Buying a house with land, keeping horse at home.

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LHIS

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Evening all!

It's my long term goal, as i'm sure it is for many of you, to have a property with room to keep my horse at home. OH has said for a while now I can keep an eye out, and if I see something to shout. Well, I've seen something, and we've made plans to view it over the weekend.
The house itself needs some love, and would be a project property, but it's the land that interests me. It has an acre, it's currently gardens, just a lawn. It has permission for agricultural use only at the moment, which I understand does not cover keeping horses and riding them.

I have some questions - firstly, following some research it does seem to vary how much grazing is enough - so I want to know, what do you think is the minimum? Having though on it, I'm not sure with the addition of a couple of stables, and a 20x40 for example, that that leaves enough grazing. Probably after the addition of these it would end up being 2/3 of an acre for grazing.

Secondly - assuming the above isn't a deal breaker, I know with it being a small grazing area good drainage is key. What types of soil are desirable, and which aren't?

Thirdly - I wouldn't propose keeping my pony alone, I would look into a companion, maybe a mini, maybe a donkey. Again this needs to be considered when thinking about the grazing space.

I have had a look at planning applications for changes of use from agricultural to equestrian and similar applications in the area have been granted, the only ones have have been refused involved interfering with existing barn buildings, which we wouldn't do (as there aren't any!).

I'd appreciate some advice on this please, perhaps it will have to remain in its current pipedream state, but maybe it could be viable?
 
One acre would probably be a deal breaker for me unless I needed to permanently restrict grass intake. In that situation I'd look to put the stables/arena/hard standing in the middle with a track around the edge but even then, I don't think there'd be enough room.

Is there the option to rent/purchase additional land?
 
One acre is really only a large garden...if the acre is the gardens then presumably the house and drive are included in that. I don't think you'd have enough grazing for anything more than a couple of minis.
Stables, access and an arena are going to eat up a lot of land.
 
We've got our own place and I can keep mine at home, which has always been my dream.

We have too much grazing here rather than too little, which is a good problem to have! You really don't want to have to be running out of grass during the winter - or have pasture that is totally poached, in the middle of January, with no-where else for you to put them!! Too much is better than too little, and don't rely on being able to rent locally, I heard of a situation where someone moved into a farm in our area which had plenty of buildings, having "assumed" they could rent the grazing land around them for horses, and moved the neds down, only to find that the only animals that the landowner of the surrounding fields would NOT permit to graze was....... horses! A very nasty surprise, so check check always check if you haven't got enough land for all-year-round turnout.

Of course if you DO have plenty of land, and some spare stables or buildings, you can always get in a livery: but bear in mind that you'll need to insure appropriately and also make sure you've got the right choice of livery! They are sharing your property after all. Having said that we've been doing DIY livery here for the last 24 years and in all that time have only had one bad egg. We only have room for one, which makes life a lot easier as you don't get the inter-livery squabbles!

Also the things you will need to consider are stuff like land management, if you're on a yard then the YO sees to all of that, but if you're keeping yours at home then you'll have to think about stuff like rotation/pasture management, dealing with weeds, fencing, hedge trimming (a legal requirement if your land borders the public highway), etc etc.

But to go back to your original point OP, personally I do not think an acre - in fact from what you say it would be considerably less than this - is anywhere near enough land to keep an equine on. You might be OK with a Shetland - or Miniature! But not anything bigger, and certainly not more than one (I wouldn't keep a horse solo anyway) on this area. IMO it isn't anywhere near enough and you will struggle from the word go.

My advice would be to look elsewhere; the right property with what you want will come up for sure. I'd give this one a miss personally.
 
Do you mean the house has an agricultural tie on it? if so you will struggle to get a mortgage regardless of whether the land is enough to keep a pony on it, an acre is tiny if it is inclusive of the house, any driveway and you must keep some garden around the house so before you build anything else you would already be well under 1 acre and you would also have to get planning for an arena which may not be as easy as you would hope.
 
I don't think 1 acre will be enough we looked at a house with an acre with 2 stables and it just looked too small there wasn't any grass on it either, I have about 3.5 acres with 3 stables for 2 small horses and it's just enough for them and easy to manage if I were to be looking for somewhere again I would like a bit more now so I could rest half.

I also found the houses with a very little land are in an area where the hacking is sparse and you tend to have a lot of other houses nearby so to me they are not equestrian properties, they are just houses with a much bigger garden and not geared towards keeping horses there, I would try and look at houses that are described for the equestrian enthusiast and you will find all the houses in the local area will also have horses.
 
Pinkvboots said:
I would try and look at houses that are described for the equestrian enthusiast and you will find all the houses in the local area will also have horses.
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I have to disagree with this. sometimes it pays to think outside the box-the place we bought has limited acreage but was a haulage place so had a huge workshop that has a undercover tie up area plus two huge boxes and a storage area. It had offices in a large insulated shed so we had large double doors put in and that is my hay shed, feed store and tack room. In addition it has a really large old tarmac car park that we've turned into a hardstanding area as well as a grass lunging pen on the front lawn. It obviously had no agricultural tie on it though. We have access to 100s of acres of forestry and grazing for hacking and nearest neighbour is a beef/cattle farm half a mile away. I do have to rent additional grazing and I box to local arenas.

Ask about to see if you can rent additional grazing, check out the local area for riding and obvs check out the ag tie.
 
If your wanting stables, an arena and grazing, you need to be looking at around min 5 acres. I have my two at home and they've got 6 acres of pure grazing which is rotated through the year.
 
I'd also add, that for a property with small acreage, you may struggle to resell to horsey people or to non-horsey people. Having an arena isn't a selling point if the buyer would rather have lawn-this is partly why we've decided not to bother.
 
I would be concerned about the amount of work involved in maintaining 1 acre. Assuming also that the soil is sandy - if it's clay then forget it. Our winter field is 9.5 acres for two big horses, and though that's more than you need it means minimal work and little mud, even though it's clay. I'd want 4-5 at least, unless I was prepared to do a lot of maintenance.
 
I have 2 horse and about 3.5 acres, as it's so mild we still have grass but though they can wander on grass they are fully dependant on me feeding them usually from mid Nov till Mar/Apr depending on the weather. I think it might be doable if you set the whole thing up as a track to keep them moving but you would pretty much be feeding all year round.
 
You will have enough for summer, but not winter, unless you put in DIY livery during that time, so yes it is definitely doable. Forget about an arena, too costly and you will need to spend the money on the house anyway. You can buy a large field shelter. You will need a small companion, a Shetland would be good.
 
an acre is very very little, you wouldn't need to worry about grazing at there would be none after about two weeks!

We have an acre and a half at home, but rent 7 acres away from house. The acre will be taken off very fast with stabling, muckheap, horsebox storage, feedrooms etc. Realistically what you will end up with is a stable with a small turnout paddock that you'l have to feed hay off all year. I keep two up at house with a mini and it works ok, but thats only because they get half the week out at the larger field and are in heavy work (4+hour mountain hacks etc). It' is probably doable with a good doer cob who needs restricted grazing and a mini companion.
 
Go look at it and check out livery for winter in vicinity. This may not be the right house but the right one will come along. Don't give up on your dream. I looked at nine houses with land before I found the right one xxx
 
I would kill for it with mine! I'd get a couple of little ponies to keep him company and I'd put in a track. You'd have to surface it and you would need to feed hay all year round, so its not the cheap or easy option. Would be perfect for mine though!
 
Thanks all, really appreciate the guidance. I have discussed with OH and he's said we will still go and view it, and will ask about the possibility of renting land. If that's a no, then we will walk away from this one. Any additional land would need to be in the adjacent fields as it has a road on two sides (it's a corner plot) and I don't want to be moving horses across roads (a main road) for turnout etc.
I'll report back on Sunday once we've been to see it!
 
Always go for acreage over house if you want to keep horses imo! You can always extend the house (if pp allows) but you can't, in most cases, increase acreage.
That said, I have an acre at home, but a further two acres within walking distance(3 x 14.2 ponies) and we are on chalk. Mine would be out alot more if I had more land!
Currently manage 24/7 turnout only for a couple of months and the rest of the year they are in either night or day depending on heat/flies.
I don't have an arena but have a kind neighbour who lets me use his school when ever I wish and hacking over about 5,000 acres of surrounding farmland. I box out to floodlit/indoor schools sometimes in the winter if I'm struggling to ride in daylight.
Most livery yards have an acre per horse (but some A LOT less) It is doable but more land of definately preferable.
 
You CAN keep horse(s) on a small area, it means feeding them hay. In a way you think of it as an outdoor stable and don't rely on it for feeding them. You would have to keep it well maintained - keep it cleaned up and may be do a track system.
(I was very surprised to see in the USA that people keep their horses on tiny amounts of land - but it is dry).

If you did this you would have to think about what happened in the winter if the land is clay when it would become a bog and you would have to keep them in - or if you could get some winter turnout fields. I think in these circumstances you would want to have good hacking very close so you can get them out and have a good leg stretch.

You don't need planning permission to graze horses, but you do need permission for stables, arenas,e tc.
 
My next door neighbours have three stables, a feed room, a muck heap and a school on not much more than an acre. Their land is incredibly well drained though, they're on good loamy soil. I'm extremely jealous actually as I have 10 acres but half of that is unusable in the winter as I'm on heavy clay that turns to bog when I set foot on it never mind a horse.

So, yes, it is doable but it's down to management. I guess you're really looking forward to having your horse at home but don't rush in to the first thing you see, something better may well come along.
 
Do you have to apply for equestrian use then in England? I've never heard of that (in Scotland), my place was registered as a "small holding" when we bought it but I had no issues when I got planning permission for my stables (so clearly equestrian use). I know there's some weird law about land use and having to apply to ride horses in a field but I've never ever heard of anyone doing that or having any issues as a result. With that land, I dont think you'd have enough space to spare for an arena. I only have 1.5 acres of land (not including my large garden which the horses have been in to act as lawnmowers!), I built a stable block of 3 large stables on a hardcore yard. I currently have 2 horses and 1 pony on it. Ive had to rent land next door for 1 other horse as Im really pushed for room with what I have on my field. I will get down to 1 horse and 1 small pony which would be fine. But you have to work out the extra expense of having less land - I have to feed hay all year round (even through summer) due to the lack of grazing, mine have a big round bale permanently in the field on the hardcore yard, this also encourages them to hang about there and not churn the field up. It's not ideal by any means and we did start looking for houses with more land. It would make life a lot easier!
 
It depends how you want to keep a horse. I'd want 2 so they've company, but I'd be happy with the space you're looking at. That's because I don't object to stabling and would be happy with 4hrs turnout per day all year round. I'd keep the horses in a decent amount of work anyway so turnout (IMO) would be less of an issue. The arena I wouldn't bother with, keep the space for grazing and just hack. I wouldn't need things like horsebox parking either taking up extra space. If you're someone who wants 24/7 turnout with a field shelter even in winter then forget it, you'd need a lot more than an acre for that.
 
I have 2 acres. Our stables are a converted double garage with an additional wooden one on the end on a concrete base. The fields are divided in 2, with the larger one having a portion turned into a woodchip all-weather turnout (about 25m x 30m I'd guess) and I have a 20m x 35m arena (all we could fit into the space). I keep 2 horses on this and a mini. I did have 3 horses but lost the big lad earlier this year. They all had grazing through the summer but I shut them in the turnouts overnight and fed hay. The land isn't great and gets wet in winter but we are holding out so far, but the TB is having 10kg of haylage in his field whilst the fattie Highland gets 4kg plus the meagre grass that's left. As soon as it starts getting wet, they'll come off the fields and into the turnout. Luckily they have to live in the separate fields as the TB was a late cut and can't go in with other horses so it makes it a bit easier. Its hard work but you can manage on a small acrage as long as you are prepared to give forage and have a back-up plan for when the ground becomes totally poached. I don't think I would manage on less land than I have but for me it was worth to as we picked up our property at a ridiculous price for these parts, and I was paying nearly £1500 a month for livery. And don't forget, it is REALLY hard work having the horses at home. Its taken me 3 years to settle into it and I wouldn't change it now but I have to say I did regret our choice for the first couple of years!
 
Sugar_and_Spice said:
If you're someone who wants 24/7 turnout with a field shelter even in winter then forget it, you'd need a lot more than an acre for that.
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I dont agree, I think it totally depends on the soil and if she gives them an area to stand etc. I have 1.5 acres, 1/3 of it nearest the stables is quite muddy and the lower 2/3 is much dryer generally and always has decent grass cover all year round. I built a stable block on a big hardcore pad so there's a biggish hardcored area out the front of the stables too, which is totally open to the field so the horses come and go as they please. They do use the stables a lot for a doze several times a day and I put a round hay bale feeder in the yard all year round - this encourages the horses to stand about on the hardcore (ie. not churning up the field) and means their legs can dry off keeping mud fever at bay. I can easily keep my 2 horses (15.3hh & 16hh) and a small pony like this. The pony is actually too fat! So I think it depends what she does with it - yes, it wouldnt work if the soil was clay and she offered no hardstanding anywhere but if she could make a solid corner say with a field shelter and bit of a yard around it then it could work.
 
I'd want at least 3 acres, but closer to 5 would be better for what you plan. Don't forget you'll also need space for a muck heap, somewhere to store hay and bedding maybe parking for a trailer or lorry. While a mini or donkey might be good in the sense that they don't eat as much, if their grazing needs are different from your horses they might not be doing such a good job of being a companion.

I must admit, the thought of having them at home really isn't appealing to me. While I'd love to be able to see them from my kitchen or put them out in my pyjamas, I really enjoy the social side of a livery yard and knowing there's back-up if I'm ill or away for a few days and I'd hate to do all the maintenance required.
 
We brought a property with land and some run down stables in May. The land is over 2 acres but under 3 and separated into three paddocks by post and rail, the biggest being the first paddock which has the stable block (3) and tack room and a good sized concrete yard which I have now post and railed to contain it. I've put a gate in and two slip rail sections so come winter I have the option of three exit/ entrance points to keep the mud at bay. Being post and rail means it will also be used as a standing with the stables left open so they can come and go as they please without going on the grass.

I have two fat ponies in the back paddock which has a shelter but they are going soon (used for the summer) and I've rested the middle paddock to use as foggage and will be strip grazed from about now (I just need to order an electric fence thingy) and then once thats gone I will start feeding hay. Next year I will be putting a track system round the outside with a track through the middle making the whole lot of land with two paddocks rather than three. Going forward summer will be on the track and will take hay off my two paddocks and then winter will be grazing the two paddocks and hay as and when. I will have two horses (currently have one but 2nd is in pipeline fairly soon hopefully)

I cant really be that knowledgeable because we haven't done a winter yet but thats the plan at the moment which I think can be done on small acreage. Oh and the plan is to be out 24/7 mainly with open stables onto yard as and when required.
 
once you have some kind of hardstanding area and a good doer its managable. mine get out 24/7 turnout when ground is dry. when its wet they only get access to the hardstanding area. i fenced off three smaller paddocks and they get an hour out at grass on them each day, and then they go back into the larger paddock but theres never any grass there, only hay. but they get out 24/7 regardless.its just a case of having somewhere for them to go so the ground doesnt get churned up. saying that i'd only keep horses there if they were getting adequate hacking and exercise, as i do think mentally its not the most exciting for them.
 
I think it is possible. You would have to be on it with land management though. When I was looking I wanted a minimum of 3 acres but then again I like mine to be out 24/7 during the summer and as much as possible in the winter.
 
Depends on the quality of the grass and how you manage it.

We have 5 acres split into a winter and summer side; 3 fatties on restricted and 1 poor doer that doesn't eat much. They're out during the day and barefoot (except 1 livery). We are meticulous about keeping the fields in good condition and on sandy soil which helps.

We have far far far too much grass all year every year. It works out roughly half an acre each.

Mine would likely be fine on an acre inc companion all year. With strip grazing the others would be fine too. You just have to be careful and sensible.

Ours would not look the same if we didn't manage it properly, equally if we turned out 24/7 365 days a year.
 
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