Best way to manage 2 horses on 2 acres

[MarvelVillis]

What the title says really. I've always been on DIY livery so never had much thought about how to manage your own fields. Should I split it into two paddocks, four paddocks? How often should I rotate them? Any advice appreciated!

 

[Antw23uk]

I've kept two on three acres and its easy enough. It will depend on the land, clay/ sand etc. and what hardstanding you have and/ or stables! What facilities do you have? Water/ stables/ hardstanding/ electric?

I used to take shoes off come winter and pretty much turn them away for the worst weather. Having shoes on does more damage, im on clay with stables and a yard so in the very wettest weather i could stable/ contain them on the yard. In the summer i would track round the outside and strip graze in but to be honest i dont have a set plan every winter, i just go with whats working although always have rested grazing to use as standing foggage.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

What the title says really. I've always been on DIY livery so never had much thought about how to manage your own fields. Should I split it into two paddocks, four paddocks? How often should I rotate them? Any advice appreciated!

Me personally

I would

1. not turn out 24hr hours

2. split into two fields

3. dee poo and dee weed

then if you can harrow and weedkill fertilize etc

we do 3 months on 3 months off, but that depends on your situation and drainage etc.

Ours drains well we have about 7 acres at the back split into 4, 2 groups of horses split into two fields 3 months on and 3 off. we have 9 horses on the two paddocks, way to much grass as it drains well, and they are in over night, fields dee pooed etc. In the past got hay off them too.

One of our bottom pairs has the back yard so concrete and that does not drain as well so we use the other 2 in the Dec Jan Feb time

 

[cauda equina]

It depends so much on the land (the type of soil and how good the drainage is) and the weather
I would buy some electric fencing so you can jiggle things round, and spend the first year getting to know what works

 

[MarvelVillis]

I've kept two on three acres and its easy enough. It will depend on the land, clay/ sand etc. and what hardstanding you have and/ or stables! What facilities do you have? Water/ stables/ hardstanding/ electric?

I used to take shoes off come winter and pretty much turn them away for the worst weather. Having shoes on does more damage, im on clay with stables and a yard so in the very wettest weather i could stable/ contain them on the yard. In the summer i would track round the outside and strip graze in but to be honest i dont have a set plan every winter, i just go with whats working although always have rested grazing to use as standing foggage.

Thanks for this. I'm viewing it tomorrow (but 99% sure I'll take it), it's got water, electric, two stables and a tack room. Not sure about hardstanding, would be handy if it did. Plan to keep them in overnight during the winter months. Luckily my boy is barefoot, need to advertise for someone else to share the field... wonder if I could get away with asking for barefoot only

 

[Antw23uk]

You can but ask but i wouldnt be too strict, it'll be more about the person and horse and how you get on so dont rule people out based on the BF/Shod scenario. If it doesnt have hardstanding in front of the stables i thoroughly recommend Mud Control mats before winter. They are amazing.

 

[sportsmansB]

It really does make a difference if you can stable over night if necessary, and if you have an area to sacrifice in the worst of the weather (or an all weather surfaced yard or pen to use if its really really wet). Road planings can be a good fairly cost effective solution.

Its good if you can protect gateways a bit with some hard core or mud control mats, as if they crowd gateways the mud starts and spreads out from there.
It is definitely do-able if you have stables. I'd be hesitant without. I've recently bought a new property and during the search saw a lot of different ways of managing on various acreage, and I hadn't ruled out 2 acres having seen how it can be done. I ended up with 9 (!) which actually is a bit of a pain in the ass with all the fencing...!

 

[windand rain]

Track around the outside and graze the foggage as required. I am the opposite in I keep mine out 24/7 as I find they do less damage to the grazing, fence lines and gates. Hard standing is pretty much essential for the farrier etc. It does depend on the soil loam and sand are great clay less so.
January photo living out 24/7 sandy soil

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Thanks for this. I'm viewing it tomorrow (but 99% sure I'll take it), it's got water, electric, two stables and a tack room. Not sure about hardstanding, would be handy if it did. Plan to keep them in overnight during the winter months. Luckily my boy is barefoot, need to advertise for someone else to share the field... wonder if I could get away with asking for barefoot only

If there is no existing hard-standing, you can put mudmats down without planning permission, as they are temporary. They are expensive but you can take them with you, if you move. And you can move them around your land, as you see fit, too.

 

[meleeka]

i dont have a set plan every winter, i just go with whats working although always have rested grazing to use as standing foggage.

This. The beauty of managing your own field is that you can change your mind if the weather isn’t as you expect or your horses needs change.

I wouldn’t be without some hardstanding and shelter personally, but i’ve done all sorts with the turnout arrangement over the years. This year they will be coming in to the yard/stables overnight. If we have a dry winter I might rethink that.

 

[Labaire]

See how the land goes but rotate often-more often in the summer, less often in the winter-intervals will depend on where you are, what your ground is like and how you need to manage your horses (ie are they insanely good doers, how much work they will get etc). There are issues with foggage such as rust and ergot but it can work well. Look at equicentral ideas for rotation etc and yes, hardstanding very useful.

 

[Polos Mum]

top tip is not to do anything too permanent until you have been there a year or two. Where the wind / rain comes from, where drains, what neighbours do all impact - use temp fencing and then you can change plans to accommodate how your horses use the land and what it is like in deepest winter.

 

[Reacher]

I have 2 horses on under 2 acres. There are 2 stables and a yard, which I can split in half so they can each have a stable (doors tied open) and area to leg stretch. This is very useful especially in bad weather.
I do find non palatable weeds (eg plantain) take over in areas due to the grass being over grazed. I’m trying to improve the soil a bit to help with lime in spring and rotted muck.
ETA I bring them in to the yard area at night usually , even in summer so do feed a fair bit hay.

 

[SantaVera]

divide into 2 x half acre paddocks and one 1 acre paddock.put horses in the half acres in the spring summer and autumn, rotating them on a monthly basis. put in the one acre in the winter. harrow and reseed if necessary in the spring.

 

[nutjob]

I have 2 large horses on just over 2 acres. The land is heavy clay and the mud can be a nightmare. The best thing I did was have a school put in which I use for turnout a lot over the winter. There is not enough grazing left for 2 and I buy hay all through the summer, it's definitely worth it though as they can stay out a lot more and are only stabled in the worst weather. Having at least a small grass / mud free area is a real benefit for veterinary reasons also.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

If it hasn't got any hard standing you could always gets some mud control slabs.

 

[L&M]

We have 2 acres for 2 small horses (15hh/15.2hh). We have split the field into 2 with post and rail/gate. We then subdivide each half with electric fence in the summer, so that we can rest and rotate over the 4 areas.

Ours only have to come in at night from oct-mar and we rarely have to put hay out in the summer, only in the worst of winter.

Our ground is 'ok', has a few wet patches but not bottomless clay thank god. It recovers well every spring but possibly helped by the fact we have our own harrow and roller to attach to the quad. We also use an old sit on mower to top the weeds, and poo pick daily.

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

I managed it on Wealden Clay. We pooh picked almost daily, harrowed, rolled and fertilised every year, I turned out 24/7 in summer and out during the day in winter on a small sacrifice trash paddock around the stables so they could go in during the day if the weather was bad. The trash paddock got trashed every winter and we let it recover every summer. We divided the rest into 2 paddocks and one was used for hay so ungrazed from early spring until the hay came off. We then grazed that and let the other paddock rest. I did this with a 14.2 pony and an unshod youngster companion.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

You can but ask but i wouldnt be too strict, it'll be more about the person and horse and how you get on so dont rule people out based on the BF/Shod scenario. If it doesnt have hardstanding in front of the stables i thoroughly recommend Mud Control mats before winter. They are amazing.

Are they?? don't they sink in the mud and you cannot get them out??

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I am not talking about grass mats. Have a look at these and how they are used. https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=mud control mats or here https://www.mudcontrol.co.uk

Absolutely brilliant and you can take them with you if you move. We bought some this year and very happy with them.

 

[MarvelVillis]

divide into 2 x half acre paddocks and one 1 acre paddock.put horses in the half acres in the spring summer and autumn, rotating them on a monthly basis. put in the one acre in the winter. harrow and reseed if necessary in the spring.

Thanks for this, this is a good idea that I hadn't thought of

 

[MarvelVillis]

I got a bit more info from the advertiser and it does have a hard standing area, thankfully! It also has an undercover area for hay and straw which is really handy. The field is longer than it is wide, so I was thinking of splitting the field in two, then the top two paddocks can be rotated for summer, and their winter paddock can be at the front near the stables - something like the below. Would that work? Would 1 acre be enough for 2 horses throughout winter, if they were brought in overnight and field was poo picked?

 

[windand rain]

Think if it was mine I would put a 15 ft track the whole way round the outside. then strip graze into the central area over winter, The summer track will have shade from the hedge and will keep them fit and the stables could be left open for winter choice of shelter. It will make better use of your land and mean you can look after it better.
striped line is moveable down the center. blue area water block the track in the corner near the water so not a full circle so they have to walk all the way round to get to the grass or shelter of the stables

 

[Cocorules]

Are the trees oaks? If so, you will need to factor in the need fence off for part of the year when acorns are dropping. That means siting your shelter away from the trees too.

Can you hold out for somewhere slightly bigger or consider renting grazing for part of the year? When I bought fields I felt tied because I would pay capital gains tax if I wanted to move which makes it unaffordable to do so.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I got a bit more info from the advertiser and it does have a hard standing area, thankfully! It also has an undercover area for hay and straw which is really handy. The field is longer than it is wide, so I was thinking of splitting the field in two, then the top two paddocks can be rotated for summer, and their winter paddock can be at the front near the stables - something like the below. Would that work? Would 1 acre be enough for 2 horses throughout winter, if they were brought in overnight and field was poo picked?

View attachment 79177

Yes that would work well, if you give the front one 3 months off to recover that should work well. We have acorn's, we don't fence them off but we have loads of squirrels. In the summer when your resting the front I would walk up the side to turnout or you will end up with a track in the middle.

personally I would not just give a month off, unless horses are laminitic as 1 month is not enough to recover, specially in the winter. I find with mine as they have 9 horses 0n 4 acres, out from 7.30 am - 4pm summer they do really well and we have too much grass at the moment so my lmai horses have to stay on the grazed field for part the day.

Its trial and error what works for you - your horses - your ground - your situation. I have done strip grazing for the lami ponies but would not do a track system for these ponies as it does not suit our situation.

 

[Antw23uk]

Are they?? don't they sink in the mud and you cannot get them out??

Your thinking grass mats? yes they sink. Mud Control mats, a whole different delightful story

 

[Reacher]

Track people - on 2 acres do you rest the track (have 2 tracks?) or just use track for say 6 months then take them off in winter?

 

[milliepops]

I have 2 on 2 acres at home, they have a shelter which I can shut them into but i only do that when waiting for vet etc.
it's hard going on our ground, it's not brilliant grazing and they are youngsters so I feed hay all year round.
This year I've said to OH we need to convert the shelter back to 2 stables (was opened up to make a foaling box) so I can stable overnight in the winter and i think that will help a fair bit.

Re shod/unshod, totally depends on the horse IME whether they cut the ground up. my unshod TB trashes his field, my shod Welsh is like a horse-shaped grass roller and pads around barely making a mark.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Your thinking grass mats? yes they sink. Mud Control mats, a whole different delightful story

Actually I was thinking of these mats mats with the holes, but never knew their real name. Never used them so was wondering how they were in the mud

 

[SantaVera]

Actually I was thinking of these mats mats with the holes, but never knew their real name. Never used them so was wondering how they were in the mud

They sink I think they are a waste of money