Irrigation advice?

[Pam M]

We're looking at installing a pasture irrigation system this spring and I have a few questions. Maybe lots of questions! For starters...

- should the sprinkler heads be above ground (to avoid being stepped on) or ground level (to avoid being chewed/rubbed against)? Is there a "best" place to put them?
- I've got some pretty destructive horses. Are there any safeguards I need to put in place? What about possibilities of injuries to the horses?
- Am I crazy for attempting this?!

I'm open to ANY advice from anyone who's done this. It's too big a job to not do right the first time. Thanks!

[CarolU]

How big of a space are planning to irrigate. If it is a big space, then look at the bib wheel moves they have.

I think I would not plan on pop-ups or in-ground heads. They would get tirpped over and could twist joints. Uprights are safer, but the horses have KNOW where they are. They make sprinker plug in's for rainbirds where the rainbird fits in and is removeable. I would go this route. If you leave the sprinkers in the fields the horses will scratch on them when they are not on. You can also run rainbirds along your top fence rail, and get them out of reach of your horses. A big rainbird can cover a LOT of ground with good water pressure.

[Boyd R]

If you are just running of a normal water source, Say 20 gallon per minute at 50 psi. you will use a normal residential head. that will throw appoximatly 40 feet. Use a cannister head. If in ground which is fine but busting is possible. I would go along the fences and use a size pipe that the head will fit into. now you can do this two ways 1. size the pipe so that the body fits in but the top rests on the pipe, this way you can use flex pipe to go from the lateral line to the head and is easier to work with. Or elbow up from the ground with rigid pipe and use a size of sleave that the whole head will fit into and when on pop up out of the sleave. These could be placed throughout the pasture but would need to protect them from the horses unless you do the flex tube then if they knock them over no big deal other than reseting them.

Now the best way to do the pasture but the most expensive would be to do an underground drip system. This requires running drip tubing every 18 inches. This would be the most efficiant along with matching best to a normal water system. A Vibratory plow makes this a simple task and can be rented. call your local ditch witch dealer and they can tell you who has one for rent.