Horse paddock maintenance in South East Queensland
Bare dirt along the fence line, mud at the gate after every storm, and weeds moving into the thin patches. A hard-grazed paddock rarely recovers on rain alone. We aerate, over-seed, feed and tidy up horse paddocks on acreage south of Brisbane, then help you plan the grazing so the new cover lasts.
- Family-run, based in Beenleigh
- Our own crew and machinery
- We diagnose before we price the work
- Jobs from $220
Is your horse paddock wearing out?
Horses are hard on ground. Hooves pack the soil down along their tracks, at gateways and around troughs, and selective grazing leaves some patches eaten to the dirt and others rank around the dung. Once the cover thins, weeds and erosion move in and the paddock feeds less each season.
- Bare, dusty tracks along fences and around troughs
- Rain runs off or pools instead of soaking in
- Gateways and feed areas that stay muddy and pugged
- Overgrazed patches beside long grass the horses avoid
- Weeds spreading into thin and bare areas
- More hay going out because the paddock can't keep up
Paddock not coming back after rain?
We'll test how hard the ground is, look at what's growing and how the horses use the paddock, then tell you straight what to do first and what it will cost. Jobs from $220.
Horse paddock aeration for hoof-packed ground
Compaction is behind a lot of tired paddocks. Packed topsoil sheds rain, keeps roots shallow and dries off in the first hot week. Aeration breaks up that layer so water, air and fertiliser reach the roots again, and gives new seed somewhere to take hold.
- Tractor-mounted aerator for open paddocks, so larger areas are covered quickly
- Compact stand-on aerator for smaller paddocks, yards and tight gateways
We aerate after a good soaking, when a butter knife pushes about 10 cm into the ground; dry clay won't take the tines. If you're waiting on rain, book the onsite check now so the plan and price are ready when the ground softens. The same machines handle big acreage lawns around the house.
Weed control, fertilising and over-seeding
Aeration opens the ground. What follows decides whether pasture or weeds fill the gaps.
Weed control
Bare ground invites weeds, and some found on South East Queensland acreage, including fireweed and crofton weed, are harmful to horses. We identify what's growing, choose selective spraying, spot spraying or wick wiping to suit, and tell you how long the horses must stay off. New seed keeps blowing and washing in, so plan on ongoing weed control.
Fertilising
We spread a grazing-type pasture fertiliser at a rate based on a soil test where possible. It needs 12 to 15 mm of rain or watering to wash in, and the horses stay off until it has, and for any grazing period on the label. More on our fertilising service.
Over-seeding
With the soil opened up, it's the right moment to sow a pasture blend where the cover is thin or bare. Seed that falls into the aeration holes sits in moist soil instead of drying out on a hard surface. Most horse pasture grasses for this climate need warm, damp soil to strike, so late spring into summer is the usual sowing window.
Clean-up, levelling and rotary hoeing
We can stick rake and sweep away branches and old manure, top dress hollows and wheel ruts, and rotary hoe badly crusted bare ground to prepare it for seed.
Pasture management: rest and rotation
Machinery kick-starts a paddock, but grazing decides how long the result lasts. Spelling, or giving a paddock a break with no horses on it, is the habit that matters most, and the weeks it sits empty are the time to aerate and sow.
- Run electric tape across bigger paddocks so there's always a section resting
- Shift the horses before the grass is grazed below about 5 cm, and wait for roughly 10 to 15 cm of regrowth before they return
- Keep a small yard or laneway for wet spells so the whole paddock isn't pugged
- Pick up droppings regularly to keep worm larvae down and the grazing more even
For more detail, read our guide to pasture management for horse paddocks and four tips to maintain your horse paddock.
Before paddock day
- Move the horses off and fence the area to be treated
- Pick up wire, baling twine and rubbish the machines could catch
- Mark troughs, buried water lines and boggy spots
- Wait for soaking rain, or irrigate, so the ground is soft
After paddock day
- Keep horses off for the periods we give you for any fertiliser or spray
- Rest seeded areas until the new grass has rooted
- Water through dry spells if you can
- Bring horses back gradually and keep rotating
What does horse paddock maintenance cost?
Jobs start from $220. What your paddock costs depends on:
- The area and the number of paddocks
- Access: gate widths, slopes, creek crossings and timber
- How much clearing has to happen before the machines go in
- Which treatments you combine, and the seed and fertiliser they need
After the free onsite check you get a firm price for each step we've laid out. If the budget won't stretch to everything at once, we'll tell you which job makes the biggest difference first.
Why acreage owners call us
- Diagnosis first. We check the soil, the pasture and how the horses use the paddock before recommending anything.
- Work laid out step by step. You'll know what we're doing, in what order and why.
- Our own crew and machinery, with the right aerator for your paddock and your gateways.
- Family-run in Beenleigh. We cover acreage within 100 km, from Logan's acreage belt and Jimboomba to Beaudesert and the Gold Coast hinterland.
From first look to paddock day
Free onsite check
We look over the paddocks with you, check how compacted the ground is, note what's growing and talk through how you rotate the horses.
Clear plan and price
You get the steps in order, timing to suit the rain and your rotation, and a firm price. Jobs from $220.
Paddock day
Our crew does the agreed aeration, seeding, feeding or spraying, then tells you when the horses can go back on.
Horse paddock questions
How much does horse paddock maintenance cost?
When should I book horse paddock aeration?
How long do the horses need to stay off afterwards?
Do you work on acreage around Jimboomba, Beaudesert and the hinterland?
Can you get machinery into a small paddock or through a narrow gate?
Will one round of work fix a worn-out paddock?
Book a free onsite check
We'll come out, look at the grass and the soil underneath, and tell you straight what's going on and what it'll take to fix. No charge, no pressure.
- Jobs from $220
- Homes within 100 km of Beenleigh
- Sports fields across South East QLD and Northern NSW