Horsey/Small Holding essentials you couldn't be without!

Lintel said:
Damn.
I have a very "indoorsy" husband to be! Had reckoned marrying a farmer or a rugby player was a good idea but hey that hasn't worked out lol! Lucky you!

Stencilface a sense of humour I bet is the most nessecary thing especially when the ***** hits the fan!
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Don't worry. Hubby will soon have all the credentials of an agricultural contractor!
 
These are all fab keep them coming! Mains electric fencing seems to be a good start and tools especially wire cutters!
I hope so Dry Rot, he's not outdoorsy at all at the minute!!
 
Couldn't live without my quad and trailer, its in constant use!

Mains electric fencing a must.

I use my mower and strimmer a lot, also a backpack sprayer is useful.

Also my husband is ace for fixing and making things :)
 
A wheeled petrol strimmer/brushcutter....they even clear brambles.

A rag fork....gets the roots out without messing up the paddock.

Plastic wheelbarrows...much lighter.

A chainsaw for fencing and fallen trees and branches.

A tap inside the tack room for when everything is frozen and warm waterproof gloves for fishing ice out of trough.

Large garden bags for carrying Haylage to field.
 
LJR said:
Couldn't live without my quad and trailer, its in constant use!

Mains electric fencing a must.

I use my mower and strimmer a lot, also a backpack sprayer is useful.

Also my husband is ace for fixing and making things :)
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Which quad have you got, have been looking into quads surprised there haven't been more quads mentioned as I thought they'd be a godsend. The only worry being is it makes us target for thieves.. Real downfall on quads!
 
I personally wouldn't bother with a quad a small tractor is much more useful. The single most useful thing for me, and this particularly applies to the west of Scotland, is our hardstanding yard comprised of areas of concrete and some of stone. It is in daily use throughout the year, in summer as a dry lot and anytime of year when the paddocks are too wet to graze.
 
We don't have a quad, but we do have a sorn daihatsu that does all of really dirty jobs at the stables.

We had a 1960s land-rover for years until it became too much of a welding job for my dad.

And yes, a handy dad is pretty handy!
 
Lintel said:
Haha think I'll get told where to go regarding that one!
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I thought my husband would have a fit when I said I wanted a mini but he agreed and then he went and bought the other two and now I get home from work and he has brought them onto the back lawn because he likes to see them 'close up'. Lol, he loves them.
 
I have a Kawasaki mule(gator) for jobs. You can muck out into the back of it, tow anything and it's four wheel drive. It's an old one, so hopefully won't be stolen but is secured with concreted in ground anchor.
CCTV.
I have a stihl kombi tool, which is an engine that you can buy different attachments for, like strimmer, hedge cutter etc.
Also, hard standing around winter shelter, and in gateways so they don't get too boggy. I also fence off my winter gateway with electric fence so the mud stays well away from the actual gateway, and also stops horses crowding around it.
 
Not sure if this counts. but the water supply to livestock was a hosepipe out of the kitchen window when I came here. Since then (30 years ago) I have put piped water troughs so all fields (12) and to the kennels and yard. Can't have enough. Presumably you will have water to the house and possibly the yard. It is not a big job getting someone in with a mini digger to connect up and bury alkathene piping and these days it is like Leggo with no special tools required.

I've a dozen Highland ponies and wouldn't be without a poo picking machine!

As for burglars, the German shepherds are praying for one, but no luck so far. :(
 
Crugeran Celt said:
I thought my husband would have a fit when I said I wanted a mini but he agreed and then he went and bought the other two and now I get home from work and he has brought them onto the back lawn because he likes to see them 'close up'. Lol, he loves them.
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Lol, will need to try that then!
 
Dry Rot said:
Not sure if this counts. but the water supply to livestock was a hosepipe out of the kitchen window when I came here. Since then (30 years ago) I have put piped water troughs so all fields (12) and to the kennels and yard. Can't have enough. Presumably you will have water to the house and possibly the yard. It is not a big job getting someone in with a mini digger to connect up and bury alkathene piping and these days it is like Leggo with no special tools required.

I've a dozen Highland ponies and wouldn't be without a poo picking machine!

As for burglars, the German shepherds are praying for one, but no luck so far. :(
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Haha I suoois that's good for you then, plan on getting a GSD at some point such beautiful dogs and so protective just what you need to living out in the country :)
 
I wouldn't want to be without my Stihl strimmer. I don't have mains electric but have just bought a solar trickle charger and the fence is far more "lively" I am hoping to get the post and rail fencing replaced this autumn, some of it must be 30 years old, in the meantime I'm quite a dab hand with diy repairs. I bought a plastic cattle ring feeder last winter and it's a godsend, no more struggling through muddy gateways with barrows of hay. To the person who wanted a mounting block, a caravan step from our local camping store is almost identical to the ones in feed merchants and cost £17 against £40+
 
I use my (old) 4x4 pick up a lot.
I use it to fetch round bale hay if I run out, shavings, building materials, quarry stone (a tonne at a time - for repairing our lane and areas of hard standing). I also drag chain harrows with it.
 
A landrover defender is handy, it tows the harrow, put all the posts and rails in the back when fence repair time is due, pulls tree stumps up when clearing the fields and OH uses it everday for work. Couldn't be without it.
 
So I really need so form of quad, utility vehicle, tractor , 4x4?
I've already got the 4x4 but I will only have 1 acre of my own to maintain really the rest is being renting from the farmer- and I'll only have two fatties on it :)
My main priority to start with will be organising hard standing type area. There is an area of red chip already about a third of an acre... But I'm not sure what to do with it looking at possibly putting membrane on top and rubber/sand mix.. But that for a whole other forum!
 
Lintel said:
Which quad have you got, have been looking into quads surprised there haven't been more quads mentioned as I thought they'd be a godsend. The only worry being is it makes us target for thieves.. Real downfall on quads!
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That is why a little old tractor is better, (ours is a Fergie), they are not so stealable and they are heavier duty, so much more use IMO. They are usually cheaper too and can often be picked up at farm/machinery sales.

Eta, we planted trees a few years ago after a very wet winter and wish we had done it sooner/planted more. They have made such a difference to a wet corner of the land, which is no longer boggy. The next project is more trees!
 
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Lintel said:
For all of you lucky enough to have your own yards or smallholding/land what item can you not be without?
Quad to electric fence poles, padlocks , anything!?
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Im not on a small holding now, but when I was - fencing stakes, and electric fencing, battery and unit... posts, post basher, wire and wire cutter... shelter for hay and straw... a water source and bath... those are my main priorities, everything else can be dealt with
 
millikins said:
I wouldn't want to be without my Stihl strimmer. I don't have mains electric but have just bought a solar trickle charger and the fence is far more "lively" I am hoping to get the post and rail fencing replaced this autumn, some of it must be 30 years old, in the meantime I'm quite a dab hand with diy repairs. I bought a plastic cattle ring feeder last winter and it's a godsend, no more struggling through muddy gateways with barrows of hay. To the person who wanted a mounting block, a caravan step from our local camping store is almost identical to the ones in feed merchants and cost £17 against £40+
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Half a blue barrel is even cheaper! :)
 
Heated water troughs :D
ATV and snow plough.
Baler twine, hammer and VERY long nails ;)
Oh and those wrinkly hosepipes that drain themselves and are so light that I can carry 200' in one hand :) RIP rubber hoses :D :D
 
Enfys said:
Heated water troughs :D
ATV and snow plough.
Baler twine, hammer and VERY long nails ;)
Oh and those wrinkly hosepipes that drain themselves and are so light that I can carry 200' in one hand :) RIP rubber hoses :D :D
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Do you pay water rates on usage? I have some of mine with an over flow piped to the nearest ditch so they are kept running. That's saved me the daily winter chore of going around with a blow torch and a Calor gas cylinder strapped to the back of the quad! But there are no charges on water use here as we have a surplus! The rate of flow is simply adjusted by varying the height of the pipe.
 
Mounting block? Go to the likes of Wickes & get breeze-blocks when they are on offer - under a £1 each. Just stack them in pairs with each layer going across opposite direction (or get creative and make decent steps too) I have 10 in a stepped stack, easy to get on/off - and you can add to them to enlarge :)

Ref the light 50 gallon water tanks, I have 2 of these and at start of winter they are both full to brim in closest paddock to yard (so just over the fence!).
Easy to smash & dunk buckets in if really hard frosts that freeze taps up.
 
For me living in Norway...a long heated hosepipe running from the private well tap in our basement is an essential! Good gates, secure fencing and an Autumn/Winter fenced area on fine road filling that the horses get turned out in for around 4-5 months of each year (called luftgården in Norwegian) so the land can be rested during bad weather and the period of the deep snow season. Also don't panic about what you don't yet have...I moved from a 66 acre equestrian centre, 3 private beaches, sand school, indoor lunging area, an American barn, heated tack, feed and break rooms with hot water wash, washing machine plumbed in, filter coffee machine (essential lol), two tractors, full size digger, snow plough and every bit of farm machinery a land owner could ever wish for...every luxury you could want and then moved to a house with a bit of land (1.5 acres) attached to it and an outbuilding we have turned into two stables and none of the machinery or tractors that we had before (divorce)...not luxury at all but it's about the care and knowledge that you can give :)

You'll be surprised what you can build up over a short time and you will live and learn.
 
Our arena which has never frozen or flooded in 15 years approx

Our fields which have never frozen or flooded in 15 years approx

Our stables with lights and hot water etc, still look as good as they did 15 years ago approx

Our lovely Dad for making it all happen :)
 
Lintel said:
Which quad have you got, have been looking into quads surprised there haven't been more quads mentioned as I thought they'd be a godsend. The only worry being is it makes us target for thieves.. Real downfall on quads![/QUOT

I'm new to quad ownership, just a cheapy but its great, I hqave sprayed the paddocks and harrowed the school with it!
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Quote Originally Posted by Enfys

Heated water troughs
ATV and snow plough.
Baler twine, hammer and VERY long nails
Oh and those wrinkly hosepipes that drain themselves and are so light that I can carry 200' in one hand
RIP rubber hoses



Dry Rot said:
Do you pay water rates on usage? I have some of mine with an over flow piped to the nearest ditch so they are kept running. That's saved me the daily winter chore of going around with a blow torch and a Calor gas cylinder strapped to the back of the quad! But there are no charges on water use here as we have a surplus! The rate of flow is simply adjusted by varying the height of the pipe.
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Heck no! No water rates! We don't even have mains water, we have a couple of artesian wells at the bottom of the hill, lovely fresh, sweet water year round, fine as long as we don't have a hydro outage and the pumps stop - although we do have a generator.

I am pretty certain that leaving a hose running here wouldn't work in our coldest spells, although you get it pretty much as cold as we do at times I am sure, I used to do it in Wales though when our troughs in the mountain paddocks were fed from a spring/holding tank.

Chuckling at the thought of a blow torch and gas cyclinder on the ATV, needs must and all that, very efficient :) I use a hairdryer on our outside taps, I blow up about one a year! ;)
 
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