# Holes in Pasture - Finding and Filling Methods



## Dovahkiina

Hello, all! I hope you are well!

We just bush hogged a ~10 acre tract that we are trying to prepare for horses within the next few years. The field went to the weeds for a few years and it seems like lots of animals made homes there (understandably.) It seems like between the rabbits, field rats, armadillos, etc. there are SO MANY holes that I saw that it is a bit daunting.

My main concern is making sure that I locate them all and fill them all in. I am worried that I will not be able to find every one and that when I finally get horses on the property that they will hurt themselves on the one or two holes that I didn't find. Does anyone have a fool proof way of targeting and filling these holes in? What are your methods of filling them in?

Thanks so much for any advice you all can give!


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## Left Hand Percherons

You honestly can't waste time worrying about holes in your pasture. You will never be able to fill them in unless you exterminate every pest and rodent that calls your pastures home. I live in prairie dog country and grew up in gopher land and horses are smarter than you are giving them credit for. They can gallop across the pasture in the pitch black and are fine.


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## BowmanFarms

^^^ Yea i would have to agree. The pasture my horses are on now had a crazy amount of holes in it ( From pushed over trees during clearing) 

We tried forever to fill in the holes, fill in 5 and 10 more would magically appear.

I tried for the first year my horses were in this pasture to fill. 

I gave up and they are all fine. 

They are better at dodging the holes than i am.


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## Saddlebag

Once you move the horses on, some of the creatures will move on.


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## walkinthewalk

Ditto you can't lve your life worrying about critter holes in the pasture. My horses nemesis used to be groundhog condominiums when we lived on the OH/PA border. 

They are no longer an issue since we retired to Middle Tn BUT sink holes are ---- especially the one that just opened up, a few weeks back, because it isn't a sink hole in the true sense. It's a hole along the underground tunnel that leads to the real sink hole:shock:

I could tell a small deer fell in and got out. Right now we have a big area cordoned off with police tape, waiting to see if more will open before we start pounding fence posts.

Luckily for me, I own well seasoned and savvy trail horses who are all in their 20's and will steer clear of the tape. 

That should make you feel a little better about critter holes, at least until you get your horses moved into the property <----that's another reason to have dogs that like to hunt


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## blueriver

Yep ...Open the gates and let them run !! They'll be fine.


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## stevenson

Don't waste your time and energy. If I find a huge hole, we will back fill it. My pasture has so many squirrel and rabbit holes. I find them all the time, simply by walking. The horses seem to avoid them. My dogs also have free run in the pasture and help keep out some of the critters.
But when there is a drought , and your property has water, the critters will come.


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## Saddlebag

When a friend was able to lease 10 acres they removed every tree and bush until it looked like a moonscape. She feared her horses would gouge themselves. She then asked what to seed with. She needed to ask the local agent. I didn't want to know what she did. I saw it a few years later and it still looked pretty much like a moonscape except for the weeds. When one scarifies the land like that it takes about 5 years before grasses get a foothold.


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## Left Hand Percherons

walkinthewalk said:


> They are no longer an issue since we retired to Middle Tn BUT sink holes are ---- especially the one that just opened up, a few weeks back, because it isn't a sink hole in the true sense. It's a hole along the underground tunnel that leads to the real sink hole:shock:


 We lost a pony to one of those in GA.


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## walkinthewalk

Left Hand Percherons said:


> We lost a pony to one of those in GA.


I am so sorry, I can't imagine how awful that was

We have a HUGE "bowl" in the main pasture. It is in direct line with the real sink hole and this new piece that opened up. When I had all four horses, they could all be eating in that bowl and not be seen. I keep telling Mr. WTW someday we will look out there and find a bottomless lake.

I can see underground ridges. I think I would like to know more about this areas topography but, maybe I'm better off with my head in the sand :?


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## Rancher6

Spray it for weeds, disc it up real good, re-seed it and drag-rake it. That'll level it out and make a nice pasture.


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## natisha

My dogs like to dig big holes looking for critters. I fill them in. If I'm riding somewhere & see a hole I don't want my horse to step in it, same goes for the pasture.


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