field sizes

noblesteed

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Hi there
Been offered a nice sheltered field with scrubby sheep grass in it if I want it. It's on a slope down to a stream and has a few small trees for shelter. Opposite is a hill which will protect it from the prevailing wind. To cut a long story short my horse is 18, has a range of medical issues including being laminitic, suspected EMS and arthritis. He's lightly hacked on pain relief having slowed down and struggled this summer and I am fully expecting retirement to be round the corner. He lives out for summer on a bare postage stamp of a paddock. He's connemara x and gets very hairy in winter so I have no qualms about him coping living out, plus being arthritic stabling is not great for him. My friend has a retired fatty cob, also arthritic, who could move to the field with him.
Horse is 15hh and cob is 14.1hh.

Having measured the field it seems to be at least 1.5 acres.

Is this too small for the two of them even with hay? I know in the summer it will be fine and will probably need taping off for my horse but it's winter that I am concerned about. I am expecting the bottom of the field will get muddy but the top should be ok - that's where the hay could go.
 
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I would say it should be fine provided it is managed well. I have a 15hh, 11hh and 12hh on a postage stamp right now (all laminitics) and it's not stopped raining for days, but the field doesn't look too bad.
 
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be positive

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It will be tight for 2 living out 24/7 and depends on how muddy it gets, you may find it ends up being a total quagmire by mid winter even if fenced off to protect some of it, as long as you have a back up plan it is worth trying, it is totally different in summer as however much it rains the mud rarely takes hold in the same way and the grass keeps growing.
 

SEL

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A friend of mine keeps a 17h and a 13..2 on a field that size. She sections off a bit in winter that gets absolutely trashed and then they move onto the rested bit in summer. You might find in summer you can put a track around it with electric fencing if they don't need the grass and then use the middle in winter.
 

noblesteed

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Ah a track system sounds a good idea, I like that. I know it depends on the mud. I think taping off across the muddiest bit might be the best plan. I will have to make sure the farmer puts the trough at the top of the field! There is also a hardcore track they could use if it gets really muddy. I guess we would just have to see!
 

katymay

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I think it would work, it may be super muddy in winter but then even the biggest fields can get trashed! I have a 14.2hh and a 10.3hh pony on just over an acre, there are a couple of stables so I do stable overnight In winter if its been very wet, and occasionally for the day times in summer, 14.2hh has just suffered his first bout of laminitis and the 10.3hh needs his weight watched so they have been tracked with hay, ive got loads of grass so feed over the winter when it has turned to foggage
 

GeorgiaR95

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I have two haffies that are in around an acre between them. They are in a field with others but I fence them off due to the rich grass, mine live on this all year and there is ample room for them to gallop around, gets boggy near the gate but thats to be expected. I would say you will be fine :)
 

meesha

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If you can shut them on the hardcore track when it's wet and possibly feed hay on track (or make another small hardcore area you should be fine. I would def want somewhere I could shut gem in the worst of it (piss with small shelter
 

Annagain

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I'd put a track in - let them have the track for the summer and the rest of the field for the winter. That way your winter grazing will have time to recover and they'll have restricted grazing with plenty of movement in the summer. Could you give them the half of the field that's likely to get boggy for the first part of winter and leave the rest, then move them off it to the other half when it gets too wet? I'd also think about putting your hay on the hardcore track if it's accessible to the horses at all times and won't block your access. It will be easier to put it there for you and the horses will probably choose to spend more time there than in the field, thereby saving the grazing a bit?
 
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