Clearing for a Horse Pasture (help)

[Argonne]

I recently ran across this fascinating device Treesaw. I don't have one but it looks like it would be perfect for taking them down flush. Sadly, my pastures are already clear P-).

 

[WoodChuckDad]

With any tree that you feel is small enough to safely push, I would dig on 3 sides and push it. The root ball pops up and solves a lot of the problem. Pulling it free from the other trees can be a pain but it's doable. I know a back how would be lower than an excavator for this but it is still faster than digging out stumps.

 

[smstonypoint]

At this point I have already taken down a bunch of the trees and have 3ft stumps.

Earlier you said that you have poplar and maple trees. Both types will sprout from the stump. To avoid regrowth, you can apply 41% glyphosate (straight out of the container or diluted up to 50% with water or diesel fuel) to freshly-cut stumps. This cut-stump method is not effective if the application is delayed and the cut has "skinned" over.

Steve

 

[jenkinsph]

If you are building a house in the next 18 months and will have an excavator available in that time frame I would leave the stumps high. Clean up the brush now and plant in annual rye now if that works for horses. I would not be concerned with a permanent pasture until after you have the stumps removed and clean up complete.

My observation has been that horses are very hard on pastures where they are contained. Small acreage horse lots seem to be torn up on a constant basis.

 

[sidecarist]

Earlier you said that you have poplar and maple trees. Both types will sprout from the stump. To avoid regrowth, you can apply 41% glyphosate (straight out of the container or diluted up to 50% with water or diesel fuel) to freshly-cut stumps. This cut-stump method is not effective if the application is delayed and the cut has "skinned" over.

Steve

Thanks. As I cut them I applied herbicide from a spray bottle. Only a couple of sprouts so far. Most are dead for sure.

 

[PatrickS2222]

Be really careful of what herbicides you spray and how long before the horses can safely have access to the paddock. They are sometimes mischievous animals - they'll eat something just for the **** of it, gnaw enough bark off multiple trees to ringbark and kill them (I've seen that happen), and seem to be clumsy enough to be capable of hurting themselves in a padded cell!
While I think of it - keep an eye out - if you have it in your area - for Crofton Weed (aka Sticky Snakeroot) - not everyone is aware that it is highly poisonous to horses.
Ageratina adenophora - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Wagtail]

My observation has been that horses are very hard on pastures where they are contained. Small acreage horse lots seem to be torn up on a constant basis.

This is true unless they are rotated continually to another paddock. I've got two mature TB geldings and have fenced approximately 5.5 of my acres into 6 adjoining paddocks. The 'boys' typically take 10-12 days to finish a netted & hay-ringed round of hay... I then set up the next round + water trough and transfer them to the next paddock.

Next I then (after gathering up the used ring & trough) chain-harrow the used paddock to break up the manure balls, followed by my lawn tractor to mulch and further spread 'produced fertiliser'... hey, I payed for the hay and the horses are darned good at turning it into perfectly good fertiliser.

The result over the previous 3.5 years have been healthy, green, non-torn up paddocks. Harrowing & mulching also eliminates any intestinal worms due to exposure. I have two portable water troughs and two hay-rings so setting up in the 'next' paddock isn't a problem.

 

[CADplans]

No locust, Poplar, Oak and Maple.

Wish I could afford the Excavator. I'd have a long list of things to do in 1-2 days and I'm sure it could be done, but for now I have 2 horses eating the excavator budget in feed!

Here is my DIY stump removal tool,,,

Save the fallen branches to feed it!!

Can you guess the previous occupation of that barrel!!?? :laughing:

 

[jenkinsph]

This is true unless they are rotated continually to another paddock. I've got two mature TB geldings and have fenced approximately 5.5 of my acres into 6 adjoining paddocks. The 'boys' typically take 10-12 days to finish a netted & hay-ringed round of hay... I then set up the next round + water trough and transfer them to the next paddock.

Next I then (after gathering up the used ring & trough) chain-harrow the used paddock to break up the manure balls, followed by my lawn tractor to mulch and further spread 'produced fertiliser'... hey, I payed for the hay and the horses are darned good at turning it into perfectly good fertiliser.

The result over the previous 3.5 years have been healthy, green, non-torn up paddocks. Harrowing & mulching also eliminates any intestinal worms due to exposure. I have two portable water troughs and two hay-rings so setting up in the 'next' paddock isn't a problem.

You have a good plan:thumbsup:

In most cases you need to allow at least 21 days for each pasture to recover before grazing it again. With six pasture /paddocks as in your set up you have plenty of time to recover. It would seem that if the paddocks are large enough to support the horses for one week that you could get by with four paddocks in rotation. This would allow one week on and three weeks off. And for most people working they could do this each weekend when they are more likely to have the time.

Having six paddocks would be better allowing for extra time during slow growth seasons.

 

[Wagtail]

You have a good plan:thumbsup:

In most cases you need to allow at least 21 days for each pasture to recover before grazing it again. With six pasture /paddocks as in your set up you have plenty of time to recover. It would seem that if the paddocks are large enough to support the horses for one week that you could get by with four paddocks in rotation. This would allow one week on and three weeks off. And for most people working they could do this each weekend when they are more likely to have the time.

Having six paddocks would be better allowing for extra time during slow growth seasons.

Ta, Mate. My 'plan' came from reading up on the subject prior to developing the property... which is the situation the OP is in. It's one thing to just clear the land, and another to plan the purpose and lay of what you want to accomplish. As the OP stated, he's being given these horses and has no prior experience.

I purchased a book from our CSIRO (government scientific boffins) conveniently titled: "Managing Horses on Small Properties" by Jane Myers. It was all in this book. I just had to adjust to the size/layout of my property.

Horses drink a lot of water and he's going to need to take that into consideration + how to supply them with it. They'll need hay and, perhaps, supplements so he'll need to have a storage shed/area for that. All these (and more) go into the plan before starting to clear.