Dream layout on 10 acres

[Nudibranch]

What would yours be? It's all one field. Rectangular, but on a hillside with a couple of flat spots. Stables and field shelter leading off one corner. I'm thinking of doing something similar to what we have at the moment, ie a track around 3 sides leading off from the stables/shelter with an extra gate to open it up for winter. This would *probably* be permanent as I've spent years putting electric fencing up and down and I'm frankly sick of it! I'm aiming to take hay off the less steep parts in summer.
However I am wondering whether I should go for some kind of split paddock arrangement instead as I'll be starting a small goat herd and it might be useful for rotating grazing/worm control, etc. Obviously then it's additional troughs, etc.
What would you do?

 

[Tarragon]

Big open barn and area of all weather standing sited on track somewhere, track all around the edge and across the middle for extra options (figure of eight style), feeding stations and troughs at different locations, multiple access to both internal areas of the figure of eight for flexible extra grazing.
Water collection from barn guttering is always useful.
How exciting!

 

[Annagain]

If possible, I'd live with it for a year (with electric fencing to manage it) so you can understand what it does during each season. Does it get very wet in winter, or are there areas with lots more flies in summer etc? Once you have more knowledge, you can work out what goes where and whether you need to fence off certain bits for certain times of the year.

 

[rabatsa]

I would not like to rely on goats for worm control. They have different eating habbits to horses and prefer browse to grazing.

 

[I'm Dun]

Track round all of the outside, flat hay field fenced off and then small grazing paddocks made on the hillier areas. I'd let them grow long and seed, then allow the horses access off the track to strip graze across. Mine do it from October time weather dependant. My TB is currently grazing one as he does fine on decent grass and its where I ride so I want it eating back a bit!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

If possible, I'd live with it for a year (with electric fencing to manage it) so you can understand what it does during each season. Does it get very wet in winter, or are there areas with lots more flies in summer etc? Once you have more knowledge, you can work out what goes where and whether you need to fence off certain bits for certain times of the year.

Just what I was thinking! We have been here over 20 yrs and our arrangements keep on evolving, partly because the numbers of animals change and the we brought horses but now also have sheep.

 

[Nudibranch]

I would not like to rely on goats for worm control. They have different eating habbits to horses and prefer browse to grazing.

The goats aren't for worm control. I was referring to separate paddocks for rotating grazing for worm control in all of them, goats included. The field boundary has mature mixed native hedges all round, there are a number of mature trees and the grass is old, unfertilised meadow with a big range of species so it's well suited to goats.

 

[Jeni the dragon]

I'm on about 8.5 acres and only two ponies at the moment so far too much grass! If I was better organised I'd have got hay off it!
There is permanent fencing dividing it into 2.5 acres, which has a hard standing area, plus tack room, hay shed and a big shed. And the other big field which has much "tougher" grass! Wee field gets quite wet so most years I strip graze the wee field and then use the big field in the winter. Nor sure why but this year I decided to fence a smaller area off in the big field. I'm really pleased about it as things have been so wet this year it would have been a bog!
There are sheep at the moment grazing down some of the grass!