The Pastures Are Almost Dead...

What's really wrong here is that the cross-fencing (divisioning) does not work for the farm. It puts horses in 'large' pastures which are 'selectively' used (eaten) by the horses. This in turn leaves large, unsightly, areas where the weeds take hold and grow 'out of control'. There are patches of weeds that are taller than me. I don't know how this problem became so overwhelming but it's quite clear that something needs to be done.

We need some help now. What do you do when your in over you head. You ask your family and friends for guidance. Wow! After about 100 opinions. We decided to cut down (mow) the pastures. All our horse friends hated us for that. They thought it a sin to waste pasture. But this was pasture that nobody was using. Except for the weeds.

Uncle Wayne stepped right. He brought over his tractor. We rented a rough-cut mower. And a cutting we shall go.

Even while the mowing is taking place there is already an apparent improvement. The mowing is removing the weeds and the long grass the horses aren't eating and leaving the underlying grass that the horses do like.

Oh... Let me explain. The rough-cut mower deck (cutting-plane) can be set to any height. We are not trying to make 'lawn' out of pasture. On the contrary. Our good advise led us to understand that if we don't get rid of the weeds and 'swamp grass' that the horses don't like then we will not have the pastures the horses do like.

To everybody's amazement. Myself included. In about three years time. Almost all the weeds are gone from the pastures and the horses are eating almost all the pasture. A remarkable recovery. With nothing more then minor, scheduled, maintenance. We burn a few weeds about three times in the spring. We rough-cut the pastures about twice a year. We do not, and have not used chemicals. And everyone agrees. The transformation is remarkable. Absolutely extraordinary.