is 2 acres enough for my large pony and small pony companion?

[gypsiegal567]

hi, we are looking to buy a place with about 2 and a bit acres. it is all nice grass which is a bit long at moment but which we will sort as my mare is a very good doer. i would like to get her a companion but i think the fields will just get ruined. i know i could put her with sheep but i think she would need equine companionship. if i did get her a companion it would be small 11 hh or close. they would both be good doers so managing gazing is not a problem as my mare does not need much,
any help would be appreciated.

 

[meleeka]

It will be fine if you have some kind of hardstanding. I only have 2 acres but it works because they have dry areas for the winter and a track in the summer.

Obviously you’ll be feeding hay all year in varying amounts, but in lots of ways it’s better for fatties as you are in control of their intake.

 

[Vodkagirly]

It depends how well it drains. Well draining should be OK but otherwise some hardstanding would be good. Presuming you supplement with hay

 

[tda]

You will have too much in summer and not enough in winter, so track system and mud control mats will be your friends

 

[Landcruiser]

As above, a hardstanding area and/or track is key, otherwise it won't work unless on sand or otherwise very well draining soil. I now have 4 on 3 acres but this incorporates a 20x 20 all weather turmout, which opens to a 20 x 40 arena, a surfaced stable yard, plus a surfaced 100m track, so I can get everyone completely off the grass for long periods if needed. We are on deep clay and it would be impossible for even 1 horse without the surfaced areas.

 

[HollyWoozle]

We have 5 out 24/7 on something like 3.5 acres (2 are 16hh+) without problems but we do have some muddy areas and we feed hay all year.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I have about that much with 2 small horses on it and its fine I have a hard standing area near the gate and behind my stables, so I tie hay nets there for them and they are out as much as possible so only in at night if weather is really bad.

 

[meesha]

I have one v large 16h and a 14h companion. 2.35 acres of pretty wet ground. They are in at night in winter (concrete yard and open field shelter,) but out 24/7 in summer. I have tonnes of grass and will be strip grazing well into November.

I did have 2 X 16h on it and managed, just.

I had 4 acres before and found it a pita to keep on top of with spraying for weeds, hedge cutting etc.

 

[gypsiegal567]

thanks all. there are two stables near the house so most likely not able to freely let into those. i will obviously strip graze it in summer as that is the only way for my mare as she is such a good doer, i will look into hardstanding

 

[Surbie]

Might help to get mud control slabs - it's not a permanent structure and while they are pricey they hold their value on the secondhand market. Mine are now worth more secondhand than I paid for them new.

 

[meesha]

I've just succumbed to mud control slabs, they are great but sadly addictive ... You could easily have ponies crossing a garden using them or use as a small turnout area with enough sand.

 

[GinaGeo]

I have four on heavy clay 2.5 acres which we manage carefully.

They live out on it in summer on a track around the outside in the day and then rotate around smaller internal paddocks at night. We poo pick twice a day and then muck spread on land that will be rested.

The grass track is now resting and we’re rotating around the paddocks on good days.

In winter they have hard standing areas which are connected by a surfaced track around approximately 1/4 acre, which they live out on. It’s hilly, varied and we offer lots of enrichment.

I don’t need to feed hay in summer and they have access to a lot of browsing too. But they exclusively eat hay in the wettest months which I supplement.

It is certainly more labour intensive than keeping them on more land. But given the state our neighbours larger area of land is with less horses and the fact that they spend the whole of winter wading around in knee deep in wet clay slop, it is absolutely worth managing it well.

 

[holly.91]

I have two on just under 2 acres, it’s well draining Derbyshire soil and I shut the shelter door overnight if weather is particularly bad. We have grass mats outside the shelter which helps with bog. They have the big round bales in the field when grass is low. You be absolutely fine

 

[Ali27]

I have 4.5 acres but kept 3 on 2 1/2 acres 24/7 most of the Winter. I’m on clay too! Although the 2 acres I didn’t use gets really wet and deep! Had it mole ploughed so hope that makes a difference! I then have way too much grass in Summer so got 2 acres cut for hay!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Grass wise and In summer yes easily. It depends how muddy and churned up winter gets though.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

hi, we are looking to buy a place with about 2 and a bit acres. it is all nice grass which is a bit long at moment but which we will sort as my mare is a very good doer. i would like to get her a companion but i think the fields will just get ruined. i know i could put her with sheep but i think she would need equine companionship. if i did get her a companion it would be small 11 hh or close. they would both be good doers so managing gazing is not a problem as my mare does not need much,
any help would be appreciated.

Yes if you manage it well you should be fine.

 

[Hallo2012]

i have 2 ponies on 2.5 acres.

its bottomless clay so i have to stable overnight all year round to preserve the majority for winter, and they normally do jan and feb in all weather pens when the fields give up.

it will be fine if you manage it carefully.

 

[HopOnTrot]

I have two ponies (13.2 and 12.2) on 2.4 acres all year round, it's too much grass in summer, varied in winter depending on how wet it is, soil is clay so doesn't drain. Currently I still have an acre of long grass to strip graze.

If it gets too wet in winter I stable during the day so their legs and feet can dry and then they go out overnight.

 

[Jambarissa]

I used to have that, I didn't make any effort to preserve grass and really did end up with a bare lot. In hind sight I wish I'd tried harder.

If I had it again I'd def do a hard standing and shut in if very wet. I'd preferably buy some mud mats and do a bit of a track.

Ideally I'd have a large barn and winter them loose in there.

 

[ponynutz]

I think what is the best possible situation with horses is very different from what is the reality we are presented with, especially in the UK where grazing appears to be limited and dwindling. If horses have enough room to have a bit of a career about, to stretch their legs, and can be provided with shelter and surplus food - they're laughing.

We have a 15.3hh and a 13.3hh on 1.5 acres but with very careful management it works for us. Here's how we manage it (in case any of it is helpful for your situation):
1) We're on moss land. This means our neighbours flood every year (next door even get ducks!) however we are raised a foot or so above with ditches either side of the field for adequate drainage.
1a) Even then, in winter it is far too wet for them to be out (except on Christmas Day) and so we have a small 20x20 sand paddock where they can be in the winter months. This also occasionally becomes too wet for them and so on those days they are stabled but they are out all day every day for the majority of the year.
2) They are stabled at night. Always. We did try 24/7 in the summer months but tbh they cried to come in all night and so clearly they're happier being in so I have no qualms about it.
3) They get hayed 3x a day from around July onwards and then more frequently in the Winter when they aren't on the grass.
4) The field is cut off right at the end and we built a muckheap down there for a couple of days. The horses will be in the sand paddock for longer in 2024 and the field will be weedkilled and fertilised. We plan on repeating this process every few years as we have a constant battle with ragwort/the field being overgrazed and less and less grass growing in the Winter/Spring months.
5) They have shelter in the form of trees, bushes, and shady areas of the sand paddock rather than an actual shelter which leaves them more room to graze and run around in
6) They have one water bath which is in the sand paddock and saves us lugging water buckets around and also means that while it still gets muddy because they're standing there and at the gate a lot, it's not mud from the field but soggy sand which saves their feet more.
7) Finally we separate the field into two with electric tape in the summer months and swap them every few weeks. They have access to the sand paddock at all times which gives them more room than the 3/4 acre they would otherwise be left with.