Aims and Objectives

Aims

•To know what the requirements of a good horse paddock are

•To be able to ensure a horse can graze safely

Objectives

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

•Recognise good and bad elements of a paddock

•Recognise good and bad types of fencing

•Describe good and poor water supplies

•Recognise and name a number of poisonous plants

The horse has evolved to be a freely roaming grazing animal, leaving it’s droppings behind as it grazed the plains.

We have enclosed the horse into increasingly smaller areas where it is now totally dependant on us to provide his daily needs.

Requirements of a horse paddock

• Well drained land preferably flat

• Grazing of mixed herbage

• Water Supply

• Suitable fencing

• Shelter

Fencing

Safe and secure fencing is very important as it does not cause injury and keeps the horse in the field.

Types of fencing

•Post and rail - Requires a lot of maintenance and very expensive but a safe choice for horses if well maintained.

•Plastic post and rail - Less hazardous as not fixed with nails.

•Natural Hedges - Thick and well trimmed to about 5 ft these can also provide some shelter. Poisonous plants should be avoided (Yew) and any gaps should be filled in.

Walls - Found in some parts of the country. If they are of adequate height they provide a secure boundary but maintenance is essential. If too low electric fencing can be added to increase the height.

Electric Fencing - This is relatively inexpensive, movable and easy to maintain. The tape type of electric fence is the safest for horses.

Plain Wire - This must have a good framework of stout posts and be firmly strung. Usually has a rail on top.

Gates - Should be 12 ft wide for access of machinery and be well hung so that they clear the ground. They should be secure eg. padlock & hangers positioned so gate cannot be lifted off.

Fencing

Unsuitable Fencing

• Barbed wire causes many injuries some of which can be extensive if the horse gets caught up in it.

• Wire netting / Sheep fencing mesh fences can be unsuitable as the horse can get caught up in it and be injured.

eg.foot through the mesh.

• Ramshackle mix of fencing materials to form a temporary barrier.

Shelter

• Movable field shelter

• Natural shelter trees and hedges

GOOD Water supply

• Trough self filling

• Free running stream with rock gravel base

POOR Water supply

• stagnant pond

• Old bath etc. not suitable

Quality of grazing

• Mixture of good grasses and herbs.

• Good grasses for horses.

• Perennial rye grass, meadow grass, fescues, timothy, are all suitable for horses.

• Herbs provide some nutrients not found in shallow rooted grasses eg. yarrow, dandelion chicory ribwort plantain burnet.

• Grazing ideally should be old meadow as it provides a variety of the above. Newly sown fields often lack the herbs.

• Nitrogen rich pasture can make horses overweight and lead to laminitis.

• Wet marshy land is not suitable for horses in winter but in summer they can provide grazing for ponies who will thrive on the poorer marsh grasses.

• Steep land is only suitable for small ponies and can cause joint problems eg. back, hock and stifle strains, in larger horses and young stock.

Poisonous plants

• Ragwort

• laburnum

• Deadly nightshade

• berries and flower •

• Buttercup

• Yew

• Foxglove

• Ivy

• Hemlock

• Acorn / oak

• Bracken

Problems caused by over grazingHorse sick pasture The ground is poached and muddy especially around gateways and water trough. The grass is cropped close in areas and is long dark and rank with weeds in areas where the horse dungs. The horse will not graze over its own droppings.

This is called roughs and lawns. There is a build up of droppings and therefore worm infestation is high.

Badly sited water troughs can be full of fallen leaves in autumn and algae in summer. The trough should be situated on hard standing where possible to help keep the area mud free.

How to manage grazing to prevent it becoming horse sick

• Divide area so that one paddock can be rested while the other is grazed.

• Pick up all droppings.

• Site water away from deciduous trees on a suitable hard standing. Make sure the pipes are lagged to prevent freezing. If frozen then break the ice every day and remove the large pieces.

• Worm horses regularly and all at the same time with the same wormer to prevent a build up of parasites.

• If possible top the paddock to cut longer grasses and harrow after the horses have left. This helps to aerate the soil and improve the growth of the grass.