Were in full spring mode, here at Blackfaulds Farm and Livery, Alloa with lots to be done after a long winter. The grass needs a chance to recover in order to flourish with the warmer weather and sunnier days. So Kenneth is just the man for the job. His years spent doing Agriculture at Uni as well as having years and years of experience means he understands what to do and when. It helps enormously having the farming knowledge and the skills and ability to ensure tip top field maintenance.
Firstly he has finally got the heavy roller out to go over the fields which makes them look instantly fabulous. The last weeks weather conditions are just perfect for getting into the fields to get them rolled and to stimulate grass growth.
For the horses who live out all year in the field, he has begun harrowing the grass. This breaks up and spreads some of the dung to fertilise the fields. Harrowing also allows the chains to go over the field and pull out moss and unwanted weeds, which in turn allows the fresh shoots to pop up and ensures the grass is in healthy condition.
Field maintenance is crucial to ensure the health of livestock. It isn’t often discussed when choosing a livery but without applying these skills and knowledge, horses can often be seen grazing in paddocks with a large amount of weeds and poor looking fields. This can mean that horses and ponies are not getting the nutritional needs they require to stay healthy.
Above is a pic of one of the fields which has just been rolled and already beginning to see the spring growth.