acre-age vs. herd size...?

bexcy-bee

bexcy-bee

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 September 2010
Messages
802
Location
Reading
Visit site
I know this has been done to death, but;

What acre-age would you be happy having 9 horses in (2 mini shetlands, 2 retired, all 14hh and below, except 2)

I always thought the rule 1.5 acres ish each, but does this count for large groups as well??

This is for being out 24/7

Thanks in advance

bexcy-bee x
 
I've got 7 on around 26 acres in Aberdeenshire. 24/7 out. However because of the severity of the winters and height of the water table this is only just enough. Depends on topology, soil type, fertility, management etc but yes, as a rule of thumb 1.5 - 2 acres well managed should suffice as long as you supplement forage. You will also need to spray for buttercup and may need to fertilise depending on where you are.
 
It depends on the quality of your land and how you manage it. If you maintain the land well and divide it into paddocks so that you can rotate the grazing, poo pick, harrow etc you can manage with a lot less than 1.5 acres per horse, particularly if they are little horses!
 
If they are out 24/7 all year round then you need 3 acres per horse, a bit less for ponies. Any less and you need to supplement with hay/haylage. Sometimes even if you have 3 acres per horse you need to supplement, depending on the horses concerned and the quality of the grass, and the weather. If you bring in at night then 1 acre per horse is usually adequate.
 
I was taught that you needed 2.5 acres for the first horse and then an acre per horse minimum thereafter. This would be for 24/7 turnout but feeding hay/haylage/whatever in winter. We have 3 on five acres and that seems to work OK - particularly as they spend most winter days snoozing on the concrete stable track hoping for the next handout!

But obviously the more land you have the better it is because you can rotate the fields and also rotate usage of same - e.g. taking a hay cut, or having sheep/cattle on it for a change.
 
I have two (a TB and a Welsh Section C) on 1 measly acre. Unfortunately, where I am, land is at a premium so one must make due!

I poo pick everyday (horse are wormed regularly too), even during snow. I divided my field up into 4 smaller paddocks and rotate them every month and re-seed when necessary. They are turned out all year (with forage in the winter) but are stabled at night except during high summer when they are out 24/7.

I've been on my field going on 2 1/2 years and we have managed so far! If you are OCD with field care like me, etc, you can manage on a small acreage.
 
Ok, let me try to expand on the above.

I currently have, and have done for the last 4(ish) yrs, have 7 horses out on just over 8 acres. The manage perfectly fine, have enough hay, feed etc in the winter. The shetties have their own paddock within the field.

I basically would like to know, what do people think about another 2 in the field? We strip graze in summer, have a poo hoover, worm etc.

All are very good doers, live on nothing in the summer, and not very much in the winter. We have 2 oldies, both over 35, who have got through each winter, including the current one so far, looking perfect healthy, conditioned etc., as well as a youngster (4 yrs) who is again perfectly healthy.

Field is stone based, so drains very well, and gets plenty of sun etc., so, based on the more helpful information I have given, any more advice?

Thank you to everyone so far [=

bexcy-bee x
 
Well you must know whether your current arrangement works out about right? It doesnt matter what other people "think", as you are the one who has to manage the ponies, and decide if you need to supplement the grazing to keep them in good condition.

I only wanted to add that I bought an extra youngster this autumn as an impulse buy, and found that my fields were getting very cut up ie less grass more mud - as he was non stop playing around and getting the others to run about too. Something like that I did not realise until later on...

...and that if your two mini shetlands are like mine, they would get fat on a garden sized patch of grass:)
 
At my current yard, we have six horses on four acres - out during the day, in at night. They are all fat! When they live out in summer 24/7 they are all fat. I think the quality of the grass has a lot of do with it...
 
I have 4 acres and the house and garden and yard sit in one corner taking up about a 1/4 acre. The rest i divided in to three parts one very large paddock that is sectioned in to three in the summer and rotated. The other paddocks are 1 menage size behind the stables the other about menage and a half size. In winter when it is very wet and muddy the bigger horses (one irish draught, one 2 year old about 13.2 and a 10 month old about 13hh) are fed their hay in the smallest one behind the yard but do also have access to the main paddock. The other small paddock has the 2 shetties in (in the summer they live in the small one) All my horses are in at night and spend time in in the summer too. I have found this works very well and my paddocks hold up fine in the worst weather and i have plenty of grass in summer.
 
It is said to be 1.5 acres for the first horse ad 1 acre per horse after minimum.

I would not be keen on keeping horses on anything smaller permanently. Fine on a smaller area if fields are rotated and rested etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top