Grass kept horses; paddock requirements.

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jack9

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Yep me again :D with section 8 (yes 8!!) of my diploma :)

Now were onto the grass kept horse..... so all of you lovely people with grass kept horses (24/7) step right up :)
(even if you have kept out before and dont now -feel free to answer anyhow!)

ok so; requirements?

You keep your horse out 24/7 in a paddock.... what do you consider... (options below)


- Minimum area - how many acres per horse?)....

- type of fencing - post and rail, hedges, wire, barbed wire, electric fencing, stone, brick - other???

- Shelter - trees, field shelter, hedges, a valley, none?

- water supply - natural, taken to the field/other?...


Feel free to add any more paddock requirements - - - PM me with your answers if you dont want to put it here :)

Thanks in advance :)
 
Remember reading somewhere once that if well managed you can keep one horse per acre???

We have post and rail fence, hedge and electric fence - prefer post and rail

Trees for shelter and field shelter

Water from a very, very, very long hose pipe connected to the house - runs down the garden to the top paddock

Hope it helps:)
 
You keep your horse out 24/7 in a paddock.... what do you consider... (options below)


- Minimum area - how many acres per horse?).... AT LEAST 2 ACRES PER HORSE ( i THINK THE BHS STATES 2 FOR FIRST HORSE PLUS EVERY HORSE THEREAFTER. i HAVE 2 ON 4 ACRES AND JUST ABOUT MANAGE TO HAVE ENOUGH GRASS ALL YEAR ROUND (ALTHOUGH STILL FEED HAY IN WINTER). ALSO DEPENDS ON TYPE OF HORSE ONE OF MINE IS A VERY GOOD DOOER - SHE COULD LIVE ON 1 ACRE ALL YEAR, THE OTHER IS A POOR DOER AND HE HAS THE OTHER 3 ACRES SO HE HAS MORE GRASS. LAMI PRONE PONIES WILL NEED LESS...

- type of fencing - post and rail, hedges, wire, barbed wire, electric fencing, stone, brick - other??? IN AN IDEAL WORLD POST AND RAIL WITH ELECTRIC ON INSIDE TO STOP RUBBING / LEANING ETC. HEDGES GOOD TOO AS LONG AS SOMEOTHER FORM OF FENCING IN CASE THE HEDGES ARENT THICK ENOUGH

- Shelter - trees, field shelter, hedges, a valley, none? FIELD SHELTER WITH DRY STANDING IDEAL BUT GOOD TREES / THICK HEDGES FROM ALL DIRECTIONS FINE.

- water supply - natural, taken to the field/other?... NATURAL FINE BUT AS LONG AS ACCESS SAFE. BEST OPTION IS WATER TROUGH AUTOMATICALLY FILLED AWAY FROM OVER HANGING TREES AND OTHER FALLING DEBRIS.


Feel free to add any more paddock requirements - - - PM me with your answers if you dont want to put it here :)

NEED TO ALSO CONSIDER GROUND MAINTENANCE - ROLLING, HARROWING, WEED MANAGEMENT FOR rAGWORT MOST IMPORTANTLY AND ALSO BUTTERCUPS AND OTHER UNDESIRABLES SUCH AS NETTLES AND DOCKS WHICH SLOWLY OVER TAKE THE GRASS, FERTILIZING / LIMING IF NECESSARY, TOPPING.

POO PICKING IS THE OTHER ONE - DAILY, WEEKLY, HARROWING? i DO 2 HORSES ON 4 ACRES DAILY AS KEEPS IT MANAGEABLE AND LESSENS WORM BURDEN. i DONT WORM MY HORSES EXCEPT FOR TAPEWORM AND THEIR WORM COUNTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN LESS THAN THE LOWEST READING RECORDABLE.

HOPE THAT HELPS

(SORRY FOR ALL CAPITALS - I AM NOT TRYING TO SHOUT - JUST COULD NT THINK OF ANY OTHER WAY OF DIFFERENTIATING!)
 
Thank you very much!

anadain - yes - thats in my essay - 1 acre per horse however 3 are needed to rotateetc :)

greybay - thanks :) i was looking for a colour change for my options or underline etc.... but nothing - HHO online - mabey something to consider :D
 
For me first and utmost importance is shelter, preferably very good natural shelter or alternatively a purpose built field shelter.
Next is the ground type, last thing I want is my horse stood knee deep in mud through the winter.
The set up also has to be user friendly for adlib forage if required.

I'm far more flexible on fencing/acreage/water supply
 
jack9 said:
ok so; requirements?

You keep your horse out 24/7 in a paddock.... what do you consider... (options below)


- Minimum area - how many acres per horse?)....less than one, I don't depend on grass to actually feed them, acreage depends on the time of year, whether haying is finished and the group size, horses have access to hay year round regardless.

- type of fencing - post and rail, hedges, wire, barbed wire, electric fencing, stone, brick - other??? Stock wire and electric

- Shelter - trees, field shelter, hedges, a valley, none? run in sheds, some trees, some paddocks are in the woods

- water supply - natural, taken to the field/other?...automatic, heated waterers, also a creek through some paddocks but frozen in winter


Feel free to add any more paddock requirements - - - PM me with your answers if you dont want to put it here :)


Thanks in advance :)
Click to expand...

All paddocks topped and harrowed regularly.

..........................................
 
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Minimum area - how many acres per horse?)....

i have 10 acres for 3 horses - but overkill - minimun i'd have for 3 would be 6acres... i like 2 acres per horse for living out 24/7
mine is split into summer paddock - 2.5 acres (all fatties so keeps them trim!) this one is poop picked - and winter paddock - 7.5 acres = not poop picked

- type of fencing - post and rail, hedges, wire, barbed wire, electric fencing, stone, brick - other???

our fencing is a mixture of posts and wire or where there's barbed wire we run sparky fence in front of it

- Shelter - trees, field shelter, hedges, a valley, none?

both fields are undulating, have big trees and big hedges/on edge of forest so there's always dry bits to stand in

- water supply - natural, taken to the field/other?...

sumemr paddock - trough
winter - have to take - pain in arse!
ideally - i'd have a natural spring like my last field that never froze eve in -16'C but we can't have it all!

ETA _ maintainence - strim and spray weeds, chain harrowed
ad lib hay over winter
 
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thank you all - great answers!

i know the min paddocks but i also know people keep on less/more and its intresting to put it all in my assignment :)
 
Minimum area - how many acres per horse?)....

Follow guidelines but remember that it also depends on the the horses or ponies grazing, ie smaller ponies=less area needed.

- type of fencing - post and rail, hedges, wire, barbed wire, electric fencing, stone, brick - other???

My 1st choice would be a good thick well maintained hedge, my second would be post and rail lined with netting to stop them putting their heads through and breaking rails.

- Shelter - trees, field shelter, hedges, a valley, none?

I like a lot of natural shade and shelter via trees and hedges. I would only want a field shelter if the grazing was away from any stabling so that I could it to contain a horse if neccessary.

- water supply - natural, taken to the field/other?...

Self filling water trough is the best but a hose and tank is acceptable. Carting water is a nightmare and should be avoided if at all possible.

Accsess to the field in very important, can you get a tractor and machinery in easily, are the gates wide enough. If several animals are grazing together and the gate opens onto a road thas some form of corall inside the gate is vital so that horses can be removed without others escaping.
 
I love this subject, it is all I do. Never stabled unless injured or at PC camp all those years ago.

1) Minimum area - how many acres per horse?)
In the summer I have 2 paddocks of about 1-2 acres each that I rotate 2 horses and 1 pony every 2 weeks. Last summer I managed to just use 1 paddock and the other went for silage.
In the winter they have 10-11 acres of field out 24/7 and this is cut for silage in the summer. Once the silage cut has gone I sometimes strip graze it when coming into winter as it grows too well straight away.

2) type of fencing - post and rail, hedges, wire, barbed wire, electric fencing, stone, brick - other???
I have permanent electric fencing, hedges, post and rail and horrid sheep netting (blimin farmer). I actually prefer the permanent electric fencing to post and rail as long as the nettles are cut down and the battery charged it works brilliant. My post and rail seems to lean a bit... The hedges are the best though in my opinion.

3) Shelter - trees, field shelter, hedges, a valley, none?
We have a mobile field shelter that goes between the 2 summer paddocks, they don't use it during the winter even though they have access to it. At the moment the field shelter is stranded in 1 paddock so I have made a hard standing bit so they can use the indoor stables.

4) water supply - natural, taken to the field/other?...
I have hosepipe to each paddock, 1 is well buried under the ground. I have numerous taps popping up around my field, lol. I do have 2 ponds in the winter field but after my horse falling in it last winter that is a no go now.
 
thank you :D

ive done the main bulk of my assignment - now just finishing putting in all your anwers you have posted.... and going to send it on sunday :D

thanks again all -any more keep em coming!!! :)
 
Minimum of 1 acre per horse,but this can vary according to soil type. I have 2 horses currently strip grazing 2 acres, and we have LOADS of grass. My winter paddock is 1 1/2 acres, split into2, so they only trash totally half of it.(Although I do stable in bad weather) Have wooden shelters on both paddocks plus running water and troughs.Would not be without water.
I have 4'3" high horse netting for fencing, with an electric strand on top so the horses do not rub on it. I consider this safer than other permanent fencing.We do have hedges on some sides too,they can be a nightmare as very sharp and need cutting back to stop them making a take over bid:mad: Use electric fence for strip grazing.
Field is also regularly harrowed, and topped. Doppings cleared daily.
Also have a hard standing infront of the winter shelter to allow the horses to get out of the mud, and hard core in gateways which are electric fenced off in winter to reduce poaching.
Good luck!
 
We have 2 out 24/7 on probably less than 2 acres, although I haven't a clue how big it is (guess 1.5 acres) It is well draining sandy, not clay, soil and so mud is not really a problem.

We rest different sections and then strip graze it - great for my good-doer.

We feed hay ad-lib year round, and poo pick twice a day.

Also ride most days, as they are not wandering around as much as horses in huge fields.

Fence is electric, water comes from a hose from a house across the road.

Shelter is a man-made one, and lots of trees around the edge too.

Hope that helps.
 
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