anyone keep 2 horses on 1 acre?

asbo

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 April 2007
Messages
9,664
Visit site
just wondering who does and if it works for you
smile.gif
 
I keep a horse, pony and mule on a little over one acre. It was newly seeded so grass is good, had to partition the little things, but it's done me fine for the growing season. I'm now beginning to bring them in to the small yard I have at night, where they get a feed and some hay. (so much rain the field has become a bit on the boggy side and the growth has seriously slowed.
 
I keep a 15h cobX and a Shetland on an acre.
They come in every night all year round and have muzzles all summer.
The paddock is split into 2, so far I've kept them in half the paddock as there's still plenty of grass.
5 sheep are on the other half.
 
I keep one TB out 24/7 in the summer, with my old Cushings boy in a corner of the paddock, on wood chip with a Field Shelter and I have sooooooooooooooo much grass it is unbelievable
shocked.gif


In winter, so for about 7 months, they are out at least 9 hours a day and in at night ...

I am on yellow Sussex Clay
mad.gif
mad.gif
mad.gif


I hasten to add that I don't think it would work for 2 busy horses out on the 1 acre for this period of time
crazy.gif
 
I have 4 ponies on an acre. 2 shetties, a welshie and an exmoor cross. I shuffle them about depending on the weather conditions but generally I like to keep it pretty trashed as its ideal for fatties. They have to move about all the time looking for something to graze on and it helps to keep their weight down. If I want some to recover I just split it up and rotate them around. If its really wet (winter) I restrict them to one area..usually at the back of the paddock with a pathway of electric fencing so they have to walk to it..and let them trash it and feed hay accordingly. They have 24/7 access to the paddock although I can shut them on the yard if necessary.
If you want good grazing then I think you'd have to either split it up and rotate regularly or have them in at night/in the day but for me quality grass isn't necessary.
 
I do.
It's not ideal but with year round supplements of haylage, my 17hh and my friend's 16hh horses have been fine.
We do poo-pick every day and bring them in at night from end of sept to May with a huge pile of haylage.
Would love more land obviously but careful management has made it possible!
 
Top