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murphysmum123

murphysmum123

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Hi just after some advice really, would a three acre field be big enough for a 16.hh, 14.3hh and a 11hh? The field isn't great at the moment because of the weather we have had, but just wondering with summer coming if there would be enough grass through the summer then also next winter, i just worry they don't have enough room?

Many Thanks.
 
I would say not if they are going to be out 24/7. Depends on your land obviously and it may work if you just section off a sacrifice area and feed hay in the winter. I have 3 acres and my 16.2 tb and 15.1 cob were out 24/7 until dec but have been in at night since then as the ground was not holding up.
 
I have 3 1/2 acres with 3/4 horses on it.
We strip graze and rotate grazing,apart from in winter when I stable over night and trash just a small area.
We have too much grass in summer,we are on clay and grass is lethal when it grows. In winter the clay makes it boggy IMHO its better to trash one area than all of it.
Make sure you can roll and harrow it, as often as possible, through the spring and you should find it is fine.
 
If you want to keep out 24/7 365, then I think you may struggle.

However if you have stabling and can bring in during the day in the summer/overnight in the winter, it should be enough.

This also would be dependant on soil type/how well it drains/how sensible the horses are etc.
 
Not really. If you work to the rule of 2 acres for the first horse and an acre each for subsequent horses you would be looking at minimum 4 acres.

With the weather we've had over last year I am struggling with 2 horses, 6 acres and 2 stables where they reside overnight in the winter as it's so wet :(:(

I'm on clay though so worst possible ground.
 
It's enough if you manage it carefully and if they don't hoon round poaching it all the time.

1. Have some hardstanding (roadplanings, crushed limestone or hardcore) in the gateway and where-you-feed-them areas.

2. Be prepared to spend money on hay.

3. Strip-grazing allows you to rest half the field. Works provided you don't live in an area where energisers get stolen (or if you can afford post-and-rail).

4. Stabling overnight in crap weather will help.

5. Resting the field even for 1-3 months per year will also help if you have somewhere else you can put them temporarily.

6. Rolling, tamping down poachholes, reseeding and poopicking/harrowing are needed.
 
It won't be enough to feed them but if you're prepared to put down some hard standing to keep them on over the winter/ wet weather and (probably depending on quality of ground) feed them hay all year round then yes technically enough space.

If you turn them out on the whole thing and leave them to it I'd guess it might last a couple of months!
 
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If it is like my land then yes, but if it is like the mudbaths that a lot of people have with one horse on, then no! You will probably have to feed hay either way, its just a question of how much. Then again i don't know anyone who never has to feed hay (I have only used 10 small bales though).
 
i have 4 on 3 1/2 acres (said it was 4 but I think that includes the house gardens and school..)
in summer its fine and 24/7 is fine, in winter they are in at night, one field is closed, one handles winter well due to its slope and the other I let them trash as I need a barer paddock in summer if they get too weighty :rolleyes:
so summer I have little extra to pay for and winter costs include a night net and bedding (January and february I put a bit of hay in the field as well)
so it depends what you want. If they are going to stay out in winter I'd say its either not quite enough or be prepared to trash one area, feeding hay and then rest it in spring.
my trashed paddock has really dried up this week:)
 
What are the horses like? If they're good doers that you have to muzzle in summer etc, then you'd probably be ok. If you struggle to keep weight on them, perhaps not.. You would definately need to supplement in winter with hay/haylage to be able to rest the flelds and keep them in a section of it.

Also what is the drainage like? If its boggy clay its another ballgame!
 
Yes if you manage it and the land is not excessively wet.
Fence off up to one acre to trash in winter. Split that into two if possible. Feed hay november to march.
Save at least 2 acres for summer grazing. Fertilise it, weedkill it, split into smaller paddocks and rotate. Collect droppings. Do not leave horses on it in autumn when ground wet.
The more effort you put into managing it the less land you need.
 
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