How long would 1.5 acre field last

[Highflinger]

I have been offered an additional 1.5 acre field for short term rent for winter months only. I have 3 14.2 barefoot natives and wondered roughly how long the 1.5 acre would last before grazed down if they were on it 24/7 say from December. I appreciate weather will have a bearing but it is in South East so unlikely to have severe weather. It is well-drained and has a fair covering of grass but not very thick or long. The rent is £250 pm for a min of two months but not sure if it is good value if they will eat through it within a few weeks - they are munch machines!

 

[bouncing_ball]

Tricky. Grass is still growing now. Will it help stop current field getting boggy and give you a dry place to feed hay? If it made winter drier / easier snd you can afford it, it is probably worth it.

 

[TPO]

Admittedly I'm in scotland and all it ever does is rain but...

We've got three interlinked paddocks that are 1 acre each alongside a bigger "winter" field. We alternate between using two and resting one before giving up and having them all open. A paddock of rested grass barely lasts a fortnight.

That's 3 barefoot horses. Usually there are only 2 on it when its "new" and fat cob is only allowed when its bare.

Those paddocks will now get over 6mths to rest (had sheep on them for a couple of weeks to clean them) before using them in Spring.

On top of those three we strip graze the big field once its been harrowed, rolled and rested and theres another paddock about half an acre that is usually bare for Fat Cob.

I appreciate our never ending rain doesnt help land management

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

They will need hay at that time of year on such little grass as they will be hungry, I have a bit more than than that for 2 Arabs and I hay them all year round, I rest bits of mine and it's gone within days unless I strip graze.

 

[ihatework]

£250/mo would buy you a lot of hay, if your current land would support the horses.

 

[J&S]

I think £250.00 per month for 1.5 acres is very expensive. They will have eaten it within a fortnight and you will be feeding hay.

 

[Nicnac]

I'm in the SE and that is very expensive. With 3, can't see it lasting more than a month. Can you negotiate the price?
My winter field is 2.5 acres and I have 2 and a shetland on it from December until March but they're in at night and I hay once they've grazed it down

 

[paddi22]

I had a one acre field at one stage with two horses in it, and they grazed it down in about 3 weeks. once it rained at all a lot got churned up, they lost a lot to toilet spots as well, and in a field that small you notice it.

 

[Darbs]

Its difficult to answer as soil type (sand vs clay), weather, slope, additional drainage, grass quality etc all play a part. However I would guess you'd get about a month from it max.

As others have said, £250 per month is very expensive, I would look into that one, as for £250 I would expect 5 acres plus.

 

[Zero00000]

2 weeks if your lucky with 3 on it, then add hay to that 250.

 

[Polos Mum]

It might last 3-4 weeks hard to say without seeing it and knowing your ponies.
If your current land was really muddy / churned and a 2 month winter rest (Dec and Jan) would then make Feb onwards breeze I would be tempted. If local so no change in travel time and you can put hay out for them in that field. Recovering ploughed winter fields is not a cheap job.

If your current land copes well when they are out 24/7 and you're just thinking about saving hay then it's expensive.

 

[Hallo2012]

not long.
Rafs winter field is about 3/4 acre and it is rested mid March-mid oct so long thick grass. He is only out on it from 7.30am-between 2 and 4 pm weather dependant.

it does him Nov/Dec/Jan and Feb.

3 ponies 24/7 on double that would have it done in a month or so i bet.

 

[Annagain]

Do the two months have to be consecutive? If you could do a month in December and a month in March as the grass is coming through it could be worth it. It doesn't sound like the owner will have anything else on there over the winter so they might be up for that arrangement.

 

[Littlewills]

I have 2 barefoot good doers on 1.5 acres year round. I've not had to hay yet but imagine I will by January. Mine come in over night though, so not quite the same impact on the ground.

 

[chaps89]

For the South East that is not an extortionate price for a sole use field.
It would depend, presuming you don't need to restore it back to reasonable condition after using, I would be tempted. Mostly so I could give my own field a chance to rest/even if grass doesn't grow it won't get churned up in the worst of the weather.

 

[huskydamage]

Thats seems a lot of money to me unless your doing it short term/one of to rest your field a bit. I have a just under 2 acres field split into two, i graze them on each half in 3 week intervals(in at night) during the winter until it gets really wet/ruined, then they stay in just one side as a trash paddock. I have one horse and one pony.
You might get a month out of it if you're lucky but it would probably be trashed after that and you'd be forking out loads for hay.

 

[meleeka]

I’m saying a month to eat it bare.

 

[Highflinger]

Thanks everyone. I will give it a miss as it looks as though it will last a month at best and I would be better spending the money on hay . I just prefer them to have the occupation of grazing rather than standing around waiting for their next hay ration.