# poo picking!



## firstponyMinto (23 October 2010)

I'm confused about poo picking, should I or shouldn't I?

I'm looking after 2 horses in 4 acres, the owner say's not to bother, but there's a LOT of poo!!

so who poo picks & who dosen't?

for those of you that do poo pick, why do you?

& 

for those of you that don't poo pick, why don't you?

thankees


----------



## Azmar (23 October 2010)

I split my grazing and rotate and poo pick twice daily. I worm with herbal wormer and it has kept my two worm free for 4 years now. Also land looks much better and it maximizes the grazing area as horses don't like grazing around sour patches caused by droppings.


----------



## rubysmum (23 October 2010)

poo picking is the bane of my life...
i was always taught that you should poo pick to stop the fields from getting sour & until recently i kept my then 2 horses at a farm where i rented my paddocks - they were spotless - i have now moved to a small DIY livery  where i share a field - no-body else poo picks - i spend hrs doing it for all the horses - grrrrrr
if anyone here can give lots of compelling reasons to poo pick - i will print them out & stick them up in the tack room


----------



## jenz87 (23 October 2010)

We poo pick all our fields, i believe it is important to.
The horses dont like eating near it, it turns the fields sour and most importantly it helps reduce the worm burden in horses.
We went to a colic lecture from our vets a couple of weeks ago, and they recommended that fields were poo picked at least every 2 weeks, with 2 weeks being the maximum recommendation for leaving poo in the field.

Hope that helps  x


----------



## Groom42 (23 October 2010)

I have always poo picked twice a day - my father instilled it into me nearly forty years ago!  It is better for the fields, and better for the ponies.  Worm counts in ponies from poo-picked land are minimal, if not virtually non existant. Aesthetically, paddocks look far neater, and better maintained if they are not covered in s***!  Also, by poo picking you are in the habit of doing a daily walk round the field, and checking for fencing/ragwort/ rabbit holes and lost shoes!  I have only once not poo picked, when we were in a ten acre field with four horses, and the other tenant did not poo pick.  The field was harrowed once a year, but the size and shape of it, combined with the number of horses made it impractical. It was like an itch I couldn't scratch, and I felt awful.


----------



## toffeesmarty (23 October 2010)

I have 8 horses that produce a lot of poo. It is an ongoing battle to keep on top of it but I clean the field at least daily for all of the reasons described above. 
Also I can't stand looking at dirty fields and watching good grass not being eaten because it has turned sour.


----------



## Chavhorse (23 October 2010)

Groom42 said:



			I have always poo picked twice a day - my father instilled it into me nearly forty years ago!  It is better for the fields, and better for the ponies.  Worm counts in ponies from poo-picked land are minimal, if not virtually non existant. Aesthetically, paddocks look far neater, and better maintained if they are not covered in s***!  Also, by poo picking you are in the habit of doing a daily walk round the field, and checking for fencing/ragwort/ rabbit holes and lost shoes!  I have only once not poo picked, when we were in a ten acre field with four horses, and the other tenant did not poo pick.  The field was harrowed once a year, but the size and shape of it, combined with the number of horses made it impractical. It was like an itch I couldn't scratch, and I felt awful.
		
Click to expand...

Crumbs were we seperated at birth!  

Same as you my Father drummed it into us that field MUST be poo picked twice a day at a minimum.  

As you say worm counts are minimal and you get the chance to check your fields throughly just this summer when poo picking we found a hole that had one of the horses stepped in it would have been a disaster waiting to happen as It was it was filled with sand within minutes.

This is not to say on the days when I am outside in Oilskins or prising frozen poo off the ground in mid winter I do not occasionally curse my Dad;-))


----------



## Amos (23 October 2010)

We have four horses and I completely clear the paddocks of poo every day. It only takes 10 mins. Can't bare looking out and seeing poo. Sadly obsessed.... but on a good note, pushing that wheel barrow around is great for keeping away the "bat wings"!


----------



## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (23 October 2010)

Um, well, I'm a bit of a lazy toadie I have to admit, BUT for the vast majority of the time I graze mine with sheep in a 10 acre field, and they tend to tread in the poo and so I don't bother at the mo. 

Also (horrid thought) there's loads of crows around here and I've seen them picking through the poo and scratching it around, so if they're doing my job for me then why should I argue?!

I know the vets and everyone else will say that poo picking is essential, BUT the problem, as I see it, is that somewhere you will have to put a muckheap, which will then attract flies and midges. You've either got to put the muckheap in the field, or away from it, probably within the borders of your yard, which isn't exactly what you want especially like with mine who's got sweet itch.

When mine was on livery at a big yard, they'd poo pick religiously every day, and this made good sense.


----------



## Baggybreeches (23 October 2010)

I poo pick as often as possible, I work very long hours and sometimes its just not possible to do it daily. I do make sure the field is completely clear each week though. I think its important for the reasons stated above, to reduce worm counts, because horses won't eat around the tainted pasture and because it looks better. Also a good point about getting into the habit of walking round the field checking fencing etc. 
I have 3 horses on about 1.5 acres (split in half) and I rotate it. ( I have another 7 acres but that it too wet to use at the moment!)


----------



## Toffee44 (23 October 2010)

Poo picking twice a day!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are obsessed  

I try to do it every day but in reality its normally cleared every 2-3  days lol.


----------



## Lollii (23 October 2010)

Well .... going against the majority here it seems, I don't pick up poo, never have and I never will 

I have always rotated the fields, grazed sheep and harrowed, my OH harrows at least once a week while the ground isn't too wet. Our grazing is lovely all spring, summer and autumn, I can graze the horses and pony all year with no problems.

It makes me smile to see people slogging away picking up poo when there is no need, I have my horses wormed counted once a year, there has never been a problem.

I guess if you have smart paddocks near houses/yards it looks better though 

Each to their own


----------



## Toffee44 (23 October 2010)

I think it depends on the land you have tho.

I only have three acres, when I had them 5 I just harrowed. But I couldnt do that now.


----------



## firstponyMinto (23 October 2010)

Thanks for all the imput......  still don't know what to do for the best!  

Another question tho!

If horses won't graze near their droppings, how can they pick up worms from said droppings?

(wish there was a confused smiley lol)   ;-)  xx


----------



## celia (23 October 2010)

I poo-pick every day - unless the weather is completely foul! 

Partly to help minimise worms and to keep the grass nice but also because it looks so much nicer - especially as one of their main rough spots is outside the kitchen window!

Maybe I'm odd but I actually quite like it! I take the dogs out, enjoy the lovely views and get a lovely feeling of satisfaction when I look back up at a completely clean field. 

ETA: we have 3 horses on approx 3 acres atm. They'll be moving into 8 acres soon for winter.


----------



## HarwoodFarm (23 October 2010)

I have a friend who in the winter has very limted garzing, but through Poo Picking daily and maintaining the grass she manages to keep them turned out everyday ALL winter.  I Think it is a must if you are only grazing a small area.  It keeps it looking lovely too. 

Sarah 

www.harwoodfarm.co.uk


----------



## spotty_pony (23 October 2010)

I poo pick because it helps to keep the paddock grazed down more evenly, otherwise you end up with patches of long sour grass which the horses won't eat because they have pooed there so this ends up wasting grass. Also, in summer poo picking helps to reduce the number of flies in the paddock. It minimises the spread of worms and overall I think a paddock which has been poo picked looks a lot smarter than one that hasn't.


----------



## asterid (23 October 2010)

I hate poo picking! I do it as I have to, but over the last couple of months the boys just harrow the field, makes life easier. 

I have to say, the fields that aren't poo picked and harrowed always come back with better grass than the fields that have been hand poo picked. 

As I am broken, I wont be doing it at all for the forseeable, so will get the boys to harrow again. 

However once the land becomes wet and sodden, will have to poo pick as the tractor will churn up the field.  

I think if you have a big huge field with a herd then no need to poo pick. where we have small grazing areas for one or two horses then you have to poo pick.


----------



## HollyWoozle (23 October 2010)

I have a horse and 2 ponies on about 3 acres (24/7, all year round). On average it gets poo-picked once a week.


----------



## Groom42 (23 October 2010)

I was always taught that harrowing should be done when the weather is hot and dry, as it allows the worm larvae to be dried out and they DIE!!!! (Kill those little bu****s!)
If you just harrow willy nilly, all you are doing is spreading the poo, and spreading the worms - poo-picking all the way!


----------



## Slightly Foxed (23 October 2010)

jenz87 said:



			We went to a colic lecture from our vets a couple of weeks ago, and they recommended that fields were poo picked at least every 2 weeks, with 2 weeks being the maximum recommendation for leaving poo in the field.

Hope that helps  x
		
Click to expand...

I think leaving poo in the field for two weeks is too long. Once small redworm eggs have hatched it takes about a week for the larvae to move up the blades of grass where they can be eaten by the horses. To avoid redworm infestation I'd say you need to poo pick at least every five days. 

I have six horses so I poo pick every day to keep on top of it.


----------



## Supertrooper (23 October 2010)

We poo pick every day, I can't stand seeing fields with poo in them! We do it because:

1) It maximises your grazing

2) Reduces worm burdens

3) Looks nicer

4) It's alot easier to do it everyday 

5) Gives you more time just watching your horse or if it's like mine they will follow you round while you do it!

6) I find it really relaxing......

7) Very good exercise


----------



## kibob (23 October 2010)

I run a small livery and insist that the summer paddocks are poo-picked daily.  It keeps the worm count down, looks far nicer and we don't get the huge areas of bitter grass and weeds.  Also, as others have said, doubles as a daily check of pasture/fences etc.  Very often, early signs that a horse is off-colour are shown through their droppings too, so it's an early warning system.

In the winter the horse move to larger winter fields and we don't poo-pick then.  The fields are chain-harrowed and rolled in the spring as soon as they are dry enough.  These fields are then grazed by cattle/sheep for the summer months.

I find poo-picking in the winter a nightmare when the ground is wet/gateways muddy etc.  Also I have a few young girls in livery and generally when they get back from school and get to the yard it is dark.  If I made them catch up on the poo-picking on a weekend they would have little time to ride/muck-out stables/ tidy yard or have a life.


----------



## abbieandfiona (23 October 2010)

I clear mine everyday have 4 ponies and around 10 acres split over 3 fields. Cant stand mess and farmer who rent from said leave it but dont like that idea and also have my poo pile removed every month.


----------



## italylyns (23 October 2010)

Yep, EVERY day!!!

I cant stand seeing the field full of poo!!

Soooooooooo many reasons to do it and it doesnt take long


----------



## Prince33Sp4rkle (23 October 2010)

i have 5 acres split in to 4 paddocks, 2 summer and 2 winter paddocks. 4 horses split in to 2 groups of 2.

gets poo picked daily, totally clear. takes 10mins if you keep on top of it.

my worm counts are so so low, and i only worm 3 timess a year because of the low worm burden in the paddocks.


----------



## Holidays_are_coming (23 October 2010)

Ive gone from a yard were poo picking wasnt done to one where it has to be done at least once a day. we have a rota, so you do it for 2 weeks then have a month off, we have 3 horses in the field and it only takes 20 mins.

I much prefer it because

1)  the horses graze so much more evenly 

2) you can check the field for ragwork, fences or holes

3) good to check poo we recently have one with bad loose droppings, so she had to see the vet

4) All have clear worm counts

5) spend some time with your horse - my mare follows you around

6) looks so much tidier


----------



## LadyRascasse (23 October 2010)

i poo pick once a day when in at night and twice a day when out. keeps it simple and neat. plus i have never had a worm problem with any of my horses.


----------



## mcnaughty (23 October 2010)

My YO put up a sign - Fields Must Be Poo Picked EVERY Day - so I dutifully do it - she on the other hand drives around her field with the harrow.....

I am leaving in 1 week and will not be poo picking again!


----------



## monkeybum13 (23 October 2010)

I can't imagine not doing it.

It's very annoying as at the yard the mares always follow the boys fields, so boys first, then girls and the owners of the geldings never do the darn thing, even when told to by YM


----------



## brighteyes (24 October 2010)

Every day, without fail, for all the reasons above.


----------



## Jnhuk (24 October 2010)

I have only 3.5 acres with two large horses. I poo pick twice daily if I can as  then just means one wheelbarrow load each time so easy to do. However, if I leave it a few days or miss a bit, the effort to catch up is more onerous. It stops the development of roughs and lawns.

To poo pick or not really depends on how much land and grazing you have and whether you can rotate your grazing with other livestock. If I had huge acreage and able to rotate with sheep/cows, then I would be less bothered by poo picking regular. 

however, by poo picking it means that you are checking your field regularly -  rabbit holes, ragwort etc.... which you would miss. I also find if a horse has pulled a shoe off, you find the lost shoe whilst poo picking and never when you just look for it!

It is also nice to socialise with the horses in the field when weather better - mine come up for a scratch and a nose.







-


----------



## Spit That Out (24 October 2010)

There are 3 horses in our field which is only just 3 acres so we poop pick daily, on a rota basis between the 3 of us.
We unfortunately haven't got field rotation so we have to look after the field we have.
Need the grass to grow and haven't got the luxury of letting patches of grass going to waste.
Makes it a bit easier that they are in at nights throughout the year but it's a job that needs doing so we suck it up and get on with it.
Also an opportunity to replace any divots, pull thistles and rag before it becomes established. 
We end up with a great field when others are moaning that there isn't any grass or their fields are full of weed patches!!!
It keeps the flies down, you get to spend a bit of time with your horse while it grazes and in the summer a chance to top up the tan!!!


----------



## nikkiportia (24 October 2010)

Everyday without fail. But only because we don't have a huge amount of land. Only takes 10mins once a day.
On the stud, we have a paddock sweeper, and the paddocks usually get done on a rotation basis, every couple of weeks.
Nothing worse than seeing paddocks full of poo IMO.


----------



## chilworth23 (24 October 2010)

At my yard, the "girls" field has mine, the yard owners and 1 other mare in it. Myself, the other girl, and the yard owner and then her husband (has a nearby farm) do a day each a week, and more often than not, my fella also does a day a week. it is a 3.5 acre fields andjust square in shape, we have a poo pile at each corner, and each day, yard owners farmer hubby removes the pile.


----------



## katherine1975 (24 October 2010)

I poo pick everyday, we have 3 acres for two horses. It is a good chance to socialise with the horses, stops any sour grass growing and also means that the fencing etc gets check everyday. Worm counts come back clear every time and it is my gym workout for the day as the field is on a hill!


----------



## chilworth23 (24 October 2010)

Also, peoples opinions of "oh there'd still be a dung heap" or "it gets trodden in" are just excused for laziness, fields look lovely and fresh and are better for horses when poo picked.


----------



## Mogg (24 October 2010)

i admit i am a bit obsessed...i poo pick at least once a day and its not even my horse!    i am expecting a really fabulous christmas present off my sister tho 

we only have a small paddock tho so its a fairly quick job and i can check the fences etc as i go round. i hate to see a poo-ey paddock and i can watch for any changes in his poo consistency/amount. His worm count is clear.


----------



## 3DE (24 October 2010)

I have 3 horses on 5 acres split into 9 small paddocks. I rotate the grazing and have sheep following the horses. I also 'harrow' the fields after the horse have been on t break up the poo (basically a gate tied to the back of my landrover and a bit of offroading ). I don't poo pick at all. When I bought the land there was a huge problem with thistles and nettles but following this regime they are all but gone...

Oh and I have had a negative worm count now for 8 months 

Edit - my chickens break up a lot of the poo too as they love rooting in it for goodies. My chuckies are truly free range


----------



## JenHunt (24 October 2010)

we have 2 horses on about 14 acres... We poo pick two of the little paddocks but not the big winter one. We only poo pick the little ones as they've to last all summer and they're only 5 acres in total, and the foot path goes through one of them.

this seems to work for us as I've just had our worm count results back and it makes 9 clear tests in a row!


----------



## cindars (25 October 2010)

One arab mare one shetland field is poo picked by me everyday.  Field looks better for it as well as being better for grass growth and it keeps the flys down in the summer.


----------



## eriskaypony (25 October 2010)

Lollii said:



			Well .... going against the majority here it seems, I don't pick up poo, never have and I never will 

I have always rotated the fields, grazed sheep and harrowed, my OH harrows at least once a week while the ground isn't too wet. Our grazing is lovely all spring, summer and autumn, I can graze the horses and pony all year with no problems.

It makes me smile to see people slogging away picking up poo when there is no need, I have my horses wormed counted once a year, there has never been a problem.

I guess if you have smart paddocks near houses/yards it looks better though 

Each to their own 

Click to expand...

We used to poo pick relgiously, now we don't bother. We are lucky enough to have enough land so can rotate our grazing. Ponies in for a while, harrow, chuck some sheep in for a while then let it resst before the ponies come back in. The sheep take care of any worm issues and graze it flat so no issues with the quality of the grazing or worms.

No effort at all and healthy ponies, but I do realise everyone is not so lucky.


----------



## ChestnutConvert (25 October 2010)

2 horses and 2 donkeys with fields that get rotated but we poo pick all the time, at least 4/5 times a week. If there is more than one of you and you all do a bit it doesn't seem as bad and as said before you get right round your fields looking for dangers, keep an eye on the poop and whats in it and all those lovely kinds of things!
One word on donkeys though...they manage to poo while walking scraping long grass with a shovel isn't much fun pa! *dreams of a poo hoover machine when next up at the yard*


----------



## Enfys (25 October 2010)

firstponyMinto said:



			I'm confused about poo picking, should I or shouldn't I?

I'm looking after 2 horses in 4 acres, the owner say's not to bother, but there's a LOT of poo!!

so who poo picks & who dosen't?I pick (or make the child do it) the minis half acre paddock that is right next to the house and road . Shelters [I*]are*[/I] picked out. 

for those of you that do poo pick, why do you? aesthetic reasons only, a lumpy paddock looks so_ untidy_ especially when I run a business that relies on the place and horses looking vaguely respectable

& 

for those of you that don't poo pick, why don't you? I don't mostly, never have.  Why? Because I have lots of horses (and cows, ever tried picking up their stuff?) I harrow and in winter I leave it, think concrete blocks welded to the ground! Fortunately in winter the snow covers it, in Spring it looks awful but then I just scrape the smaller paddocks with the tractor, or harrow it. I'd never have time to do anything else if I picked by hand! Far more important things to do than break my back going round with a bucket and gloves 

Click to expand...

...


----------



## RuthnMeg (25 October 2010)

Iam going against the grain here too. Our field is about 4 + aces, it gets officially harrowed (and topped) twice a year, sometimes we put about a dozen sheep in during the drier weather. 
What we do do, is every day, twice a day we kick and scatter the poo (as a harrow would do). The field looks really good, and honestly it looks tidy. The scattered poo doesn't seem to make the grass go sour, as its evenly grazed.
They get wormed twice a year, and have never had any worms.
I have 3 out on it 24/7 365. For about 1 month every year we move the horses while the docks get sprayed, but thats it. I think we are doing a good job with what we have.

Iam all for poo picking small areas of grazing, but for those who poo pick 4+ acres, I salute your dedication!!


----------



## wellsat (25 October 2010)

I do! As others have said, it helps keep your horses worm free and stops sour patches developing in your fields.


----------



## Lollii (25 October 2010)

wellsat said:



			I do! As others have said, it helps keep your horses worm free and stops sour patches developing in your fields.
		
Click to expand...

I'm not sure it does  those that don't poo pick (but harrow/graze sheep/rotate) dont have any problems. 

I agree it can make a paddock look better but it doesn't stop worms and it doesnt turn the grass sour if you harrow, in fact it can help grass growth by harrowing.


----------



## Flummoxed (25 October 2010)

I'm firmly in the Poo Picking camp. Two horses produce one full barrow every day and, if I were to leave it in their small (Livery Yard) paddock, they would soon run out of grazing areas. I am happy to do it daily even in bad weather, always check the fencing, and hate winter when it is too dark after work to be able to do it. It tells me loads about their daily routines and well-being.

I can't stand to see a dirty paddock.


----------



## skychick (25 October 2010)

Our YO poo sucks our fields daily with the quadbike and poo sucker......(i know we are very spoilt!!)
When i had my horse at home as a kid....my mum did a couple of days a week....i did wednesday and the weekend (i had long school hours 8 - 5pm but weds afternoons off...but had to go on saturday mornings) so the rota meant it was done daily.


----------



## Hippona (25 October 2010)

I poo pick every day.,..I am obsessive about it. OH went mad at me poo-picking in a lightning storm, complete with metal scraper

I have 3 horses on 2 acres divided into smaller paddocks so I have to manage my grazing really well. 

I used to be on a livery yard where it got done once a week....badly- I used to end up doing everyones elses share because I couldn't walk away and leave it.....


I was constantly needing to worm the horses before they were technically 'due'......now I only need to do them for tapeworm twice a year

PS I even do it in the dark.....with my head-torch ( or **** lamp )


----------



## catdragon (25 October 2010)

I poo pick, every week the field is cleared. It's part of my livery contract to do so, but even if it wasn't I would still do it. I wouldn't leave it as the paddocks are about the same as yours in size and I don't like the fact if left the grass dies under it, the birds spread it and it's aesthetically horrible !


----------



## Brandy (25 October 2010)

I do most days. The grass dies under the poos, its looks a mess and why should the horses have to eat around poo? Helps with worms too.

We used to rent a 25 acre field from after hay cutting to Xmas, this wasn;t poo picked, but harrowed. Just not practical to slog round a grassy field of that size. Harrowing spreads the poo and help prevent the spread of worms. 

Mine live out so its something that I do most days, gets to observe the creatues and automatically see broken fencing, rabbit holes etc


----------



## fatpiggy (25 October 2010)

The reasons you should poo pick are that it gives maximum available grazing (don't do it and watch your grazing reduce by 80% in time), keeps the flies down - really important in the summer, prevents worm eggs getting into the grazing, and makes it look like someone actually cares.  While you are doing it you can look for potential hazards eg. glass, holes, wobbly fencing, ragwort and other nasties coming up and you can actually see how the grass is doing.  I can't therefore understand why people think it isn't important.


----------



## Faithkat (25 October 2010)

I poo pick every day and I worm regularly too.  Up until last week I had four and if it wasn't done every day, it became a labour of Hercules.  There are enough sour areas as it is, goodness only knows what it would be like if it wasn't poo picked every day!

As others have said, it is also an ideal opportunity to check fences, pick up any rubbish etc.


----------



## Enfys (25 October 2010)

italylyns said:



			Yep, EVERY day!!!

I cant stand seeing the field full of poo!!Neither can I, the tiny one is done daily, my  others are harrowed, and topped frequently, it works for me.

Soooooooooo many reasons to do it Yesand it doesnt take longYes it *does* when you have twenty odd horses, plus cows, spread over maybe thirty,forty acres ,it's usually only me here and I'd be at it all day, every day, and then my Boarders would moan that fencing, stalls, sand ring etc wasn't done, I wouldn't get my youngsters worked, the house would be in s**t state and my family wouldn't eat.

Click to expand...

...


----------



## horserider0912 (25 October 2010)

My yard never poo picks! I am in a field of 14 acres so its to much. no body does it. i think we should though.


----------



## learningcurve (25 October 2010)

Mine is done twice a day, OH does it for me in the mornings, I do it after work.

Last winter when there was snow for a few weeks, could only do what was on the top, when the snow thawed, I could have cried, my lovely clean field was full of it.

Took me and OH hours to clear it, can't imagine the state it would have been in if it not been done daily before.


----------



## missyme10 (25 October 2010)

Poo picking is compulsory at my yard 

In the spring, summer and early autumn we do it daily. This time of the year and the rest of winter we do it 3 times per week because of the dark nights, we'd hardly get to ride if we had to do it daily in the winter.

Its the first yard I've been at that does poo pick, all others didn't bother as they had huge fields, but my new yard is lots of smaller paddocks and smaller groups of horses so its important to look after the paddocks.

I hated it to start with but its now part of my routine and I really dont mind it now x


----------



## JenHunt (25 October 2010)

Lollii said:



			I'm not sure it does  those that don't poo pick (but harrow/graze sheep/rotate) dont have any problems. 

I agree it can make a paddock look better but it doesn't stop worms and it doesnt turn the grass sour if you harrow, in fact it can help grass growth by harrowing.
		
Click to expand...


ditto this. the only reason we pick the two paddocks we do is cos of the footpath and the aesthetics of the two small paddocks.


----------



## Sophie_Bailey (25 October 2010)

i poo pick daily/ twice daily (depending on work). having been at a yard where i wasnt allowed to poo pick and being greeted by a swarm of flies in the summer as soon as i got onto the field (yes, that bad) i can't not do it anymore!
 I do however only have three horses, 2 big-uns and a mini shettie, manageable paddocks at just under 3 acres each and a good rappor with many allotment owners who come and collect my bags of poo come rain or shine!


----------



## starsky (25 October 2010)

To all the people who poo pick daily, how do you manage that in the winter when it's dark?  I am only at the yard in the dark Mon-Fri once the clocks change!  We poo pick all our fields, weekly at the weekend.  Everyone at our yard works full time so they couldn't do it in the dark during the week.


----------



## 3DE (26 October 2010)

To all those that poo pick daily - how do you go about fertilising the fields? I harrow the poo back into the ground and this is the fertiliser. At a big yard I had horses on they used to fertilise once a year and it meant that for 2 weeks you couldn't put the horses out - how do people get around this?


----------



## sop366 (4 February 2011)

I'm still non the clearer on this - I work, have 2 young children and 2 horses on a 5 acre field. I try to poo pick but never have the time to keep on top of it. Are there any cheats? Can I harrow the fields when dry to spread the poo around? are there any less labour intensive alternatives other than expensive machinery????


----------



## AMW (4 February 2011)

4 ponies on 4 acres produce quite a bit of poo!! I poo pick once a week as I work full time. my 3yo filly is so good and has 4 toilets round the field, she is quite funny as she suddenly trots off, poos then trots back to where she was. wish the other 3 were so good though they all seem to like the fence line to poo at and have toilet areas within the field 
I cant stand seeing the field dirty, it means they graze the field better if its kept clear of poo .


----------



## sop366 (4 February 2011)

If you harrow - how often do you harrow the poo back in to the ground?


----------



## appletree (4 February 2011)

I poo pick at the weekends and do a bulk load, would never leave it longer than this as it looks awful and can't be good for the grass! In Summer I poo pick daily that way it takes 10 minutes max and keeps fields clear.
I also have 4 horses so its a lot of poo!


----------

