Topping paddock: do you leave grass cuttings?

Birker2020

Birker2020

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Paddock been topped today. I have collected as many grass cuttings as i can as mare bit colic prone but do you collect yours or leave it?just curious as there is a couple of us that have but most have left it. In the other side of the sectioned paddock the grass was very long.If i leave it will it affect the new grass growth. Will my mare eat the cuttings?Big task next few days but glad its been done and the yard is proactive at looking after their land.
 
We move our horses off when we top, and leave the cut grass, but then we never let it get that long before we do it. They are probably off a month before they go back on the topped paddock. the grass will grow but the cut grass may sour it if there is a lot of it.
 
We top, leave for a couple of days then go over it again to chop it up finer if there's a lot of it. Then leave for at least a month before grazing. Not an issue this year as the grass didn't grow at all over winter due to lack of rain.
 
Hmmm. Thanks guys. Think I will gather as much as I can tonight from the other side of the fencing where it was 3 inches long in preparation for the six inches or so I extend the fence line every evening prior to turnout. The side where she's grazing isn't too bad as it was well grazed down and some of it was docks, but its just amazing when you see what you think is completely bare field and then its topped and you start raking it up how much there actually was - it was a whole barrow load from a bare paddock! No wonder so many horses and ponies get laminitis even when owners mistakenly think there field has nothing in it. I've not alternative paddock to put her in so I may as well get 'raking in the rain' lol.
 
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