How many acres for competition yard?

[dressage_diva]

If you were looking to build a small competition yard with say the following:

15 loose boxes
20x60m outdoor
20x40m indoor
Horse walker
Turnout paddocks
Few fields for hacking

How many acres of land would you be wanting to ensure you had enough space and sufficient turnout fields when the weather is bad?

 

[Shazzababs]

If you were only going to turn out during the day, I would say an absolute minimum of 10.

If you wanted to go 24/7 or be able to rest paddocks properly a few more.

If you were going to only turn out a couple at a time 'for leg stretches' you could probably get away with less.

 

[Asha]

I'd say it depends on how you want to keep them and what type of soil you have. We are on clay, have 6 boxes. With 16 acres. This allows for plenty of turnout, plus I can move them into smaller paddocks and have a canter around the fields. I have mine divided into 1 x 1 acre paddock - for the 2 good doers. Then. 3 acre field for the other 4 , this is meant to be divided into two paddocks at some point. This then leaves me with a 4 acre field which is quite flat, great for schooling and jumping in summer. Then my biggest field is great for a big gallop. Left in the summer to grow my haylage. Then used for turnout in winter. Hope that helps !

 

[dressage_diva]

Thanks both for your replies . I would want to have daily turnout for all horses (mostly individual turnout) and enough for rotation of paddocks, so I was thinking even 20 acres might not be enough?

 

[L&M]

If that is the case I would allow 2 acres per horse, so one is resting for rotation purposes, therefore 30 acres, and then even then it may not be enough.

My 14.2hh cobs have 2 x 1 acre paddocks each, one for winter, and one for summer. The summer paddocks are then sub divided into 2 with electric fence, to allow for grass growth. They have access to the whole of their 1 acre winter paddock and are due to come of them as soon as it dries up, as are looking poor now.

They are out 24/7 on their summer paddocks, and out from approx 8am - 4pm on their winter ones.

And this is on sloping and reasonably draining pasture that is maintained as well as I can i.e. harrowed/rolled/poo picked etc.

 

[One More]

Hello - I'm in the process of building the same thing, only 13 boxes. We have 24 acres set aside for turnout, and a further 1x4 acre field and 1x3 acre field securely double fenced across the road, plus 30x30 all weather turnout. We are on terrible clay though. I would have thought 20 acres set aside purely for turnout would be fine, however I'd want 30 just for turnout if it was all year/individual with good rotation system. Hope this helps

 

[MillionDollar]

We have 60 stables and 70 acres of grazing, all in 1 acre paddocks and have plenty of grass, normally too much. I would say 15 acres is your minimum. I would have 1 acre paddocks split in half. One side (1/2 an acre) is used for summer, the other for winter.

 

[MillionDollar]

P.s. we do have five 15m x 15m all-weather turnout pens too, as when it's really wet the horses just go in these.

 

[charlie76]

I have 12 boxes and 35 acres. I have one 10 acre field that I use for winter turn out in groups, mares and geldings. In the summer I have smaller paddocks and garze one rest one so they are always rotating.

 

[dressage_diva]

Hello - I'm in the process of building the same thing, only 13 boxes. We have 24 acres set aside for turnout, and a further 1x4 acre field and 1x3 acre field securely double fenced across the road, plus 30x30 all weather turnout. We are on terrible clay though. I would have thought 20 acres set aside purely for turnout would be fine, however I'd want 30 just for turnout if it was all year/individual with good rotation system. Hope this helps

Thanks One More. If you don't mind me asking, what is your total acreage of the entire yard not just turnout fields? I'm just trying to look for some land but I'm not sure how much I need! Sounds like 30acres for turnout would be plenty, but then I'm not sure how many other acres I should be looking for to make up the rest of the yard (the schools, stabling, office, lorry parking). I'd also be looking to build a house with reasonable sized garden on the land. I'm thinking 40-50 acres should be sufficient?

 

[dressage_diva]

We have 60 stables and 70 acres of grazing, all in 1 acre paddocks and have plenty of grass, normally too much. I would say 15 acres is your minimum. I would have 1 acre paddocks split in half. One side (1/2 an acre) is used for summer, the other for winter.

Thanks Million Dollar - I was thinking that I would use 1/2 acre for most paddocks so that's good to hear

 

[Tiddlypom]

I know a yard that do individual daily turnout @ 1 horse to the acre. It was fine for the first year or two, but the land then started to get really cut up and deep in the winter. They tried fencing off and resting half of each of the mini paddocks in winter but the land turned into a quagmirey, wellie gobbling mess.

For reliable year round daily turnout I think that nearer 2 acres per horse is ideal, though it does, of course, depend on what the land is like.

 

[dressage_diva]

I know a yard that do individual daily turnout @ 1 horse to the acre. It was fine for the first year or two, but the land then started to get really cut up and deep in the winter. They tried fencing off and resting half of each of the mini paddocks in winter but the land turned into a quagmirey, wellie gobbling mess.

For reliable year round daily turnout I think that nearer 2 acres per horse is ideal, though it does, of course, depend on what the land is like.

Thanks Tiddlypom, it sounds like 30acres of turnout for 15 horses should be fine then (using 1/2acre for each season per horse, so I can rotate the fields regularly).