Half/three quarters of an acre enough to keep horse/s?

[vidis]

Hello

I am looking ahead to the future and doing some research.

I am wondering if a property that has essentially half - three quarters of an acre of paddock and space (on that) to build 2/3 stables is sufficient. I know 'they' say 1 acre-1.5 per horse (presumably living out 24/7)

Would it be good enough to keep two ponies/maybe horses (either or, or a mix - not both!) there (stabled most of the time) and potentially build an all weather arena.

There will be potential for more land but not immediately so I just want to know if this is simply too small so as to be unfair from a welfare point of view, although I know that many horses are living stabled in livery stables for most of the day, 24/7, with only an hour or two out for turnout and work, which I would also be able to provide.

I am NOT going to rush into anything as I want to be sure that if we did go down this road it would be of a standard high enough for the animals to be enjoying themselves/living well.

I have seen numerous properties built on half acre - 1 acre (on which their house also sits) where the owner has built a couple of stables, an arena and I presume they are stabling the horses most of the day. A quick look on property sites shows many people are doing this, and I don't know necessarily that they have access to further land.

Providing feed etc would be necessary, of course. Also possible to move them to a grass livery for some months of the year for a 'grazing holiday' as such.

Just thinking through all the options well in advance!

 

[EQUIDAE]

Not enough no. And 1.5 acres is usually for a horse stabled half of the day

 

[Casey76]

Far too small.

If you have even 3/4 of an acre, your "standard" 20x40 school is going to take up almost 1/3 of the area (1 acre is approximately the same area as 5 20x40 schools), then your stables on top of that, you aren't going to end up with any grazing space at all.

Even 1.5 acres needs to be adequately managed to have one horse grazing on it. I wouldn't want to sacrifice grazing space i.e. turn out time, just to have my horse(s) at home. to have your horses standing in all the time isn't fair on the horse.

 

[meesha]

If good ground then 1 acre per horse may suffice, I am on clay and have 3 horses on 4 acres, they are shut on yard and arena at night in the winter and 24 hours a day in bad weather. With so little ground you would be keeping them in 90% of the time, yes you could turnout on an arena but bear in mind you may end up needing to exercise most days just to keep them sane. Your hay/haylage Bill will also be substantial.

 

[vidis]

Yes, i'm inlinced to agree. I read so much (and looked at properties for sale of an acre and less with the exact set up I described) about people keeping their horses in 24/7, I think it's more the case in the USA though and I don't want to sacrifice their enjoyment of life for my ease of access. It's always good to ask though and I will read all replies with interest!

 

[lamlyn2012]

I wouldn't like to do this but I don't like my horses to be stabled for long periods, even in winter. Whether or not the ground will stand up depends on the type of soil and drainage and to some extent the type of horse/pony you intend keeping. One of ours runs round like an idiot churning up the ground whilst the other justs eats and doesn't come up for air. A manege also takes up a fair amount of space and I wouldn't be tempted to compromise on size.
That said you will also have to obtain planning permission for both stables and manege and planners will give consideration to the number of stables in relation to acreage.

 

[vidis]

If good ground then 1 acre per horse may suffice, I am on clay and have 3 horses on 4 acres, they are shut on yard and arena at night in the winter and 24 hours a day in bad weather. With so little ground you would be keeping them in 90% of the time, yes you could turnout on an arena but bear in mind you may end up needing to exercise most days just to keep them sane. Your hay/haylage Bill will also be substantial.

Our weather is generally bad (Ireland) rain and flooding are a constant. Those I know with horses in livery see them kept stabled 24/7 anyway in Autumn and Winter when the weather is bad and pasture is being conserved with the odd hour turnout in the arena so that's why I wondered, climate considered, if these circumstances were enough.

That said I am uncomfortable at the thoughts of a horse stabled 24/7, I wouldn't leave my dog kennelled like that, after all...

 

[vidis]

I wouldn't like to do this but I don't like my horses to be stabled for long periods, even in winter. Whether or not the ground will stand up depends on the type of soil and drainage and to some extent the type of horse/pony you intend keeping. One of ours runs round like an idiot churning up the ground whilst the other justs eats and doesn't come up for air. A manege also takes up a fair amount of space and I wouldn't be tempted to compromise on size.
That said you will also have to obtain planning permission for both stables and manege and planners will give consideration to the number of stables in relation to acreage.

Planning permission is not necessary in my country and I would be looking, eventually, for an older-semi retired happy hacker. But for now I am researching and thinking

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

A friend of mine has a half acre paddock (as well as a block of 3 stables and a house).
She managed fine with her 2. 1 was a 15hh driving cob, the other a 13hh ride and drive chap.
However, she did rent a 3 acre field all year round, so if weather great, they were up there (2 miles away). Otherwise they were at home, turned out about 6 hrs a day, but the paddock was pretty poor, despite being looked after. It was merely an exercise/diet/fresh air area, and they just stood in if weather really bad, to save paddock.

 

[paddi22]

we rent 7 acres, but we have an acre field at home and have three stables on it. We have it split into 3 small areas and one larger area. Most important is the all weather turnout area, it leads from the stables, so they can ramble around when weather is bad. Large area is the area they get turned out in in good weather, there's never any grass on it, but its large enough for them to have a canter and buck in. the other two small areas are used for them to get out on grass for an hour or so just to give them a bit of a change.

We are plannign to get an arena but it will take up most of the area by the looks of it.

It is do-able to keep horses on but you are looking at very limited turnout, haying alkl year and no grass. I only do it as i know they can get a proper break in the larger field when needed. I'm sure there's stuff you could look into like paddock paradise and enriching the area correctly to keep them occupied.

 

[CleanShavings]

My friend did this, she ended up paying a groom to come in every day so that she could exercise them and turn out/bring in. It was a nightmare, her competition horse was always stif from being stabled and got really attached to its field mate.

She ended up putting them both on full livery as it was much easier to deal with.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

no, in a word. I have a bit of land at home and stables and rent grazing round about. Keeping horses on small acreage is doable but its hard work and expensive. My land is very wet and not usable through the whole of a winter and I have some hard-standing as well though no arena. I like to see mine hooley about too and they need space to do that.

So I have between 1-2 acres to use at home, use of a 6 acre winter field, a 5 acre meadow in summer and a further 16 acre winter field for two (a horse and a pony, used to be two ponies and a horse).

 

[Abacus]

I believe that a lot of the quoted stats you see are based on the area of ground needed to keep a horse in forage terms - i.e. what area does it need in order to eat enough, all year round, rather than what does it (and you) need for exercise, movement, enjoyment, and so on. Obviously it varies massively depending on the grazing quality, weather and so on.

So in theory you could take this either way - you can feed more hay and have horses on the area you mention. However it's probably not enough room for the horse to move freely enough, and it will almost certainly get poached for parts of the year depending on where you are. But it could work in conjunction with a rented field nearby, as others have said.

 

[MissTyc]

It might be doable with a track system rather than traditional grazing. You'd maybe want to put your school bang in the middle of the land and the stable, etc, and then run the track around the whole lot with gravel on the wettest areas and hay stations all round. But it is not really big enough even for that unless fattie ponies, and would cost you a fortune to set up and then again in hay all year round.

 

[paddi22]

we measured our acre out for an arena, track area, and stable block and you are literally left with a track around an arena for them to walk round. it's technically do-able but i found it would be a very very boring life for a horse. the only ones i bring home on the acre are the fatties, ancients, mares in foal or minis. I would only take my proper horses in work up the odd time, and even then only if i knew they were getting out for long hacks etc. i think it would be a very dull life for a horse on one acre. saying that a lot of livery yards do limited small paddock turnout, so it wouldn't be that different to it. If i had healthy working horses i'd only do it if i knew i could throw them into a proper field regularly to have a hooley round and enjoy grass.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

If you think half an acre isn't enough you should see the size of turnout paddocks they use here in Germany. Back gardens are bigger.

 

[vidis]

Yes, that's part of my concern - that you could pay 400 a month for livery and your horse be stabled most of the day, most of the week, with small breaks only.

Another option I will be looking into is renting a larger field in the vicinity and keeping them at home in the stables when needed due to atrocious weather but having the use of the fields for 24/7 turnout and general enjoyment of being a horse, eating, wandering, grazing, etc.

FWIW I am not/will not be looking for a competition horse or a hunter, just a happy, older cob or horse for hacking around and so forth.

 

[paddi22]

it could work if you had a happy hacker who was a cob and needed restricted grazing. If you got a mini for company you could manage it. An arena would take up a massive chunk of your space. If I was in your shoes i'd built a small all weather i could just do a few laps in and lunge if needed, and then try and hire an larger arena within hacking distance.

Renting a larger field is definitely the best option, It wouldn't even need to be huge. Once you had the stables you could pull them off in winter and to rest the field occasionally. If it was flat enough you could even mark out a school in it

 

[vidis]

it could work if you had a happy hacker who was a cob and needed restricted grazing. If you got a mini for company you could manage it. An arena would take up a massive chunk of your space. If I was in your shoes i'd built a small all weather i could just do a few laps in and lunge if needed, and then try and hire an larger arena within hacking distance.

Renting a larger field is definitely the best option, It wouldn't even need to be huge. Once you had the stables you could pull them off in winter and to rest the field occasionally. If it was flat enough you could even mark out a school in it

thanks for your input, it's all useful and food for thought.

for interest's sake I attached a few of the properties for sale that are very common here and include stables on a half-1 acre.

Regardless, I own quite a few dogs who are basically my children and the thoughts of them being kennelled 24/7 is painful to me. I like to provide them with the BEST life I can, not what they can 'get by on', so if/when I get a horse I would want to do similar.

http://www.daft.ie/cavan/houses-for...ugh-castlerahan-ballyjamesduff-cavan-1040418/

http://www.daft.ie/limerick/houses-for-sale/knocklong/bohernore-knocklong-limerick-1236396/

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Older happy hacker, stood in most of the time? A recipe for a stiff horse with filled legs.

 

[vidis]

Older happy hacker, stood in most of the time? A recipe for a stiff horse with filled legs.

Good point!

BTW these are partly why I am asking... I have no horses now or any intention of wandering out and buying one right away, I just wanted to know if my land was suitable.

 

[paddi22]

yeah it depends on the horses a bit too. two of mine are 16hh+ sports horse and tb and there's no way i'd keep them at home fulltime as they would kill themselves doing handbrake turns looning round the small paddock, and they get bored and mess more and end up with more kicks and scraps. But i've small cobs, a mini and oldies who seem happy to potter around eating hay and could happily live there. Once they were getting out on decent length hacks or walks i'd be happy keeping them there.

A friend suggested to me to do google earth satelitte searches in the areas around to see what arenas or stables were nearby.

 

[vidis]

yeah it depends on the horses a bit too. two of mine are 16hh+ sports horse and tb and there's no way i'd keep them at home fulltime as they would kill themselves doing handbrake turns looning round the small paddock, and they get bored and mess more and end up with more kicks and scraps. But i've small cobs, a mini and oldies who seem happy to potter around eating hay and could happily live there. Once they were getting out on decent length hacks or walks i'd be happy keeping them there.

A friend suggested to me to do google earth satelitte searches in the areas around to see what arenas or stables were nearby.

The property backs on to an enormous farm and is in a rural setting so I don't think it will be impossible to find larger land to rent (here's hoping), but in Winter it would be nicer to have them at home in the stable, if they were happy like that. It would be what they would get in a livery around here in Winter too, as they conserve pasture in those rainy, muddy months.

 

[SusieT]

not remotely sensible or possible without severely compromising the horses natural behaviour unless you make it all all weather turnout.

 

[paddi22]

Older happy hacker, stood in most of the time? A recipe for a stiff horse with filled legs.

it wouldn't necessarily need to be like that though. We have an all-weather turnout paddock that leads from the stables, so they can wander round whenever they like. It would be easy to set up a gravel track around the outside of the paddock and space out hay and water to keep them moving.

You might be surprised about other opportunities that come up. Local farmers offered us free grazing for a few months when they weren't using fields. Other horsey people in the area might be able to help you out too.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

it wouldn't necessarily need to be like that though. We have an all-weather turnout paddock that leads from the stables, so they can wander round whenever they like. It would be easy to set up a gravel track around the outside of the paddock and space out hay and water to keep them moving.

You might be surprised about other opportunities that come up. Local farmers offered us free grazing for a few months when they weren't using fields. Other horsey people in the area might be able to help you out too.

Yes that's all possible, I was replying to this though (maybe should have quoted it earlier ).

Yes, that's part of my concern - that you could pay 400 a month for livery and your horse be stabled most of the day, most of the week, with small breaks only.


FWIW I am not/will not be looking for a competition horse or a hunter, just a happy, older cob or horse for hacking around and so forth.

 

[vidis]

Yes that's all possible, I was replying to this though (maybe should have quoted it earlier ).

Well, then, I am concerned because the reality here is that in the depths of Winter your horse, even on full livery, WILL be stabled most of the day as they conserve the fields and I DO have a preference for an older, even semi retired, happy hacker. hmm :-/

 

[Cocorules]

My parents had a property like this and we kept ponies out 24/7 sandy ground. The ponies were also kept part time on livery nearby. I was lucky that was available all the time we had them there.

If you are buying a property though I would hold out for more land to avoid being in a position where rented land might cease to be available.

 

[paddi22]

Also remember take into account you need a decent space to store and manoeuver horsebox, get feed and bedding deliveries etc. You'l also need an area for a muckheap (we use an equi-skip, which is great), but it still takes up space and it still needs a truck for access to collect it. Stuff like that takes up valuable space too.

 

[vidis]

I'm feeling like a year of full livery would be a far better learning curve. this has been most interesting, thanks for all replies.