4 replies to this topic

[connylass]

Hi All,

Can anyone help me i have 3 acres of grazing land split into 2 fields probably 2 acres and 1 acre which i keep my 2 acres for summer grazing and split into 3 paddocks and the 1 acres is kept for the winter as it gets churned up by 2 ponies and 1 horse in the winter and i normally split it into 2 paddocks and keep them just on the 1 paddock save churning the whole field up in the bad winter. I keep my 2 acres for the summer only, so from end oct to end march the field is rested but this year i have noticed that my grass does not seem to be growing very well at all after the 3 fields have been grazed on and i was wondering if it needs fertilising as it has not had anything done to it in about 6 years (only been my land for 2 years) but i have read bad reports about fertalisers where horses graze so this worries me. I have also read about have a soil test done but don't know where or who to contact regarding this all i want is nice grazing for my horses so any information/help would be appreciated please.

Thanks

JDR

[Groundhog]

Hi All,

Can anyone help me i have 3 acres of grazing land split into 2 fields probably 2 acres and 1 acre which i keep my 2 acres for summer grazing and split into 3 paddocks and the 1 acres is kept for the winter as it gets churned up by 2 ponies and 1 horse in the winter and i normally split it into 2 paddocks and keep them just on the 1 paddock save churning the whole field up in the bad winter. I keep my 2 acres for the summer only, so from end oct to end march the field is rested but this year i have noticed that my grass does not seem to be growing very well at all after the 3 fields have been grazed on and i was wondering if it needs fertilising as it has not had anything done to it in about 6 years (only been my land for 2 years) but i have read bad reports about fertalisers where horses graze so this worries me. I have also read about have a soil test done but don't know where or who to contact regarding this all i want is nice grazing for my horses so any information/help would be appreciated please.

Thanks

JDR

Land grazed continuous with horses gets horse sick due to the way they graze and the dung/urine you can get soil tests done by your local agric merchant which will highlight p and k levels and ph lots of buttercups is usually a sgn of a sick sward.quick fix 50kg/acre of 20:10:10 can be bought in small bags and some granular lime,on small paddocks you can broadcast it by hand pooh picking prevents hotspots where they wont graze cheap set of grass harrows towed around in the spring and autumn will help.Low levels of a compound fert are unlikely to effect your horses,high nitrogen levels in the sward is said to affect the bone growth in foals and youngsters so straight nitrogen is not recommended,a couple of pet sheep will help keep the sward tighter,try to encourage clover growth in the sward as this will fix Nitrogen back into the ground

[connylass]

Land grazed continuous with horses gets horse sick due to the way they graze and the dung/urine you can get soil tests done by your local agric merchant which will highlight p and k levels and ph lots of buttercups is usually a sgn of a sick sward.quick fix 50kg/acre of 20:10:10 can be bought in small bags and some granular lime,on small paddocks you can broadcast it by hand pooh picking prevents hotspots where they wont graze cheap set of grass harrows towed around in the spring and autumn will help.Low levels of a compound fert are unlikely to effect your horses,high nitrogen levels in the sward is said to affect the bone growth in foals and youngsters so straight nitrogen is not recommended,a couple of pet sheep will help keep the sward tighter,try to encourage clover growth in the sward as this will fix Nitrogen back into the ground

[shepie]

Hi jdr

I put on my clay soils a mix of calsified seaweed and horse paddock grass and chain harrow several times , i go over it 2-3 times before broadcarting the mix and then again after and then roll it down and leave untill the winter to rest that way it has time to recover and it will keep growing well and slowly as the seaweed is slow release , you could mix in some 20 10 10 , say 50 kg seaweed to 20 kg 20 10 10 and an acre pack of grass seed total cost about £60 / acre

Shepie

[connylass]

Hi thanks for your help,

My fields are poo picked twice a day morning and evening as i hate to see a field full of horse poo. I do have alot of weeds and get ragwort which is getting less and less every year as i pull it up every year i also have quite abit of buttercups so as you have said it is probably horse sick so i think i need to do something about it so may get a soil test done and do what you have suggested many thanks for your information and help. JDR