Winter grazing for grass livery

[Fudgeball123]

It's our first winter of pony ownership.. pony is on grass livery which is very reasonable.
Usually grass liveries have run of a massive field all year round. This year for various reasons (building works and to leave fields for the summer) they are constrained to a smallish already very muddy field. Apparently for the whole winter which is not what we had anticipated.
It's only mid October and we are ankle deep in mud. There is no grass. Ponies are fed haylage.
Is this normal? Can I say something or is it suck it up or ship out?

The thing is is that the fields will need a rest or they will be awful come summer. We have 3 fields, a winter a summer and one that gets rested for a whole year on rotation.
No grass in winter can be par for the course if your grass is overgrazed, which it sounds.
Id be looking at the other options as I hate dealing with mud fever

What were you told when you went there? Were they up front about the winter arrangements? Or is this an unexpected situation? Are you paying for the haylage or is it included in your livery cost?

You could try speaking to the owner to see if they can move into a different field after a while but if not, then you'll have to put up or move on.

It’s very bad management to be using the same fields all the time and it’s also par for the course to have very little grazing in the winter months . Where are you in the country that already has mud as that is very unfortunate as it won’t improve unless the field is rested . Personally I’d be looking for somewhere else with better field management practices .

We are paying for haylage. It's the first year they have been restricted to a small field. I totally get the need to rotate grazing but this seems a bit extreme. It's been a dry summer and we are literally wading in mud already so unless it gets very frosty it will be like this for the next months plus...

I would seriously move , especially as you are not bringing the pony in as wading around in mud for months is not going to be pleasant and you could end up with problems like mud fever . Do you have the option of a stable .

I have known this be the case on yards, not necessary bad management although not at all ideal it it’s a sacrifice paddock to save the others and no other option. May be reason it’s cheap as turnout takes land. If there was a stable basically staying in for winter unless can put up with it, hard to manage in a herd though as conversations about whether in/ out constant and a lot of horses wouldn’t stay out on own. If it’s absolute grass livery and no where else to go then will just be field. If horses get grumpy and hungry would worry about injuries. Watch out for mud fever. As communal mud mats etc not an option. Only way to get an answer if it’s normal for this yard is to ask more long term occupiers, although could be new for this year. Most yards nice on summer but mud can make winter miserable. I have know my yards where are expected to put up with awful conditions. If haven’t already get some good quality waterproof trousers, not too loose wellies etc. Good luck on first horsey winter! A lot of us spend it wishing for a hard frost…..