Paddock Maintenance Advice For Responsible Horse Owners

During the summer and autumn seasons paddocks can often be left with bare patches of grassland where the horses have been constantly grazing, feeding or manuring. The best way to prevent this from happening is to allow the land to rest for a six month period when necessary. However, this is usually impractical and so an integral part of any paddock maintenance plan should be rotation. This is where one small area of land is sectioned off for a two week period. This area wil then come back in to use and another area can be allowed to rest.

Bare patches of grassland can be prevented by regularly hanging which areas of the paddock you feed the horses in. Infection can be spread by manure and as such this is especially important. Where possible you should consider creating an extra entrance to your field as this will reduce the use of each gateway and allow you to rest one. Consequently this would reduce the use of each entrance, thereby reducing poached land.

Spring is the best time to analyse the soil in your paddock. The health of your paddock will be adversely affected by and infection or lack of nutrients within the soil. Soil analysis will enable you to make informed decisions regarding how best to care for you grassland. Weeds should be removed from the land and treated immediately. Therefore weed control is an integral aspect of any paddock management plan. Your paddock should be sprayed with safe modern pesticides which will tackle the weeds found by the soil analysis.

Maintaining a clean and safe environment for your animals is an important aspect of paddock management. This will normally involve keeping the grass reasonably short, and as a general rule you should aim for approx 5cm in the summer and 2cm in the winter. This will help to prevent weeds from going to seed. Hedges should normally be trimmed in the autumn and it is also important to keep all fences in good condition.

Of course fences also have the primary function of keeping your horses within the paddock. As a result all fences should generally be over 5 foot high. The fence must also be study enough to withstand the weight of your horse. Therefore you will need to consider the bred, weight, size and even age of your horse when deciding on a suitable fence for your paddock.


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Steve Phillips lives in rural England and understands the need for good paddock maintenance advice for the good of livetsock. He often turns to GreenPaddocks for advice. A planned approach all year round is sensible, which includes routine paddock topping.