Making small changes to the way equestrian land and property are managed could benefit the environment, horse welfare – and owners’ bank balances.

This is the message emerging across the industry as riders who keep horses on livery as well as those who have their own facilities are urged to consider more sustainable practices.

Ruth Griffin of sustainability consultants White Griffin, which works extensively in the horse world, told H&H she thinks the word “sustainability” has been “lost in translation over years of people politicising it, or activists making it unsavoury, or scientists making it confusing”.

“I’m super-passionate about this: it is not confusing,” she said. “This is just, how do we change the way we do things so we can keep doing them? That’s really all it is. And the great news is for horse owners – with one exception, transportation – we have all the solutions.

“We just need to do them. We just need to tool ourselves up and educate ourselves a bit and then we can do it, we can be resilient, we can save money, we can protect horse welfare and ultimately protect the environment, because it’s all there. We’ve just got to do it.”

One of those helping people take action is Sian Constantine of Hoof & Habitat, which educates on sustainable keeping of horses.

“What I’m trying to do is improve horse welfare while improving the environment,” Ms Constantine told H&H. “They’re highly synergistic; horses evolved to graze in diverse ecosystems and when stocking density and management are appropriate, both horses and land benefit. From a welfare perspective, this creates a more species-appropriate environment, viewed through the five domains model, and it improves forage quality and nutritional diversity by bringing pasture nearer what horses would naturally forage from.”

Ms Constantine explained that greater plant diversity benefits horses and the land.

A mix of species improves soil structure and ground cover, reducing bare patches and often increasing nutritional value. Having different root depths helps stabilise and protect the soil, so grazing is more resilient to extreme weather. Increased plant diversity supports greater diversity of soil organisms, improving water storage and nutrient cycling, which supports healthier pasture.

“Healthier soil is better able to cope with heavy rain and drought, while protecting forage quality,” she said. “And it benefits the wider environment, as biologically active soils can store more water and more carbon.

“Over time, improved soil and pasture health can reduce reliance on inputs such as herbicides, pesticides, repeated overseeding, mechanical aeration and remedial groundworks, potentially saving time and money.”

Ecological consultant Laura Hobbs founded Switch Equine to support horse welfare-based land regeneration.

“I’ve been working with a lot of farmers to maximise the value of their land and its economic value, but make something that’s actually useful for them as well,” she told H&H. “We can still produce food, still meet the fundamental aims of what they want that land for, but also deliver multiple benefits.

“I’ve always had horses as well, and I got a bit frustrated, having my own horse on a livery yard and seeing it wasn’t meeting what we could be doing from an environmental point of view, and not serving his needs either, so we bought a smallholding, to show you can do things differently.

“I’ve got a background in evolution, behavioral biology and done a lot of training, such as Sue Dyson’s pain recognition research and in nutrition, so I’m trying to bring that all together to show we can manage our horses in a better way that improves the environment and is fundamental to improving our horses’ lives as well.”

Money is tight but Ms Hobbs stressed that sustainability can help here too.

“It’ll save you money,” she said. “When we manage in a better way, we create land that will be resilient.

“A lot of people are really struggling with the cost of hay, not having any hay. But our neighbours say our grass is looking really good. That’s because we’ve changed management so we can have better quality, more productive land, and it’s more resilient to that drought. That means we can have higher hay yields, more forage; we can feed our horses from our own land.”

Ms Hobbs said soil is a living organism, which has to be nurtured.

“Studies have shown that on average, for every 1% increase in soil organic matter, in soil biological activity, we can store an additional 20,000 gallons of water per acre,” she said.

“That’s a massive number. That means water’s stored in the soil, so we can be more resilient to flooding and drought. And it affects communities too; if we change our management, we could save the village down the road from being flooded every winter.”

She said the key in keeping land resilient is not overgrazing it, which is not about space or numbers but about giving it time to recover. If horses return to bite off the same tuft of grass before it has regrown, the plant will use all nutrients for growth, leading to shallower roots, a negative impact on the soil and a “downward spiral” overall.

Ms Hobbs has four horses on five acres. She separates this into smaller areas and moves the horses frequently, so each part has time to fully recover.

“Getting started is the hard part,” she said. “But once you get started and into this sort of system, you get that upward spiral; land starts recovering so much quicker, so you can get back on and graze it sooner. If you’re constrained on land, have a sacrificial area, a track system or yard to put horses on, so we can rest that land when we need to, we can be a bit more adaptive and flexible.

“Just splitting the field and letting it have longer to recover will go a long way.”

Changing mindsets

Ms Hobbs knows it is harder for livery clients, but said she believes many yard owners are starting to change their thinking, and that the first step is to have the conversation, with which Ms Dancer agrees, although she has heard from many yard owners who want to make changes but are unsure whether clients will agree.

“The livery yard owners wanting to make a change and the liveries wanting things to be different may not be at the same yards but I think that the common problem is just a fear of talking about it, a fear of saying anything to do with the environment,” she said.

“People might complain you’re woke or might make fun of you or a lot of the time, people think they don’t know enough about the environment to talk about it, so they shouldn’t say anything at all,” she continued. “But the minute you start talking to people about what good environmental practice looks like, they say, ‘That makes sense,’ or, ‘I do that already,’ or, ‘I could do that.’

“We’ve got to start talking in everyday language. And the most important part of that sentence is we’ve got to start talking.”

Ms Dancer also agrees that money need not be a barrier, and the right changes can help. Investing in a rainwater harvesting system would be expensive but saves on water bills in the long run. But if such a system is too expensive, just diverting gutters into butts for soaking hay or washing can make big savings.

“My mantra is, if sustainability is costing you money, you’re not doing it properly,” she said. “Sustainability should be about being less wasteful, more resilient and resourceful.

“Teach your team not to leave the tap running or leave the lights on; not to be wasteful. I’ve worked with businesses that have saved tens of thousands without spending a penny, just by changing your mindset.

Harnessing the change

“My biggest concern is that the way climate is changing, the soil is degrading, it’s getting more difficult to grow crops; we need to embed resilience into everything we do. And that’s about working with the climate we’re now getting.

“If we’re going to get warmer, wetter winters, let’s gather that rainwater and use it. If we’re going to get hotter, dry summers, if you can put solar in and harness the changes, it will make us more resilient, and save us money in the long run.

“It’s about not being influenced by external factors, and being able to manage your own yard and your own estate in a way that works for you. It’s about recognising that things are changing, and will change, and we have to create practices that will make us resilient to that.

“For such a long time, we’ve always just had whatever we want, when we want, and that’s not what the future looks like now. The smartest people are going to look at the situation, prepare for it and slowly make changes. If you do it now, start putting the rainwater harvesting in, change systems and processes, start saving money, in five years’ time, you will be very grateful.

“You’ll have created a business that works for you, and when others are struggling and won’t be able to keep horses. It is that serious, you won’t be able to get what you need.

“I think that’s the mindset everyone needs to be in – not survival mode from one day to the next, but what can I do in the long term that will mean that I can continue to have horses. That’s what sustainability is.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2026, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

New eco-friendly turnout rug made from 110 plastic bottles

Going green – the steps you can take to manage your grazing land more sustainably

Equestrians must act as ‘guardians of the landscape’ to reduce environmental impact

‘It’s our responsibility’: how equestrian professionals are striving to be more environmentally sustainable

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Are acorns poisonous to horses? The short answer is yes, and you might have noticed more acorns on the ground than usual right now.

If you have, then it’s not just you. There are definitely more acorns – on trees and on the ground – this autumn, which is a cause for concern among horse owners. Acorns contain tannins that, when ingested by horses, produce toxins. These toxins can be poisonous, and lead to problems with the horse’s gut, liver and kidneys.

While some owners may have not experienced an issue with their horses eating acorns to date, every individual will have a difference tolerance level and exercising caution around horses’ access to acorns is strongly advised.

So, why so many acorns? It’s all because 2025 is proving to be a mast year for trees. If you’re not familiar with this term, read on for the lowdown, and the implications for horses.

What is a mast year?

According to the Woodland Trust, some species of trees and shrubs produce a bumper crop of their fruits or nuts every few years. The collective term for these fruits and nuts is “mast”, so it is referred to as a mast year.

But why do mast years occur? To produce a healthy crop, trees need the right combination of temperature and rainfall in the spring. Phenology – the study of the timing of natural events in relation to the weather – can help us better understand this.

Ecologist and senior lecturer at Liverpool University Dr Andrew Hacket Pain has used records from the Woodland Trust’s citizen science phenology project, Nature’s Calendar, to research masting.

“Oaks produce a similar number of flowers each spring, so the size of autumn’s acorn crop depends on how many of these flowers are able to mature into ripe acorns,” Dr Hacket Pain explains. “It’s clear that spring weather conditions are important. When spring is warm and dry, pollination of oak flowers is very effective, and this results in a large crop of acorns.”

Mast years are important in the bust and boom of small mammal populations. When the trees produce smaller crops for a few consecutive years, they are in effect keeping the populations of these animals in check. But during a mast year, the trees produce more food than the animals can possibly eat. This abundance leads to a boom in the populations of small mammals, such as mice. More importantly, it guarantees some nuts will be left over to survive and grow into new trees.

Are acorns more poisonous to horses in a mast year?

While it’s not clear acorns are any more toxic in a mast year, an obvious concern is the increased volume of acorns. After a period of high wind, you might notice a thick carpet of acorns underneath oak trees, which could be a problem if oaks line or sit inside your field boundary.

According to Pool House Equine Hospital, although acorns are naturally bitter-tasting, some horses can develop a liking for them. The vet clinic also reports a recent spike in veterinary cases linked to horses ingesting acorns.

Clinical signs of acorn poisoning in horses

The toxins produced by the ingested acorn tannins can cause damage to the gut, which can manifest as diarrhoea, which may contain blood, as well as signs of colic, lethargy, fever or a loss of appetite. If your horse is showing any of these signs, they will require urgent veterinary assistance so don’t delay in calling your vet.

Protecting against acorn poisoning in horses

You may notice acorn husks in your horse’s droppings before any clinical signs occur. However, if you think your horse might have access to acorns, don’t wait for evidence of ingesting or poisoning before you act.

You can protect your horse from eating acorns by…

• Identifying any oak trees in the vicinity of your horse’s turnout, so you know where hotspots might be
• If you poo pick, check these hotspots and collect acorns on your daily rounds
• Raking up fallen acorns, taking special care to check common drop zones after high winds. If you don’t have a rake, you could use a nut gatherer (like this one on Amazon)
• Temporarily fencing off parts of your paddock where fallen acorns are dense
• Extending your horse’s grazing (where autumn laminitis is low risk) or supplementing with forage to remove the temptation to feast on acorns

As always, if you are concerned about your horse’s appearing unwell, then seek urgent advice from your vet.

• To stay up to date with the latest horse care advice, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Which rug should I put on my horse? H&H’s helpful guide to help you decide

Atypical myopathy: what you need to know right now to keep your horses safe

Which type of clip is right for your horse? Check out H&H’s helpful guide

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Access to good quality turnout is a must where equines are concerned. However, if you keep your horses in a field with a public footpath or bridleway, you may have a few apprehensions.

“These range from inappropriate feeding and even harm from the public, to concern regarding the risk to walkers should the horse be aggressive,” remarks Naomi Newell, Senior Associate in the Property Disputes Team at Birketts LLP.

So, what risks are horses in a field with a public footpath exposed to? H&H spoke to Naomi and to Mark Weston, Director of Access at the British Horse Society (BHS). We asked what owners need to consider and got practical advice for safeguarding yourself, your horse and the wider public.

Horses in a field with a public footpath: what to bear in mind

Security

Owners with horses in a field with a public footpath must ensure that gates are secure enough to contain their livestock while giving easy access to the public. Naomi says to install any gates with the local highway authority’s consent, and to ensure nothing obstructs the route.

If you wish to fence either side of the route, Naomi has more pointers.

“Electric fencing next to a public right of way is only acceptable if insulated, and there are regular warning signs for the public,” she says. “The width of a public path may or may not be recorded on the Council’s legal records. Therefore, you should discuss the width of a fenced route with the local rights of way officer.”

“The BHS recommends putting up polite notices to remind people to leave gates as they find them or follow instructions on signs,” adds Mark. “This aligns with the Countryside Code.”

Appropriate fieldmates

Horse owners must consider their own duty to the public.

“Owners have the important responsibility not to keep a horse known to be potentially dangerous in a field crossed by a right of way,” warns Naomi. “This could result in a prosecution and is a serious responsibility.”

Mark of the BHS adds: “We strongly recommend against keeping stallions in a field through which rights of way pass, especially if unfamiliar horses access your land.”

Public feeding

Horse & Hound has reported widely on public feeding, which remains an issue even for horses who don’t share turnout with a public right of way.

“While many people act with no malicious intent, they’re often unaware of the risks,” explains Mark. “As we know, certain foods, such as grass cuttings, can cause illness for horses and feeding can lead to fighting within a herd.”

Owners and carers can erect polite signs requesting people not to feed the horses, with an explanation as to why.

“If you’re concerned the public is feeding your horses, you can contact the BHS Horse Care and Welfare Helpline on 02476 840517,” adds Mark. The charity can offer guidance and advice, as well as a range of English and Welsh signs at bhs.org.uk/behorseaware.

Dogs

Naturally, walkers who neglect to control their dogs can pose a threat to all livestock.

“Unfortunately, negative incidents involving horses and dogs can happen far too often,” says Mark. “The BHS continues to advise and educate dog walkers. We urge them to keep their dog under control, ideally on a lead, around horses.

“If your horse has been involved in an incident with a dog, report it to the police and record it through the BHS Horse i app. This helps give us a greater understanding of the scale of this issue, and lobby for greater change.”

Trespassing

Even if you keep horses in a field with a public footpath, individuals can still trespass.

“A user who is not on the line of the public right of way is trespassing over private land,” says Naomi. “Similarly, if the person is entering onto your private land or leaning over a boundary feature (like a fence, hedge or gate) into your private land, that person is likely to be trespassing.”

Some instances of trespass can be a criminal offence, and you should contact the police. However, it may also carry civil liability that you should take legal advice on.

“Bringing trespass proceedings in the civil courts is often an expensive exercise,” remarks Naomi. “So, it will be very important to keep that in mind depending upon the persistence and severity of the trespass,” advises Naomi. “Ultimately, you would end up with an order that you could look to enforce against the third party if necessary.

What if you’re not the landowner and someone trespasses on your horse’s field?

“You may have a contractual claim against your landlord if they are subject to obligations within your agreement to protect the land or horses from interference,” says Naomi. “You should ask a solicitor to check the terms of your agreement to see whether this avenue could be pursued.

Above all, it is best for all concerned if the landowner clearly signposts rights of way. The signs must adhere to the path’s true alignment and observe the legal width of the route.

“Define the route on the land if necessary to avoid confusion over where the public can pass,” advises Naomi. “Seek help from the local rights of way officer with this.”

What happens if my horse injures someone?

According to Naomi, if your horse causes a person harm or damage, you may be found liable in negligence.

“This means you owed a duty of care and failed in that duty.”

Naomi adds that you may also be held liable under the Animals Act 1971. This states that animal owners carry strict liability if a third party is injured by the animal.

“The Act is widely considered to be poorly drafted and there are some defences available under the Act. It’s very important to take prompt legal advice if a claim is brought against you,” she adds.

Additionally, if you feel your horse has caused damage to a third party as a result of their disturbance of him, it would be difficult to prove that they should, in fact, have primary liability.

“These sorts of proceedings are often complicated, and you should take legal advice.”

The BHS urges anyone who owns or looks after a horse to carry public liability insurance cover.

“BHS Gold members receive public liability insurance cover, up to £30 million,” explains Mark. “This helps to give financial peace of mind should your horse injure a member of the public on a public right of way.”

What happens if someone’s actions cause injury to my horse?

Firstly, you should enquire with your insurer.

“Can the policy pay out for vet bills? Do you have legal expenses cover? Additionally, what’s the impact on your insurance premium going forward? The latter point may well be the extent of the responsible person’s liability to repay you,” says Naomi.

Secondly, while the law may offer some recourse, there may be other difficulties. These include:

• Identifying the person responsible for causing the injury to your horse.
• Finding an address for that person to serve legal proceedings.
• Proving causation.

“Assuming for a moment that you identify and track the person responsible, they will put you firmly to proof on why it was their actions that caused the horse’s injury,” adds Naomi.

“Undoubtedly, you will need expert evidence to help you prove at court that your horse was injured directly as a result of the person’s actions.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also like:

Can horses go on footpaths, plus other facts riders need to know about public rights of way

Equine insurance: choosing the right policy

Insuring your horse can be a confusing and time consuming process, so follow our top tips to choose the best

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The energiser is the heart of the electric fencing system and the best electric fence energisers for horses depend on your available power supply, the output required and the length of your fence. If you’ve got permanent electric fencing for horses and mains power nearby, a mains-powered energiser is the best option. A cable takes the power from the energiser to the fence – all you need to do is plug it in and switch it on. If your field is more remote and you don’t have access to mains, then a battery or solar energiser is your best option.

When selecting the best electric fence energisers for horses to meet your needs, it’s best to choose the most powerful energiser (highest Joules) you can afford for consistent power. And it’s best to err on the side of buying a more powerful unit than you initially think you need, keeping in mind that advertised power distances are based on ideal conditions and don’t account for vegetation reducing output. Calculate total fence length by multiplying the number of tape lines by the fence length (for example, a 1km fence with four tape lines is 4km of fencing).

Jump to:

• Mains powered electric fence energisers for horses
• Battery powered electric fence energisers for horses
• Solar powered electric fence energisers for horses

Best electric fence energisers for horses: mains, battery and solar

Mains powered energisers

Gallagher M120 Mains Fence Energiser

Distance powered: 8km

Power source: mains

Warranty: 5 years

Reasons to buy

• Easy to install
• Integrated lightning protection
• Indicator light on/off
• Possibility to add a back up 12V battery

Reasons to avoid

• If you are looking for a larger distance look at other models in the Gallagher range

This easy-to-install, entry-level, mains-powered energiser comes with a kit to attach it to a wall and has a pulse energy of 0.47J. It’s easy to use, has built-in lightning protection to prevent short circuits and can have a 12V battery attached to it as a back up – which is useful for yards with unsecured power supply.

XStop EL90 230v Mains Powered Energiser

Distance powered: 10km

Power source: mains

Reasons to buy

• Easy to use
• Weather resistant
• Great value
• Ideal for small to medium sized fields

Reasons to avoid

• Not the smartest looking unit

This weatherproof energiser kit can power up to 10km of fencing tape with 0.5J where mains power is available – just plug it in and off you go. It’s ideal for small to medium electric fence requirements, such as strip grazing. This is a complete kit that includes an earth stake, earth lead, fence connection clip, fence lead and mains lead.

Hotline Super Eagle Energiser

Distance powered: up to 30km

Power source: mains

Warranty: 5 years

Reasons to buy

• High and low power options
• Wall mount included
• LED fence performance monitor
• Can purchase a 12v battery for backup

Reasons to avoid

• Added expense of 12v battery for reliability during power shortages

This energiser is a powerful and reliable choice. It features dual output terminals, including high (2.4J) and low (0.7J) power options, which gives you flexibility.

It features a visual LED fence performance monitor and a 12V battery backup input for increased reliability during power failures (battery sold separately). It also includes a dual earth template for improved efficiency and a wall mount for simple installation. Backed by a 5-year warranty, this energiser ensures long-lasting performance and dependability.

Battery powered energisers

Fenceman B420 9V Energiser

Distance powered: 3km

Power source: battery

Warranty: 3 years

Reasons to buy

• Highly portable
• Ideal for strip grazing
• Complete kit

Reasons to avoid

• Non-rechargeable battery might not suit your needs

This 9V battery-powered energiser is good for smaller enclosures and has a battery-saving mode, which reduces the power but helps it last longer. Although the battery isn’t rechargeable, it’s easy to move around, which makes it good for strip grazing, and is also covered by a warranty.

Fenceman DP350B Energiser

Distance powered: Up to 3.5km

Power source: battery

Warranty: 2 years

Reasons to buy

• Integrated earth stake and stand
• LED indication light
• Can run off D-cell batteries (included) or a 12V battery
• Great for short fences and small areas

Reasons to avoid

• If you are looking for an energiser for bigger areas

This energiser can be powered by either 4 D-cell batteries or an external 12v rechargeable battery. It will power up to 3.5km on 12V (1km on 6V) and the pulse rate can be adjusted between 20–60 pulses/min. There is an LED indication light that blinks on every pulse and flashes rapidly when the battery is running low so you’ll never run out of power. It’s ideal for smaller paddocks and strip grazing.

H&H’s Georgia Guerin has been using this energiser for a number of years. She says: “I mostly use this for strip grazing, but I’ve also used it to electrify smaller individual paddocks within my three acre plot. I’ve use a 12V battery that is charged by a solar panel and kept in a box to make sure it’s watertight and easy to carry. The energiser is small and easy to move around when I need to, and I love how easy it is to change the pulse frequency.”

ShockRite SB120 Battery Powered Energiser

Distance powered: 6km

Power source: battery

Warranty: 3 years

Reasons to buy

• Complete setup with clips and earth stake
• Low battery indicator warning
• Built-in lightning protection

Reasons to avoid

• More crocodile clips to connect it up than others

This 1.5kg 1.2J energiser can power up to 6km of fencing tape. It has a low battery indicator and is made for permanent outdoor use with a special weatherproof membrane that protects the on/off switch. It has a three-year warranty.

T-Mech Electric Fence Energiser

Distance powered: 10km

Power source: battery

Warranty: 1 year

Reasons to buy

• Earth stake provided
• Compact size
• Powered by 12v battery

Reasons to avoid

• You want to use D-cell batteries

This energiser is powered by a 12V car or leisure battery, has a pulse energy of 1J and can cover larger, or multi-wire paddocks – up to 10km. It’s easy to set up and can be mounted on a fence or wall, it’s waterproof and has built-in lightning protection. It also only weighs 1.2kg, so it’s easy to move and set up in a new location.

XStop BA100 12V Battery Powered Energiser

Distance powered: Up to 20km

Power source: battery

Reasons to buy

• Easy to use
• Complete kit
• LED battery monitor

Reasons to avoid

• If you need a high energy output for your horse to respect the fence

This kit has everything you need to get started if you’re looking to power a medium-sized fence (up to 20km) from a battery. It’s easy to move around (weighing just 0.6kg) so is a great option for strip grazing, but it only delivers 1J so might not be strong enough to deter the most determined horses in all scenarios.

It has a multifunction LED that flashes green to indicate that the unit is operating correctly and flashes red when your battery is running low.

Solar powered energisers

Agrifence S16 Solar Powered Fence Energiser

Distance powered: 1.5km

Power source: solar

Warranty: 3 years

Reasons to buy

• No need to manually recharge
• Ready to use straight from box
• Pulse light
• Built in solar panel

Reasons to avoid

• Not mains rechargeable

The S16 is an ideal low-maintenance electric fence solution for smaller paddocks and dividing fences. The built in solar panel recharges the 6V internal battery allowing the energiser to operate without the need to manually recharge.

Supplied ready to use out of the box the energiser includes all you need to get started with a two-piece earth stake/mount post and connection leads. Complete with three-year warranty.

XStop Solar 0040 Solar & Battery Powered Energiser

Distance powered: 2km

Power source: solar and battery

Reasons to buy

• Complete kit with earth stake, leads and USB charging cable
• Low maintenance
• Durable
• Can top up charge with mains charge if and when needed

Reasons to avoid

• If you need to power a larger area

This weatherproof solar-powered energiser kit can power up to 2km of fencing with 0.4J. It’s also rechargeable via USB if a manual charge is required in times of very dark weather.

Wolsely SX300 Solar Energiser

Distance powered: Up to 20km

Power source: solar

Warranty: 2 years

Reasons to buy

• Combines solar and battery for continuous operating
• Indicator light for solar and battery
• Economical to run

Reasons to avoid

• Earth stake is not supplied with energiser you have to purchase this separately

The SX300 seamlessly combines solar power, rechargeable batteries, and backup “C” cell batteries to ensure continuous operation, even at night and on cloudy days.

With its ability to power up to 20km of fence line and run economically for 12 months without changing the C-cell batteries, it is an efficient and reliable choice. Key features include nighttime energy saving, indicator lights for solar output and battery condition, and a robust two-year warranty.

Power sources energisers: the specifics

Mains powered energisers

Pros

• Reliable power source with no battery concerns
• Stronger output
• Suitable for larger areas of fencing and multiple horses

Cons

• Must have a mains power source to run it
• Limited portability

9V/12V battery powered energisers

Pros

• Portable and flexible
• Quick installation
• Energy source is not reliant on mains power

Cons

• Batteries need recharging and need regular check-ups

Solar powered energisers

Pros

• Compact design ideal for temporary fences
• Solar cells keep your battery charged
• Low operating costs

Cons

• Not as powerful as mains energisers in the same price range

Battery vs solar energisers

If you don’t have access to mains power, you’ll be choosing between a battery or solar-powered electric fence energisers for horses. Solar-powered energisers do have a battery, but this is charged by the sun rather than requiring you to replace the batteries.

Battery-powered electric fence energisers are a popular choice for strip grazing and temporary fencing as they are very portable. Some are powered by dry-cell 9V disposable batteries, so you will need to consider the cost of replacing them as they run out. Others are powered by rechargeable 12V batteries, which can power longer fences at a higher voltage. You could use a car battery, but a purpose-designed leisure battery is designed to give a steady output over time, while a car battery will dwindle quite quickly. The higher the Ah of the battery, the longer you can leave it between recharges.

Solar-powered energisers use energy from the sun to power your fencing setup. They tend to have a higher initial cost but are cheaper in the long run and assuming they’re in a good position to receive enough light, you don’t have to worry about making sure they’re charged.

How many Joules should an electric fence have for horses?

Electric fence energisers for horses work by delivering an electric shock to any horse that touches the fence the energiser is attached to. Joules represent the energy output of the energiser and put simply the higher the joules the stronger the shock will be.

It’s essential to strike a balance between effectiveness and safety, ensuring that the fence provides enough deterrent for the horses without causing harm.

The ideal number of Joules for an electric fence for horses can also vary depending on factors such as the size of the pasture, the behaviour of the horses, and the level or type of vegetation growth in the paddock.

However, generally, electric fences for horses typically have an output of around 0.5–1.5 Joules.

How many Volts should a horse fence be?

Voltage is a measure of the electric potential energy per unit charge between two points in an electric circuit. A higher voltage will provide a stronger shock, but it also relates to the distance over which the electric shock can effectively deter horses. Higher voltage levels typically allow the pulse energy to travel greater distances along the fence line.

The voltage of electric fencing used for horses should typically be between 2,000–10,000 volts to effectively deter horses.

The exact voltage required can vary based on factors such as the length of the fence, the type of insulators and conductors used, and the energy output of the electric fence energiser.

It’s also important that regular maintenance and testing of the fence system are carried out to ensure consistent voltage levels and proper functionality.

You might also like:

Electric fencing for horses – everything you need for a temporary setup or strip-grazing

Strip grazing – all you need to know to get started

Best grazing muzzle options to help reduce your horse’s daily intake

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Electric fencing for horses is typically used as temporary fencing, for strip-grazing or to protect existing fencing, which is a more permanent fixture. You may also be looking at setting up a track system with electric fencing as it can be easily moved.

If you’re setting up electric fencing for horses for the first time or need to make some upgrades, read on to find out what you’ll need…

What you need for temporary electric fencing

Electric fence starter kits

If you’re setting up your electric fencing for horses from scratch, an electric fencing starter kit could be just what you need. They usually include an energiser, batteries, fence posts and tape, but may also include conductors, ring insulators, a gate handle or a warning sign.

Energiser

The electric fence energiser is the heart of the fencing system and the best option for you depends on the power supply, output required and fence length. If you’re looking for a new energiser and the options below don’t fulfil your needs, we’ve written a specific guide to the best electric fence energisers, too.

Nine-volt battery energisers are a popular choice for strip-grazing and temporary fencing as they are very portable. They are powered by dry-cell 9v disposable batteries, so you will need to consider the cost of replacing them as they run out.

12v battery energisers are ideal for semi-permanent electric fences or where no mains power is available. These are powered by a rechargeable 12v battery and are able to power longer fences at a higher voltage. You could use a car battery, but a purpose-designed leisure battery is designed to give a steady output over time, while a car battery will dwindle quite quickly. The higher the Ah of the battery, the longer you can leave it between recharges.

Solar-powered energisers use energy from the sun to power your fencing setup. They tend to have a higher initial cost but are cheaper in the long run.

Posts

Plastic posts are the most popular for temporary electric fencing for horses – especially for strip grazing – because they’re cheap, lightweight and easy to set up and move. But choosing the right type for you could save you money and hassle in the future. You should consider the…

• height – for some horses, the visual effect of a 3ft post with a couple of lines of tape is enough to command their respect. However, in general, the taller your fence the better – especially if you’re enclosing larger or more determined horses – so 4ft6in fence posts or 5ft fence posts are likely to be a better choice.
• footplate – some posts have a single footplate and if this snaps, it can be hard to replant the post again, while others have a double footplate and some have a stirrup, which is typically more sturdy.
• colour – posts come in a variety of colours (most commonly white, green or black, but you can also get pink, purple or orange). Green is the least lurid and can blend into the surroundings more easily, while some people believe that horses are most respectful of a white fence. Ultimately it’s down to your preference or that of the landowner.

Electric fence tape/rope

Horses need to be able to see your fence for it to act as a deterrent, so the thinnest twines are not suitable. The most popular options for electric fencing for horses are tape and rope.

Electric fence tape is a great choice for plastic posts. It is subject to increased wear in windy conditions, so it’s best not to choose a tape that’s too wide – 20mm tape is suitable for most situations and the most common choice with plastic posts.

Electric fencing rope is visible, very strong and less prone to becoming caught in the wind. It comes in a variety of specifications and strengths – polyropes with stainless steel conductors are ideal for short/medium fence lines, while ropes containing tinned copper conducting lines are better for longer fencing and higher powered energisers. Rope is most commonly used in conjunction with wooden posts.

Connectors

It’s best to avoid cutting your tape where possible. If you need to connect two lines of fencing tape together, you should use tape connectors to ensure good conduction rather than tying the tapes together.

Insulators

Insulators direct your conducting tape or rope and are vital to an efficient electric fence. They’re essential if you have wooden posts as, unlike plastic, wood is a poor insulator. If your fence isn’t insulated properly, the power will leak into the earth and your horse will learn there is no need to respect the fence.

Ring insulators are the best option if you’re using polyrope (but can be used effectively with tape, too). They can be used to direct the rope to run above the fence, which prevents cribbing and chewing, or just inside the fence to prevent horses from scratching or leaning on the fencing.

You can also get distance/offset insulators, which are longer, that keep your horses further away from the fencing. Tape insulators are flatter to accommodate the shape of the tape, while combination insulators can be used for rope or tape.

Handles

Handles are essential for creating safe gateways to the field. They allow the current to pass through and complete the circuit while the gateway is closed, while giving you something safe to hold when you need access.

Warning signs

If your field has a public footpath running through it or alongside, it’s a legal requirement to place warning signs on your fencing to alert people to the potential danger.

Fence testers

Fence testers allow you to check the voltage of your fence to make sure everything is working correctly.

How does electric fencing work?

An energiser unit converts power high voltage split-second pulses that are emitted once every one or two seconds. If your horse touches the wire that carries the pulse, the current will pass through him to the ground and he’ll receive a shock. Horses quickly learn to stay away from the fence and it becomes a physical and psychological boundary.

Essential parts of temporary electric fencing

An electric fence is made up of four essential components…

• An energiser converts power from the mains or a battery into high voltage pulses that are emitted once every one or two seconds.
• The conducting tape makes up the actual barrier and carries the current along the fence. If your horse touches the wire that carries the pulse, the current will pass through him to the ground and he’ll receive a shock.
• Insulation stops the power being lost to the earth – if your tape is touching anything other than the posts or insulators, such as a tree, the fence will lose power.
• An earth stake that takes the current back to the energiser.

You might also like:

Electric fence energisers for every setup

Best grazing muzzle options to help reduce your horse’s daily intake

The 10 commandments of electric fencing

Do electric fences make horses stressed?

A Swiss study has looked at the effects of electric fencing on horses

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

With growing pressures to become more environmentally conscious, what changes – both large and small – can horse owners make to become more sustainable? Alex Robinson and Luz Wollocombe discover some of the options for managing grazing land in a more ecological way, and find the benefits it can bring not only to the environment but also to our horses

While it’s perfectly healthy to use our horses as escapism from the real world, our responsibilities as individuals to negate the impact of environment changes cannot be ignored. Forward-thinking individuals are working hard to ensure the equestrian industry doesn’t get left behind when it comes to becoming more eco, and one of the key areas is managing grazing land more sustainably.

Let’s investigate some of the tweaks that we can make, whether we have a couple of acres or a large estate.

New Forest commoner Lyndsey Stride says that while the agricultural sector has been encouraged to farm in a more environmentally friendly way for some time, the message is yet to stick with the equestrian industry. She believes that recreational horse owners could learn – and benefit – from the way semi-feral ponies live in their homelands.

“Native ponies on moors, forests and fells are living in a natural way and contribute to an extraordinarily biodiverse landscape,” explains Lyndsey. “Looking at pasture management, there is a lot of talk in farming about carbon storage in grassland. Most recreational horses are kept on former agricultural fields, and as horse owners generally keep grass very short, the grass is placed under a lot of stress.

“Long grass is better at drawing up water and trace elements, and it puts more effort into growing its roots, which is good for the soil and carbon storage.

“We should strive for herb-rich pastures which aren’t being constantly grazed; the plants get more time to recover and therefore there is a much larger variety of grass species.

“Rotating paddocks – every month or so if you can – lets the grass rest. It will also benefit your horses as they’ll be eating a more varied and balanced diet. So many horses these days have hind gut problems or allergies, whereas ponies in the forest rarely need the vet out to them.

“As rotation helps with the issue of ground compaction, it helps prevent or deal with existing cases of mud and poaching, too. If you can find a four-foot strip around your field, fence this off, let it grow during spring and see what comes of it. It can only do the soil and grass good.

“If space permits, ‘paddock paradise’ [a track system] – the concept of an outdoor environment which mimics natural wild habitats – is another option. This way of keeping horses makes the ponies walk a long way, usually over obstacles such as logs, to get food.”

Managing grazing land sustainably through hedge planting

When it comes to fencing, Lyndsey says that while the initial cost outlay of planting a hedge with a future aspiration of laying it might be greater, the long-term benefits are plentiful.

“Post and rail usually doesn’t last forever,” Lyndsey adds. “Safety wise, there are no wires or broken rails in hedgerows. It might take up to 15 years to finish, but in the long run they are a source of shelter, food and are a habitat for wildlife. Plus, a good hedge promotes trickle feeding and encourages horses to eat from different heights.

“We’re in the middle of a climate and nature emergency and everyone has a part to play, though it’s hard to keep up to speed with the change of expectations; it’s fast-changing knowledge. If you own a field you are the guardian of that land and you have a duty to pass it on in the best possible condition.”

Our environmental hoofprint

As environment and horse health are inextricably linked, improving the ecological impact of keeping horses is mutually beneficial. Some of the large studs – which have more in common with arable and livestock farms rather than your average livery yard – have made giant strides in improving their environmental hoofprint. There is hope that their example will filter through to smaller outfits as they see what is possible on their scale.

James O’Donnell, chairman of the Thoroughbred Breeders Association (TBA) Sustainability Group and until recently the assistant stud director of the 6,000-acre Shadwell Stud in Norfolk, explains that the Environmental Act of 2021 was a major catalyst for positive change in the way all land in the UK is managed.

“Farmers will be assessed on what their environmental footprint is,” he says, adding that more Government grants schemes will be brought in as incentives. “Are they regenerating areas of their farm back over to nature? Are they improving wetland areas? Are they planting trees? It’s a massive step in the right direction.”

There is good news – a recent study conducted by the TBA and Racing Foundation indicated that, as low-impact grassland farms, studs have much less of an environmental impact than regular arable or livestock farming, which James terms “very encouraging”.

But there is always more to be done. John Corbett is in charge of sustainable agriculture at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, an area of around 7,000 acres and home to some of the world’s best thoroughbred stallions.

“Environmental welfare comes into everything we do at Coolmore, every management decision. It’s a high priority here,” he says.

John explains that Coolmore’s environmental strategy takes into account, “five key areas: clean water, fresh air, healthy fertile soils, biodiversity and a vibrant ecosystem”.

John’s previous training as an equine nutritionist means he is hyper-aware of the link between environment and horse health, and the phenomenal success of the Coolmore horses is testament to that.

“Nutrition starts with the soil and goes all the way through to the grass and the hay,” he says. “The building blocks must be in place for the foal to fill its genetic potential. We make sure there is nothing that could have a negative impact on athletic performance or lung development.”

The “greenest forage system” for managing grazing land sustainably

While not all of us are dealing with the pressure of growing Galileo’s progeny, we still want to do the very best for our animals.

It turns out that what is good for the horse is generally good for the planet as well. So how do we keep our fields in the best nick?

James O’Donnell explains: “The greenest equine forage system is to operate a rotational system, even on a small scale, dividing a paddock, grazing it one side and rotating it. In between, if there is an option to, I would suggest using sheep or cattle to follow behind the horses to take out the weeds and rough grass, but also to act as a natural fertiliser.”

Another advantage of sheep is that “you don’t have to roll the paddocks, which means less soil compaction”.

Perfect soil doesn’t come from heaps of chemicals. Coolmore uses compost made from their own waste on the least fertile areas of land – thereby recycling and fertilising at the same time.

Using manure to make compost is an obvious avenue to improve sustainability. Bridget Elworthy, founder and chairman of The Land Gardeners, a company dedicated to transforming the environment through compost and soil quality, says, “We love using horse manure in the compost. It is ideal to mix it with a carbon source – either straw, old hay or dry leaves.

“The benefits of proper composting reduce greenhouse gases and promote microbial growth which is beneficial for soil health, animal health and the health of our planet,” she says.

It’s also worth looking around for a local company for whom your festering muck heap might be akin to a pile of gold. Monaghan Mushrooms, an organic mushroom-growing company in Ireland, have been using horse manure for years. Their providers include the 65 horses belonging to Michéal Conaghan, whose family bred champion staying hurdler Paisley Park, and his partner Elizabeth Hayden, an event rider, who are both dedicated to finding ways of making their 150-acre farm in Kildare greener.

The Irish couple also emphasise the importance of increasing biodiversity.

“I’m in the process of re-fencing my fields,” Michéal says. “If you keep the fence four feet back from the ditches, it makes space for the wildlife – and you get a grant.” James agrees: “The days have gone where owners of equestrian set-ups needed to mow and strim every inch of their property to make it look tidy – if we are going to be responsible managers, it’s going to look a bit scruffier.”

James’s advice includes cutting hedges only every two years, planting wild-flower seed on unused areas and spending time removing weeds and ragwort by hand, rather than strimming as far as the eye can see.

At Coolmore, rewilding is taking place on a massive scale. John Corbett estimates that “over 20% of our landscape is given over to nature”. As for creating new habitats, when asked about planting trees, he responds enthusiastically: “We plant loads of them! Every year, we have a hedge-planting programme and a tree-planting programme. We have our own nurseries where we grow trees. This year, we planted around 8,000 metres of hedging. They provide loads of ecosystems and they sequester carbon both below and above ground.”

For advice on which trees to plant and when, James says he would “specifically go for the fast-growing, indigenous tree. Any kind of beech tree, a certain type of non-toxic maple tree or plane trees.”

Plant them in the winter or autumn to give them time to settle in and hey presto, you’ve got more shade, less mud and a whole new community of birds, squirrels and pollinators.

When it comes to sustainability in the equine industry, big studs like Coolmore may be leading the way, but all of us can work to keep our paddocks as diverse and healthy as possible. We can compost our manure and plant trees if at all possible. These may be small steps but if we all do them, they will significantly improve our environmental legacy.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Track living: the alternative horsey set-up

How different grazing systems can help you control your horse’s weight *H&H Plus*

‘Environmental stewards of our countryside’: research highlights positive impact alternative grazing systems can have

Equestrians must act as ‘guardians of the landscape’ to reduce environmental impact

‘It’s our responsibility’: how equestrian professionals are striving to be more environmentally sustainable

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Mud can be a shoe-pulling, tendon-tweaking nightmare for horse owners — but must it be an inevitable part of winter? If you’re struggling with the underfoot conditions, what can be done to fix muddy gateways?

“Muddy gateways and water trough areas used to be a pain, but with the trend towards wetter weather, they’re becoming a real issue,” says groundworks specialist Mark Snelson of LandMark Contractors.

“Land drainage is potentially a big job and the water will need to be piped somewhere. But there are other options, depending on your budget.”

Mark’s advice for a relatively cheap long-term solution to fix muddy gateways is to excavate the area and strip the topsoil away before laying a ground membrane. A layer of stone — 15cm for light traffic and horses — can then be laid and topped off with smaller stone or tarmac planings that will pack down.

“This would cost around £15 per square metre,” he says. “You’ll need to extend across the width of the gateway and at least 3m either side. If finances allow, a plastic grid system such as Ecoblock on top will allow grass to grow through, but will provide a tough, mud-free footing.”

A more costly and permanent solution is to lay a large concrete pad.

“The concrete needs a certain type of ridged finish that is non-slip and fairly kind to the feet, but [one that] you can sweep clean,” says Mark. “Expect to pay from around £80 per square metre, all-inclusive.”

While it is feasible to carry out these works at this time of year, Mark points out that the job will be easier in summer when the ground is less saturated. But what if you’re up to your knees in mud and need an instant solution?

“If you have electric fencing, try moving the gate,” suggests pasture expert Miles Greenwood of Equine Pasture Maintenance. “Tipping a load of large, clean hardcore can help provide a higher, dryer area, but ideally it needs rolling flat, which can be difficult in such wet conditions.

“Woodchip is probably a better bet in a real emergency, but this will need replacing with something more substantial long-term. Mats are another option, but if they’re not laid properly on a hardcore base, they can sink into the mud and stick up at the corners.”

A fairly recent arrival to UK shores, but one getting rave reviews from horse owners up and down the country, are Mudcontrol INB slabs. Unlike most mud and grass mats, they can be laid directly on to wet, poached ground and are designed not to sink, even in the wettest conditions. These 50x50cm slabs cost £8.25 including VAT each, plus delivery, and can be moved and reused as required.

To avoid trashing fields completely in winter, Miles recommends fencing off and woodchipping a “loafing area”. This will provide some level of turnout and prevent horses congregating at the gateway leaving a muddy mess to fix.

“It’s not a cheap option, but it can work really well and reduce poached ground,” he explains.

According to Chris Playdon-Heal of Horse Therapy UK, a round pen made of interlocking galvanized steel railings would be large enough to turn out one or two horses. Prices start at £1,700 for 9m diameter and £2,700 for 15m — plus £350-450 extra for a woodchip surface (plus VAT and delivery).

“It’s an effective way of avoiding the many problems associated with mud,” says Chris.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout major shows such as London International and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

How to help prevent your horse from losing a shoe

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

This is the time of year when most equestrians become preoccupied with winter and the challenges it brings, but how much thought do you give to autumn paddock jobs?

Maintaining your horse’s turnout is a year-round responsibility, and different seasons bring different issues with them. Ahead of winter, we look to reduce the chance of poaching in gateways and feed hay without stifling grass growth. However, the weeks that precede the arrival of autumn conditions can feel a trifle miscellaneous.

Optimal grass height and coverage, secure fencing and great paddock hygiene are standards all owners aim for. The good news? There’s much you can do as we head into autumn to shore up the health of your horse’s field – not just for this season, but all year round.

Autumn paddock jobs: what you need to know

As all people with livestock know, the challenges associated with late autumn and winter arise due to deteriorating conditions. In the main, these are reduced daylight hours and wet to boggy ground conditions. What’s more, early autumn with its mild weather and increased rainfall is a time for accelerated grass (and weed) growth. The case for autumn paddock jobs being done while you have some extra daylight and the weather remains reasonably fair, is a strong one.

John Mathews of electric fence and grass mat supply company Fieldguard says: “I have clients ring me up in mind November and say “we’re knee-deep in mud, what can I do?”

“Grass mats laid in muddy gateways will go a little way to helping out, but really these are best laid in spring when you have most of the year for the grass to go through them. We still have another six to eight weeks of grass growth ahead of us, so even now is a good time to be thinking of getting some grass mats down.”

Malcolm Hughes of Logic Machinery says: “Managing paddocks is a constant cycle following the seasons – your goal is to minimise the horses’ impact on the paddock.

“There are several autumn paddock jobs you can do involving different pieces of equipment. If you’re lucky enough to have a friendly farmer close by, they might be well equipped do certain tasks for you provided they aren’t too busy!”

1. Harrowing

“This time of year is a good for running a chain or spring-tined harrow over your field. It gets rid of all the rubbish, dead grass and weeds to allow new autumn growth to come through before winter,” says Malcolm.

Harrowing also has the benefit of breaking down old manure from concentrated toilet areas, which benefits grass growth too. According to Malcolm, how you manage your paddock’s manure burden depends on how much room you have.

“If you’ve got two horses on 20 acres, you’re probably all right rotating them to different paddocks,” he says.

“If you have a lot more horses on a lot less land, manure is going to become a problem. Poo picking is a bugbear for many, and you can get machines to help you with it, but there are huge benefits that come with it.

“For one thing, you end up with large areas that the horses won’t graze. Then you get sourness in the grass and it becomes very untidy with under and overgrazing. Once it does start being collected, and the sourness comes out of the grass, they start eating bigger and bigger areas. This happens quite quickly.”

2. Rolling

Poached ground, once dry, forms ruts in paddocks that can last for seasons.

“Rolling is one of those great late summer or early autumn paddock jobs that tidies up your field. Not every paddock needs it, but I’ve seen some that are still incredibly rutted from the previous winter,” says Malcolm.

“Rolling levels the paddock, making it more comfortable to walk on. And, in conjunction with the harrowing, you’re starting to regenerate that top inch of soil for grass growth.”

According to Malcolm, rolling is best done after rain when the ground is more malleable.

3. Listen for ticking

While you might expect to hear the energiser ticking as it runs off your electric fence’s power source, hearing your fence tick elsewhere is a sign things aren’t right.

“If you can hear ticking, that’s not a good thing because it means your fence is shorting,” explains John. “It might not be obvious to the naked eye, but it’s normally quite obvious to find and in low light you’ll see a small spark as well. It means one the steel filaments running through the nylon of the line of fencing is broken.

“The current has to arc across the gap, which means the shock given the other side of the gap is significantly reduced.”

You can fix the issue by cutting a new length of nylon fence line to splice in and replace the compromised part. But make sure you’re using the right tools.

“You must never tie knots in it because there are so many bits if stainless steel going in different direction within the knot,” says John. “It’ll go tick, tick, tick and eventually burn through the nylon.”

John recommends purchasing specific, inexpensive products to connect lines of fencing, attach them to posts and go around corners.

“A joining buckle is the proper way to connect fencing,” advises John. “Where you have to turn a corner you cut the line, use a tensioner and start again. All intermediate posts should be fitted with plastic insulators to pass the fence line through.”

4. Topping

Malcolm recommends topping, or removing excess grass length, not only to improve the appearance of the paddock, but also to help break the cycle of weed growth.

“Topping helps remove soured grass that horses don’t want to graze to encourage them to start to eat it. It’ll also control the weeds to some degree.”

While owners can look to improve their grazing chemically with fertiliser and weed killer, this should only be done under professional guidance.

“You’ve just got to be careful as you can end up with more problems than you started, especially if you’re not used to using chemicals,’ explains Malcolm.

“If you’ve done the harrowing, rolling and topping, your paddocks will be looking superb and you’ll get a lot of return. You might find there’s no need for chemicals.”

As well as topping the length in the middle of your grazing, John advises you pay attention to the length of grass stems under your fencing, too.

“If vegetation touches a strand of fencing, you’ll probably hear it ticking as the circuit shorts and sends the current into the earth, so the fence won’t work as it should beyond that point.”

5. Put it to the test

Additional health checks you can give you electric fencing include checking it’s well earthed.

“A good earth stake is a piece of galvanised angle iron about a metre of so long,” explains John. “You drive it two and a half to three feet into the ground. A fence doesn’t need to be a complete circuit, it can run in a straight line or an L-shape. When the horse touches the fence, he also earths it, which completes the circuit and is why he gets a shock.”

As well as checking the state of the earthing, John also advises using a pocket tester.

“It’s a simple piece of kit. There’s a little prong that you pop into the stick into the ground, and another little prong that you put onto the fence, and it gives you a reading in volts.

“Take a reading at the closest point to where that the energiser is connected to the fence, and then work away from that. I’d normally go to the next gateway or if there wasn’t one, the next half dozen or so posts.”

According to John, an appropriate voltage for horses is from 3,000–9,000V.

“Horses will respect anything from around 3,000V, though I personally wouldn’t want to touch a fence at around the 2,000V mark!” says John.

You can expect the voltage reading to be strongest close to the energiser, and a gradual drop in the reading as you move further away. However, a sudden significant drop in voltage always warrants further investigation – whether that’s into the condition of the electric tape or rope, the way the fence is earthed or the power supplied by the energiser.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the National Dressage Championships, Blenheim Horse Trials, Horse of the Year Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in…

Electric fencing for horses – everything you need for a temporary setup or strip-grazing

9 reasons riders love (and hate) autumn

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Ragwort, the common weed that plagues our paddocks, is high on the agenda of concerns for horse owners. But why is it important and what is the most effective way to remove it? H&H explains...

“Ragwort spreads very easily and because it contains the toxic compounds pyrrolizidine alkaloids, if eaten in any state, it can cause irreversible liver damage,” explains Gemma Stanford, British Horse Society’s (BHS) head of welfare.

“Ragwort poisoning damages the liver, resulting in severe disease and in some cases death.

“While most horses won’t immediately choose to eat ragwort due to it’s bitter taste, some develop a taste for it if nothing else is available. It also loses its unpalatable taste if it’s cut and dried and found in forage, but it doesn’t lose its toxicity.”

If left to grow, ragwort can spread quickly and easily which means keeping on top of its growth is vital. Under the Weeds Act 1959, landowners and occupiers can be ordered to control ragwort on their land to prevent the injurious weed from spreading.

How to spot the young plant

Ragwort’s first year of growth is called the rosette stage and its leaves look irregular with jagged edges.

“Rosette growth can vary greatly and they are often dark green but can also be tinged with purple,” says Emmeline Hannelly, BHS education officer.

“Even at rosette stage, the roots are relatively thick and quite tough.

“Ragwort seedlings appear from autumn to June and are usually spotted when around 10-15mm high, although often they go unnoticed until they reach rosette stage. They have a spade-shaped leaf that is notched at the top.”

Flowers usually appear from June to late October — the plants have large, flat-topped heads of yellow flowers.

“Seeds ripen in July and August and are normally shed from September,” adds Emmeline. “One plant can produce thousands of seeds, which can lie dormant for years. Established plants have a spreading root system which branch and spread quickly too.”

How to safely remove ragwort

Ragwort is biennial (flowers every two years) and its seeds lie dormant in the ground which means removal of the plant is required annually for at least two years to ensure the weed is brought under control. A combination of methods may be required to fully remove it, and it is vital that dead ragwort is cleared from the field as it becomes more palatable, but is still as toxic.

“We always advise wearing gloves when handling ragwort due to its toxicity,” says Gemma.

“A herbicide is one option of removing ragwort and should be used at the rosette stage in spring, but horses need to be removed from the pasture being sprayed. Only approved products should be used (a list can be found at www.pesticides.gov.uk), and some products require a qualified specialist to carry out the application.

“Herbicides should only be used on mild, calm days ensuring the vegetation is dry, and horses shouldn’t return to the pasture until the ragwort is fully disintegrated, which can take a few weeks.”

Biologist Dr Peter Lutman has also encouraged owners to act prior to the plant flowering, calling for them to remove it from their land by the end of April: “People wait until the ragwort flowers and then panic as it springs up everywhere. It’s much better to treat it in the spring before it starts growing.”

Other considerations include improving the pasture — ragwort thrives on poor quality pasture so improving the grass growth will make it harder for it to grow.

Hand-pulling before the plant has flowered is another option for smaller parcels of land, but you must ensure the whole of the root is removed, as any fragments left will result in the ragwort regrowing. Pulling when the soil is damp makes the job easier and more efficient.

How to dispose of ragwort

As ragwort is able to seed, even after removal from the ground, it should be placed in an enclosed container or secure bag — paper feed bags are best as they can be burnt.

“An important part of ragwort control is the safe and effective disposal of the plant to help reduce the risk of further spread,” explains Gemma. “The amount of ragwort to be disposed of, the facilities available on-site and local resources available will affect your disposal options.”

There are three main options for disposing of ragwort safely: controlled burning in small quantities and a safe location away from buildings and animals; rotting in a secure compost bin or similar with a lid; and using a waste-management company who will remove the ragwort for you.

You might also be interested in:

5 common plants that could kill your horse

While many plants can be poisonous if eaten to excess, there are some poisonous plants that horses should avoid at

Renting your field for grazing: where does responsibility lie?

The prospect of ponies grazing peacefully outside your kitchen window is an attractive one — but it is crucial to

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Subscribe today and enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus unlimited website access and digital versions of the magazine dating back to September 2012.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Rachel Fraser discovers the benefits of keeping horses on tracks and how to make changes to your set-up without breaking the bank

On a mission to help my horses reach — and stay at — a healthy weight, I came across the ‘Paddock Paradise’ or track system of keeping horses.

The (very) basic principle is to have a track — usually running around the perimeter of a field — with water, hay and supplements distributed at different points along it to ensure horses are motivated to keep moving.

Tracks can include a variety of surfaces, such as hardcore or woodchip, as well as obstacles, small logs for example, for horses to negotiate. Some tracks are entirely grass-free, but hay is usually provided ad-lib so the horse can learn to self-regulate its intake.

A wider area should also be provided along the track for the horses to gather, socialise and lie down.

How tracks can help equine weight loss

Track living has helped Charmaine Walker’s pony (pictured below) lose weight.

She explains: “It had been something I’d been experimenting with for a long time and a few months ago I was lucky enough to be offered my own yard to rent. The landowner is fantastic and was happy for me to have the track.

“I think attitudes towards tracks are changing and the system is gaining traction. It does take some time for those with more traditional set-ups to adjust, but honestly I have seen such a change with my two, I would be sad to go back to full paddock turnout.”

A livery yard using a track system

Lauren, who runs Graveney Equine as a track livery, explains how she came across this alternative horsey set-up: “I originally looked to a track system to help rehabilitate my horse’s hooves. She was only a youngster and had hoof cracks and seedy toe on all four feet when I took her on.

“I stumbled across the concept of barefoot trimming and the trimmer mentioned Paddock Paradise systems, we trialled it with my own horse. It took three months for her feet to be fully recovered and I had seen so many benefits to her temperament that I was so excited to see what else this set-up could achieve.

“We opened Graveney Equine in 2014 when we bought a house with its own land and setting up a track system as opposed to a generic paddock arrangement was a no brainer to me by this point.

“We now have a track of 1km that, after some extension work this summer, will be even longer. We currently have 15 horses but with demand being so high, our improvements will see us creating space for more.

“We have seen some incredible rehabilitation through this system. People often concentrate their focus on hoof health and weight loss but we have dealt with a couple of very challenging behavioural cases and a severe neglect case too.

“Our track system has thrived because it allows horses to be horses. Every time a horse is asked to live outside of its comfort zone of having ‘friends, forage and freedom’, we are putting stress on their system.

“To provide a much more species-appropriate way of living means that our horses can have their physiological and psychological needs met and stand much more chance of being fit mentally and physically.

“The other thing I love about these systems is that the sky is the limit. They develop, morph, adapt and grow as you experiment with what works and what needs improving. To be able to observe behaviour and use those observations to inform your future developments really ignites the perfectionist in me!”

How to set-up a track system without breaking the bank

Grass tracks are a good place to start — surfacing can be expensive or require planning and landowner permission, but a grass track can be set up relatively easily with temporary electric fencing.

Use what you have — if you have hedgerows with horse-friendly plants, incorporate these into your track to offer natural variety to your horse’s diet. Similarly, if your field has a shelter – natural or man-made – make sure your horse can access these on the track.

Obstacles — these can be a fun addition that needn’t cost the earth. If you have branches to cut-down, these can make log poles for your horse to walk or trot over — just make sure there’s a way around the edge if any members of the herd would struggle with polework.

Start small — as Lauren said, the possibilities for tracks to grow and develop over time are endless, so don’t worry about having the ‘perfect’ track from the word go — you can always add to it when you see what works well for your horses.

Do your research — for anyone interested in this alternative style of horse-keeping, ‘Paddock Paradise: A Guide to Natural Horse Boarding’ by Jaime Jackson is a must-read. There are also some very helpful track system groups on Facebook to swap suggestions and share advice with fellow ‘trackies’.

Further reading

You might also like:

Electric fencing for horses – everything you need for a temporary setup or strip-grazing

17 ways you can help your horse lose weight

Electric fence energisers for every setup

Best grazing muzzle options to help reduce your horse’s daily intake

The best ways to safely deal with ragwort

Are buttercups poisonous to horses? We ask the experts…

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Strip grazing involves fencing off a small area (or strip) in your horse’s field and moving it regularly to allow him access to fresh grass. The easiest way to set it up is with temporary electric fencing – how often you move this fencing will depend on the grass growth and how much your horse needs to consume, which will vary throughout the year.

It’s best practice to move the fencing on both sides of the grazing area at the same time, so that the grazing strip remains the same size as it moves across the field. This creates three areas…

• recovering area – the section your horse has just moved on from
• grazing area – the section between the two fences that your horse can graze
• resting area – the area that your horse will move onto next

Why is strip grazing useful?

Strip grazing can help to…

• protect your field – it allows your pasture to rest and recover, which promotes healthy grass growth and overpopulation of weeds caused by overgrazing
• manage your horse’s weight by reducing his intake
• help your horse adjust to a new field by gradually increasing the size of the grazing area

What do you need for strip grazing?

Temporary electric fencing is the best option for strip grazing because you’ll need to move it regularly. It’s lightweight, easy to move and inexpensive in comparison to more permanent options. We’ve rounded up everything you need to set up temporary electric fencing.

How to strip graze

• Set up your fencing, making sure there’s enough space for the number of horses and that they still have access to shelter and water.
• When the grass has been eaten down, move the fence lines by approximately 1m. This will open up part of the resting section to become part of the grazing area, while allowing another part to become part of the recovery section.
• Continue in this way until you reach the end of the field and then either begin again or work your way back across.
• Tend to the recovering and resting areas with harrowing, topping or reseeding as required.

Strip grazing tips

• Ensure the grazing strip is an appropriate size — too little space will put pressure on herd dynamics, while too much space will make it difficult to manage intake effectively
• Move the fencing regularly
• Have some spare posts and tape handy in case of breakages
• Use the growth of the rested area as a guide to how much your horse is eating on a daily basis
• Avoid designing a setup with too many corners – these put strain on your posts and cause them to bend
• Remove droppings regularly

What is a track system?

A track system usually divides a paddock into a grazing and resting area by marking out a grazing ‘track’ around the perimeter to create a loop with the ungrazed area in the centre. It encourages your horse to move more while grazing, which mimics the greater distances covered in the while. It can also help your horse to burn extra calories.

Track systems typically offer less options for rotating the grazing, but you can add a variety of different surfaces, such as sand, to replicate a more wild environment. It’s likely that you’ll need to provide supplementary forage if you opt for a track system as the grazing area will become over-grazed in time.

You may also be interested in…

Track living: the alternative horsey set-up

The 10 commandments of electric fencing

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

The equestrian industry must make better decisions to reduce its environmental impact – and act as “guardians of the landscape”.

Water company United Utilities is collaborating with horse owners to help improve their land management, with the view of helping their equines – and protecting water sources.

United Utilities catchment manager Kate Snow told H&H equestrians can play their part in helping the environment by considering things such as their grazing practices, the location of their muck heaps, and the use of chemicals and fertilisers. The company is hosting three free events (28 January, 7 and 28 February) at Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre in Cheshire, where owners can hear from land management experts and equine professionals on the topic.

“We want to encourage owners to act responsibly,” said Dr Snow. “Looking at a piece of land, some people might just think of it as somewhere to turn their horse out, rather than considering the environment. And many people don’t know that what they’re doing potentially could be having an impact.

“No one is saying anyone is doing anything [negative] on purpose, but it’s raising awareness of what you can do. For example, simply moving your muck to a different part of the field can make a considerable difference, or making sure the person you use to take the muck away is acting responsibly and spreading it as part of a nutrient management plan, and not just dumping it.”

British Equestrian (BEF) has launched a new five-month environmental sustainability project with Horse Sport Ireland (HSI), in collaboration with sustainability agency White Griffin. The European Equestrian Federation will also be a project stakeholder.

White Griffin will conduct interviews with BEF and HSI member bodies and the wider equine community, about how sustainability impacts them, what work is being carried out, concerns, and the way forward, with the aim of reaching “as many people involved in the industry as possible.”

White Griffin project lead Ruth Dancer told H&H the work will lead to recommendations and a “strategic roadmap”, to support the federations with the risks that climate change will present in the coming years, and their “ongoing responsible stewardship of the land”.

“The climate crisis impacts everything that this sector does and in turn, the sector impacts upon it. Through this work we hope to demonstrate ways the industry can positively impact the environment while crucially safeguarding the future of equestrianism and equestrian sports,” she said.

BEF chief executive Jim Eyre added that the industry has a “collective responsibility” for the environment, to ensure a sustainable future.

“As a sector so integrated and reliant on nature and the countryside, we must make better informed decisions to reduce our environmental impact wherever we can and act as guardians of the landscape,” he said.

You might also be interested in:

‘This will help you’: why caring for the environment is vital for the equestrian industry

How all equestrians can help make the world a greener place

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

More equestrians are considering how alternative grazing systems can have a positive impact on the environment, as well as their horses, research has shown.

A newly published study looking at the use of grazing methods, including tracks, the Equicentral System (a land management practice that focuses on sustainability and equine welfare) and woodland turnout, has revealed “promising insight” into owners’ behaviour and attitudes towards sustainability.

The online survey received 758 responses and aimed to look at different systems being used in the UK and for what reasons, for example for weight management, but “unexpected” results showed owners were also giving consideration to biodiversity, soil health and rewilding when using alternative grazing systems.

Responses included one participant who poo-picked daily, but used the muck to spread around the hedgerows and middle grazing of the track for dung beetles, and another who did not fertilise fields or reseed in order not to upset the equilibrium of the land.

Researcher Tamzin Furtado, of the University of Liverpool, told H&H the findings were “really exciting”.

“We discovered people are thinking much more broadly than just about their horses’ health, but how they can incorporate environmental principles as well,” she said.

“There was such diversity in what people were doing and there were definitely things we could all do more of, whether you are based at a livery yard or at home. From things like installing bird boxes, reducing the use of wormers or leaving logs in the corner of the field for insect life, they can all have an impact.”

Dr Furtado said she believes there has been a change in attitudes towards the environment, particularly since the COP26 summit in November, and more owners are looking at what they can do to help the environment.

“We’ve heard about how to make our gardens environmentally friendly and what farming can do to be more sustainable. But horse owners have such an exciting opportunity because we manage so much land between the whole horse-owning community,” she said, adding that there are hopes for future research on the topic.

“We would like to look at the differences in wildlife habitat, soil health and plant diversity in a range of places from livery yards to private yards and those with track systems, and compare how the land is managed.

“We would also like to talk to owners who have made a change to be more environmentally friendly and find out what made them do it and what changes they are seeing, so we can share those different strategies with other owners.”

One of the survey’s respondents, Hannah, set up a grass track for her horse and pony in Wales two years ago for weight management purposes.

“Our land was sort of rough grazing. There were a lot of nettles and brambles and really mature hedges, and I didn’t want to just get rid of all of that and have short grass everywhere,” she told H&H.

“With the track, the middle grows very long and I allow it to seed and we’ll get wild flowers. We get some kestrels and they can use this area for hunting when the horses aren’t on it. I think there’s a lot of wildlife there that wouldn’t be if we just kept it really short all the time. I also try to dig out any weeds so I’m not spraying them with chemicals, which keeps the nice wild flowers in the grass.”

Hannah, who is a biologist, said that managing her land not just for her horses, but for wildlife too, is important to her and she recommends grass tracks to others.

“I’m aware horses can damage the land and poach it, so we want to maximise the area we’ve got by using the track. Even if you need all the land for horses, you can always leave a small bit for wildlife, like keeping plants or hedges. Horses like picking at leaves and berries so it provides enrichment for them, too,” she said.

“When setting up a grass track, the greatest expense was the electric fencing, but you might have that if you’re dividing the field anyway. I imagine some people are quite restricted in what they can do with their land – for example, for people renting or where landowners don’t want permanent fencing, but having grass tracks with an electric fence is an easy way to do this.”

Roly Owers, World Horse Welfare chief executive, told H&H what the study highlights “so well” is that many of the elements of good traditional management – such as low grazing densities, rotation and allowing areas to rest – can also offer better environmental conditions when compared to other more intensively managed and grazed areas.

“Collectively, equines graze a huge amount of land, which makes horse owners – knowingly or not – significant environmental stewards of our precious countryside, so small changes really can make big differences,” he said.

“The findings of this paper will hopefully help to encourage us to make informed choices about how we keep our horses and include the environmental impact among the many factors considered when making those choices, while always putting horse welfare first.”

You might also be interested in:

Track living: the alternative horsey set-up

How all equestrians can help make the world a greener place

Why equids must be part of plans to cope with climate change

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

It’s that time of year when horse owners are gearing up for the arrival of spring grass, but when does grass start growing in the UK? After a particularly wet, dark and miserable winter , it’s no surprise that our paddocks resemble vast pool of squelchy mud, rather than the luscious green pastures of our dreams.

What can horse owners actually do to optimise grass growth this spring? We talk to grassland specialist Sara Gregson from Talking Grass, who puts us on the right track.

How has the winter affected this year’s crop of spring grass?

“The spring this year is very late coming,” says Sara. “And it follows a very wet, late 2017 summer and autumn, so many paddocks are muddy and the soil is damaged and compacted so water can’t drain away.

“It has been raining more than usual this spring — for example, Gloucestershire normally expects 50mm in March, but had 125mm this year.

Grass starts growing when the soil temperatures reach between 5° to 6°C, and temperatures have stayed stubbornly low this spring. Wet soil is also colder than dry soil, which is why the grass is not growing yet.

“With a bit of sunshine, grass will start growing very quickly, so be prepared for a rush of growth when it comes.”

What do horse owners often overlook when it comes to growing grass?

Horse owners need to decide what the primary purpose of the field or paddock is, according to Sara. Is it to provide a food source or is it just a loafing area?

“If it is loafing/exercise area, the grass needs to comprise of amenity-style grasses that are dense and knit together into a carpet-like surface. Areas subject to excessive wear, such as fence lines where horses march up and down, will need higher grass seeding rates seed than the rest of the field,” she says.

“If the paddock is to provide the horse’s food, then the field must be sown with a purpose-built seeds mixture such as Oliver Seeds Paddock Mix or Horse Herb Grazing Mix. The latter has a wide variety of good plants for horses in it, including late perennial ryegrass, meadow fescue, cocksfoot, timothy, strong creeping red fescue, crested dogstail and creeping bent.”

Good to know: “Changing what is growing in a horse paddock depends on whether the paddock is owned or rented,” adds Rod Bonshor of Oliver Seeds. “If owned, the horse owner can get a local farmer or contractor to come in to plough and reseed the field and get exactly what they want. If someone else owns it, there would have to be some negotiation on what is sown and who pays to get it done.”

What can I do now to encourage growth?

“To get the best out of any field, it needs to be nurtured and managed,” says Sara. “If the field cannot be reseeded from scratch, paddock renovation is the answer. This will place new grass seeds into the muddy, bare patches and challenge weeds, such as docks and nettles coming in and taking over.”

Sara’s blue-print for over-seeding horse paddocks:

• Check the nutrient status of the soil — grass, like all ‘crops’ needs feeding to perform to its best. Soil samples can be collected and sent off to a lab for analysis (cost around £15). This will tell whether the main nutrients of nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) or potash (K) are lacking and also whether the soil is acid or alkaline. Grass prefers to grow in alkaline soil. If it is too acidic, having lime applied can really boost grass growth.
• Break up soil — if the soil is very compacted and feels hard to walk over, it will need breaking up to allow water and air to permeate throughout the soil profile. Local farmers or contractors might have machinery like a sward slitter which can be dragged through the field to open up the upper layers.
• Remove all weeds — by hand or by spraying if there are too many to dig out.

If you have machinery…

• Remove all surface growth to leave 5cm of grass by mowing or getting some sheep in to graze it down.
• Grass harrow the field in both directions to remove surface trash and moss.
• Sow the seed by using a broadcasting machine (throwing it in all directions) or direct drilling (in rows). The aim is to get ‘soil to seed’ contact. Do not sow seeds deeper than 1cm.
• Sow at a seed rate of 7-10kg/acre, but be prepared to increase to the full sowing rate of 14kg/acre if sward damage is extensive or the plant population is very thin.
• Roll the field in both directions with a ring roller to ensure good seed to soil contact.
• New plants will need a supply of phosphate and potash to develop new roots. Applying about 2x50kg bags/acre of a low N, high P and K fertiliser will really help to get things going.

If you don’t have machinery…

• Use a lawn mower or graze with sheep to produce a short sward and remove all clippings.
• Use a garden rake to remove the surface trash and loosen the soil surface.
• Broadcast the seed by hand throwing the seed in several directions.
• Sow at a seed rate of 3 to 5 grams/m².
• Roll with a garden roller or simply tread the seed in to ensure good contact with the soil.
• Fertilise as above.

In both scenarios and depending on the weather conditions, Sara says the grass should germinate within two weeks. “Keep horses off the newly reseeded pasture until the grass is strong enough to withstand them — possibly two to three months.”

How much will it cost approximately?

Are there any potential horse health risks to using seeds on the grass?

“There are no health risks to horses of rejuvenating paddocks. It will make the grasses stronger, healthier and more nutritious,” says Sara.

What types of weeds grow when the grass is in such a condition (wet and poached)?

“Weeds are a frequent problem in overgrazed and neglected horse paddocks. While horses relish mixed swards to graze, weeds such as ragwort, thistles, docks, nettles, buttercups and dandelions are not to be encouraged,” Sara adds.

“Horses urinate and defecate in the same areas of a field, which often have tall, coarse grasses and weeds that have been stimulated by over-supply of nutrients and lack of grazing.

“Weeds easily colonise areas where there is bare and damaged soil. Where a wide range of weeds such as buttercups, dandelions and docks, are a problem, a new herbicide for use in horse paddocks, called Envy, from Dow AgroSciences can be used.

“This needs to be applied through a tractor-mounted or self-propelled boom sprayer. Horses need to be taken out of the field for seven days after treatment — which is a lot less time than for many herbicides.

“If paddock owners want to apply herbicide with a knapsack sprayer, GrazonPro is one of a limited number of products that can be applied using this method. It gives excellent control of docks, thistles, nettles and also brambles, gorse and broom.

“Envy and GrazonPro are classed as professional use pesticides. This means they can be bought by anyone, but can only be applied by people who have completed appropriate city and guilds/National Proficiency Test Council (NPTC) courses.

“Most paddock owners will contract out their spraying to local certified farmers or contractors. To help find one visit naac.co.uk.”

Managing toilet sites

“Horses urinate and defecate in the same areas of a field and will not graze there. This may be natural worm control, as these toilet areas contain 500 times the number of infective larvae compared to the rest of the paddock,” says Sara.

“Latrines must be managed to stop them spreading. Harrowing undertaken on a hot summy day will spread and breakdown the dung and dry out the worms, killing them. But it is essential to rest the paddock after harrowing and to follow a sound veterinary-led worming regime with your horses.”

What can horse owners be doing to ensure grass growth is better next spring ?

“Good grassland management is required throughout the year to prevent both under-grazing and over-grazing. This will allow the grass to get through the winter to perform well again next year,” says Sara.

“Using an electric fence to sub-divide the field into smaller sections and rotating the horses around gives each area the chance to rest and recover.

“Horses should be moved on to the next section when the height of the grass has been grazed down to 2.5cm and not come back until it has grown back to between 8 and 12cm.

“If the autumn comes wet again, stable the horses earlier than normal to prevent soil damage and poaching, which would reduce the amount of grass that will grow in spring 2019 and encourage colonization by weeds.”

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Do your paddocks resemble the aftermath of a battle field? This step-by-step guide will have your paddocks back to health in no time…

Sample the soil

“Early spring is a good time to test your soil for any nutrient or mineral deficiencies that will limit future grass growth,” says Hazel Gwilym from Equine Paddock Maintenance. “A pH test can be carried out on site in the paddock or a sample can be collected and sent off to a lab.”

A soil sample will test for key nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. “Soils that are deficient in key nutrients will produce poor quality grass,” says Sophie Cookson, British Horse Society welfare co-ordinator. “The ideal pH level for horse pastures is between pH 6-6.5. If soil becomes too acidic lime will help to restore the ideal pH for grass growth.”

Mark Smith of Shire Country Services offers a soil sample test that will cost around £25+VAT. “That is for a basic agricultural soil sample which tells you the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels,” he says.

Harrowing, seeding and rolling

“Springtime harrowing pulls up dead grass and thatch, aerates the sward and encourages better growth,” says Mark.

“Timing is crucial to both harrowing and rolling, if you are able to kick the soil surface and it not stick to your boots or it has a crumbly texture it gives a fair indication that your ground is suitable for work to commence,” adds Hazel.

Re-seeding can be performed from late March through
 to late September and should be followed by rolling to encourage germination and consolidate loose soil.

“When reseeding, we suggest anything from 5 kilos upwards per acre which costs around £4 per kilo,” Mark says. “The soil needs to be warm for the seed to germinate.”

Specialist seed mixes, which incorporate a mixed sward of grasses and herbs, are widely available for equine pasture to help provide the correct balance of nutrients.

“Horses should not graze young grass until it is well established,” Sophie advises. “New growth should ideally be five to six inches long before it is grazed and horses must be introduced to new pasture gradually.”

Traditionally, harrowing is used to spread the droppings on the pasture to act as a natural fertiliser.

“Pasture will be unpalatable to horses for a minimum of six weeks and internal parasites will be spread across the whole pasture,” explains Sophie. “Therefore, harrowing should be undertaken in dry, warm conditions, which allows the droppings to dry out and kill any parasites.”

Spraying and dealing with gateways

Weeds thrive on poached, damaged areas of pasture, particularly after a wet winter. “Weeds are stronger than grass and suppress grass growth,” says Mark.

“Spraying in the springtime should knock out 80-90% of the weeds. If you do that again the following year, you might end up with a clean soil and not need to spray for a few years. Speak to a specialist about the correct spray to use.”

Heavy traffic areas such as gateways and fence lines are typically bad after winter, so laying limestone, gravel, wood chip or grass matting will prevent further damage.

Like this? You might also enjoy reading these:

How to help prevent your horse from losing a shoe

The best way to deal with muddy gateways

Flooded paddocks — what’s the damage?

Elaine Jewkes, director of the British Grassland Society, offers some pointers on what may have happened and what to do.

“Poaching from hooves on wet ground causes small pockets of damaged grass, which allows weeds to get a hold. Weed seeds and debris may have also been brought in by floodwater, so keep an eye out over the season and address any problems promptly.

“It’s important to do a standard soil test, as although flooding may bring sediments rich in nutrients, it can also suffocate grass if the deposit is 5cm or more. Harrowing may help spread the sediments and allow the grass to grow.

“Lengthy flooding may have caused significant grass kill, so reseeding may be needed, depending on how bad the damage is.

“Floodwater can also cause physical and chemical changes in the soil that alter the structure, so when the soil is a little drier, dig some holes and assess the degree of compaction. If the damage is significant, slit aeration [method of aerating the soil] or sward lifting [lifting the topsoil just below the depth of compaction] may be needed — these are probably contractor jobs.”

Keep up to date with all the latest equestrian news, reports, interviews, features and much more in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Spring has finally sprung — show schedules are out, bridleways are drying off, fields are beginning to turn green, and all is right with the world.

But now the days are longer and brighter, and your horse is out more, it’s time to look at the damage winter has wreaked and put it to rights…

1. Clean, repair and proof horse rugs

Sighing with relief at no longer having to wrestle with muddy heavyweight turnouts, you can send those off to be cleaned and proofed ready for next year and get your lightweights out instead. If you haven’t done it already, these will also need to be checked for tears, mended, cleaned and proofed. Now’s a good time to wash your lightweight stable rugs, summer sheets, fleeces and coolers ready for the season, too. Better get on with it.

2. Out with the old, in with the new

If your horse has spent those long winter nights in his stable trying to destroy his haynets and buckets (well, everyone needs a hobby) then chuck out the ones that are completely beyond repair. While you’re at it, why not get the puncture repair kit out and sort out that flat wheelbarrow tyre, re-attach the broom head with gaffer tape so it doesn’t fall off every time you sweep the yard, and replace the fork-head that lost a prong every time there was a frost? If you’re feeling brave, you could even try to persuade your yard-mates to club together with you to buy new ones.

3. Get your saddle checked

Your horse may well have changed shape over winter, and with the competition season looming, it’s a good idea to get your saddle checked to ensure he’s comfortable and ready for the task ahead. Now would be a good time to get his teeth and back checked, too.

4. Spring-clean those stables

With your horse out more, you can finally blitz the stable he’s been living in all winter. Remove any rubber matting and give it a good scrub, and hose the stable down with a pressure washer together with a good disinfectant — make sure it’s animal friendly, non-toxic and safe to use with rubber matting (if necessary.) Safe4disinfectant is used by vets and has DEFRA approval (www.safe4disinfectant.com), or you could try Fieldguard’s Green Gloop, which is harmless to animals and environmentally friendly.

5. Get your fields summer-ready

Consider chain-harrowing your pasture to remove any dead grass, even poached areas, and allow the soil to be aerated. According to Cotswolds Grass Seeds’ pasture management calendar, March/April is also the time to decide whether your paddocks could benefit from over-seeding or re-seeding, and to apply fertiliser (slow-release is best as too much nitrogen can cause high levels of protein in the grass, which is not ideal for laminitic horses.) Visit www.cotswoldseeds.com for more information. The BHS recommends rolling to flatten any poached areas in spring, and taking action against weeds and poisonous plants. Download their PDF on pasture management from www.bhs.org.uk.

6. Test for tapeworm

If you follow an interval worming programme (the administration of specific anthelmintic treatments at set intervals throughout the year), then March is the time to dose for tapeworm and other routine worms. Due to the problem of increased wormer resistance among horses, the BHS guidelines on worming now recommend targeted strategic dosing based on worm egg counts instead of interval worming, with worm (faecal) egg counts being performed every eight-10 weeks. However, as the guidelines point out: “Tapeworms are not detected by routine worm egg counts, so a tapeworm test (either through blood or saliva) should be carried out in spring and autumn.” Download their PDF on worm control from www.bhs.org.uk for more information.

Like this? You might also enjoy reading these:

9 reasons we can’t wait for spring

12 signs it (might be) nearly springtime

My winter fields are trashed: what can I do?

7. Clean out your water trough

It’s a chore that should be tackled regularly but is easily forgotten, so add it to your horsey spring-cleaning list. Google it, and you’ll find various suggestions online for keeping your horse’s water trough clean and fresh. These suggestions range from adding cider vinegar to goldfish (yes, really!), but your safest and best solution for a clean trough is good old fashioned elbow grease. Drain the water out, get a stiff scrubbing brush, and scrub the algae and scum out of the trough before refilling it. Obviously, don’t use bleach or any toxic cleaning agents. Your horse will thank you for it.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

It has not been an easy winter and you are certainly not the only horse owner who is now asking themselves: “how can I improve my horses’ grazing?” ahead of the summer months.

Here are some useful tips to help turn your paddocks from rutted mud pits into beautiful grassland:

1 Year-round maintenance is key when trying to improve your grazing: the more you look after your paddocks, the more you will get out of them. Don’t wait until they look like the Somme before you do anything. Keep an eye out for weeds and poisonous plants, which should be removed and disposed of immediately to prevent the reseeding, throughout the year.

2 Avoid overgrazing: easier said than done if you are running a yard full of horses. However, if the grass isn’t rested, it won’t be able to grow and any bare patches of soil will encourage weeds. If you feed horses outside, use different parts of the field so one area doesn’t get badly poached.

3 Harrowing or scarifying can improve grazing land: this is an excellent way to promote new grass growth for the spring and summer. It pulls out the dead matter and allows air to circulate into the soil’s surface. This creates the anaerobic conditions needed for the production of nitrates — the form of nitrogen most easily taken up by plants.

4 Rolling: If your paddocks have taken a hammering over the winter, rolling will be necessary. Timing is crucial, as you need the ground not too wet but not too dry. If you roll a field when it is too wet, the soil may be compacted, which restricts and slows grass growth. Too dry and nothing will happen.

5 Fertilising paddocks is important too: it is necessary to provide good conditions for the grass to grow. It is important to replace the nutrients lost through grazing, hay crops etc.

6 Reseeding: Spread grass seed on poor areas as they appear, or if your pasture needs a complete re-seed, do it in spring or early autumn. Gateways and fence lines are likely to need extra attention as they can become particularly poached. If it’s possible to have more than one gateway, this will enable you to split the high traffic points, giving the other gateway time to recover.

7 Maintaining grass height: Lush green grass may look healthy, but it is usually unsuitably high in nitrogen, or has grown rank and sour from droppings. Alternating horses with sheep will control the length of the grass and help prevent the paddock from becoming “horse-sick”. Alternatively keep grass topped to around 5cm during the summer by mechanical means.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

We’ve heard of nanny goats, now there’s a sheep to babysit your horses – or at least help with grazing.

Easycare sheep are a “low-maintenance” breed that do not need shearing and are being promoted to horse owners to help control paddocks.

Maternal Sheep Group, launched last month to promote the breed, is a collective of 20 breeders from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Easycare sheep, a Welsh hybrid, grows enough wool over the winter to protect itself against the weather, but sheds it in spring.

The breeders also claim their sheep have fewer foot problems and lamb easily.

Sheep grazed with horses can contribute to controlling worms in equines – horse worms picked up by sheep die, cutting the number ingested by horses.

Vet Barry Sangster has 70 Easycare ewes and said: “The sheep give horse owners an excellent opportunity to utilise excess grass or rough ground.

“We have selected our flocks to reduce the work required.”

For more information visit: www.maternalsheep.co.uk.

This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (6 September 2012)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Q: I have a one-acre paddock and I am at a loss as to how to treat the moss within it. The field has been spiked and raked and is due to be fertilised in the next couple of weeks, but I have yet to find the best product to deal with the moss.

DF, Perthshire

Moss usually proliferates in poorly-drained soils and shady areas. According to independent equine nutritionist Christine Smy, lifting up the moss tends to have no effect, as it regrows and moss poisoners do not prevent regrowth, unless the field conditions are changed.

“There’s no concrete data confirming the long-term effect of moss on horses, but the horse should ideally be dissuaded from eating it,” said Christine.

“However, most pasture contains varying amounts of moss and the grazing horse would probably ingest a certain amount.”

In the longer term, you need to address the field conditions.

While you cannot change aspects such as the amount of sunlight your field gets, you could look at other management tasks — try rolling the field before fertilisation. This helps provide a level surface for the new seeds, as rutted soil causes uneven growth.

“You could also increase the soil pH with lime; a cheap option to help improve soil quality,” said Christine.

“Also, you will probably find that only grasses ideal for growth on damp ground with poor drainage will grow on your land — these may include buttercup, which is poisonous to horses, and possibly daisies.

These inferior grasses may grow to the detriment of other species that off better quality paddock grass.

The best way to remove moss is with a moss killer — ask your local agricultural supplier for advice — before treating the soil with lime and reseeding with a paddock mix.

“Hopefully the grass will grow before the moss takes hold again!” said Christine.

“If you choose this route, the horse will have to be moved out of the section of paddock you’re treating for around six months or longer, until the area is regenerated; you may have to reseed more than once if the damp conditions remain.”

This Ask Horse & Hound query was first published in H&H 24 March, 2011

My yard owner has agreed to invest in some kind of field/manure cleaner. How efficient are they and can people of any age drive them on private land?

Opinion is divided regarding the efficiency of these machines. Common criticisms are that they are impractical — as the operator may need to keep getting off the tractor or quad bike towing the machine to operate the suction hose — and expensive because they consume a fair amount of fuel and cost between £2,000-£5,000 to buy.

“Unless you have a large number of horses turned out 24/7, I’d stick to the wheelbarrow and make the most of the opportunity to bond with the horses in the field,” advises one H&H forum user.

However, Anna Eltsina from Richmond, who has livestock on her land and keeps three horses at livery, is a big fan of suction paddock cleaners.

“As I have a bad back and find it difficult to bend down to muck out and clean the fields, a few years ago I bought a simple model, which is pulled by a tractor,” she says. “Mine is powered by a two-stroke petrol engine and has a light pick-up hose. It was £2,000 well spent and makes mucking out a breeze.”

The suction in paddock cleaners has increased over the years — current models use heavy-duty internal fans, which produce a strong airflow. In general, cleaners are now stronger and easier to use, and many machines are hydraulically tipped to empty, meaning they are great for people with limited mobility or bad backs.

There is often no minimum age recommended for using paddock cleaners, or the vehicles that tow them, on private land, but parents and yard owners should exercise their judgement regarding young people using such equipment.

Insurance cover, including public liability, is required if such machinery is to be used by liveries, according to Jeremy Lawton of Shearwater Insurance Services Ltd.

“The yard owner could be liable if an accident occurs and in this case, would be responsible for providing cover. The yard owner should contact their insurer to find out the specific requirements,” he explains.

“If the vehicle is to go on the road at any point, it would need to have its own insurance,” he adds. “Should the driver of the machine have their own personal accident policy — again depending on the insurer — they would be covered under the terms of that policy.”

Michael George Prigg, managing director of Terra Vac, which manufactures paddock cleaners, acknowledges that suction cleaners are sometimes perceived to be expensive to run, but points out that petrol-driven models cost from £2.37 per hour, while diesel and PTO driven models (those using power take-off, a device that transfers power from the engine) cost from just 46p per hour.

For more information

• Shearwater Insurance Services Ltd (tel: 08700 767666) www.shearwater-insurance.co.uk
• Terra Vac (tel: 01440 712171) www.terra-vac.com

This Q&A feature was first published in Horse & Hound (19 July, ’07)

Q: A neighbour has asked if he could rent our 10-acre field. He wants to put some stables up, and says he will apply for planning permission. Our solicitor, who is not horsey, is not keen for us to put anything in writing as it would make us responsible for any problems. I am sure there is a way round this and would be grateful if you could suggest what we should include in a rental agreement. I would also like to know if our neighbour can apply for planning permission for our land, and what type of permission he may need.

A: Your solicitor’s negativity may be because there are many pitfalls relating to property law, as planning consultant Judith Norris explains: “If you allow someone to use your land for anything other than grazing — for which a licence can be granted — you must enter into a full contractual arrangement for a clear term and for a rent.

“This is likely to be described as a business tenancy because it will fall outside the terms of a farm business tenancy, as horses are not considered agricultural.”

Judith advises first establishing a clear agreement on how your land will be used and what will happen at the end of the lease. Areas to consider include: design of the stabling, access, use of the field (private or commercial), operational issues such as pollution, care and management of the horses and who will remove stabling and the muck heap.

“The lease itself needs to be drawn up to ensure that no statutory protection is granted to the tenant,” adds Judith.

With regard to planning permission, Rebecca Wilson MRICS of the Equine Consultancy Group says: “Anyone can apply for planning permission on anyone else’s land with or without their consent, but the owner must be notified using a prescribed form.

“Grazing horses is an accepted use in planning terms, as it comes under the legal planning definition of ‘agriculture’. However, as soon as the land is used for riding, jumping or even horses who are turned out, but their means of nutrition is not primarily grazed grass, then case law has held that planning permission is needed for a change of use.

“Conditions limiting the use of the field are usually imposed by the local authority.”

“If stabling is being sought, then a change of use of at least some of the grazing land is usually applied for in the same application. The fee for planning permission depends on the size of the stable block being sought.”

Both experts stress that a refused planning application may blight the property.

Judith says: “The option of letting the land as grazing, perhaps with permission for a mobile field shelter, would be easier to monitor and manage.”

• Judith Norris Limited (tel: 01580 201888) www.judithnorris.co.uk
• Equine Consultancy Group (tel: 01666 880120) www.equineconsultancygroup.co.uk
• This Q&A was first published in Horse & Hound (25 January ’07)

Q: I am considering moving livery yards and have been to see one that has just opened up. I was impressed by the yard, but am concerned about the grazing, which is on an old landfill site. Will the grass contain contaminants from the waste? Where can I find out more about the suitability of ex-landfill sites for grazing?

A: While this may seem a worrying prospect, it is unlikely that the grass on the former landfill site would harm your horse.

The Landfill Regulations 2002, and the previous 2000 regulations, govern the operation of landfill sites in England and Wales — Scotland has its own regulations — and the way they are monitored once they have closed.

Planning permission is required to establish a landfill site and the operator must obtain a permit that states its classification — whether it is allowed to take hazardous, non-hazardous or inert (non-biodegradable) waste.

To find out more about the site you are considering, contact your local authority, either by phone or via its website, to determine the site’s classification, how long ago it was closed and information on its monitoring.

For example, East Sussex County Council monitors 17 former landfill sites that were previously used to dispose of “rubbish from the construction industry, commercial businesses and households”.

It states that, if the future land use were not previously agreed as part of the planning application, “the site will usually be restored so that it can be used for either recreational purposes, such as golf courses or football pitches, or for agriculture such as grazing”.

On the safety of former landfill sites, it says: “Landfill sites that are regularly monitored and any leachate [any liquid percolating through deposited waste and emitted from or contained within a landfill] removed are relatively safe. There is a slight risk from escaped landfill gases, but if this happens it is more likely to cause plants and trees to die than cause an explosion. Any gases released go straight into the atmosphere.”

Most of the former landfill sites across East Sussex are more than 30 years old.

“Many of these sites were filled with harmless rubbish, for example, rubble and hardcore. If the site did accept any domestic rubbish such as meat, bones or food, these will have rotted away by now,” says the council.

Of the 17 sites currently monitored by East Sussex, it removes leachate from five and their details can be found on the council’s website.

If you are still concerned after finding out the background of the livery yard’s site, you could use your local authority’s website to obtain contact details of other former landfills being used for grazing, and contact the users of these sites to gain their views.

• This Q&A was first published in Horse & Hound (4 January, ’07)

Q: I’m confused about when it’s necessary to have planning permission for paddocks. Do “mobile” shelters need permission? And do I need a change of planning if I feed my horse hay over the winter? PB, Sussex

A: Generally, local authorities will accept that a “genuinely movable” field shelter does not need planning permission. Genuinely movable means that it can be towed by a quad, a tractor or a 4×4 vehicle. Buildings fixed in a permanent position with a base, even though they may be on skids or wheels, are not permissible.

The right to place a field shelter is covered by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, and the local authority may withdraw this right by imposing an Article 4 Direction. Find out more by contacting your local planning authority.

On a general note, if you are thinking of using a mobile shelter it is worth considering where it will be placed on the land to minimise its visual impact. Positioning it next to a hedge and/or away from a road or footpath can help. If your land is within a National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty this will be doubly important.

Regarding the feeding of hay to your horse over the winter, the need for planning permission for change of use does not revolve solely on whether hay is fed. The use of land for grazing horses does not require planning permission provided the majority of the animal’s food is obtained from the land. This is considered to be an agricultural use of the land. However, if the grazing is part of a commercial activity, such as livery, this will require planning permission.

If horses are turned out on the land for exercise and the grazing is incidental to keeping them on land — as opposed to grazing them — it is not considered to be an agricultural use and will require planning permission for change of use.

• For more information about planning issues contact Judith Norris Ltd (tel: 01580 201888) www.judithnorris.co.ukAsk Horse & HoundIf you’re struggling to solve an equine dilemma, you may find the answer in Horse & Hound’s weekly advice column, which covers topics as diverse as horse purchase and yard planning problems to what to do if your arena is invaded by bees. If you don’t find the answer to your question in our online archive, email your problem to HHadvice@ipcmedia.com and we will see if we can help.

A week of warmer weather and the changing of the clocks will undoubtedly lift the spirits of nearly every horse owner. However, these changes also tell us spring is here and that the grass is growing faster, so for owners of horses prone to being overweight or suffer from laminitis, the news isn’t all good.

With most horses going into the winter in good condition, there hasn’t been much cold weather to burn off any excess weight, and many horses have come out of winter in much the same shape they went in.

A facet of the milder winters we are experiencing is that grass continues to grow longer into the winter and starts to grow earlier in the spring. As a rule of thumb, if the soil temperature is above 5ºC, grass will grow.

A downside of warmer, wetter weather is that the soil of horse pasture is more likely to suffer hoof damage. If the ground is not maintained, it will deteriorate into a horse-sick, weedy mess within a matter of seasons.

More grass is great news for those such as breeders who use it as a good source of nutrition for their horses and have the time to maintain it. Plentiful grass is less good for time-poor owners and those with animals susceptible to laminitis. For these, less grass would be more beneficial in terms of animal health and paddock maintenance – setting up a track system might be a useful option if your landowner will allow.

Spring grass, even in the poorest horse pastures, is high in nutritional value, especially when compared to winter forages. It is high in energy, derived from its sugar and protein contents. Excess protein is converted in the body and stored as fat.

A study in the US showed that spring pasture has a protein content of nearly 30%, while research from the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research in Aberystwyth showed grass sugar (sucrose and fructan) levels to be 20-30% of the plant’s dry matter.

As such, it makes sense to limit access to grazing for susceptible animals and to limit time spent out on spring grass for horses turned out for the first time after winter, to allow their digestive systems to adapt.

Spring paddock maintenance

• Sort out winter poaching damage to repair damaged soil structure, improve drainage and reduce weed invasion
• Roll paddocks to even out the hoof damage or, at the very least, tread divots as you collect droppings
• Rolling flattens the field surface and brings grass plants back into contact with the soil, keeping weeds down
• For quick repair to poaching damage, cover bare areas with grass seed, and roll it in. Keep horses off the area

You may also be interested in…

Six tips to help turn poor paddocks into perfect pastures

It has not been an easy winter and you are certainly not the only horse owner tearing your hair out

12 signs it (might be) nearly springtime

Call us over-optimistic, but with the sun shining today it’s got us thinking — could spring be lurking around the

My winter fields are trashed: what can I do?

Do your paddocks resemble the aftermath of a battle field? This step-by-step guide will have your paddocks back to health

Which trees should you plant in your horse’s field?

H&H explores which trees and hedges are most suitable to plant in horse fields

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits. 

When you are fencing horse paddocks, you need to consider safety and durability, as well as price. Your fencing is there to contain and protect your horse, but it has to survive the attentions of horses that bite, chew, kick, paw and barge against their surrounding enclosure. Horse fencing is a fine art, using tough materials.

One of the classic mistakes made by the novice horsekeeper is the decision to keep the existing fencing of a paddock because “it looks fine”. It was good enough for the cows and sheep, so it must be ok for ponies and horses.

In the long-term, horses need specialist fencing in paddocks to keep them within bounds and guard them against injury. Barbed wire and sheep mesh are dangerous; hedges have tempting gaps, and dry stone walls tend to fall apart.

As one fencing contractor says: “You just have to see one horse caught up by the foot in sheep netting and you would never grudge the cost of something better. It’s a very nasty injury.”

The cheapest way towards something safer is a guard-rail of electric fence. Electrified tape, which is more visible than a simple wire, can keep horses away from chewable wooden rails, barbed wire, shaky walls and weak hedges. It is never very good-looking, but it is quite effective — as long as you remember to charge the battery or organise a link for a mains fencer unit.

Electric fences have an energiser, with a battery or mains connection. This produces high voltage at a controlled current, with a pulse every second or so. This is enough to startle stock, but is quite safe. The energiser is connected to a wire or, preferably, visible tape with wire woven into it, which conducts the electricity but is insulated from the ground.

Electric fencing is often used on plastic posts for strip grazing, which should take place within a securely fenced paddock. Plain wire running through insulators stapled to wooden fence posts is used customarily for strip-grazing cattle, but seems to be less visible to horses. Woven tape — pale in colour — is better, and can be effective when used with a post and wire stock fence about 4ft high.

Safety and suitability govern the choice of fencing, which should be always be of a suitable height: 3ft 6in-4ft 6in (1.08m-1.38m) in the case of horses, and 3ft 3in-4ft 3in (1m-1.3m) for ponies. The lower rail should be 1ft 6in (0.5m) above ground level.

The barrier must be high enough to discourage jumping and also prevent horses from fighting with their neighbours. If this is a persistent problem, a double guard fence of electric wire along the top may be the solution. Fencing in horse paddocks must also be close enough to the ground to prevent foals and small ponies from rolling or scrambling under.

Stallions set their own fencing difficulties, particularly where paddocks have boundaries with adjoining horses. Barriers may have to go as high as 6ft (2m), with electric top-wires if a stallion has another male as a neighbour or is in the vicinity of breeding mares.

Professional fencer Adam Cooper, from Aberdeenshire, says: “The main mistake people make when putting up their own fences is that they don’t put in proper strainer posts — just little posts with a small supporting stay. When you try to tighten everything, it just collapses.

“Horses are the worst animals for destroying fences. We would try to persuade people to put up post-and-rail, but it is quite expensive. But avoid barbed wire, because of the damage it can do. If owners have big horses or stallions, an electric top-wire doesn’t go amiss.

“A strainer post needs to be in the ground about 3ft 6in deep to hold properly. Digging a straight hole by hand is a fairly laborious and lengthy process, and setting a line up of posts before you even start is important.

“Wire fencing costs about £3.20 a metre, plus strainer posts at £20 each. Cost for post-and-rail is made on a time basis. Properly treated timber is a must — fast-grown spruce won’t last otherwise. Good larch and pine are best.”

• This feature was first published in Horse & Hound (6 January, ’05) and included a number of case studies focusing on the favourite types of fencing for various horse owners.

Those utopian pastures of the past, where horses grazed all day on a variety of grasses and herbs, are often believed to be a thing of the past. However, in reality most horse pastures are still quite meadow-like, containing a variety of species, including weeds in most cases.

This mixture of plants ensures that spring and summer grass provides a rich but variable source of food. Even poor quality pasture contains more energy and protein than a low-energy feed at this time of year.

In terms of nutrients, all grass is at its richest in the spring. A horse moving from hay to spring grazing could receive a boost of nutrients equivalent to going from three scoops of horse and pony cubes to five scoops of racehorse cubes in one go. However, the nutritional value your horse will receive from his grazing depends on how long he is turned out for and his worm burden.

Sugar is the main source of that energy, with about 3% of every mouthful in this form, while the protein percentage can be in the high 20s. The is good for mares with foals and rapidly growing youngstock, but is too good for others, especially those prone to weight gain or laminitis.

Micronutrient levels are more variable. Calcium and calcium to phosphorus ratios are rarely a problem in horse pastures and are often supplied above requirement in the correct 2:1 ratio. Vitamins are plenty, but trace elements can be less reliable, especially on light, silt or sandy soil, or land badly damaged by hooves.

It is important to introduce new grazing slowly, whether your horse is moving to a new field or being turned out for the first time this year to reduce the likelihood of dietary upsets.

Paddock maintenance

The key to good grass management is fourfold:

• Keep the grass at a target height of 3-4in
• Collect droppings frequently
• Avoid the land getting poached
• Remove weeds such as thistles, docks, nettles and ragwort

Short grass produced extra leaves, or “tillers” that create a dense mat, providing nutritious grazing and preventing excessive hoof damage. Keeping grass to a target height is challenging, however, not least because the grass grows at different rates throughout the year.

There are two peaks of rapid grass growth, the first around May and a lesser one around September. During spring peak, well-managed grass is capable of feeding three to four 16hh horses per acre or five to six 13hh ponies. In September, one acre will support a maximum of one horse or two ponies. If fewer horses graze, they cannot eat fast enough to keep the grass at its optimum height and ungrazed areas will grow tall and unpalatable.

While collecting droppings may be a chore, horses don’t eat where they dung or urinate, resulting in distinct “toilet” areas. Large areas of grazing can be lost this way if ongoing paddock maintenance is not undertaken.

Turning horses out when land is wet can be very damaging. Shod hooves cut through the grass and into the soil beneath, causing damage to the soil structure, grass growth and drainage. Weeds are often the first to grow when bare soil appears and heavy poaching can spell the end of good grazing.

In short, doing nothing with your grassland isn’t an option. Poorly managed pasture can turn into a nasty, weedy, horse-sick parcel of land within three to four years.

This information was originally published as part of Horse & Hound’s ongoing feed forum series.

Q: How often should you poo pick a horse’s field? I have two horses on a two-and-a-half acre paddock all day, but they are brought in at night. Should I remove droppings daily, or is it only necessary every three or four days?

Gavin Strathern, a freelance agricultural contractor and specialist in pasture management replies: Although the amount of grazing you have is adequate for two horses, it is not excessive. You need to maintain the quality of the pasture and keep the grass palatable.

Horses tend to do their droppings in certain places and, as a result, the grass in these areas is often left ungrazed and becomes tough and unappetising.

There is no absolute rule about how often you should remove droppings from pasture, and the daily removal of droppings is not always practical or possible.

I suggest you set a regular routine to remove some droppings from the paddock, when you know you are likely to have some free time. Just make sure that once a week, the paddock is cleared completely.

Q: What can I do to prevent my paddocks from flooding? The water seems to just lie on the surface and does not drain away. I would appreciate any advice you may be able to give me.

Gavin Strathern, a freelance agricultural contractor and specialist in pasture management, replies: Unfortunately, there is little you can do to stop paddocks becoming wet and poached in the winter.

Some soils naturally drain more efficiently than others — if you live in an area of heavy clay soil, the water can lie on top of the land for a long time. But there are several ways to improve the drainage in your field to encourage the grassland to dry out more quickly, thus reducing damage to your pasture.

• Your land will drain more effectively if surface water has something to drain into, such as a boundary ditch. This needs to be checked and cleared regularly to prevent them from becoming overgrown or blocked by fallen trees or leaves. If possible, check the ditches beyond your boundary to make sure there is not a problem nearby that could be making water collect on your land.
• Another highly effective – though expensive – long-term solution is to have land drains put in by a reputable drainage company. These drains run beneath the surface of your grassland and channel excess water into nearby ditches. Even these drains can become blocked though, so they do require some maintenance. If your land has such drains, you will see outlet pipes sticking out of the ditch banks. After a spell of rain, these pipes should be running. If you suspect that they are blocked, you can hire a machine called a drain jetter to force water through the pipes, removing silt and blockages.
• A cheaper option is to have your land mole-drained, a process in which small drainage tunnels are burrowed under the surface of the soil by an agricultural implement pulled behind a tractor. This can be done by your local farmer or agricultural contractor.

Grazing, for many owners, is a limited resource that provides a significant source of food for their horse. Even if your horse is only turned out for one or two hours each day, the paddock is also the place where he will pick up the eggs of horse worms.

Managing your pasture in the right way can improve the quality of the grazing and reduce the number of worm eggs that your horse could pick up.

Top tips for effective pasture management

• Do not overstock paddocks. The more horses you have, the greater the potential worm output and infestation.
• Do not overgraze pasture. If your horse does not have access to sufficient grass he will be forced to graze the rough areas near droppings. These areas have a higher concentration of worm eggs increasingly the likelihood of your horse picking up eggs.
• Muck out pastures at least two or three times a week. This reduces potential contamination from larvae. It also gives owners an ideal opportunity to check the fencing, troughs and remove any litter and poisonous plants such as ragwort.
• Regularly test all horses for worms. Then treat those with a high worm burden with an equine deworming products that is effective against the relevant internal parasites.
• Rest pastures when possible. Ideally this means no grazing from autumn until mid-summer, which allows existing worm infestation to die off. This is not always possible, especially at livery yards when grazing is at a premium.
• Graze horses with sheep or cattle. Horse parasites are harmless to sheep and cattle, so by allowing them to graze with horses, they effectively remove horse worms from the pasture.
• Undertake a worm count on all new arrivals. If the horse has a significant worm burden, then treat with an appropriate deworming product and keep the horse stabled for 48 hours to avoid contaminating the pasture.
• If in doubt, seek expert advice from your vet or a Suitably Qualified Person (SQP).

18 February 2002

Find out how to keep your paddocks full of grass rather than weeds at a conference in Suffolk

If you want to make the most of your paddocks this year, while avoiding dangers such aslaminitis and grass sickness, then don’t miss Suffolk Agricultural Association’s first equine conference.

The conference takes place at the Suffolk Trinity Rooms on the Suffolk Showground, Ipswich on Thursday 7 March, starting at 6.30pm. Paddock Maintenance Company is sponsoring the event.

Subjects under discussion will include paddock management and maintenance, weed control including the removal of ragwort and the latest research into grass sickness and laminitis.

“Effective management of paddocks is vital if horses are to thrive while at grass,” says Nichola Gregory of the BHS, who will be speaking at the conference. “Ragwort is of particular concern to us. Everyone has to take responsibility for their land whetherit’s 5000 acres or just a back yard.”

Tickets cost £10 to SAA members and £12 for non-members.

For information, contact Hannah Williams (tel: 01473 726847).

• Click here for top tips on creating a perfect pasture.
• Click here for expert advice on routine management which can help improve your grazing.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Q: I am buying a first pony for my daughter, which is to live in our neighbour’s field next to our house.

As far as I know the fieldhasn’t been used for animals before and as I’ve read recent stories in the press about loose horses causing road accidents, I was wondering if you could tell me what my legal responsibilities are regarding the fencing of this field?

Simon Mackaness of BEIB replies: As a parent it is incumbent upon you to take responsibility for your daughter and her pony in all matters.

So although the field is not technically your property, it is still your responsibility to ensure that the fencing is adequate for the purpose for which it is used – in this case in a condition suitable for the enclosure of horses and ponies.

This means all reasonable efforts must be made to contain the pony – the fencing must be of adequate height and condition around the whole boundary of the field and the gate and its fastenings must be secure.

As most fields are adjacent to public roads you could be held legally responsible for any accident injury or damages incurred by a third party, should your horse escape from his field and venture onto the road.

It’s therefore important to ensure that the field fencing and gate are in as good a condition as you can afford as it may well save you a lot of money and the stress of litigation in the long run – not to mention the trauma of your daughter’s pony receiving injury.

Once you have done all you can to ensure the fencing is secure, the best way to guarantee adequate insurance is to see if you have any public liability cover under the contents section of your household policy, or to be a member of an organisation such as the BSJA or BHS.

Members of these organisations automatically receive free liability insurance. If not, contact an equestrian insurance company who can arrange this type of cover.

It may also be a good idea to insure your daughter’s pony for death and vet fees or even ‘loss of use’ as public liability policies will only pay for the third party losses and not for any damages incurred by yourselves.

For legal as well as safety reasons, check your fencing is safe for horses.

• Click here to read about electric fencingLooking for horse insurance? Try Horse & Hound’s insurance comparison service at horseandhound.co.uk/insurance

Q. I have bought a one-acre field hoping to keep a horse on it. Is this enough for a 15.2hh horse as I was told horses need just over one acre?

A. It is an unwritten rule that a minimum of one acre is a suitable amount of grazing for one horse. Unfortunately, it is not quite as simple as this, although it can be used as a very rough guide.

If all you have for your 15.2hh horse is one acre and he is to live out all year round, then it wouldn’t be suitable. If, on the other hand, you have five horses or ponies and they share five acres, this size could be managed, divided and rotated to accommodate the five animals living out all the time.

The smaller the area of land you have, the more difficult it isto manage to provide grazing for your horse all year round.

There will be little or no growth of grass from about November until March and, during this time, your field is likely to become wet and muddy. This can cause health problems, like mud fever.

To allow the field to recover from the winter mud, it’s usually necessary to rest the field in early spring. This isn’t possible if your horse always lives out.

Also, horses are herd animals, so your horse could suffer from loneliness. If at all possible, horses should live with some company, preferably equine. They are then more content and can keep warm together in winter and swish flies off each other in summer.

It is important to try to remove the accumulation of droppings from the field on a regular basis to help reduce the worm burden and also to help keep the grass in good condition.

There may be times when the field needs harrowing, rolling and topping to cut the lank, long grass which is of no benefit to your horse.

If you combine turnout in the one-acre field with some time in the stable and you follow a good management regime for the field, then you should find the acre that you have will provide adequate grazing for your horse throughout the year.

To purchase a book on pasture management visit Amazon in the Horse and Hound Online Shopping Village.

Q. I am considering buying the portable type of electric fencing which works off a power pack and battery. I have restricted grazing so I really need to be able to use different parts of the field in rotation.

Do you think this sort of fencing is a suitable option and is it likely to cause any problems?

A. The portable type of electric fencing is relatively inexpensive to buy and is incredibly useful for strip grazing or keeping horses away from certain areas that could be a hazard, such as oak trees in the autumn.

It is light, very easy to move and erect and is cheap to run. Electric fencing can also be run along the top of post and rail fencing to prevent horses from fighting over the fence, or to stop them chewing the wood. It also discourages horses from leaning on the fencing.

When horses are grazing in a field with electric fencing, they soon learn that unless they actually touch the fence there is no cause for concern and they should graze quite happily within inches of it.

Although the horse shows the fence respect, there is very rarely any sign of fear. Horses are also incredibly quick to realise when the fencing is not working, should the battery lose its charge, so it¨s important you make regular checks to ensure it is in good working order.

Spring is the time of year when grass grows the most and so now is a good time to take advantage of this by following our step-by-step action plan for perfect pastures.

• Remove droppings daily – droppings make the grass sour and will leave worm eggs on the pasture.

• Dig up persistent weeds with a fork, or spray individual clumps of weeds using a backpack sprayer.
• Coarse clumps of grass (known as the rough patches) are sour and horses will avoid eating these. Help get rid of them by allowing your local farmer to graze his cattle or sheep in the field, or alternatively cut these sour patches down.
• From late February through until mid-April a spiked harrow can be used on the ground. This is best done when the ground is quite firm and not too wet (if too wet you will damage the soil structure and will end up with a muddy mess). Spike harrowing will encourage the grass to tiller (grow new side shoots) making a thicker sward and also removes old dead matter.
• Rolling the field can be done when the ground is firm, but not too hard, otherwise the roller will not have the desired effect. Rolling will push the grass plants back into the soil allowing the roots to make better contact with the soil. The roller will also compress the clods of soil which have been lifted up by horses hooves throughout the winter and leave the surface of the field flatter.
• If you are unable to roll the field, walking around the field treading in divots is better than nothing.
• Fertiliser should be applied from early April onwards preferably when there is to be some rain to help wash it into the ground, but try to avoid fertilising when there is torrential rain forecast or you will risk the fertiliser draining through the soil too quickly to have much effect.
• A typical rate of nitrogen applied to horse grazing land is approximately 30-40kg/hectre of non-organic fertiliser. These are readily made and are obtainable from agricultural merchants. If you decide to use organic fertiliser then the rate is usually 25 tonnes per hectare, which is normally applied in the autumn when there is sufficient rainfall to wash it into the soil.
• To gauge a correct analysis of your soil pH and level of nutrients a simple soil test can be taken. This will give you an accurate pH reading and will inform you of exactly which if any of the nutrients are deficient (N=nitrogen, P=phosphrous, K=Potassium). The fertiliser speading rate can then be adapted to suit the pastures needs. (ADAS or an agricultural college will provide this service for you).
• If your grazing is not horse sick and just needs a bit of TLC and an extra boost in the spring and autumn months it is possible to apply a mixture of 20:10:10 fertiliser to the pasture.
• To use your grazing land to its full potential – strip graze. While resting one area use the time to work on the ground – top off the rough areas if needed, check for weed infestation and treat accordingly.
• Most farmers are quite approachable – you may be able to come up with a system where he will spread the fertiliser/ harrow/roll in return for a few animals grazing on your land for acouple of weeks a year or a small fee.
• Stock rotation is a good way to break the worm cycle in the field!
• Sheep are helpful- their feet help pat down the soil and will also eat the rough areas.
• If you are unable to find afarmer or agricultural merchant to spread the fertiliser then a hand pushed garden lawn feeder will do the job, but this will be more labour intensive.

In the winter when it’s wet, soggy and horrible, consider sacrificing a small portion of your field as a turnout area to protect the rest of your grazing.

Give the horses ad lib hay to prevent boredom and any squabbles. If we have really heavy rain, and your land gets very boggy, you may have to turn out horses in pairs or alone for short periods of time.

Alternatively, can you use an outdoor school as a turnout area? No one likes to see horses staying in for long periods, but if they are going to be standing up to their hocks in mud, plenty of daily exercise and short spells in a ‘playpen’ might be the only way to survive.

Split fields into smaller areas which can be alternately grazed and then rested. This can be done cheaply and effectively with temporary electric fencing. It’s worth doing this even with small fields – the grazing lasts longer andyou spend less time playing ‘hunt the piles’.

Re-seed bare patches of ground in spring and autumn. Grass seed can be spread over isolated patches by hand and then raked over. If, however, the field is quite bare all over, you may needto think of getting a farmer or contractor to drill seed into the existing grass.

All-purpose packs of seed for horse pasture may be easier and more economical for small areas, but when possible – and certainly when seeding large paddocks – it’s a good idea to get a seed mix made especially for your land requirements. ADAS or a specialist contractor will advise you.

Wage war against weeds. Again, get some specialist advice on which products to use. Small areas can be treated with a backpack sprayer, but these are too heavy to lug around large fields. With a bit of ingenuity, it’s possible to mount a backpack sprayer on a ride-on lawnmower tractor.

Walk around your field daily to check fencing, find and fill in rabbit burrows and molehills and pull out and destroy any poisonous plants, such as ragwort and nightshades. Watch out for anyone throwing grass clippings or garden rubbish over the fence into your field as eating these could lead to potentially fatal colic or poisoning.

Get specialist advice on when and with what to fertilise – if you get it wrong you’ll only waste your money. Ask a horse specialist, as you don’t want sudden rich flushes of grass and the risk of laminitis.

Allowing cattle and sheep to graze your land can improve your pasture and lower the worm burden. Cattle like the longer grass horses reject, but can add to poaching in wet weather. Sheep are good for ‘patting down’ softer land without causing damage. Ideally, graze with cattle in summer and sheep in winter.

If you dream of keeping your horse at home, never under-estimate the time and money which needs to be spent on establishing and maintaining pasture. It really is a constant battle, but it is achievable with some careful planning, some expert advice and a great deal of commitment to making it work.

Assuming the field is of adequate size and has sufficient grass, here are some points to consider when wintering your pony out.

• Check the field for poisonous plants (ragwort, hogweed, laurel and yew) and remove them. They should be burnt after removal.

• Check the fencing. Mend broken fences appropriately – string and barbed wire are not a suitable solution. Treat wood to prevent rot and chewing.
• Check that the height of the fencing is sutiable for the height of the animals you expect to winter out. Post and rail fencing which is 3ft high is not suitable for shetlands!
• Is there appropriate shelter? Most trees lose their leaves in winter, while dense hedges can be wind breaks all year round.
• If usinga field shelter check that it does not leak, and that it has no protruding corrugated iron, nails or wire etc. The wood will need treating to conserve it – creosote is cheaper than cribbox and just as effective.
• Check which type of animal has grazed there previously and what will be grazed in adjacent fields. Warning – donkeys are thought to carry lungworm, while cows carry ringworm that can live in the wood.
• Will the ponies have access to fresh water? Is it on the mains or a water meter and who owns the troughs? Metal troughs rust and can have sharp edges. Think this through as buckets are heavy when full and can be easy to knock over.
• What about access to the fields. Do you need to unload on a main road or is the gateway suitable for a lorry or trailer? Would a vet be able to reach you easily in an emergency?
• Is the field secure? Is it isolated or in view of the road? Secure gates with thick chain and padlocks. Fields with public footpaths through are not generally good news as passers-by tend to feed unwanted items to ponies.