How much turnout space do you have at livery?

[bryngelenponies]

Just wondering how big the area is that your horses get turned out on at your livery yards. When I was coming back on the train this morning I went past a good number of stables who had small fields sectioned off into even smaller parts and each part had at least 2 horses in it, is that normal? (and no it wasn't just for the winter- they were in the only bit of grass for miles around mostly.) I've only ever been at 1 livery before moving my horses to home and the fields were a fair size, no sectioning off etc. My fields aren't big by any stretch but these sectioned off areas were like a quarter of each of my fields. Basically I'm just curious

 

[Enfys]

Four years ago I would have thought 'how awful', nowadays I don't.
I think seeing horses wading about in a sea of mud is far, far worse, not that that can actually be helped with some climates.
Those sectioned off parts could just have been winter 'sacrifice' paddocks I suppose.

My Boarders live out, 2 or 3 compatible horses to each 2 acre paddock, quite sufficient, they can, and do, have a hooley now and then. The paddocks are not required to actually sustain the horses, grass is there to pick at, hay is available 24/7 all year round, my paddocks are considered too large and under-utilised by most of my friends.

I don't believe in crowding my horses, but I have been to plenty of barns where there may be 10 horses to a paddock half that size, sometimes the paddock is simply for turnout, sometimes full time live out. It is normal here, the horses are perfectly happy and for many it has always been completely normal. It is also more financially viable of course.

My stallion lives full time in a paddock that is a bit less than an acre in size, he appears content, he has a prime viewing spot of everything that goes on in all the other paddocks.

My mini lives full time in a very bare paddock of about a quarter of an acre, often with a weanling twice his size.

 

[martlin]

Most of my paddocks are 1 acre or so, with anywhere between 1 and 3 horses in them. Winter turn out paddocks are 0.5 acre for 3 or less than a quarter of an acre for individuals.
I have 2 bigger fields of 7 acres each, where I sometimes turn the horses out for a wee holiday (a week or so).
IMO you are better off with many small fields than few big ones - it allows for more flexibility in turn out.

 

[bryngelenponies]

Enfys- thanks for your reply, it's so interesting to hear how differently things are done in other countries. I agree that it doesn't necessarily have to be a large area to keep a horse happy as long as they have hay etc.
Martlin- I totally agree that lots of smaller fields are better than one large one (my fields are small but they are easy to manage the horses in.) I was just surprised how small these sections were for around 3 horses- they weren't even half an acre (more like 100m in length.)

 

[martlin]

If you think about it, an acre isn't that big lol, it is 80 x 50 m
The thing is, the horses don't need the lush, good grass - it's the horsey people who need it
I can't abide the sight of strip grazing and a piece of flapping tape on a plastic stick, so have fenced several small paddocks with permanent electric fencing, to cater for fatties and skinnies alike

 

[bryngelenponies]

If you think about it, an acre isn't that big lol, it is 80 x 50 m

I learnt something new so thank you I didn't realise an acre was that small- or maybe I'm getting it confused with a hectare

I can't abide the sight of strip grazing and a piece of flapping tape on a plastic stick

This I really agree with and wouldn't use it myself- I only use permanent fencing.

 

[martlin]

I learnt something new so thank you I didn't realise an acre was that small- or maybe I'm getting it confused with a hectare

Sad of me, I know, hectare is 100 x 100 m, or 2.5 acre (roughly)

 

[bryngelenponies]

Sad of me, I know, hectare is 100 x 100 m, or 2.5 acre (roughly)

I'll be sure to come to you if I ever need to calculate any measurements

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Mine have 14 acres and a herd of 10 to run and play in. Its very difficult to find livery in my area that isn't a small sectioned off paddock . I had to keep them on livery with the 3 horses on less than an acre, with no rotation of fields (a 60 horse yard) and while they were well behaved, the difference in them since finding decent TO is incredible. They are fitter, brighter and nicer to ride. The youngster is stronger through being able to run and play and therefore better able to cope with ridden work.

 

[ISHmad]

I hate seeing horses in tiny electric fenced patches of ground with absolutely no shelter against sun, wind or rain. To me those are very basic requirements and yet you see field after field of horses with this kind of set up.

Our horses are on 6 acres with other smaller paddocks (with natural shelter) available as well.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

I hate seeing horses in tiny electric fenced patches of ground with absolutely no shelter against sun, wind or rain. To me those are very basic requirements and yet you see field after field of horses with this kind of set up.

Our horses are on 6 acres with other smaller paddocks (with natural shelter) available as well.

Yes, the lack of shelter was a big problem in the heat. Their stables were too hot and leaving them out in a sun sheet on those who were at risk of sunburn was a compromise that only resolved part of the problem. They couldn't get away from the flies, there was no where in a small paddock to move away.

 

[miss_c]

Not quite sure how big our paddocks are, but they are big! My girls are in a herd of 7 and move between 3 big fields (about 35 horses on the yard).

To give an idea of size of their winter field, this is Milly happily in it yesterday morning (she should have been the other side of the tape, but that's another story!). At the moment they have the strip down the side and then go through the gate at the back into another large field. The winter field is almost as wide as it is long, and there's another section behind where I'm stood that's about half as long again that they get later on through the winter. A third field is about the size of their winter field that they also get at some point through the summer.

 

[Depp_by_Chocolate]

The grass liveries have 2 fields, which we alternate between throughout the year. Neither of the fields are allowed to be sectioned off, if your horse needs to be on less grazing then there is a permanent smaller paddock for them to go into.

 

[lizzie_liz]

At the yard where mine is there are 15 horses each in individual paddocks that are electric fenced. Each individual paddock is from about 0.5-1ha. Big enough for the horses to have a run around and enough fields to rotate the grazing. When the grass is really green we will strip graze some of the horses fields. Some fields have wooden shelters and some have natural shelters whilst others have no shelters. Mine never uses the shelters and always stands in the middle of field when it is snowing or raining.
In the winter each horse has access to a large round bale of hay so they never go hungry.

This set up works as all horses live out so makes it easier to feed them and mine has been known to kick other horses

 

[thatsmygirl]

My field at the yard is 7 acres which iv got 2 big boys and 2 youngsters turned out. I have to look after it in winter so iv rented a field down the road so I can still have winter turnout

 

[Pipkin]

mine rotate between 3 fields all year around about four acres each.
When i move there will be 3 fields, one will be split into 2 and the other will be the summer field.

 

[DellaMoon]

We originally had an acre per horse. This should be sectioned off in winter to give 1/3 of an acre. A couple of liveries now pay extra for a second acre so have a whole acre for a winter turnout. Unfortunately there are no fields left for me to have a second acre so my mare only has a third. This does have it's positives though as she is greedy and bloats up just looking at grass so suits me ok.

 

[JVB]

I'm lucky at my yard in that my two have 3.5-4 acres to themselves, it's the main reason I've stayed for nearly 8 years but if grazing was to shrink then I'd be off. I will happily sacrifice the facilities in order for them to have plenty of room to graze.

 

[toomanyhorses26]

I feel that I am lucky where I am - there are 9 horses in my field ranging from a 11hh welshie to my 17hh tb - they have approx 15 acres of reasonable grazing with a field shelter and a hedgeline to shelter. Their other field is approx 10-12 acres which they swap into when the larger field is resting.

 

[Annagain]

Mine have about 10 acres between 6 for the winter with another herd having the same. Once the hay has been cut, both herds go out together on 25acres. There's another two 4 acre fields that they use for a month or so if the hay is late being cut.

 

[lochpearl]

I have 2 x 1.6 acre paddocks for my two. I graze them together as we are on old beef/cattle land so the grass is way too good and lush for them to have a field each. Come Spring I will also cut the each field into two to make them smaller. I have fabulous hedgerow at the back of my fields so I they always have some shade in the summer, on majorly hot days they will come in for a few hours in the heat.

 

[BBH]

I also saw postage size paddocks when I was on the train into London and they were really small, am thinking no more than 20 x 40, small arena size and there were two horses in each. There were 4 of these paddocks side by side and they all had two horses in each except the last which also had a tiny tiny pony in it.

I've got mixed thoughts really in that they are useful for a lot of horses that only really want a leg stretch or somewhere to pop them whilst mucking out. It saves the land from bogging up. the only think about these was that there was no shelter at all but they may not be designed for long term use so thats ok.

My two have a four acre field to share and my tiny pony shares an acre with his even smaller friend. All my fields are lucky to have natural shelter.

 

[LizzyandToddy]

My horse is out in a 6 acre field all on his lonesome at the minute
Where I am, you can basically pick and choose how much space, if you want to field share with someone then you sort it out yourself, mostly though people stick to around 2 acres per horse and keep them seperate, except the two old retired boys (33 and 38) who are together! Lots of hedges and a few field shelters in more exposed areas.
A few people strip graze come spring to help prevent laminitis...

 

[NeedNewHorse]

My mare is out in a ten acre field, with sometimes one or 7 others, depends on who puts theres out with the weather and such.

Used to have her on those smaller sectioned off fields, and to be honest i would never go back to them again. They definitely have there good qualities about them and I can understand why others use them... But seeing my mare gallop off to be with her buddies and realise how much she loves being with other horses all galloping about and just the companionship compared to being on her own - I just wouldn't do it!

She is really happy and so I will always get her in the same type of set up.

x

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Ours have just gone into their winter field, it's about four acres, with hedges on three sides, south facing on a gentle slope - if they stand at the top, they have a view over farm land for a couple of miles. They have a field shelter but don't use it, and live out 24/7.

 

[Sadiemay]

I have just moved yards and there is I believe about 200 acres at my new place, which is alot!

Most of the horses are out in the back fields which are acres and acres in size.

However my horse cannot go out in that size of field so she gets turned out daily into one of several smaller paddocks of about an acre to two acres with hay to supplement lack of grass if needed.

She is turned out with another veteran mare for company so there is only two of them in any given paddock.

Sadiemay

 

[bryngelenponies]

I also saw postage size paddocks when I was on the train into London and they were really small, am thinking no more than 20 x 40, small arena size and there were two horses in each. There were 4 of these paddocks side by side and they all had two horses in each except the last which also had a tiny tiny pony in it.

You say the same fields that I did then- I was coming back to London. The size of the paddocks really did surprise me. All of their sectioned off paddocks together made up one of my fields- and I'd never think of putting about 6 horses in mine.

 

[BeckyBoodle]

Round where we are fields sectioned up into 1 acre or less patches is the norm, with most horses having their own patch and only a very few sharing. On the whole there is too little turn out available so it is either this or be in a lot of the time.
B

 

[Brandy]

The last proper livery yard I was at had a large one acre (as in bigger than an acre!) per stable. So I have two horses so got two x 1 acre fields. I could section these as I wanted - ie into strip grazing for my fattie in the summer.

I liked this arrangement as it meant not having to share with 'strange' horses and that I could put both mine in one paddock and rest the other.

 

[Cuppatea]

120 acres