guidance for sufficient and for pony

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LouiseFT

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hi, I am new to the group, and new to the horse world.
My daughter has been riding for 5 years now and has been asking for a horse for years which I said I would think about when she was 14.
I have looked at livery and it is beyond the budget so just considering purchasing a property with a little space - however thats like a needle in a haystack
we have found a lovely place but the space is 0.7 acres in a back section and another 0.2 in front.
Would it be feasible to look at one pony and one small companion pony knowing we would have to be very on top of managing the land and supplement the feed.
Appreciate your input,
I am aware that guidance is 1 acre per pony, I was just wondering if there is any margins here if an owner will ensure animal nutrition with supplemented feed
 
No, that won’t be enough land. It’s not just a nutrition thing, it’s how the land will cope in wet/icy weather with 2 horses on it all year round.

If you’re just starting out into horse ownership, I’d really recommend looking for a share or part loan first. That will enable you to learn about horse care and having responsibility of your own. Please don’t just jump into buying your own and trying to do it all by yourself.
 
Agree with previous poster share would be the best option to ease you in gently and if you ever do get a pony it would be very lonely for your daughter with no one to ride with if you bought your own place. Also you could do all of that and your daughter loses interest and wants to do other things with her friends…. Remember she is growing up and horses may not always be her first love, unless she’s like me who has loved horses from before I can remember and still love them at 79..
 
Echo the others that aside from the land management you also need go consider general care & welfare of you haven’t owned before. Being on a yard with others gives you a world of knowledge and help that you don’t know you need until you need it (which of course always happens at 8pm on a Sunday evening….)
 
One riding pony plus a companion works well unless you want to ride.....then the companion needs a companion! Holidays may be tricky, as someone has to check at least daily that everything is in order. If your daughter could get to help out where she rides, she may decide that it would be a better option to look for a DIY stable and grazing locally. That comes in a lot cheaper than livery, and you are caring for your own pony with help at hand if needed.
 
If you can’t afford livery, you can’t afford to have horses at home either.

Land wise, depending on soil an size of horse you’d need a minimum of 2-3 acres.

My garden is about the same size as the land you mention and it’s not enough for my two ponies in summer, let alone winter.
 
It very much depends on the land, how it will stand up to having ponies on it.
Clay holds water and you really wouldn't want ponies on such a small area, although you probably would want them on hardstanding/all weather surface for most of winter. Sandy soil is much easier to manage. Although generally, soil types follow geographical areas often there are small patches of a different type of soil. We live in a sandy area, with several areas that have been quarried in former times but a friend has land about 1/2 a mile away from ours, which is mainly clay.
If you can find somewhere with at least 2 acres, it would be easier to manage.

Incidentally, I don't agree with the advice to look for a share. You don't want your daughter to have to follow someone else's bad advice.
Ime, the best way forward is to look for a steady, reliable, experienced pony that will help your family to find your own way and a companion that is happy to spend an hour or two alone. Reputable rescues might be able to recommend a companion that will do the job you need it to do.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
It very much depends on the land, how it will stand up to having ponies on it.
Clay holds water and you really wouldn't want ponies on such a small area, although you probably would want them on hardstanding/all weather surface for most of winter. Sandy soil is much easier to manage. Although generally, soil types follow geographical areas often there are small patches of a different type of soil. We live in a sandy area, with several areas that have been quarried in former times but a friend has land about 1/2 a mile away from ours, which is mainly clay.
If you can find somewhere with at least 2 acres, it would be easier to manage.

Incidentally, I don't agree with the advice to look for a share. You don't want your daughter to have to follow someone else's bad advice.
Ime, the best way forward is to look for a steady, reliable, experienced pony that will help your family to find your own way and a companion that is happy to spend an hour or two alone. Reputable rescues might be able to recommend a companion that will do the job you need it to do.
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Thank you very much this advice and guidance is very helpful
 
LouiseFT said:
hi, I am new to the group, and new to the horse world.
My daughter has been riding for 5 years now and has been asking for a horse for years which I said I would think about when she was 14.
I have looked at livery and it is beyond the budget so just considering purchasing a property with a little space - however thats like a needle in a haystack
we have found a lovely place but the space is 0.7 acres in a back section and another 0.2 in front.
Would it be feasible to look at one pony and one small companion pony knowing we would have to be very on top of managing the land and supplement the feed.
Appreciate your input,
I am aware that guidance is 1 acre per pony, I was just wondering if there is any margins here if an owner will ensure animal nutrition with supplemented feed
Click to expand...
Hi, welcome!
😁

Some random thoughts!

If you haven't bought the land yet, look at the type of soil, which would make a huge difference. Limestone would mean you'd get away with a lot smaller area than clay.

Even with very good drainage the acre per pony you quote isn't an ideal but a lower limit. The BHS say 1.5 acres minimum for the first plus an acre each for any more. So for your two, don't look at properties with less than 2.5 acres.
You can easily use 1/3 acre for muck heap, parking for trailer, hard-standing for tacking up & farrier visit etc.

Apart from mud, parasite control and food you also need to consider the amount of exercise and interest the pony is getting. If "turnout" means standing still in the fresh air, eating from a hay net, your daughter's weekends might be a bit too lively for her and weight control would be a much bigger issue than if the pony can walk about & play with it's companion.

I wonder if you have considered the extra costs of being on your own, when you looked at budget. There are considerable savings to being part of a group.
The big yard I'm on has a farrier visit fixed for the same time every week & you just put your name on the list. You don't have any contact issues and don't pay a "call-out fee" on top of paying for work done.
The same would apply to saddle fitting, routine vet visits, dentist, occasional freelance groom help for holidays, illness etc, visiting instructors, physio. Everyone who comes will charge more. (And of course there would be two ponies to pay for. The companion needs everything the ridden one does except tack.)
Hay delivery is a lot more expensive for small amounts.
You would also be much more in need of transport and you would need to hire an arena if your daughter wants lessons.
Not being negative about your idea but just wondering if you counted everything. I think 2 ponies at home would be more expensive than one on DIY livery by quite a bit.

Does your daughter enjoy riding alone (not just once in a while but always)? It isn't anything like as much fun. Also you would need to make sure you buy a pony that hacks alone- not all do.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

:)
 
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LouiseFT said:
Thank you very much this advice and guidance is very helpful
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Its terrible advice. The very worst thing you can do is isolate a teenager with her first pony at home. A share is always an excellent idea. Your far better off learning some bad habits from the horse owner while having support and guidance than making up your own bad habits alone. But Ive had a fair few novice sharers over the years and theyd all had a wonderful time, rode nice, well behaved horses and learnt a lot. I've also had 2 clients buy horses that I've had to go and spend weeks sorting out the horse, the set up, the tack everything and its not been fun for anyone.
 
No it is not enough land.

Keeping horses at home is more expensive than one on livery. You'll have two horses to vaccinate, get teeth done, hoof care, feed, and any ad hoc or emergency bills.

You'll need storage for equipment, tack, feed, hay and a muck heap. The too small acreage will need daily poo picking. That in turn requires a muck heap and you don't have enough land to be giving up a corner as a muck heap. You'll also need a farmer to take it away or a trailer to put dung in and someplace to take that dung.

To echo a previous post. If you cannot afford livery for one horse then you cannot afford to keep two at home. There is so much more to having horses at home than it looking like the cheaper option based on the cost of the mortgage.
 
NR88 said:
No it is not enough land.

Keeping horses at home is more expensive than one on livery. You'll have two horses to vaccinate, get teeth done, hoof care, feed, and any ad hoc or emergency bills.

You'll need storage for equipment, tack, feed, hay and a muck heap. The too small acreage will need daily poo picking. That in turn requires a muck heap and you don't have enough land to be giving up a corner as a muck heap. You'll also need a farmer to take it away or a trailer to put dung in and someplace to take that dung.

To echo a previous post. If you cannot afford livery for one horse then you cannot afford to keep two at home. There is so much more to having horses at home than it looking like the cheaper option based on the cost of
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I agree you need at least 2 acres of well drained land to be able to keep 2 ponies but l certainly don’t agree that it’s cheaper to keep at at livery than at home! You haven’t said how much livery is but for full livery most places seem to be between £150 and £300 a week. Add on additional costs and it’s easily £1000 a month and frequently much more although you may have the same farrier costs etc You also have travel costs to factor in to and from the yard.
I agree children can loose interest if they’ve no one to ride with and the pony isn’t suitable but if you join the pony club you’ll find lots going on with similar aged children who in my area when they were older enjoyed going to competitions and meeting friends, they also had sleep overs with their pony.
It’s early days @LouiseFT don’t get disheartened. It’s good to plan ahead.
 
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For 2 ponies on good, well drained soil, 3 acres (if you're prepared to stable overnight you might get away with 2 acres on perfectly drained sandy soil). If you're on clay then you'd probably want 5+ acres, depending on drainage.
Another thing to consider is the grazing needs of the ponies- small natives can be inclined to run to fat and may need 'poor quality' grasses while most modern grass seed mixtures (and consequently pastures) contain a fair percentage of ryegrasses, which are very productive but too high calorie for some ponies.
There are ways round this (reseeding/muzzling/track systems) but they all have their costs and drawbacks.
You'll need to consider the cost of hay- if you're on limited land or have grazing that is too rich you may find you need to feed hay year round.
There's also all the running costs, both financial and time, of maintaining the land. It will need poo-picking or harrowing, fences will need mending, areas may need re-seeding periodically etc.
Finally, if you keep them at home you are in your own when it comes to any emergencies- which can be fine if you have the skills and manpower to deal with it going wrong.
If one of the ponies got stuck in the fence, for instance, would you have someone capable of holding an injured and frightened pony while someone else dismantled/disentangled the fence? Would you know what colic looks like, or laminitis? If both ponies escaped, do you have enough help to round them up and return them? On a DIY yard you can gain experience in keeping a horse while (generally) having someone on hand to help. It's also often easier to get freelancers in at a yard for holiday/sickness cover.
 
Can you find a Pony Club centre locally? A centre is usually attached to a riding school so your daughter can earn her badges.

I would also look at RS that offer loan schemes, you’ll pay a fraction of the time and money costs but your daughter will get a pony to call her “own”. You could also look at taking stable management lessons yourself.
 
Two and half acres for two small ponies is quite a lot really. Our field was that big and we never had a problem and at one time even made hay from the field, even with a couple of ponies. However, the land was light and didn't get poached and muddy in the winter apart from by the gate. It is big enough to ride in though and I used to get my eventer fit by doing figures of 8 at a good canter with a stopwatch so I knew how long he was cantering for when there wasn't anywhere else I could canter or gallop.

So, a companion can be left alone, it is easier if you have stable to shut them in. Some don't bother about being left at all and can be left out in the field.

You can manage on a smaller acreage, but manage is the word. Careful pasture management, buying in hay all year round, how big is the pony.

But I agree with the advice about being on your own, it can be lonely and there might be no one to ride with, or ask questions of.
 
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