2 Acres 3 horses

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Snapshot2016

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No nasty comments please but I'm looking to move my 3 horses to a private yard with just under 2 acres, I'll be splitting the field in two and rotating. Horses are used to being in a small paddock together and get hay when needed and x2 feeds a day. They also don't go out much in winter/bad weather due to my oldie being soft as muck! Is this doable or am I living in cuckoo land? Old horse also has cushings and one of the horses is a very good doer
 
I expect it is possible if carefully managed. I have not quite enough grass ( poor quality ) so my hay bill is high, yours probably will be too. If the ground doesn't drain well it might be an idea to have an area of hard standing with access to the stables so the horses can have a leg stretch in all kinds of weather.
 
I had 3 on 3 acres for a short time and wouldn't be in a rush to repeat without all weather turnout and spending more £ on hay all year than you would normally. You could look at doing a track system as that seems to support more horses per acreage with all year hay access
 
track system works well for those that need the same management it falls down a bit if one needs a lot of extra grub. I have 4 on 4.5 acre of year round mud free grazing they live out 24/7 are all very good doers. This winter I have bought no Hay although am buying a little now to soak for the lammi prone boy. He has to be stricly excluded from grass for April and May as he is a pig and wont stop eating so lives in a small pen before joining the girls on the track which is rough grazing. they have eaten most of the spring grass before he joins them this way
 
I had two on well draining 1.5 acres. That worked absolutely fine BUT we have an 18m x 10m all weather turnout pen and I sent them away for a grass livery holiday for 2 months of the winter (holiday for me too!).

The land would have to be decent, otherwise they will be stuck in a stable all winter and that is no fun for them, or you!
 
If you are on sand then it would work perfectly well especially if the grass can get away a bit now before you start grazing.
 
Do able certainly if you poo pick and feed hay. Would be a good idea to stable for some time each day to remove them from the paddock too , maybe in during the day in summer and out at night and vica versa in the winter.
 
It's doable, I keep my 2 and a Shetland on the same. This winter hasn't been easy as its been particularly wet, but they've all been able to get some sort of turnout every day even if just for a few hours. Fields are now dry as a bone, harrowed and grass is growing through nicely. We did spend more money on hay than usual this winter, but my competition horses are looking super and the grass has still been too good for my shettie!
 
We have our 2 + shetland on about the same (about 3-3 1/2 acres). We have the paddocks split into 4 separate paddocks, but do also have a 20 x 20 all weather turnout with a large shelter. In winter they are in that and out daily for 4-6 hours on the paddocks, ground permitting. We're on clay and our land has held up over the winter that way. There probably has been collectively about a fortnights worth of days where they've been in the pen all day - but they get exercised then fed in the stables before going back in the pen at night (prefer to have them in the T/O pen full time as have 1 with mild RAD so he's better being out).
By splitting in 4 it also still leaves enough rotation for when you have to keep them off for fertilizing/seeding etc.
Its manageable, but you do have to be careful.
 
I've got 4 on 2.5 acres split in 3 to paddocks we have bales out 24/7 in summers too as well as winter we seem to mange fine not good drainage where we are they don't really seem to bother much with hay in summer so must be plenty for them paddocks are bigger too so can have a run round, 2 come in for winter 2 live out all year there currently still in there winter paddock will be moved shortly to the smaller field then back again until July till get can have there summer field there be in there all summer & back again to the winter Oct Nov time may change in between depends on how grass has grown it can be managed & we trash our fields in winter they somehow sti!l grow as long as you manage it correctly you should be fine e before our 4th came back off loan we had 3 was much much easier
 
Snapshot2016 said:
No nasty comments please but I'm looking to move my 3 horses to a private yard with just under 2 acres, I'll be splitting the field in two and rotating. Horses are used to being in a small paddock together and get hay when needed and x2 feeds a day. They also don't go out much in winter/bad weather due to my oldie being soft as muck! Is this doable or am I living in cuckoo land? Old horse also has cushings and one of the horses is a very good doer
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You can do it, ground permitting.

You must spilt and rotate, if poss fertilize/roll/weedkill, that will increase the grass quality and amounts. Dee poo also I would do 2 0r 3 months on 2-3months off. Gives each side a good break and time to recover. It works for us and we have nothing out full time and we have 9 on 7 acres and have way to much grass, as we got hay off one pair until farmer retired.

We NEVER put hay out and rarely even think we need it, so it could be donew at your place
 
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