Horse Manure

[Peggy Sue]

Actually you are right about economics, rarely to horse owners own the land so they ahve to put up with paying really expensive livery. The livery yards obviuosly want as much money as possible, therefore as many horses as possible for their few acres, and hence it is overgrazed.

Horse land does tend to look worse as horse are fussy eaters so they don't graze 'neatly' like sheep, and poach the land due to being shod. Even the unshod ones (mine is unshod) will canter around more than the average cow so will tend to make more of a mess of the field. Most horse owners would love the luxury of having a padock that looks good but would have to win the lottery for the land required. Poo picking therefore helps keep as much grazable as possible, and cuts down the risk of worms which even when you worm as regularly as the vets tell you is still a risk, and you want your animal to carry you, gallop with you, jump etc which does require a bit more condition than standing in a field and getting fat. Its a bit like comparing a cattle field and a sheep paddock and saying the farmer with the cattle gives them more grass- it's just they eat differently in reality!

[ina]

That makes a lot of sense. It's really best to practise "mixed grazing"; even cattle and sheep complement each other in their grazing habits, and if you also have other grazers, like goats, horses and even geese, you can get even more out of a field. They each prefer different grasses and weeds, and eat them at different lengths, too. Plus they usually don't mind the other species' muck so much! Another thing - cows, for example, can diminish obnoxious weeds like bracken by trampling it with their great big paws where little sheeps' hooves have no impact. Really, any of these exclusive uses aren't all that great for the land.

[Peggy Sue]

Bit like the live version of companion gardening! Shame we have to live by other peoples rules for the horses

When I win the lottery I will have them all living together and sheep actually destroy horse worms

[ina]

When I win the lottery I will have them all living together and sheep actually destroy horse worms

You are another one then who waits for the big win? So do I. Unfortunately I've never bought a ticket yet...

[Peggy Sue]

Actually neither have I!! That shouldn't stop the dream....

[mybarnconversion]

Just what I'm looking for ... no chance you could chuck a couple of bags of muck in the post is there ?

The postal system is pretty sh*t these days ('scuse me) so they won't notice ...

[Peggy Sue]

Might be quicker to ride my horse over and park him there for a few days- he produces about a wheelbarrow a day so long as he has plenty to eat!

[Millymollymandy]

One other thing about horsey fields - I doubt if many horse owners own tractors, and even if they do (for topping the grass or harrowing) they wouldn't necessarily have the equipment for ploughing and reseeding.

I've been watching farmer giles next door to me for nearly 3 years now and I am amazed that hay/grazing grass (for cows) can be grown as crop rotation with maize and wheat! It was quite an eye opener for me as the grass grows amazingly quickly and lushly too - quite different from lawn grass!

[Jack]

Gidday

Yeah Milly, but I would rather eat the grass froim your lawn than the chemical laden stuff growing on commercial farms these days.

[Millymollymandy]

I agree with you and mine has nice natural duck poo and occasional chook poo fertiliser!

My worry is that his field is right next to my veg patch - the veg patch was there when we bought the house and the field was grazing with cows, then all of a sudden it got ploughed up and yes, he does spray it with 'stuff'. Thankfully it doesn't spray all over the place though as it is applied with a piece of equipment that just sprinkles it straight down onto the crop/grass so I hope my veg that I am eating are not full of pesticides or lord knows what!

[ina]

I've been watching farmer giles next door to me for nearly 3 years now and I am amazed that hay/grazing grass (for cows) can be grown as crop rotation with maize and wheat! It was quite an eye opener for me as the grass grows amazingly quickly and lushly too - quite different from lawn grass!

Yes, a lot of people don't realise that the main crop in our area is grass... And that farmers are not at all amused when folks walk through their fields - it's only grass, isn't it! - just before cutting for silage!

And Jack - I don't think that's much different in NZ, but grass is the crop that gets least chemicals applied. Things are changing a lot in that respect, what with fertiliser and pesticides getting more and more expensive. (A good thing!) On the other hand, when I see what's available in garden centres for "lawn care", it makes me shudder. I'm sure MMM won't buy all those chemicals for her lawn, but some people do chuck on whatever they can lay their hands on.

[Millymollymandy]

On the other hand, when I see what's available in garden centres for "lawn care", it makes me shudder. I'm sure MMM won't buy all those chemicals for her lawn, but some people do chuck on whatever they can lay their hands on.

No cos there is far too much of it! It seems to grow perfectly well when there is enough rain and doesn't actually need to have fertiliser or anything else on it.

As for the moss - who cares, anyway the birds like that for lining their nests. And some of the weed seedheads are eaten by the moorhens and last year a huge flock of goldfinches and their young came to eat the seedheads (I think the plant is Hawkbit - has a fluffy seedhead similar to dandelions) which was a delight to watch. Then there are the bees all over the clover and tons of butterflies flitting about.

The only thing I don't have in my lawn, which I only realised recently, ( ) are daisies! Must be the first place I've ever lived in without daisies in the lawn. I wonder why not?

[Thurston Garden]

Yes, a lot of people don't realise that the main crop in our area is grass... And that farmers are not at all amused when folks walk through their fields - it's only grass, isn't it! - just before cutting for silage!

We life dangerously close to a very large caravan site. Of course, on the site, dogs have to be on a lead and no dog pooing is allowed. Sensible approach....

What pees me off though it the bottom 9 acres of 'our' field was recently sown with grass. So where do the caravan people take their dogs? Let them off the lead? Cr*p all over the place? And when you politely point out to them that the field has recently been sown, the come back with "It's only grass!" The penny does drop with most when you explain to them that cow eat grass, and so do sheep and it's a crop like anything else. The problem arises when their holiday finishes and they disappear back to suburbia and another bus load takes their place.......

[ina]

I know. Life is too short to keep explaining the same thing over and over again... And even if they understand that other animals eat that green stuff - well, there's so much of it, surely there's plenty left for all of us! Argh!

[Peggy Sue]

MMM re lawns- yeh why is it people are so hung up about a bit of moss? Surely the lawn is there just to give you something to walk on without getting muddy?

Funny I was tlaking about daisies this week. I'm sure we used to have them in the lawn but I've seen none there this year....maybe it's the strange weather....