Horse Pasture Questions (dupilicated since yahoo is silly lately)?

Question

I currently have my 4 horses in a 10 acre, very excellent, well kept pasture. Mostly mature grass, low weeds, a nice windbreak of mature trees. Lean to's and a stable. Its my parents farm and my dad is very picky about his pastures. Anyway, I live on some property that cant have horses, (not enough room). We plan on moving but not for a while. On a walk a stopped to get to know a new neighbor that moved into a old farmstead near my house. There is 15 acre, fenced in land. We talked and he was willing to rent it to me for my horses, if I wanted to do the clean up and re-fencing and stuff. He would keep the rent really really cheap because I would be doing to cleaning up. I thought about it. This pasture is in really poor shape. Lots of burdock and weeds, TONS of brush and undergrowth, 2 mature wild apple trees. No lean to's lots a large trees. and a stream, they dont have one at the current place. The stables are old and need fixing but they are doable. IF IF IF I was to do it. Whats my first step? do I burn it? mow it? Cut trees? I dont know the first thing. I really want my horses closer to me. Though I LOVE the pasture they are on now. My Dad takes excellent care of them, though I want them by me. Should I just forget it?

Answer 1

I would try mowing it first off and checking the fence lines to make sure they are secure. Mowing it will allow some of the weeds to die off and let the grass grow in. you may have to mow it several times to let the grass over power the weeds and brush. other than that its sounds like it would be a fine pasture. make sure that your horses wont get sick off of the apple trees. if  you end up moving the horses on to the property while you are still in good weather i wouldn't worry so much about the shelters for a while.  you said that it has lots of large trees and this will help keep most of the weather off. this will buy you time till you can get the stables fixed up. I'm not sure how to go about fixing the stables and you might have to talk to a professional about doing that but it sounds to me like you have some time before you have to do any serious fixing. take advantage of that time and look at all your different options. it sounds like a good idea to me. Having your horses closer is always a convenience.  

Answer 2

Istart by mowing it, then cut the trees's down, then the fences and stables.

Also ive heard that daisy an butter cups help the grass to grow nice, so try to get some seeds and sprinkle them lightly.

Thats how I would Start, but you will have weed problems for a while.

Answer 3

If it were me, I would consider two things. 1) Where is my horse getting better nutrition and care? 2) If I were to switch, am I willing to take the time to fix the place up?

If you were to move, your first step would probably be taking care of the weeds, manage trees, and mow the grass. Your horse will probably be outside more so I  would make sure that's in good shape before you get to the stables.  

Answer 4

Mowing won't do anything for the weeds.  I don't know why that is such a common misconception.  You need to get a broadleaf spray (2,4-d or Tordon) and spray the weeds.  The best time to do it is in the fall.

Leave the trees.  They will provide shelter for your horses.  Horses don't NEED a lean to, so if you leave the trees, you can do without a man-made shelter.

As for the brush, you can chain it, brush hog it, spray it (spike or similar), or burn it.  Depending on what type of grass or weeds you have, burning might actually encourage them to grow...which can be good or bad, depending on the species.

The very first thing I would do is go to your local weed and pest office, and ask them for help.  They will often provide monetary and equipment assistance to help you with being a reponsible land owner/manager.  They will be able to tell you how to most effectively treat the particular species you have.

Answer 5

Well, your not in any kind of rush.  It's not like you have move your horses on time-line, so think about it.  The biggest things are time and money.  You'll be spending them both getting this place together, but it sounds pretty nice.  

The pasture will need to have a controlled burn, the topsoil turned and reseeded.  You could just bush-hog it and remove underbrush, but it would be better to do it right the first time.  You could fence off the apple trees or have a tree cutter cut them.  Too many apples can cause sour stomach.  Do you have access to a tractor? Next is the fence and gate repair.  Do you need a trough? Maybe not with a stream, but make sure the stream isn't polluted.  You can take a sample to Dept of Health/Environ.   What about water and electricity in the barn?  Is there adequate storage for feed and hay?  Any leaks?  What about a riding area?

Don't forget it if it's what you want.  Just be prepared for a little elbow grease.  You'll learn a lot about repairs and how to do things that you wouldn't normally do at a ready barn.  What works for you and what doesn't.  It's an opportunity to do something different.

That's great that they are rescues!  If you make the move, then maybe your dad could rescue some too.

I dunno about mixing in weed killer.  Might not be safe and might not work.  If it's a big problem, employ a goat.  We used to just bush-hog the weeds down periodically.

Answer 6

Personally, I think you should just forget it, unless you have a contract with the field owner that says you have the right to rent it for at least 10 years.  If you rent it, you will be spending tons of your time, effort and money to make it as nice as you'd like.  Fencing is expensive, as is re-building barns.  What if you do it all and two years from now they decide not to rent it to you anymore?  I think you should stick with your dad (an awesome deal, since he keeps everything nice and feeds them for you) until you can afford to buy your own place.  Once it's yours, all the time, effort and money will be more worth it.