Horse Paddocks

[Rollacosta]

Hi are any of you guys out there offering horse paddock maintenance,if you are what services do you provide ,what kit do you use??? etc etc

I'm thinking about offering this service. Thanks for your replies. :)

[RedWingsDet]

never heard of it.

[sildoc]

Wont pick up dog crap why would I want to pick up a whole stall of horse crap. Bad enough when you have to smell dog crap all day because its on one of your tires but no way do I want horse crap on my shoes all day.
Any ways I am sure you wont make the kind of money that you are needing to stay in business. Most around here only pay their help a max of 10 per hour. GOod luck getting more than that.

[Rollacosta]

Heres what a guy in the UK is doing ,i don't think you guys really get the jist of what i'm talking about so here goes www.paddockcare.com.

[Rollacosta]

Heres another guy offering the service www.paddock-and-field-maintenance.co.uk

[gene gls]

Hi are any of you guys out there offering horse paddock maintenance,if you are what services do you provide ,what kit do you use??? etc etc

I'm thinking about offering this service. Thanks for your replies. :)

We mow for 3 different customers that have horses, largest has about 6 acres of pasture(paddock). Its just keeping the weeds cut down. We also do an orchard, apples,pears,blueberrys, every 2 weeks. Nothing fussy, just like brush hog mowing except we use our mowers. Another customer has about 1 acre of woods that we use the old 48" w/b on in late summer to cut the scrub brush that wants to grow every year. Mowing is mowing,charge accordingly.Anything that needs 4x4 traction I sub out to a friend with an Abei that has a 6' front flail mower.

Gene

[Rollacosta]

gene don't you offer services similer to what is on the websites above ,i think this may be quite porofitable as there doesn't seem to be that many guys specialising in equestrian paddock/pasture maintenance, overhere or in the States

[Mickhippy]

I advertised this year for horse paddocks but Ill only do them if its say knee high or lower. A few tall weeds are ok though. Horse poo dont bother me, its just grass and grain, not meaty ..... ahhh stop there! :p
Actually gonna take on a cow paddock on Wednesday!
Heres a paddock I did last year! It was drought and the grass wasnt long at all. Was just cutting a few weeds really and was quick easy money! :waving:

[Rollacosta]

Mickhippy i don't have a problem either with horse cr+p :) ,if the paddock you worked on was drought didn't you try and sell aeration ?? the paddock also looked as if it could have done with an overseed IMO..The horesy community over here seem to have a bit of do$h ,i'm going to try and tap into there market

[Mickhippy]

Rolla, The people who had the paddock actually owned a farm type supply store. You know, they sold fert, seed, poisons, hey etc. If they wanted it seeded they would of done it them selves as they did on an other paddock they have.
I think they just had there horse the temporarily while there other paddock was coming good. I also mowed the other as well.
Your right though, up selling might of been an idea but people here in general just arnt interested.

Good market to get into if possible. Horse people always seemed to be thankfull for the job unlike normal home owners. Its a country thing! hehe

[rick2752]

Just my opinion, for what its worth. Most horse people arent afraid of a little work, and they typically already have the tractor with a bushhog or finish mower. They need the tractor for other horse related jobs and are more likely to be outside type people, but wish you the best of luck. I just dont feel that it is going to be a very large untapped market. You might upsell alot of areation jobs, telling them pasture fields will grow better when less compacted. Good Luck

[Rollacosta]

rick2752 your probably correct,only difference here is most horse people seem to be on a tightish budget so to speak,so most don't own a tractor ,spraying rig ,topper etc etc


Mickhippy hows work downunder? have you had the much needed rain yet ??? [works pretty slow here in the UK]

[bwilder10h]

Wont pick up dog crap why would I want to pick up a whole stall of horse crap. Bad enough when you have to smell dog crap all day because its on one of your tires but no way do I want horse crap on my shoes all day.


AMEN. Starting next year, I'm going to start charging a 'equipment cleanup fee' for customers that have dogs. I have one customer that has a beagle and it dumps like a friggin horse and smells horrible. :dizzy:

[Mickhippy]

Mickhippy hows work downunder? have you had the much needed rain yet ??? [works pretty slow here in the UK]

Had a very good Winter considering. Slowed down as it should but hasnt really stopped. Cant complain! Last year was longest drought on record, this Winter had a heaps of rain. One day, was told had 27" of rain in 24hrs and 5" in an hour! One in a 100yr floods!

This pic is of a cow paddock. Ive seen this flooded before but this was insane!

[Rollacosta]

AMEN. Starting next year, I'm going to start charging a 'equipment cleanup fee' for customers that have dogs. I have one customer that has a beagle and it dumps like a friggin horse and smells horrible. :dizzy:

What the heck is it with dog owners are they blind ,over the last 2 weeks i have had to leave 2 good jobs because of dog chit ,I mainly do tree service work ,so theres no way me or my boys are going to pick up branches etc that a covered is dog doo,the last job i went to that had a dog doo problem ,had little children walking walking bare foot all over the garden :angry:

[Rollacosta]

nice to see you got some rain mickhippy ,nice pic also ,haha we had tornados today in Birmingham,they caused a lot of damage several million ££s worth

[Mickhippy]

Thanfully we dont get tornados but we got alot of rain that day! Alot of damage to cars, houses, roads etc.

I took this pic just before I had to drive through it to get home. It was just starting to go across the road. Had to dodge logs!
See some other pics here... http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=111742

About 30mins later the water was well over the left railing.

[Rollacosta]

That looks like pretty serious rain