So…I’ve had horses for years but have never had our own land until now so I’m a bit wet behind the ears when it comes to looking after it and could do with some input. We have just over a hectare which is bad enough but:
We moved in just before one of the wettest winters in living memory.
The horses were out 24 / 7 as there was no time to sort a field shelter / fence the driest parts off and besides, they needed the shelter from the trees / hedge etc so having had access to it all, they have trashed it all…
About a third of it was covered with head height brambles - now cleared but the grass hasn’t come back yet as we had to scrape it with the digger as there was so much wire and old metal in amongst the brambles.
The skinflint seller took a final hay crop off it more or less as we signed the acte de vente so the grass that was left was down to nothing.
So we currently have very little grass and what is there is infested with docks…
Any advice on dealing with the docks - they are in the main section which is where the horses currently are as it is the only place that has any grass?
Any miracle cures for encouraging grass growth in the rest of it?
Any other thoughts?
Hi all
The docks are dying as I type! Hurrah!
Helen - do you remove yours after spraying?
Thanks C x
Thanks Suzanne
You’ve more or less confirmed what I knew / we do. Next winter they will be confined to the sandy part with a shelter. It should be a lot easier next year as we’ll have the extra space from the previously infested with brambles and barbed wire zone. I’m a poo raker not picker - I find that works as well and is a lot easier. (we previously rented a field on an incredibly steep slope and there was no way the barrow was going back uphill once full!) - if I had more horses or they came and went, I’d probably take a picking up approach due to worms but we’ve had them for years and always been wormed etc etc
Thanks Helen for the dock killing info - I now have a large bottle of it and will waging war on the wee beasties shortly!!
Aha _ i’m liking the weed killer bit - name please? Thats the best news i’ve heard in ages - thanks Helen!! xx
Sandy at the top of the plot and really clay like at the bottom!