How to improve your horse and pony paddock
Check out the latest advice and guidance below that covers a range of topics and areas, providing you with the best options to improve your paddock.
What can I do to improve my horse sick pasture?
pH test the soil, if you are below 6.5pH a dose of Seactiv Calcified Seaweed will reduce acidity, increase palatability and add 32 natural trace elements to the grass.
Rotate grazing paddocks frequently throughout the season, allowing approximately 6 weeks between grazings – divide fields temporarily if necessary.
Cut ungrazed growth and spread toppings at least once a year.
Manage horse droppings by picking them up (wholly or partially) or harrowing them.
Control injurious weeds e.g. Ragwort by digging out and disposing of them correctly.
What are the benefits of rolling and harrowing?
Harrowing paddocks will spread horse droppings and distribute nutrients more evenly around the fields and help prevent grass rejection.
Harrowing is best undertaken where paddocks can be rotated, and the droppings have time to be washed in by rain before re-grazing.
Harrowing droppings on paddocks which are not rested or rotated could result in the spreading of harmful worm eggs and larvae.
Spring-tine harrowing can pull out unwanted bent-type grasses in the pasture and can be a good means of cultivating a slight tilth ready for overseeding with a specialist MVF horse/pony grass seed mixture.
Rolling in the spring and autumn can push down divots caused by horse's hooves, poaching the ground during wet weather (excessive poaching should be avoided by housing during the winter months, and periods of excessive rainfall). Poaching will allow annual weeds and poorer grasses to ingress on the original sown ley.
What grass types are best for horse grazing?
Mole Valley Farmer's Pony Paddock Grass Seed Ley has been specifically designed for ponies and horses. It contains approximately 50% timothy, meadow fescue and creeping red fescue to produce an extremely persistent, dense and hard-wearing sward. The remaining 50% are productive perennial ryegrasses.
Agricultural mixtures of grass seed should be avoided as these contain higher sugar, higher protein grasses which can result in obese horses and laminitis. A herb mix of 1 to 2kg/acre can also be added to the ley, adding valuable trace elements and minerals to the diet.
For haylage chose Mole Valley Farmer's Horse Hay & Haylage Grass Seed Ley for horses which contains a mixture of productive Italian ryegrasses, hybrid and perennial ryegrass together with some timothy and meadow fescue. This will produce large quantities of haylage for 3 to 4 years before it needs to be reseeded or overseeded.
Do I need different grasses for drought, poor drainage or shade?
The same mixtures are recommended for these areas but it may be worthwhile draining/ditching wet fields.
Overhanging trees and hedges may also need to be cut back.
Drought conditions will obviously limit grass growth; it may be worthwhile looking at subsoiling land to increase the depth of grass root growth to reduce the impact on grass growth in dry spells.
How do I get the best crop for making my own haylage?
Soil test your fields for lime and nutrient levels. Correct lime levels if needed.
Reseed a new ley if the pasture has been down longer than 5 or 6 years to get the best haylage, (best to seek help from a local contractor or farmer if you are not experienced yourself).
Control weeds such as docks, thistles, buttercup, and dandelion by the use of a herbicide (see weed control section).
Fertilise with bagged fertiliser where necessary, Seactiv Horse and Pony Fertiliser is available in the branch in 25kg bags, which contains slow-release N.
Cut the grass at the right stage to get the yield and quality you want. Normally desirable to be more fibrous than for high-yielding cows or beef.
Key to liaise well in advance of your requirements with your chosen farmer/contractor regarding cutting/picking up and wrapping your haylage. Some big balers are able to apply a specialist big bale inoculant additive such as Double-Action Ecobale to help reduce spoilage bacteria forming in the bale.
For small quantities of haylage, it is probably easier, cheaper and less risky to buy your haylage in-store.
How can I safely control weeds in the pasture?
Avoid excessive poaching.
Overseed with pony paddock mixture at ½ rate to fill in bare patches or after a spring tine raking – some contractors have combined tine rakes with seed broadcasters fitted. A light rolling after seeding will help seed-to-soil contact and improve germination.
Dig out injurious weeds such as ragwort and dispose of vegetation safely. Remember dying Ragwort is poisonous and can kill livestock.
The application of professional grassland herbicides such as Pastor, Doxstar Pro, Grazon Pro and Thistlex can only be carried out by a suitably qualified farmer or contractor, so where weeds are particularly bad you must use an S.Q.P. in your local area who can apply these products.
Successfully establishing a new horse and pony paddock ley
The optimum pH is 6.0-6.5 for grass growth and nutrient update.
Phosphate and potash indices should be at 2 for optimum sward performance.
Assess the soil structure - check for signs of compaction or water logging and correct any soil structure problems.
Grassland samples should be down to 7.5cm using a soil auger, trowel or spade.
Remove fresh plant material from the sample.
Avoid sampling around gateways and water troughs.
Mix sub samples into one sample (approx. 3/4lb) and place in a polythene sample bag and seal securely.
Take sample to your local store and request a soil test to be processed.
Sample results are usually ready within 10 days.
Spray off the existing sward with glyphosate to remove unwanted grasses and weeds, so to remove competition for the new ley.
Plough and then work ground down to a finetilth.
Sow the seed when soil is warm and moist and no deeper than 1cm.
Roll before and after drilling for the best consolidation.
Scarifying/chain harrowing removes the thatch, lets in light and moisture and improves seed to soil contact.
Work the top 1cm with tines to create a seedbed.
Cross drilling can improve ground cover resulting in a denser sward no deeper than 1cm.
Roll after drilling to ensure good seed to soil contact and conserve moisture.
Fertilise to maximise grass growth, root establishment and to maintain plant health.
Grazing the new reseed - light grazing when the grass is around 8-10cm high and can withstand the pull test (see if roots stay anchored in the ground when you pull the grass plant as an animal would when grazing) is key to allow light in and encourage tillering, resulting in a denser sward.
Dig out injurious weeds such as ragwort and dispose of vegetation safely. Remember dying ragwort is poisonous and can kill livestock.
The application of professional grassland herbicides such as Pastor, Doxstar, Grazon Pro, Envy and Thislex can only be carried out by a suitably qualified farmer or contractor, so where weeds and particularly bad you must use a suitable qualified person in your local area who can apply these products.