness and is used where the ponies tend to get fat. The middle can be left all summer and used in the winter.


Plan 2] split in to 1/3 and 2/3, use 1/3 when grass is flushing, top 2/3 and or spray, then turn out horses and rest 1/3 for a month.

I the field has had horses for many years it might be a good idea to soil test for acidity and lime half of it.

A weeks rest will have no effect, a summers rest will probably be OK but unless you lime or spray it will not change much.
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Thank you, that is really helpful.
 
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