Field scale cut and collect mower with operator

[Steve Pollard]

@TheField - it says that anyone who is interested should email Simon Tomasso at stomasso@devonwildlifetrust.org

[JaneActon]

Jane, cutting with horses would be a great option for some people - can you let us know the type of ground the horses can cope with - flat presumably best? Roughly what size area can they cover in a day? Is there an optimum time of year you prefer to cut with them? Would August be too late as grasses more rank? Is Dartmoor too far to travel, or are you hoping to stay local? I assume you don't have a baler - would need a team of volunteers to rake up? Sorry for all the questions!

Dear Donna I have only just seen all the lovely responses to this post from 3 weeks ago. I wonder how I might change my settings to help me see responses sooner in future?
Anyway, thanks Donna, the answers are: the horses can cope with almost any meadow ground. During the winter they are utilised in inaccessible woodlands to remove trees on steep and not so steep terrain. The terrain impacts how much they can cover in a day though. I would defer to Will for more details, from http://www.dartmoorhorseloggers.co.uk/ the offer is Will with his horses Beano and Polly who use our cutter. They cut our 2 acre orchard and meadow on a slight slope in a day. Ideally if it is the first cut for a while you might want to 2 cuts in the year. This is less good for the wildlife though and we have a cut in July normally. I guess August would need to looked at on a case by case basis, as indeed any job would. We don't bale or rake. We need to build up our soil profile and leave the grass where it is. It 'disappears' within a week or so. No probs with the questions, keep them coming. I guess I'll just need to keep checking here to see them but people can also email me direct on mail@commonflora.co.uk many thanks Jane

[Donna Cox]

Another operator with a cut and collect mower for smaller sites in the South Hams is Adrian Ball:
07511 911124 or email: adogb34@yahoo.co.uk