Will the grazing recover?

[sunleychops]

Forgive me, I'm a relative youth and can't remember the summer of 76, but I cant remember a summer as dry as this with such parched and yellow/bare fields

I have two paddocks, ones currently grazed from winter and usually theres plenty in there but its looking pathetic now, other one is still yellowing but hasnt really been grazed so is still relatively covered. Now the one they are in now has the shelter in it so its normally where they choose to go if they have free access to both.

My question is, will the grass actually recover when the rains arrive or will I need to get some serious help to them?

They are curently fed hay also so shouldnt be over hammering what little grass is there, one fat mini shetland and one TB.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Yes it will likely recover once it starts raining.

 

[Leandy]

Yes it will recover. If there are parts which are too worn to do so, just scatter some grass seed.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Yes, it will. If you do decide to overseed please get a horse friendly seed mix without ryegrass.

 

[sunleychops]

Thanks guys, was beginning to worry about it a bit!

 

[silv]

It will recover really quickly once you have rain. Happens every year where I live, it’s nothing to worry about.

 

[millitiger]

Yes, if it ever rains here again, we'll be spreading rotted muck and overseeding like mad!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Old codger here who remembers 76. Plus also we kept yard diaries which I find great to look back on
Yes, it all recovered, in fact mother was griping there was a right royal flush in late September, we had to be careful of laminitis risks withing hours of the rain starting falling.
We had a glut of hay, even off the adjacent marsh field next door which hadn't had hay taken off it since (apparently) the 30s!
The animals were kept on in the summer fields till October, the winter paddocks grew.....

 

[sport horse]

If you are having to hay in the fields (many of us are down here i the SE) keep moving the site where you place the hay. The seeds will fall out onto the ground and germinate when we get rain. A trick told me by an old farmer neighbour and it never fails to work and it is FREE!

 

[skint1]

I'm not overly concerned, we are giving hay right now, but it looks like next week we might get rain, I expect it will bounce back quickly and then we will be worried about too much grass!

 

[skint1]

If you are having to hay in the fields (many of us are down here i the SE) keep moving the site where you place the hay. The seeds will fall out onto the ground and germinate when we get rain. A trick told me by an old farmer neighbour and it never fails to work and it is FREE!

Ohh, this is genious! Thank you!

 

[ecb89]

Grass is one of, if not the most, resilient plant on the planet. It grows back even after horrific fires and severe drought.

 

[SEL]

As soon as they put in place a hosepipe ban here I'm expecting a deluge. My winter field has been resting since march and looks awful but I think will shoot up with rain. I have one which is a dust bowl and will be shut off to the horses and reseeded over in September

 

[Fransurrey]

2018 was like this in Surrey. It recovered absolutely fine. As awful as it looks, now, I'm not worried long term.