Brownbread Horse Rescue

Registered Charity : 1029341

 


Field Management

We at Brownbread Horse Rescue can only offer advise as to how you should manage your field, people have there own ideas, and in the past we have seen some very poorly managed fields,

for example :

Over grazing

Damaged fences

Field full of droppings

Ragwort in fields

These are just some of the examples, there are many more.

 

When getting a field for you equine, you must consider the following .

  1. the size of the field for the amount of ponies or horses you are planning to place on the field
  2. the location of the field, are you going to be able to get to the field in wintery conditions
  3. has the field got good fencing, it is important to make sure your horse or pony cant get out the field
  4. has the field got shelter, this could be trees or high hedges for the summer months or a shelter for the winter months, if not can you get permission to put up a shelter of some type
  5. has the field got a water supply
  6. the field needs to be free from ragwort
  7. the field should not have too many pot holes were the pony or horse could damage its legs
  8. if the field is a long way from were you live its a good idea to have if possible a farmer of home owner close to your field to keep an eye on your horses from time to time, and give them a contact number just in case there is a problem

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How to look after your field.

  • always walk around your field at least once a week, but more often if you can to make sure that all fences are safe. Horses and ponies are very strong, they can break down fences especially if the fence is damaged.
  • always check your field for poisonous plants
  • if your pony of horse digest dangerous plants it could be very costly in vet bills or even kill them, prevention is better than cure, if you see any poisonous plants remove them straight away, dig them out by the roots, this will stop them from seeding if you got to the plant in time.
  • make sure that there are no holes for your horse or pony to get there legs trapped in, this could lead to a broken leg.
  • Check for sharp edges on water troughs, gates and fences
  • pick up your droppings on a regular basis, as droppings carry worms and this could lead to re-infestation especially if you have just warmed your pony or horse
  • if your field is big enough you could split it in two or more sections, this will vary according to the field size and the amount of horses and ponies kept on it, by doing this you can rotate the horses or ponies. This will give sections of your field a chance to rest.

 

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