Implements for small horse farm?

oldgrizzlybear · Dec 9, 2004

A chain drag is the best for established pastures. It will break up and scatter the piles. It will also break up the thatch, a piece of chain link fence won't do this.

thegreatrandini · Dec 9, 2004

You want a manure spreader.. and a seed broadcaster. I just use a hand broadcaster with a canvas bag. Call your county ext. office and ask about weed control. Spray your weeds with 2-4-d. Then use a chain harrow to break up the ground in an area. Broadcast new seed over the area and cover it with manure using your spreader. You can reclaim large areas using this method. You can use temporary elec fence to keep the horses off until established good. You can broadcast annual rye grass over your warm season grass in the fall. This will give your horses winter forage. Your fel will be valuable to clean up around the barns but just drag your fields. The crap is already where you want it. You just need to break it up. Best to drag when it is hot and dry. I always over seed after I drag. I use alot of seed but it is cheaper than hay! You may want to use some liquid nitrogen. Your may want to have your soil tested.

davep · Dec 9, 2004

Hi Ron,
(
What happened to your crate Jimma ?
)

A couple of JohnS's posts put me off the jinma. It began to sound like just too much "fun". Especially the one about the tractor breaking in half from overloading the FEL.

Then the NH beat the Mahindra, because of a deal on a slightly used TC35. A big market garden buys 40 new tractors in the spring and sells them off in the fall.

So now I have a tractor!

(
I drag the paddocks to break up the manure
)
drag means chain harrows?

(
I rotate the horses from field to field, each field approx 5 acres (leased land) no more than two wks in one field, give me time to maintain the pasture and time for the grass to grow.
)

I looking forward to being able to do that. How long do you leave the field before using it again?

Dave

zekeman · Dec 9, 2004

Dave
Yes to the chain harrow question- most of the time I don't even use the tractor for this, bought my Son a Polaris ATV three years ago and he still hops on it today and drags the paddocks. this year I "HOPE" to lease 20 open acres, bust it up into 4 paddocks, using 1 1/2 white electrical tape and metal fence posts. Movement Depends on how many horses I have at the time, how fast they graze down, average is two weeks each paddock. if I can get a long term lease I will put up a couple of 3 sided sheds. Also they are never totally on grass- I always feed grain.

Ron

Soundguy · Dec 10, 2004

Boxblade.. good for the road and maneuer pile.

Chain harrow. Good for maneuer plods or dragging a dirt areena, or scratching the soil for seed. You can flip these over for less agressive bite.

Seeder/spreader

I'd go with a fel spear for that size of tractor.

Disc is optional.. Have fun!

FEL makes up for lots of other things..

Soundguy

Wannafish · Dec 10, 2004

"I guess you could put poo in a hole but where's the dirt go?"

In the FEL ! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Justaplain · Dec 10, 2004

Quick attach and then a bale spear and a material handling bucket with a 3' bottom and a 3' verticle back and as wide or wider than your tractor. Horse manure/ bedding is quite light. Usr a bush hog to flatten manure till you get a tine/chain drag. bcs

VAChesterfield · Dec 12, 2004

Dave, IMHO, the advice from LKGuy and RonNY is right on the money. As LKGuy pointed out about the bale spear, unless you really do need to lift them high, go with the 3pt spear, lots safer.

When using a bale I suggest you use an Open Top Horse Bale Feeder (image from TSC attached). Avoid a bale feeder designed for cows (they're enclosed along the top and dangerous for horses). The feeder opens up so you can drop the bale in the center w/o the need to lift it over the top -- no need for a FEL spear. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

vetteman · Dec 12, 2004

We have 2 horses. Everyday my wife or I go out in the pasture and pick up the horse manure, seems like a lot of work, takes about 20 minutes. We take it with the kubotaand fel, we take it to the compost pile, we have lots of compost .... we give it away by the truckload. One of the main reasons is ..we have almost no flies in the summer because the manure is 1000 feet from the barn, and that is very nice . Wayne

davep · Dec 13, 2004

Ron,
If an ATV can handle it, does that mean I can go for a wide drag harrow if I'm doing it with the tractor? 8ft or 12ft? rather just the tractor width - 6ft. Although I can see the extra width being a pain some other jobs.
Dave