Horse Grazing Management
The majority of the ponies and horses aren’t year round residents at Clough Bottom, but are winter month visitors who are taking time out – perhaps to have a well deserved rest after a season’s competition or maybe to tend to newborn foals. Some of our equestrian guests have been injured and benefit from undisturbed respite.
Whatever the need, the horses and ponies are free to roam and explore the fields and graze at their leisure under the watchful eye of our expert handlers.
You love and care for your horses and we do too...
We manage our guests in as natural state as possible providing a stress free, relaxed & safe environment. Horses and ponies are looked at a minimum of twice a day in their fields - both in the morning and afternoon.
During the winter, additional feed is taken to the fields and haylage is fed on an ad lib basis. We make our own organic haylage during the summer months. Horses and ponies are kept in small groups with either no shoes or front shoes only. The average field size is between 5 & 15 acres on which we graze up to 6 horses/ponies per field. All the land which is used for our long-term visitors, is bordered by conservation shelter belts which create natural field protection and a haven for wildlife. The field boundaries consist of either electric, post or rail fences which are all suitable for horses and ponies.
Over the past 5 years, we have followed an extensive programme for updating and renovating our existing field drainage system, and currently, each field now has its own water trough fed from mains water. Keeping the horses and ponies company within the grazing areas are beef suckler cows usually with calves at foot.
Our fields are regularly rotated, rested and fertilised using our own organic manure. Feet are regularly checked over every 6-8 weeks by a specialist and we are registered with our local vet's practise, should the horses/ponies suffer from any major ailments. If this should be the case, we will notify you immediately and call our vet on instruction from you.
You can be sure that with our many years of experience and love of all things equestrian, your horse or pony will leave Clough Bottom a happy and well rested friend.