Squashy pasture

[altivo]

Took Tess out to the pasture this afternoon for her 30 minute allotment, and it was all squishy and spongy from the rain and snow. She needs to get her feet wet regularly anyway, so that's OK. She took off running across the field and clear water squirted up out of the grass at every spot where a hoof hit the ground. It was very odd looking. She was running over what seemed to be solid ground, but it was splashing like a puddle.

No new fox sightings today, but there's a new (or reopened) burrow under the SE corner of the arena, which is where they were hiding out last spring and kept leaving dead chickens outside the entrance.

Comments

[baphnedia.livejournal.com]

The fox den makes me want to roll up a party of the Light Warrior Chickens...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I think chicken stew would follow. Chickens are not popular in my vicinity these days.

[chibiabos.livejournal.com]

How my boss' pastures and fields for the dogs will ever grow back from a miserably long winter, I don't know. The ground has been so soft and soggy, the sod has been slashed and demolished under dog paws and horse hooves. There's about 10-15 or so "grassy" acres (another 5-10 acres of forest). We've had to setup temporary fencing in overgrown areas because the grassy areas are just too muddy to use, we're hoping it will somehow recover by letting the fields rest, but I have a hard time seeing good, strong-rooted grass take hold in the near future (a year or so).

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Grass is amazingly resilient. You may need to throw some new seed in if areas come up totally bare or weedy,

The key sometimes is to keep the grass from being eaten for a few months. Some areas may have to be closed off for a while.

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

Whinnyhi.

That is something I like about our place. Rolling hill pastures. The two low areas are very soggywet but the rest is recovering nicely. Gives the boys and girls more exercise, too. We are hoping to put the girls into the wooded area out back soon. Bear has been working on the fences back there for that purpose. Of course Selene will manage to hurt herself but we are gonna take the chance.

Steed

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Ours is turning green as Ireland in just the last week. It also has the right boggy, turfy feel for the Emerald Isle. Maybe I'll just get Tess a St. Patrick's Day hat and leave it at that. ;p

At least I can let her out briefly. Getting her feet wet is supposed to be really good for her, according to our farrier friend, but it will be weeks before she can have all the grass she wants without me worrying about grass founder.