Poached field + Winter Pad

Wicked

Hi All

This year i've had to leave my horses out for most of the winter. My stables were finished in the first week of the new year so thankfully i could bring them in then but unfortunately the damage had been done and the field is now a mess!

even when i turn the horses out now for an hour or so they tear it up.

so i've two questions, how do you deal with poached land like this and how do you get it to recover?

now my second part, i've thought about this year maybe putting in a winter pad. I've picked out a lovely little corner of the field, next to the gate and i think a 20ft by 20ft square would be sufficient with a gradual slope. I've heard that you need a layer of stone, then fiber and then woodchip, these i can all source locally but is there other ways of making one, My idea is to have this pad so i can have the horses in and next winter or even during wet times in the summer i can let one or two out at a time for a buck and a roll and a break from the stable.

I'm fortunate to own the field so i could do this if it was not too expensive.

So, does anyone have any experience of making a winter pad, how did you go about it and approximetly how much does it cost.

I'd like to also point out that the land i'm on, once topsoil is removed is mostly sand, so would i need the extra drainage? Could i just dig it out and lay the woodchip? And also, with a woodchip paddock do you keep topping it up or what do you do with the old woodchip?

sorry if there is too many questions in this. i'd really appreciate your comments and thoughts

Thanks

Sandra

finbarrk

If I was you I would put stone under the woodchip. It is a good idea that you have, which will spare the field.
Once the spring growth comes you will see the field improve but not if the horses are left in it. It would be good if you could roll it too maybe.
Could you fence off half of the field and just use one half all the time to give the other half time to recover?

Chindato

Hello.
Depending on your soil type, you should beware of rolling. Horses create a 'pan' of hard ground when they go through the sod, and this can impede drainage. Rather than roll, harrow to open up the ground and improve the drainage. If you can rest the worst poached bits until mid-summer, it could be worth getting a bag of grass seed (1 per acre should do, of a suitable mix for equines) and sowing (can be done by hand). You could then roll the seed in if you like (though it's not strictly necessary). By mid-summer you'll have fresh grazing, but it won't have developed a root system, so will cut up again when wet. So fence it off for the winter to stop it going back to the state it was in.

On the wood chip thing. I wouldn't go there. The chip will disintegrate into a muddy mess within a year, and you'll have a heck of a time trying to get rid of the stuff as it takes forever to break down and compost. The hard stand area is a good idea though. Have you thought of creating a sand arena? Or using plastic ground reinforcement mats to keep the horses on top of the ground?

HTH
Chindato (newbie)

Wicked

Hi thanks for the comments

thats interesting about the woodchip, when it breaks down do you not top it up? I don't want to put sand in because its hard on the horses heels. I heard Aidan O'Brien put down all woodchip last year replacing what he had.

On the poached field thing the weather has helped alot lately and dried it out. We'll probably spread fertilizer on it and hopefully it will come back.

thanks for the comments

convert

Wicked wrote: »

We'll probably spread fertilizer on it and hopefully it will come back.

If you spread fertilizer, just make sure that you give it a few days to dissolve/be absorbed into the ground before you let the horses back out into the paddock. It can be harmful to them it they consume it.

And as chindato said, I'd opt for harrowing the paddock rather than rolling it (for the reasons they outlined). If you don't have a harrow, pulling some boughs of gorse behind a jeep is another option. It has the same effect as a chain harrow.

MDFM

2 friends of mine have winter pads and both of them work brilliantly. One of the pads is actually on low lying soft land. He dug channels length ways and piped them, covered them back in with the soil and then put the woodchip over it and it works brilliantly. he keeps a few mares and winters them on it when the ground in the fields gets too wet. ocassionally he tops it up with more woodchip, but so far its working and he has it now nearly 7 years.
the other friend, lives in roscommon, actually uses the pad for riding in. i didnt think it'd work, but when i saw it, i was surprised to see that it does. what she did was dig out the arena, and as her land is on high enough ground, she didnt bother putting in drainage channels, and she's managed to use if successfully over the past 2 winters. she also uses it to turn her horses out into during the day.
Depending on your soil type, site elevation, either could possibly work. For grazing purposes try to paddock your grazing. Do harrow and roll, you will have better drainage and surface as a result and it'll wear better for longer and you'll encourage the grass to grow. If you can at all spread some hayseed onto it, if your grass cover is thin at the moment..if not then i would recommend you fertilise it.

Wicked

MDFM wrote: »

2 friends of mine have winter pads and both of them work brilliantly. One of the pads is actually on low lying soft land. He dug channels length ways and piped them, covered them back in with the soil and then put the woodchip over it and it works brilliantly. he keeps a few mares and winters them on it when the ground in the fields gets too wet. ocassionally he tops it up with more woodchip, but so far its working and he has it now nearly 7 years.
the other friend, lives in roscommon, actually uses the pad for riding in. i didnt think it'd work, but when i saw it, i was surprised to see that it does. what she did was dig out the arena, and as her land is on high enough ground, she didnt bother putting in drainage channels, and she's managed to use if successfully over the past 2 winters. she also uses it to turn her horses out into during the day.
Depending on your soil type, site elevation, either could possibly work. For grazing purposes try to paddock your grazing. Do harrow and roll, you will have better drainage and surface as a result and it'll wear better for longer and you'll encourage the grass to grow. If you can at all spread some hayseed onto it, if your grass cover is thin at the moment..if not then i would recommend you fertilise it.

that sounds good, do you have any idea on how much it cost or the size of their paddock?

MDFM

not sure about the cost cos in both cases each had access to a digger so they could do their own dig out for the arena, as regards the size, i'll get back to you on that on the dimensions, they are not overally big areas though, but defo big enough for riding in and having the odd jump or 2 in them.

Wicked

MDFM wrote: »

not sure about the cost cos in both cases each had access to a digger so they could do their own dig out for the arena, as regards the size, i'll get back to you on that on the dimensions, they are not overally big areas though, but defo big enough for riding in and having the odd jump or 2 in them.

that'd be great thanks. you can PM me either

Cheers