Moving fields - would you?

popularfurball

popularfurball

Learning all the time
Jul 18, 2005
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North west
So I have (miraculously) got a new job, starting 6th Jan. I will lose about £3-400 per month income - leaving me on minimal money. It's a career, rather than a job and i am very excited.

I am obviously looking at ways to reduce outgoings, and combined with my two still refusing to come in, I have asked YO about putting them in one of the moorland fields.

It will save me £10-15 per week on bedding, and £5 per week in hay to have them out full time, or at least most of the time.

The grazing is great (rough and mixed) which is ideal for my two, I will be able to manage more independently around my shifts as won't need to fit in yard routine, and they get a lot more turnout (currently get 2-4hrs turnout per day if not raining)

The downsides are
- they are some distance from the farm (not visible from yard at all), but yo sheep are next door
- there is a big acorn tree and some kind of fruit tree (maybe apple? See pics below) in the field. However there is at least 6acres they will be in and plenty to explore/eat - should I still be worried about these?

Here are some pics

The strange mini-apple tree and oak tree
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The strange mini apples
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Fresh flowing water from the natural spring (is this adequate water supply? It doesn't stop flowing and water is clean (and same water they currently drink as it runs down to filling point at yard)
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C263D43D-B22B-4F73-A43E-CFCC02F1F839-1150-000001EDBFAF146F_zpsf6470d6e.jpg


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What would you do?
 
If your checking them daily anyway It wouldnt bother me they are not seen from the yard etc. The acorn/apple tree may concern me but I would just section them off and defo pic all those apples up.
 
Id also go along and electrify if needed the fencing surrounding that reservoir ( is it?) at the bottom. That would be my biggest worry!
 
It sounds and looks great except from the acorns and apple tree.

They look like crab apples (or what we called crab apples growing up). I've known horses to eat them and be ok but having access to that quantity would worry me. Also, I'm sure horses can get acorn poisoning if eaten in vast quantities. Could you section both trees off with electric?
 
I would definitely do it, providing I could section off those 2 trees.

How will 24/7 turn out suit madam? It looks like it would be midge heaven in summer.
 
I love that sort of grazing, very natural and ideal for good doers. I would also pick up all the apples and electric fence that and the oak tree off.

I am not sure of scale, does the land you are using lead right down to that area of water? If so I would actually double fence it off. (I always see the tiniest risk as a potential death threat with mine!:redface:) Two rows of tape a good six feet apart with a really good whack of electric going through them would help me sleep at night.

Apart from all that I would certainly go for it, sounds ideal for both them and you, if the few minor details are sorted.:smile:
 
There is a road and stonewall/sheep fence/top strand wire on the field side, and a brick wall and hedging on the other side of the "road" (it's a track used by one house and anyone parking up to go fishing!

I can section off the apple (I'm still not sure it is an apple tree! It's hopelessly dead and rotten looking with no leaves yet all these baby apple things everywhere!!) and acorn tree but I won't be able to electrify it. My two are fairly respectful (rascal isn't, but only if he has run out of stuff to eat elsewhere will he lean on fencing, silver won't go near white tape electrified or not.

They will be checked once if not twice a day, and I will probably bring them in once a week or so - she is doing well so far this winter and I'm frightened of changing anything but needs must!

As for summer, they will come back down to the yard I think - they usually stay in 12hrs in summer and need much less grazing.
 
popularfurball said:
I can section off the apple (I'm still not sure it is an apple tree! It's hopelessly dead and rotten looking with no leaves yet all these baby apple things everywhere!!) and acorn tree but I won't be able to electrify it. My two are fairly respectful (rascal isn't, but only if he has run out of stuff to eat elsewhere will he lean on fencing, silver won't go near white tape electrified or not.
Click to expand...

They definitely look like crab apples to me.
 
Sounds good - nothing to add that hasn't already been mentioned, specially about fencing the acorns off and the apple tree. Congrats on getting a new job too!
 
It looks so lovely and natural. same comments as others and well done on the job.

I did a similar thing when I joined the RAF. I took a £7000 pay cut to join up but have had that back 4 fold and it is a career that I love.
 
I think its a good idea for your type of horses, they will be fine.

I would probably tape off the acorn area and maybe do a big apple pick up but otherwise they will be good.

I do remember Cherie stuffing her face with wild pears one winter though, with no ill effects.

I have just put my two out for the winter, yey! no more mucking out yippee. I was only saying to my YO the other day, what they could both do with is a piece of well fenced moor land.

I am saving the money I would have spent on shavings for my vets bill.
 
just check for bracken as you often find it in that sort of pasture.

Definitely apples, but if you pick them up now you can make apple jelly! and feeding a few to them isn't a problem you just don't want them to wallop down all that lot
 
crab apples - gather them up an remove, saying that we had one and sloe bushes in our old field and nerver did ours any harm.


I would be more worried about the oak - saying that we have 3 Oak trees in the top paddock at the yard - planted in 2000 before we made a paddock of it -
we have put wood post and rail round them to prevent nibbling of bark - only Acorn and Charlie use it occasionally but we still make sure they cannot reach any overhang - this year is the first year we have had Acorns on one tree = so its become a bit of a joke in the yrd that I have to take the Acorns out before I can put Acorn in - I also remove any fallen leaves that have blown beyond the fence - they grow poison on them as they rot - you can see the blobs - although with yours having so much access to alternative grazing I wouldn't have thought they would chose to eat the leaves as first choice ,
 
I would have to take the apples the best part of a mile to dispose of them so easier to just fence off :giggle: :eek:

And I had a feeling that bracken (or ferns as I call them!) was poisonous - there is a massive section of it, but this has all been fenced off :)
 
Congratulations on the new job, that's fantastic for you.

I think the field looks great. I wouldn't worry too much about the bracken/acorns/apples but then I tend to be trusting of horses' instincts. I really like the hilliness and the natural water. Go for it, say I.
 
I didn't think bracken was poisonous to horses? Poppy will eat it if she can (mind you she also tries to eat ivy and that's definitely poisonous.)
 
squidsin said:
I didn't think bracken was poisonous to horses? Poppy will eat it if she can (mind you she also tries to eat ivy and that's definitely poisonous.)
Click to expand...

Yes I heard it was poisonous - but I believe many years ago they bedded horses on it when it was dried. Not sure how true that is. Apparently OH and I have rights of turbidge which means we can go gathering bracken from the fell behind us - its an ancient right granted by the early local lord.
 
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