Topping fields

Only once the cut grass has composted down, which could be quite a while! If you could collect the grass it wouldn't matter.
 
mine go out right away - in fact they are in while its done! not saying its right but doesn't seem to do them any harm. Its not like the grass is 'chopped' just cut down.
 
Depends entirely on how often they are topped and how much is topped off! At work they are regularly topped and the horses stay out - VERY valuable TB's!!
 
I depends - We have left them in only when taking out weeds - i.e nettles, thistles & docks with a rotary topper.

We now have a new flail topper and I wouldn't put them out until it looked like hay (so a minimum of 5 days) as its the equivalent of grass cuttings.

Also depends on the size of field and abundance of food. If above poster's place mentioned was TB's out in large fields, then they are not hungry and unlikely to go for topped grass (although probably a rotary topper too). However topping a laminitis paddock would be risky as they are more likely to scoff anything.
 
It's never done on my current grazing as there's never enough to top, (laminitis), but at my previous yard it was done while the horses were in the field, and we never had any problems.

Not saying that's the right way to do it, just that the horses were always fine doing it that way.
 
Same day. Topping just leaves long stalks rather than mowing like a lawn mower which does many chops on the same stalk.
 
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