Acreage - the ideal world and the real world?

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cyearsley

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Hi, can anyone out there give me some feedback on what acreage you can survive on for 2 horses turned out during day, in at night, on a year round basis?

I know that in an ideal world you would be looking at one to one and half acres per horse but wondered if anyone out there survives on less, as a lot of smaller properties we are considering, come with one to two acres and would need to support my neddy and a companion. I am just trying to gage this as grazing important to me but realise with good management you can survive with less

Sensible comments on a postcard please, don't need to know about those of you who have access to hectares, just those on reasonable/minimal amounts, ta muchly.
 
Hi I have three acres for 3 ponies - sec D, sec C and a miniature. Although I was worried it wouldnt be enough I have found that if anything I have too much - but mine are natives and I have to watch their weight anyway. A lot depends on your soil as well - if its clay like mine it can turn into a bog. If you have nice sandy or free-draining soil it wont get trashed as much in winter. With careful management I think you could manage with less. Hope that helps
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I really think it depends how you keep them, and what sort of horse you have. Here in Canada the way a lot of people keep horses is totally different to in the UK.

I know many people who have what you would call 'Back Yard Horses' that is, they are kept in small paddocks of an acre or less all year round, all with run in sheds and they are fed ad lib hay all year round. The horses I see kept like this are as healthy looking as those that have 10 acre fields to run in.

Back in Wales I kept 3 under 13h ponies on 2 acres (split into 2) very well, but like you I did have to watch their weight.
 
As above, is well drained sandy soil, that then you could manage on a couple of acres (you may need to supplement with hay in the winter). Think you will struggle is clay as will be a mud bath in winter and then takes an age to recover in the Spring.
 
i have 2.5 acres at home for my 3.its quite poor and boggy in winter.they have not eaten even half of it yet.in the winter they go out for 3 hours a day most days.i have kept 4 before and managed ok.
i have another 2.5 acres of good well drained land nearby that i let out to 2 ponies whose owners leave
them out 24/7 and they don`t manage it too well because they don`t get the hang of strip grazing and resting it to recover.
 
I have a lot of acres in pasture, however I have also kept horses on smaller acreages; both are practical, both have plus points. Personally I never get hung up on what or how it should be.

I've always worked on the ideal; 1st horse has 3 acres, and each horse thereafter has 1 acre per horse.....but this is not always possible. The most important thing for the horse/s is that they have adequate feed and fibre going through their system, and a good exercise routine......and this can be done just as easily on 1 acre as it can on 50 acres.
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I have 2 horses on 2 acres of very good, well drained grazing. I divide it up with electric fencing and rotate. They are out 24/7 May - October and in at night during the winter. I have had no probs - horses are cob-sized native x and live on air (weight still has to be watched in summer). There is even room for a manege (posh name for the fenced off corner I ride in!).

I think drainage is an issue with low acreage like this given the rain the past year - a boggy field of this size would get very churned up in winter. My field survived very heavy rain last year because it is well drained, on a slight slope and recovers quickly when the weather does dry up. In an ideal world I'd have horses out 24/7 all year round but in the depths of winter just have to take them off the field some of the time but they still get a minimum of 8 hours turnout a day. Last winter it poured incessantly here so gave them access to the whole field when they were out so that no part of it got too overstretched. The grass came back a treat in the spring.

Hope this is of some help - we were lucky to find this place and its worked really well.
 
I keep my boy at my friend's house where she has about 1.5 acres. Her horse is a very good doer and could live on fresh air but mine is a skinny thing so we do struggle a bit at this time of year and in winter. However, with plenty of adlib hay/haylage, it works out ok!
Her's is a boggy field too in the winter which doesn't help.
 
Thanks for all your comments, just as I thought and am pleased as looks like more property will be affordable to us (once you go over 3 acres the prices seem to rise substantially). We are looking in areas where the soil is generally good and trying to avoid areas known for the clay. My boy is an ID x TB and is a real good do-er so as long as his companion is the same, 2 acres of good grazing shouldbe ample. Thanks again
 
I have 3 acres and have 1 horse, 1 pony & this is ample grazing during the summer & they are out 24/7 from May - November. I would say (personal opinion) you would struggle with anything less than 2 acres to keep well all year round, although saying that a lady up the road has about an acre with 3 shetlands on and she copes very well, hers are never out 24/7 though (and are laminitic). You could divide up into quite small paddocks & rotate continuously which helps a lot, rolling, harrowing, fertilising all helps. I have a neighbour with 3 acres & a shetland pony so I am lucky to be able to use her fields as well (for the time being). Good management comes into it a lot & maybe you could go for less & not do 24/7 turnout for so long?
 
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