diy play area for my horse

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EJ87

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Ok so i might be able to avail of a acre of grass for my horse. the acre runs out the back of my house which has yard lights shining on it so handy for winter time. i propose to split the acre into three parts as follow a lunging pen near the top to benifit from tge lights in winter, a riding area and a all year turn out grazing area. just wondered how i best split them up size wise and tge lunging pen i propose to use bark can i lay this straight ontop of the grass? and how deep a fill do i need? i plan to keep the riding area in grass but what is my best way to maintain it for riding? i would like to do this as cheaply as possible as its only for 1 horse and i have the use of an indoor areana twice a week so will be used as a ticking over area really in winter especially. thanks
 
An acre by itself really wouldn't be big enough for all year turnout, so a third of it definitely wont be.

Don't mean to put a dampener on it but I really think that you should rethink this, or you will really struggle in the future.
 
Are you planning on 24/7 365 turnout on less than an acre? Or additionally? It isn't a lot of space and if you aren't on very good soil with good drainage would be a nightmare.

Sorry if I've misinerpreted and this is in addition to the yard.

Pan
 
No the area for turn out is only for 4-6 hours a day that will have a supply of hay as well its teally for fresh air purposes she will be stabled da rest of da time.
 
.....don't take this the wrong way....but as I understand it then, the horse will live alone, be stabled 18-20 hours a day, and turned out on a tiny patch alone, which by the end of October will be a sea of mud?

It does not sound ideal at all to me - I would be trying to make alternative arrangements.
 
patterdale said:
.....don't take this the wrong way....but as I understand it then, the horse will live alone, be stabled 18-20 hours a day, and turned out on a tiny patch alone, which by the end of October will be a sea of mud?

It does not sound ideal at all to me - I would be trying to make alternative arrangements.
Click to expand...

Agreed
 
I'd section a 20x40 area off at one end for riding and lungeing in. You will probably find it won't be great in winter though, and you'll mainly use it in summer, unless you can get an arena there.. I think you're being a bit ambitious trying to fit all that onto an acre!

We have an area of about 1/3 acre that we have hardcore covered with road chippings as a winter turnout for our two that suffer from mudrash. They get haynets around the area and hay piles, and go out on that for 12 hours a day in winter (it adjoins the yard). They seem very happy and relaxed on there, compared to going out for just a few hours in the smaller grass turnout. I can't imagine how muddy 2/3 of an acre of grass would get with horses turned out on it all winter, unless you have dinky ponies perhaps?
 
patterdale said:
.....don't take this the wrong way....but as I understand it then, the horse will live alone, be stabled 18-20 hours a day, and turned out on a tiny patch alone, which by the end of October will be a sea of mud?

It does not sound ideal at all to me - I would be trying to make alternative arrangements.
Click to expand...

Quite.
 
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