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Post by wabuska on Dec 7, 2011 14:48:41 GMT 1
I have about two acres of ungrazed hill I could put my three up onto. The rest of the land is a wreck. Will the 12.2 be alright now it's December and the grass goodness has backed off? I don't want to split them up, but they have to be moved and soon. The alternative is to make a corridor in the lee of the hill and graze them up by strip grazing, taking them off the lower ground gradually. I just don't like forcing the old mare onto the steepest part of the hill. Any opinions welcome. Not used to these fatty pones.  Attachments:
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big e
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Post by big e on Dec 7, 2011 14:55:33 GMT 1
I've got 2 fat ponies on hardly any grass and no hay at the moment and they are still fat so un-grazed i would say they would get fat at first but as it gets colder they will shiver it off. Just limit their hay |
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Post by wabuska on Dec 7, 2011 15:13:03 GMT 1
I was going to cut the hay almost completely, as they are well rugged and everyone's a nice weight. The two larger ones are on some hard feed, not the 12.2.
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Post by ladyndibs on Dec 7, 2011 15:53:13 GMT 1
Can you fence the field top to bottom so that your mare can stay on the lower part but the youngsters can get to the top, maybe let them have half an acre for now and in a couple or weeks if it's gone give them some more, though there's probably not a lot of goodness in the grass my three love it when I move the fence.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2011 16:06:20 GMT 1
I think I'd try to do it in sections. I've just put my two on just over an acre of long grass and they're doing ok but the good doer is still unrugged, both living out and having no hay. Not sure I'd be so confident with a smaller pony on that acreage.
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Post by wabuska on Dec 7, 2011 17:39:49 GMT 1
I went up there and did just that. There was more ground than I realised, it's quite deep front to back, and there's some lovely flat ground on the top section, ideal for the mare, so I ran a line along the brow of the hill and split it in two. They always love it up there as there's a panoramic view of the valley and great shelter. The pony has eaten three bites in an hour as she's too busy looking over the Bride River to be see what's under her feet. I'll monitor the situation closely.
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Post by spanisheyes on Dec 7, 2011 17:41:30 GMT 1
I would be tempted to strip graze but if you can set it up so that your old mare can get to flatter ground.
That field still looks very green even though its December! ;D
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Post by wabuska on Dec 7, 2011 18:45:37 GMT 1
The top hasn't been touched since being cut for silage and gifted to a local farmer so it's good stuff but probably sour now. Trick of the light mind you....... the ground is boggy below. Horrible.
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Post by BJMM on Dec 7, 2011 20:05:21 GMT 1
The five horses at my place have just gone on to the foggage field (yesterday lunchtime) which is about 3 acres and leads into another field without much grass that had sheep on it til October. I was advised on here to strip graze it as the grass is knee high but Blaze (she of the fat arse and hide of an elephant ;D ) walks straight through the leccy fence and the others just follow. So, with trepidation, I just let them out on to it. Then worried all night that I'd find five neddies with their feet in the air this morning!! They are all fine.  Blaze is actually grazing the barer field (sweeter grass nearer the root ;D ) Jas was keeping guard over the others while they snoozed. When the vet and I went out at 1.30pm to give Jas her flu/tet jab, she was sleeping in the long grass. Poos all look ok, not gone sloppy yet  The vet did ask 'why is that fat cob wearing a rug?' (meaning Blaze, she has a LW on) and I explained it's because I'm a pussy, not because she really needs it ;D Ours are all good doers, out 24/7 and not fed hay or hard feed. They will have hay if it snows. Vet said although they could all do with dropping a bit of weight, they look in fab condition. |
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Post by wabuska on Dec 8, 2011 10:05:12 GMT 1
Good for you..... had to laugh at vet's directness. Mind you, we all need that sometimes! Lol. Sounds like a very happy herd. Mine did survive the night. Going up to give a bute dose to the mare, not quite sure how without actually being flattened and killed, but has to be done. Wild here, but they have 15' deep old hedges around a quarry to dig into to.
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Post by kizi on Dec 8, 2011 10:47:38 GMT 1
If biddy doesn't need the extra feed you can mix the bute with a little water and syringe the paste into her mouth. You can also add a little honey or apple juice so she doesn't hate it! Can get syringe from most farm shops or from chemist!
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Post by mags on Dec 8, 2011 11:04:55 GMT 1
We're still strip-grazing ours out onto the winter field - or trying to! They keep going through the fence  It's reminded me why we gave up on the idea last autumn. Heavy coats and/or rugs with only battery power on the leccy fence doesn't seem to be enough. But this year we have fewer horses, and they already look likely to explode after only two nights out. I honestly don't think there's "a time" when winter grazing becomes "safe". So much depends on weather conditions (which vary, obviously) and on how sensitive your horses are. |
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Post by wabuska on Dec 8, 2011 11:13:59 GMT 1
Nightmare isn't it? Argh. Thanks MVS, great tip!
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Blaze is actually grazing the barer field (sweeter grass nearer the root ;D )
It's reminded me why we gave up on the idea last autumn. Heavy coats and/or rugs with only battery power on the leccy fence doesn't seem to be enough. But this year we have fewer horses, and they already look likely to explode after only two nights out.