# How long after Topping?



## KJJ (18 June 2007)

OK - having a bit of a 'set-too' with someone regarding turning out horses on 'topped' fields...

Pray tell how long it should be left before horses can graze?

(Most grass was taken away but there is still a fair amount of cut grass on top of the cut stems)

Thanks.

K x

(Will be interesting to see peoples responses - and if they differ!!


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## arkov (18 June 2007)

was it topped pasture, or has it not been grazed b4 topping ?


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## flyingfeet (18 June 2007)

We turned ours out 3.5 days after topping this time. However that was when we had 3 dry days at over 26oC. 

As soon as it looks like hay and is dry you are save from a colic point of view.


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## KJJ (18 June 2007)

[ QUOTE ]
was it topped pasture, or has it not been grazed b4 topping ? 

[/ QUOTE ]Not been grazed before - roughly 3-4ft of grass!!


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## KJJ (18 June 2007)

[ QUOTE ]
We turned ours out 3.5 days after topping this time. However that was when we had 3 dry days at over 26oC. 

As soon as it looks like hay and is dry you are save from a colic point of view. 

[/ QUOTE ]LOL DRY?????? not likely in this weather then!!


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## moneypit1 (18 June 2007)

Have always turned straight out with no probs but field was grazed before and there wasn't an awful lot of cut.


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## flyingfeet (18 June 2007)

Agreed with all the rain we've just had, it will be a devil of  job to work out when the grass is colic safe. 

On the other hand should rot down, but will take more like 5 days.


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## Sooty (18 June 2007)

We don't top ours; we strip graze the long grass.


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## rara007 (18 June 2007)

We top our while the horses are on the grass and never take them off, but it is more small bits of tall grass we remove than the whole area.

Haz


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## arkov (18 June 2007)

if it is being grazed then the horses never come off, but as you say it hasnt bin grazed, well there was a bit of research a while back, that said that all the laminitus causing agents are in the stem of long grass so you shouldnt graze after mowing. &amp; that grazing long grass is better than grazing after mowing.
google it &amp; see what it comes up with.


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