Paddock Topping / Mowing

We know there are many small paddock owners with just a few acres to manage. Often these small paddocks are not economical for farmers with larger equipment to cut, or access is too difficult.

Our Iseki TH5420 Compact Tractor with turf tyres will access most paddocks whilst minimising soil compaction, it is also much less likely to damage wet ground.

For topping paddocks we typically use our Wessex 1.75m Flail Mower which cuts and mulches the grass, rather than merely cutting it like a conventional topper. This helps the grass to dry out faster and enables the soil microbes to breakdown the grass quicker increasing nutrient uptake.

The benefits of using a flail mower to top paddocks include:

• Mulches the grass into fine clippings which decompose quicker, feeding and revitalising the soil at the same time and allowing horses to return to the paddocks sooner.
• Prevents ragwort and other weeds from going to seed and thus helps to minimise weeds spreading.
• Regular flail mowing creates a more sustainable pasture by managing vegetation growth and encouraging new, healthy grass to thrive, which can help prevent various grass-related illnesses.
• A thick, healthy sward provides more consistent and nutritious grazing for your horses.
• Removes the old grass that horses tend to leave uneaten and encourages horses to graze the paddock more evenly, reducing areas of overgrazing and undergrazing.

We are happy to top paddocks from 1-acre to 10-acres in size. However, typically anything over 5-acres in size will be more cost effective mowed with a larger tractor/mower than we use.

As well as topping, we also offer grass harrowing to help improve paddock health by removing moss and dead material, stimulating grass growth, enhancing soil aeration, and promoting better nutrient uptake. We can also roll paddocks if required.

Paddock Topping Cost

No two jobs or paddocks are the same so we like to quote for each job individually. This way you know exactly how much you will be paying regardless of how long it ends up taking us.

Our prices take into account our insurance costs, labour, and machinery costs. Diesel is included in these prices and we are not currently VAT registered so there is no VAT to add.

For paddock topping with our compact tractor and flail mower we charge £60 per hour. Grass less than 1ft in height we can cut at around 1 acre per hour. 2-3ft in height we can cut at around 1 acre in 2 hours. Taller than 3ft will take longer as will mowing around obstacles such as trees.

Travel Costs

We don’t charge extra for travel within 5 miles of DY14 0QU (Clee Hill). Additional miles outside of this area are charged at £2 per mile.

Minimum Charge

We also operate a minimum charge of £150 even if the job only takes us 30 minutes. This is because of the time and cost required to load, secure and travel with a compact tractor and equipment.

Example Job Pricing

To help clarify our charges here are some examples:

• A 4-acre paddock with short grass (1ft or shorter), 20 miles from DY14 0QU that requires topping with our flail mower. 4 hours work at £60 per hour. Additional mile charge £30. Total price £270.
• A 2-acre paddock with long grass (1-3ft tall), within 5 miles of DY14 0QU that requires topping with our flail mower. 4 hours work at £60 per hour. Total price £240.
• A 1-acre paddock with short grass (1ft or shorter), within 5 miles from DY14 0QU that requires topping with our flail mower. 1 hour of work at £60 per hour. This triggers our £150 minimum charge. Total price £150.

Our Service Area

We are based on top of Clee Hill, Shropshire and cover all of South Shropshire, North Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Occasionally we will also travel further afield. Towns covered include but are not limited to the following: