# New pasture plan - hubby worried about steep banks



## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

This doesn't really sound like anything I would worry about. Pics would be great.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

We had cattle pastured here and they had to go through a ditch in a couple of places and they had no problem.
If it is seasonal and dry later in the year it would be a good trail exercise for them. If you get big rushes of water at certain times of the year it could wash out the fence, if I was fencing it I would just put up a couple of strands of wire that could be taken down easily in the part of the year you won't be using it, that's what we did with our pasture because in the spring any fence would be washed out.

If you put in a culvert and there is water rushing through, it can wash out the dirt at the sides of the culvert from the bottom up so it looks ok until the horse steps on it and down they go. I know this can happen because I was riding my mare through some woods and the stream had a culvert and she dropped straight down at the edge, fortunately she managed to regain her feet no problem but we avoided that culvert and went through the stream after that. This may not be a big problem for you if there isn't much water.
Personally I would just put up a fence and let them go down through the ditch. If you can run an electric wire there a couple of strands would do the job nicely.

You might have to take them through the area the first time so they learn there is nice pasture waiting for them.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Ok, so not the best picture, but you can get an idea of the gradual embankment in this one (those are my kids 7 years ago!!!). I had even built them a little bridge so they could play there, but that's where I wanted to put the crossing. The embankment on both sides of the bridge is similar to the one behind my son.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Woodhaven said:


> We had cattle pastured here and they had to go through a ditch in a couple of places and they had no problem.
> If it is seasonal and dry later in the year it would be a good trail exercise for them. If you get big rushes of water at certain times of the year it could wash out the fence, if I was fencing it I would just put up a couple of strands of wire that could be taken down easily in the part of the year you won't be using it, that's what we did with our pasture because in the spring any fence would be washed out.
> 
> If you put in a culvert and there is water rushing through, it can wash out the dirt at the sides of the culvert from the bottom up so it looks ok until the horse steps on it and down they go. I know this can happen because I was riding my mare through some woods and the stream had a culvert and she dropped straight down at the edge, fortunately she managed to regain her feet no problem but we avoided that culvert and went through the stream after that. This may not be a big problem for you if there isn't much water.
> ...


Wow, thanks for the warning about the culvert. Indeed, the water rushes through there pretty fast in the spring. I agree, the idea would be to use electric fence and remove it for winter. I may have to use an extra strand there where it dips down (I plan on 3 strands anyway, which is what I have for my other pasture. And I do like the idea that they will be used to going through different kinds of footing. 

I assumed I'd have to lead them over a few times - and back! Until they figure it out.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

So another option we are discussing is changing the location of the crossing to an area where there isn't really much of a bank at all. 

I'm attaching a satellite photo of the property to clarify. The part I want to add to our pasture area is in the back and in this photo, the ditches are drawn in blue. Where I wanted to put the crossing, it is a pretty straight line through minimal trees directly to the pasture. Again, it is desirable to me to have the new pasture connected to the old one for a) convenience and b) to keep the electricity running through the entire area. There is no access to electricity back there. 

Please ignore the location of the barn as it has changed since I drew this plan, and the current pastures are a bit bigger than what is indicated here, but in roughly the same areas. 

We could change the crossing to a lower area, indicated by the green line. However, that would mean creating a meandering path through the woods. It's doable - this is a very old cedar grove so the understory is nice and clean, trees are very wide apart, and we can use some of the trees as fence posts. Cutting and limbing trees is not a problem - hubby is handy with a chainsaw. However, when I say meandering, I mean it. With something like this, I expect it would take the horses a while to figure it out. Thoughts?


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Acadianartist said:


> It is not a steep embankment by any means - easy to walk up and down without having to hold onto anything. Maybe 30% grade. The deer walk through there all the time. He thinks we need to put in a culvert or a bridge. I don't think it's worth the hassle. Keep in mind, this is a seasonal ditch, not a watercourse. There are no regulations regarding those. It isn't very wide or deep. There is nothing directly uphill or downhill of this ditch, and no aquatic life (as I said, it is dry by July and stays that way until spring). The soil is mostly clay based. I'd be willing to throw something down to improve the footing on both banks, but I think putting in a culvert will be expensive since we'd have to bring in a lot of fill.
> 
> What would you do? I'll see if I can dig up a photo somewhere.


You answerd my "how steep is it" question. Nothing to worry about. As *Wood* said, it's good trail practice. They should both learn how to get their butts under themselves -Harley probably more than Kodak since he's been mainly used for showing.

Also agree with her, "no" to the culvert. Don't worry about the footing in the banks, unless you get a frog strangler of a rain that makes the clay so wet, it sucks your barn boots off --- just keep them out of there for a few days until the clay dries up a bit.

I have much worse in my pastures ---hard to visualize but I have a two foot drop-off dirt ledge (kinda like a Steppe) across one pasture. Back in the day, Rusty and Joker used to race from the top of the ridge , across the dirt ledge and shake the ground the rest of the way to the barn.

We have a hill so steep in that pasture, we have to bush hog UP and in second gear. The tractor wheel hops going down hill. The horses never did walk the steepest part of that hill, they went around, lollollol

The only thing I would do, is periodically check where they decide to make their crossing for kicked up rocks that could cut their frogs, or cause sole bruising. Coming thru the gates, I pick up all stones that could cause bruising or "roll" out from under Rusty's hooves. He has some self-inflicted stifle damage that, the way my luck runs, could be worsened if he hit a stone wrong, while running thru the gates.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

We have ravines steeper than that that my horses go through all year long. Like @walkinthewalk said, it's good trail practice plus good for muscle building.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

You could do it the second way if you want, but I don't see the first plan as a problem for the horses at all. If the horses are going to stay up near the barn for the winter it won't be a problem for you to cross either. 
Another way you could do it is just have two fences straight across to the back pasture with a gate somewhere on the front pasture that you can open or close and let them pick their path of least resistance to the back pasture. They would probably like hanging out in the woods in the heat of summer too. Something like this. The yellow are gates. Sorry about the squiggly lines. lol


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

walkinthewalk said:


> The only thing I would do, is periodically check where they decide to make their crossing for kicked up rocks that could cut their frogs, or cause sole bruising. Coming thru the gates, I pick up all stones that could cause bruising or "roll" out from under Rusty's hooves. He has some self-inflicted stifle damage that, the way my luck runs, could be worsened if he hit a stone wrong, while running thru the gates.


Thanks! That's a good idea. There seems to be two kinds of rocks in and near that ditch - some big round ones that are quite hard, and some flat, breakable ones. The latter might cause problems so you're right walk, that's something I'll need to watch for. Maybe check their feet more frequently when they're going through there too. 

I do like the idea of them having to go through different kinds of terrain. Should really help with the trail riding, and it will give them a lot more options to choose from in a more natural setting. 

In the end, I will do whatever it takes to keep hubby happy because this is a lot more pasture I can add! It might mean that I can leave them out until December rather than shut down the pasture in September like I did last fall. That has to be better for Harley's coughing, among other things.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

LoriF said:


> You could do it the second way if you want, but I don't see the first plan as a problem for the horses at all. If the horses are going to stay up near the barn for the winter it won't be a problem for you to cross either.
> Another way you could do it is just have two fences straight across to the back pasture with a gate somewhere on the front pasture that you can open or close and let them pick their path of least resistance to the back pasture. They would probably like hanging out in the woods in the heat of summer too. Something like this. The yellow are gates. Sorry about the squiggly lines. lol


I like your idea of adding a wide area. However, my husband planted pear trees smack in the middle of that area, LOL. Again, in the name of getting what I want while still respecting his wishes, I might do something like this (red lines are where I originally wanted to put the crossing, yellow are where I could put the new crossing). This is a more recent satellite photo taken last summer when we were building the barn and I've drawn in the paddock and pastures. But since everyone thinks it's ok to put the crossing where I originally wanted it, I may try to convince hubby to try it at least. I prefer this area because it's a straight line with fewer obstacles and a clear, wide crossing which we have been using for years.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

Lovely picture of your children enjoying the water and having fun in it. That is not much of a drop into the water, our farm had about a 5' very steep drop and no problem. But it was not rocky or stoney. Out on the trails in the spring we cross one spot where if slippery the horses slide down about 4' right into the water, that's a good exercise for them.
I wouldn't worry at all about the crossing you show in the picture, maybe like others have said just check for any sharp stones that could cause bruising.

And as you say keeping them out on pasture for more months is good. Our horses are out on their pasture all year and we really save on hay, right now with the grass coming on we will have to restrict their pasture time to keep them from overeating.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Woodhaven said:


> Lovely picture of your children enjoying the water and having fun in it. That is not much of a drop into the water, our farm had about a 5' very steep drop and no problem. But it was not rocky or stoney. Out on the trails in the spring we cross one spot where if slippery the horses slide down about 4' right into the water, that's a good exercise for them.
> I wouldn't worry at all about the crossing you show in the picture, maybe like others have said just check for any sharp stones that could cause bruising.
> 
> And as you say keeping them out on pasture for more months is good. Our horses are out on their pasture all year and we really save on hay, right now with the grass coming on we will have to restrict their pasture time to keep them from overeating.


Yes, I was able to pretty much convince hubby to add this large area to our pasture by telling him we would not have to buy as much hay! I could see the $$$ signs in his eyes, LOL. Previously, he was using that back field to experiment with crop rotation and nitrogen-fixing plants. We have planted that back area in corn, sunflowers (yes, 2 acres of sunflowers! I had fun painting those!), and more recently, grain crops. It will all have to be tilled under and replanted in pasture mix. Should be ready by late summer. If anything, it may be too rich and we'll have to mow it once or twice. 

So do you not get much snow in the winter where you are Woodhaven? I can't imagine turning the horses out in the pasture when there's 4 feet of snow out there. And this winter, we had a lot of freezing rain, so there are several layers of hard, icy crust. Tore the bottom line of my electric fence off most of the posts. That's my project for tonight - replace insulators! And tomorrow, I am going to create a small sacrifice area at the top part of my pasture to get the horses off the muddy paddock. This pasture management is a lot of work!


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I would make your plans more based around how you and your daughter will get back and forth if you need too unless you're just going to leave it as open access so the horses can decide for themselves if they're going in there rather than having to lead them into a separate fenced off area with a gate on the other side of that ditch/bank so you never have to lead them in or out of it


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

I have a friend with a creek in her pasture - it has very steep banks that her horses have to cross to get to the actual pasture. The creek actually runs right next to her sacrifice paddock with the pasture on the other side of the creek. There is water in it year round.

The only amendment they did was scrape some of the bank down to make a slope. for reference when the horses are in the creek the banks are above their heads. They will actually wade the creek and eat the grass on the banks in the hottest summer months.

They also put gravel in the small slope they put in. I think your horses will be fine and the difference in terrain will promote healthier harder hooves.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I live in Southern Ont. and the last year was pretty mild, not much snow, but this is unusual for us. For me personally, getting about on crutches it was lucky and also for my Sister who had to do all the barn chores all winter it was better and since it was milder, she didn't have to spend much time knocking the ice out of the water pails.

Some winters we have a lot of snow, but we just leave the pasture gates open and the horses can come and go as they please. Sometimes they make trails through the pasture and stick to these and if there is a lot of snow they don't go out at all.
This winter we really only had to feed hay Jan, Feb and Mar. they are now turning their noses up at the hay and going right out to pasture. We have more pasture than we need so we don't worry about preserving it.

Some winters there is so much snow and then freezing rain and it's just impossible to get out in the pasture or even try to ride in the fields.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

jaydee said:


> I would make your plans more based around how you and your daughter will get back and forth if you need too unless you're just going to leave it as open access so the horses can decide for themselves if they're going in there rather than having to lead them into a separate fenced off area with a gate on the other side of that ditch/bank so you never have to lead them in or out of it


The idea is to make it open access Jaydee. I'm all about keeping it simple! It will be closed until September or so, then we will open the gates and lead them across a few times until they get used to it. As we move into fall, I will probably start encouraging the horses to come to the barn at night by feeding them in their stalls. I am already conditioning them with a cow bell to come into their stalls for food (that bell makes Harley lose his mind). But I expect them to make their way all on their own. In my very limited experience, horses tend to establish paths and trails around pastures, and then stick to them. Routine is their friend! From the barn all the way out into that far pasture, all the enclosures connect so they don't need to be led.


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

i would try it without the culvert then if it becomes an issue add it later.

another thought would be to rotate them through all the pastures every few weeks, we have about 3 acres (I think) for 2 horses and I just have it split into three sections then within those 3 sections dole out how much grass they access using polywire. our horses are terrible that they will overgraze one 50x50 area and leave the 50x50 area next to it untouched if I let them.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

tim62988 said:


> i would try it without the culvert then if it becomes an issue add it later.
> 
> another thought would be to rotate them through all the pastures every few weeks, we have about 3 acres (I think) for 2 horses and I just have it split into three sections then within those 3 sections dole out how much grass they access using polywire. our horses are terrible that they will overgraze one 50x50 area and leave the 50x50 area next to it untouched if I let them.


Yes, I did some rotation last summer, but there just wasn't enough pasture. I may do what you're suggesting with the new area added to the rotation, but not this year since we have to till and plant the pasture so that will take part of the summer. There is still ice and snow right now so that won't happen until late May or early June.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Are your horses shod or barefoot?
Barefoot I see no issue with the rocks, large or small lodging in a hoof....
Shod...a daily check is a must when they must cross.
It looks small enough a width that the horses could just jump it, or stop and drink if they want and water is available...you know mine love to drink from puddles :icon_rolleyes:
Not very steep sides either.

As for your fence...put your fence posts 3' either side from the center of the stream area and string the fence across...might need to "fit" and grade out a small amount of ground so you not have a 5' opening beneath the fence though if surrounding ground is real steep and goes sharply up high....

I have more "issue" with the idea of leaving the one pasture open for the horses to travel through on a continuous basis... yes you will give them fresh grass to eat on the other end, but horses are horses and will still graze the area you are trying to rest. :-(
I would be gating that field so they stay put...where you want them.
Yes, a water source then needs done for them and possibly you going to put them out and retrieve them daily so you can "lock" them off recovering grass now eaten down.. or use the field in reverse and let them graze the back when the water of a stream is available for their drinking.
Personally, I like the idea of a water crossing if you do any kind of trails or even course jumping a water crossing can be used...the horses learn nothing to fear from it.
Just a different thought on your situation...
Pretty land you own... :smile:
:runninghorse2:....
_jmo._


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

horselovinguy said:


> Are your horses shod or barefoot?
> Barefoot I see no issue with the rocks, large or small lodging in a hoof....
> Shod...a daily check is a must when they must cross.
> It looks small enough a width that the horses could just jump it, or stop and drink if they want and water is available...you know mine love to drink from puddles :icon_rolleyes:
> ...


They are barefoot and have good hooves. I generally clean out their hooves daily anyway. Yes, the fencing through the crossing will have to be thought out carefully. Because it gets really full of rushing water and ice in the spring, sinking posts where they may be underwater, even for a short time, is undesirable. Speaking of which, this area will not be accessible to the horses until late summer when there is no water going through there. Maybe the odd trickle after a rainfall, but it pretty well completely dries up every year. It isn't a natural stream, just a drainage ditch of sorts. They may, however, decide it looks like a great spot for a mud bath! 

As to your thoughts on the fact that the horses will probably overgraze the near pasture even if they have access to the far one, I agree. My thought is to section off most of the pasture nearest to the barn. Which is why it's more desirable to me to use the initial crossing (the red lines in the most recent satellite photo). I can just create a funnel to the back field and section off everything else. If I had to use the other crossing (yellow lines), I could create a kind of perimeter fencing, like a paradise paddock situation, so they would follow along the edge of the pasture all the way to the crossing, then to the other side. But this may take longer for them to figure out. I have tons of step-in posts and electrobraid and have used it to rotate the pasture before, so they are familiar with it.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I have seen fences made where the bottom section can move, like on a hinge.
Allowing of debris to move through not get caught up and dam or trash the fence line...
Can you not set your posts on the bank out of the water flow line to keep them drier?
Flash flooding or intense water passage height is not a norm is it? 

I found this article and pictures in it were kind of what I was thinking...
_http://www.wildlifefriendlyfencing.com/WFF/FF_over_water_files/west aust water note WRCWN19.pdf_
Some is expensive, most is easily achieved with some planning and smart thinking of do-it-yourself project..
Just a thought on how to utilize that field with the water issue you have..

:runninghorse2:....


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Some neat ideas in there horselovinguy! Thanks! That drop down fence is neat, but I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to sink the posts in above the water line, as you say, then use step-ins to pull the lower lines down (even add an extra line of electrobraid if necessary). That way, the step-ins are easy to remove for winter and are not there at all for the spring freshet. Simple handles at one end of the solid posts would make it easy to remove the lower lines so they're not going to get frozen and pulled down. 

Because it's a drainage ditch, it gets full each spring, until all the snow is gone (June or so - I kid you not), then eventually dries out. It does happen occasionally that we have heavy rain in November and we get a little water in there, but not enough to be a problem.


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## avjudge (Feb 1, 2011)

Acadianartist said:


> ...I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to sink the posts in above the water line, as you say, then use step-ins to pull the lower lines down (even add an extra line of electrobraid if necessary). That way, the step-ins are easy to remove for winter and are not there at all for the spring freshet. Simple handles at one end of the solid posts would make it easy to remove the lower lines so they're not going to get frozen and pulled down.


That's what I'd do. Set up anything you plan to remove for the season as a very long gate with handles at both ends, and it will be super easy to remove and reinstall. 

Anne


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

I got the go-ahead from hubby to put the crossing where I originally wanted it. So I am now moving into the planning phase. First thing is figuring out which trees I need to take out, as well as thinning branches. Therefore I am back with more questions and pictures! 

The reason I like this spot, is that there is minimal cutting required to get the horses safely across to the new pasture. I want to save as many trees as I can, partly because their roots will help retain the banks (which are really not steep at all as you can see from these pictures). On the side where the new pasture will go (first photo - you can see the field that will be fenced off through the trees), I don't think it will be necessary to cut any, but on the other side, I think I can just remove a few saplings as indicated in the photo below (everything in the area circled in red). In that photo you can see my barn, which shows just how direct a line it will be for them to get across here. And then I'll trim all protruding branches to about a 6' height (my horses are 14.2 and 14.3). Do I need to go higher? So I guess my main question is how wide an opening would you provide for horses? In other words, is it safe for trees to be 5 or 6' apart where they will cross? I don't want them close together enough that a horse might rub against them and get hurt. Of course I will carefully trim all branches back so there isn't anything sticking out of the trunks of the trees that are left. 

Pics I took today:


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I don't think there will be much problem with the trees, the ones circled in red, the bigger one could be removed but even without that, the horses should be able to maneuver through them. We often ride in the woods in much narrower spaces so they should manage fine. Maybe just clean up the area of the loose branches on the ground and any branches that are above as high as you can reach, a little higher if you are riding through there.
A lovely spot there.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Woodhaven said:


> I don't think there will be much problem with the trees, the ones circled in red, the bigger one could be removed but even without that, the horses should be able to maneuver through them. We often ride in the woods in much narrower spaces so they should manage fine. Maybe just clean up the area of the loose branches on the ground and any branches that are above as high as you can reach, a little higher if you are riding through there.
> A lovely spot there.


Thanks Woodhaven. Are you referring to what looks like loose branches in the lower part of the first photo? Because those are tree roots. The more roots I take out of there, the more erosion we will have. I'm hoping the horses will just step over them.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I was thinking more of the second picture, looks like some branches on the ground.
One thing about those tree roots, keep an eye on them, the ones right at the bank and if you see the dirt washing out under them a horse could get a foot down under them and that wouldn't be good.

We have some roots like that on our trails and I always take a good 
look at them to be sure they haven't washed out so a horse could get a foot caught down under them.

If the horses are using that crossing I think there will be some erosion anyway, at least around here that's what happens. But if they are using this crossing in the dry time that might not be such an issue.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Woodhaven said:


> I was thinking more of the second picture, looks like some branches on the ground.
> One thing about those tree roots, keep an eye on them, the ones right at the bank and if you see the dirt washing out under them a horse could get a foot down under them and that wouldn't be good.
> 
> We have some roots like that on our trails and I always take a good
> look at them to be sure they haven't washed out so a horse could get a foot caught down under them.


Gotcha. Yes, branches will get cleaned up a bit and any root that is a danger to the horses will get cut out. That's a very good point.


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

For the most part I don't really see much issue with whats there? From pictures looks like theres still plenty room for horses to navigate through. My horses are pretty sure footed trail blazers haha! If it were me I probably wouldn't even bother with anything. Butttt if you're worried about some of the lower stuff you could remove that.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Most walk-through gates at barns are 4' - 6' wide so I see no reason to make your opening wider than that...
You don't want them galloping through here yet you also not want a hip to connect if they do get moving quicker...6' wide my neighbors two smaller horses just walked through into my field together not touching each other nor the gate. :wink:

The one thing I would keep in mind is probably needing to get a tractor into that field for maintenance issues...that might dictate to me where my gates were, how wide they are and if trees and underbrush needs moving. :x

_Why are projects never straight-forward, simple, easy and cheap to do..:sad:

_Enjoy your project and the "planning"...
:runninghorse2:...


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

horselovinguy said:


> Most walk-through gates at barns are 4' - 6' wide so I see no reason to make your opening wider than that...
> You don't want them galloping through here yet you also not want a hip to connect if they do get moving quicker...6' wide my neighbors two smaller horses just walked through into my field together not touching each other nor the gate. :wink:
> 
> The one thing I would keep in mind is probably needing to get a tractor into that field for maintenance issues...that might dictate to me where my gates were, how wide they are and if trees and underbrush needs moving. :x
> ...


The tractor will be entering the field through a different path. This is far too narrow for the tractor. There is a well-maintained laneway that goes down the property and accesses the back field, crossing the ditch at a low point where there isn't really a bank and it's pretty wide open as far as trees. We didn't want to put the horse crossing in the same spot because it would have meant a big detour for them. Not to mention fencing off an area that we use a lot to bring machinery in and out. But for the tractor, it's the only way in because of the trees. 

When I asked about the width of the opening, I meant only the trees. The fence will be much wider, but I don't want them scraping up against trees, so will take out some saplings along the edge of the water.


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

If you have 2-3ft opening that's all you really need. Think about the width of straight load trailer stalls  I'm just saying this so you don't work yourself to death over doing it! If you want to go wider that's not a huge deal but they really don't need THAT wide. You should see some of the things my two squeeze through on trails lol! Most our trails aren't even 6ft wide.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

evilamc said:


> If you have 2-3ft opening that's all you really need. Think about the width of straight load trailer stalls  I'm just saying this so you don't work yourself to death over doing it! If you want to go wider that's not a huge deal but they really don't need THAT wide. You should see some of the things my two squeeze through on trails lol! Most our trails aren't even 6ft wide.


True... but on trails, you wouldn't be trying to squeeze through two horses in a 2-3 foot wide space! LOL You know how horses are... if they can find a way to get hurt, they will. I have a spooky mare who once tore a strip of hair off her neck when she tried to turn around in her doorway. Her butt was still in the doorway (4 feet wide) and she turned her neck to try to exit without bringing her hind end all the way in. She wedged herself in, panicked, and pushed herself out, ripping a strip of hide off her neck. I watched the whole thing unfold helplessly.

Nonetheless, good to know I don't need a very wide space through there. Moose are about the size of a horse, and I've seen moose trails in places a human has trouble squeezing through! But I figure moose are a little more forest-savvy than horses. We'll lead them through individually the first few times so they get the hang of it. Probably won't be riding through, because I'd get whacked by low branches a lot coming up the other side of the water. I might keep a stool there for a while though, so I can jump on them and ride around the perimeter a few times, checking the fence line, and getting them used to the new area.


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## avjudge (Feb 1, 2011)

Well, horses will get more forest-savvy by dealing with it! In a safe situation, of course - smooth surfaces that if they rub past won't cause lacerations, protruding rocks or roots on the ground they might trip over until they learn to watch where they're going _but_ as Woodhaven said, make sure there is never a place where their foot can actually catch underneath. 

One thing I notice is the triangle of - is it rotting ice? - heading down to the stream from the paddock/barn direction, just to the right of the circled trees in the 2nd photo. Is that the drainage for water coming from that direction? In that case it might get muddy if you get big-enough or frequent-enough (in a rainy summer) summer/fall rainstorms. I'd watch that area and you might want to drop some crushed rock/gravel on it _if_ it threatens to get churned up. Or maybe it will turn out to be nothing once summer comes around. (I wouldn't stress over that in advance, just keep it in mind as an "I might find that I have to . . ." thing.)

Like if dirt washes away from the roots - I wouldn't worry about the roots or do anything about them in advance, just be aware that it's something that it would be smart to keep tabs on (i.e. just keep your eyes open for changes when you walk through there) and address if it starts to happen.

As for limbing trees, we've always had horses just a couple inches taller than yours (15-15.2h) and I generally use the "as high as I can reach" yardstick, again like Woodhaven. Live hardwood limbs generally don't look to me to be dangerous to the horses, but I'll limb those for neatness. Dead softwood limbs give me the heebie-jeebies (I picture contact with an eye, though my incredibly sane horses have never had an issue) and I cut them close to the trunk!

Anne


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Thanks Anne! Yeah, that patch of ice/snow is just leftover from the melt. There is no drainage coming from that spot, but if you could see a few feet over to the left of the photo, you'd see a big drainage ditch spilling into this one. 

That said, I agree that some areas may end up needing to be reinforced. It won't be muddy by the time we put them back there, but we do want to prevent too much erosion. Paranoid as I am, you can bet I'll be walking through there daily for some time. It makes me nervous that this field is hidden from view if I'm at the house, but we really need the additional pasture so I'm going to set it up and alert all the neighbors, hand out all my contact #s, so if the horses get out, I can be notified asap. It's pretty far back from any roads and there's another farm with horses further back, so they'd probably go there (that's where Harley was boarded before). I will be inspecting every inch of the fence line back there on a daily basis, but still, things happen, and I notice they most often happen in an area that is new to horses.

And the "as high as I can reach" rule may not be quite enough for all 5 feet of me! I like to carry a step stool and go just a little higher. For one, if we get a snowfall, the limbs will be hanging down. Given that the horses will be there from late summer to late fall, snow is inevitable. I'm also paranoid of eye injuries and know my mare will find a way to scrape herself if I don't make everything as smooth as possible.


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## avjudge (Feb 1, 2011)

Acadianartist said:


> And the "as high as I can reach" rule may not be quite enough for all 5 feet of me! I like to carry a step stool and go just a little higher. . .


Well, yeah, I do have an extra 6" on you :mrgreen: and "how high I can reach" might include an extra foot of lopper handle or bow saw blade (as I saw with just the tip) if I see reason for it. I have been known to wedge myself up on something when an evergreen has a dead branch that droops, or is on a hill so that "above my head" at the trunk is not so much so at the branch end. Though as I said, I don't stress the live branches so much.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

HI AA I just thought I would send a couple of pictures of me in my "tree trimming outfit" I usually ride english but for this the western saddle is best.
I am not advising you to do this until you know your horses a lot better, probably Harley never, because the horse has to stand there and the branches drop right down on them.
Just thought you might like to see them.


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## sarahfromsc (Sep 22, 2013)

I am on my pad and took a picture of the banks my horse navigate. I am trying to attach it. Hope it works! I can get a small tractor and brush hog through there and the drag and side by side.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Woodhaven said:


> View attachment 884410
> 
> 
> View attachment 884418
> ...


Haha, love it Woodhaven! This is one of my goals for Kodak. She's pretty good at standing still, but we have to work on the branches falling down thing! Harley wouldn't care so much about the branches, but cannot stand still. He jigs all the time on trails.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Thought I'd update this. I have finished fencing in over two acres of new pasture space, including the connecting piece from the old to the new pasture. I opened it for the first time two days ago, for about an hour. The voltage wasn't as high as I'd have liked, so I promptly got the horses back out and re-checked everything, adding a few pieces of wire where the connections were weak. I now have very high voltage all around. The second day, I let the horses in there for about 2 hours. So far, they had only eaten out of the part that connects to the new pasture, and hadn't realized there was a whole other 2 acre field back there! Harley is reluctant to go in there because of the trees and the brook that runs through there (even though it is dry at the moment). But tonight, I let them in again, and took a walk, wanting to check on the fence to make sure it was still holding up well. I walked through the woods and across the brook and Harley decided to follow me. And of course, Kodak followed him! Boy, were they excited! The timothy is so tall, it's well over their withers, and my head! 

It was a bit late, but I decided to let them eat a bit in there. Around 11 pm, I figured I'd best go check on them. As I suspected, they had forgotten how they got in, and were very reluctant to cross the brook/woods at night in the dark. I walked around a bit, calling to Harley, but they were frantically running from me. Finally, he was able to get a good visual on me, and when he realized it was me, god love him, he came running to me for safety. I snapped the lead on his breakaway halter (I'm only leaving it on for a few days until they get used to this new pasture), and he let out a big sigh of relief. I easily led them back across in the dark (I went slow so he could make his way through and Kodak followed behind), and closed off the new pasture for the night. He was so relieved to be back home, that once we crossed over into the new pasture, I took the lead off and he ran towards the barn. He's so funny. 

I'll have to get pictures... I did end up using about 5 live trees, with the board system, and put in some metal T-posts in the dry brook bed because there's no way we're getting posts in there. 3 strands all around, at about a 5 ft height for the top. It looks and feels very secure. They just need to figure out how to get in and out now so I don't have to go rescue them every time!


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