wet field or slightly drier field?

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zoon

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Seems a no brainer when I put it like that, but it's not as simple!

I have 3 acres with 3 horses on (16.2, and 2 13hh youngsters). Split in to 2 and strip grazed over summer as grazing is always very very good. Horses currently in bottom section, but with non stop torrential rain over the last couple of weeks, it has turned into a mud paddock and is draining very slowly (hoof prints full of water over most of field) Once weather dries up, it'll drain away very well. They also have the shelter down here.

The top of the field has been rested for a month or so and is in a much better condition - only a little mud a gateway. It has more grass in it (doesn't matter as horses are getting ad lib hay - they are out 24/7). It has a little natural shelter in it from a line of trees.

My dilemma is - do I put them in the top out of the mud and risk trashing top field as well? Or leave them in the mud and hope weather dries up? Is the bottom likely to recover over spring/summer if it gets totally trashed?

I have no option to bring them in as have no stables. Was hoping to rent additional 3 acres next to my land, but it is not looking promising. I know 3 horses on 3 acres isn't ideal, but the 16.2 was meant to be sold and for reasons I won't go in to (previous thread on it you can look at if that interested!) I had to buy him back. So got to make the best of a bad situation! It is no deep mud - just hoof deep, but is very very wet and grass in bottom half is becoming non-existant. As they have ad lib hay, I am more worried about the field beign totally ruined. If I move them up, do I risk all of my land being beyond recovery? Or will the grass grow back well anyway?
 
I would swap them over and save the bottom field for spring when things will dry up, I imagine your top field would recover better field
 
Well if you can stand to have two trashed fields - i'd move them.

But if you're just worried about the trashed fields ability to recover. It will - providing you manage it properly.
 
I am looking to rent the field next door - will more than double my acreage. But, like I said, isn't looking promising as owner is a bit of an oddball. If not, they'll have to stay where they are.

Don't mind having 2 trashed fields, as long as they recover well. Last year was fine as we didn't get the 2 weeks of constant torrential rain we are having now and the land generally stays dry. Dry day today and already the puddles have gone. Need a few consecutive days of dry for mud dry up though (and it does - in just a few days of dry!)

How would you advise we manage it to help it recover? Always just left it as grass is so incredibly long and lush every year. Never had this problem over winter, but always had fewer horses - that's where my problem lies, but difficult to rectify!
 
I basically have the same problemn and I am always in a dither about wether to trash the lot. My farmer landlord gets a bit huffy though if its too poached and I have to get off for a month in January, I find this is my only option, although its not always easy to get alternative grazing in the winter, have generally managed by pleading!
Don't know where you are but here in East Mids weather seems set fair for few days, so fingers crossed. Good luck, nice to know some of us all in the same boat, roll on Spring x
 
We have a similar issue. We use our bottom as our hay paddock. They're allowed in in winter only if it's not rained for 48 hours, which allows the puddley wet to drain so they don't sink in and leave hoof prints full of water - otherwise they trample much of the long grass into a mud mill, which is such a waste of potential grazing.

We suffered up top in the top 1/2 acre with no rain at the start of the summer, which completely burnt off the grass and it's not really recovered properly so we don't have lush grass on that bit, it's pretty bare, but the rest is OK. In spring we roll and re seed any really bare bits, and mostly it pops back up, just a few gateway bits it didn't. This year was an exception as it failed to grow properly in spring due to the dry weather - had 1/3 the usual hay crop.
 
I personally would move them up the top and rest the bottom for next spring / summer... come the spring it will green up suprisingly quickly and you can then rest the trashed top bit ready for later in the year...
 
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