Paddock Management - Infrastructure Advice

Ensuring your paddocks are doing the best job for you is as vital as getting the right piece of machinery or right animal yet it is often the last thing one considers.

Gateways and fencing - ensure that gateways and fencing are both structurally sound and in good repair. New gateways in sensible positions can reduce poaching and the smooth running of both machinery and livestock. Hours chasing missing stock are counterproductive and tiring.

Footpaths and public rights of way - Ensure that gates shut easily and that adequate signage is put in place. Loose string, numerous pathways and untidy paddocks will lead to confusion and encourage the public to use alternative routes that may not be suitable.

Hedges and trees - Often the most visually pleasing part of your paddocks - the choices you make in these areas will have long reaching consequences. Planting a willow in a damp patch may help with drainage but too many may dry up a useful dew pond. In the long term tree roots may be a concern if near buildings or structures while a trees eventual height may enhance or ruin sight lines. Hedges will take some time to establish and will almost certainly always need a further barrier to ensure they can act as adequate stock protection. Annual trimming can be costly and must be undertaken at the correct time of year depending on your wildlife status - it is important not to disrupt nesting or young birds.

Ditches and drainage - make sure that this is put in place at the inception of any paddock plan. It may take a year for you to see how water runs off land and it may be well worth waiting this year before starting any major works. Once in place their regular maintenance is imperative to the stability and productivity of the ground.

New grass lays or existing pasture - you may be fortunate to have pasture so well established you do not wish to re-sow - in fact if you are in any sort of special area you may be unable to do so by order of DEFRA. It is important to establish what you want out of your grazing paddocks and possibly take advice as to how achieve this. You may wish for a wild flower meadow whilst still hoping to graze horses or you may wish to keep a house cow or flock of sheep - all will have differing needs which you can supplement or nurture but it is important to know in advance.

Once you have put in place a solid and workable infrastructure working with your paddocks will be easy and hopefully the least of your problems.

Enjoying the fressh air and riding with ponies and horses is great fun. Looking after them requires a sensible programme of paddock maintenance. Steve Phillips find his advice from GreenPaddocks. They are reliable and give a high level of service all year round for anything from hedge laying to paddock topping.