Just done a head count…

[fawaz]

Or rather, my husband did.
10. I have TEN horses.
No wonder I’m skint and knackered!! He texted me saying ‘there are ten horses here I’ve just counted them!!’ I was like noooo don’t be daft there’s
*counts fingers*
*voice trails off*

If you’d asked me I’d have said 7. This is ridiculous!!

Anyone else just had their numbers creep up on them? I’m going to have to do some serious thinking about who will go, I need to get back down to the 7 I thought I had ?

Oh yes, I also had ten at one point...

I sold a few and got down to a more reasonable number and then I brought another and put two in foal... so now will have eight again come spring...

At least the foals will be sold and help fund the others...

 

[Britestar]

N

For those of you with more than 2, are they all living out and you don’t poo pick or do you have help? Just trying to work out how on earth you have time!
2 is my max, I’d love to have just one but I like the lack of drama that comes with having my own field and doing my own thing but I won’t keep one on their own so 2 it is

Mine are all in at night, fully mucked out everyday. Fields are rotated, harrowed and rolled.
I also work pt, run 2 online business and muck out a neighbours horses a couple of times a week!
I do have my best pal who owns 2 of the horses. She works night shift so between us it works.
Average age of horses is 20. Only 5 are in full work (new arrival will make 6).

Total madness.

 

[Red-1]

I read this to Mr Red, he was horrified!

We have 2 and that is quite enough, thank you!

I did briefly have 3, when I got a 2nd ridden horse when I already had a Shetland companion, but Mr Red gave the Shettie his marching orders. All to the good, he was 18 months old and feral when he came, when he went he was fully lunged, long lined, backed, hacked and schooled, been to shows, the lot. He went to a lovely family, who took him for pony rides at daughter's school twice a year!

 

[scats]

I found 3 too much! How do you all do it??
I suppose the day to day costs are reduced if you have your own land, but it must be a killer at dentist time etc. Those extra costs when you have 2 is bad enough.

 

[Patterdale]

For those of you with more than 2, are they all living out and you don’t poo pick or do you have help? Just trying to work out how on earth you have time!
2 is my max, I’d love to have just one but I like the lack of drama that comes with having my own field and doing my own thing but I won’t keep one on their own so 2 it is

I rent 16 acres. I don’t have time to do much day to day drudgery, so I don’t poo pick the 14 acres (which has 7 on it) just the pony paddocks twice a week which isn’t too bad.
I don’t do hard feed, they have ad-lib big bale haylage in round feeders, and good lick buckets in the field. They look just as good as when they did have hard feed, reduces risk of injury from fighting when you’re putting buckets out, and I’ve saved literally hundreds. I’ll never go back to hard feed!
I don’t do dentist for under 4s unless there’s an issue (they’re mostly under 4).
They just get feet trimmed as and when. They’re on a big hilly area so it’s usually every 6 months or so each. When my ridden horse gets done there’s usually 1-2 trims which helps spread it out
Ridden ones are fully clipped and rugged, mud isn’t too bad because it’s quite dry land. So they still look smart enough.
Think that’s it…they’re on a very natural system but they’re native youngsters. They’re all a bit on the lean side now, as they should be. They’ll be fat as butter come august but then thin again in winter so hopefully they’ll have less chance of metabolic issues through life.

But yeah still way too many horses ??

 

[milliepops]

My hay and hoofcare are free thanks to OH which helps a lot. Stuff like dentist is spread throughout the year, the only thing I do at the same time for everyone is a winter time Equest ?

 

[meleeka]

Im noticing my feed bill this year. I must simplify the feeds, but it’s tricky because one is dentally challenged and one is ultra fussy. The owner of the feed shop tells me she feeds hers on the cheapest high fibre nuts they sell, so I think I could economise a bit. I use one round hay a week so not too bad and the other major cost is meds. Two are on Prascend and two on Bute. I don’t have to pay rent though so my costs are still less than friends pay for two.

 

[nagblagger]

Mine all live out 24/7, the main herd of 15 live in 30+acres, on a hill and valley so interesting grazing, the others rotate fields. I am lucky no poo picking. I have an emergency stable and small rehab paddock. Feed large bales of hay to the herd, farmer delivers direct into field. Hard feed to the very old in the smaller group..understanding farrier and vet. Normally runs like clockwork before and after work, until some emergency.

 

[scruffyponies]

For those of you with more than 2, are they all living out and you don’t poo pick or do you have help? Just trying to work out how on earth you have time!
2 is my max, I’d love to have just one but I like the lack of drama that comes with having my own field and doing my own thing but I won’t keep one on their own so 2 it is

10 here too. Grazing is 12 +12+ 5 acres, rotated. The 5 acre paddock is harrowed in the summer once empty. The rest just gets rested between use for a few months.
No hard feed. Hay in the winter when necessary. This year they haven't need any. Water is natural and doesn't freeze.
Just the odd tidy up for feet, as the road work does most of it.

Barring the odd emergency, they don't need much. I pass regularly so it's the work of moments to check they still have legs. Sharers and neighbours also keep an eye... cue the occasional 'I think your horse is dead' call when they're sunbathing.

We do take over the road a bit if they all ride out together.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Just before my sister and I moved to our current land she had 4, I had 7 and two were mares in foal. She had her old pony put down (30 with cushings) and I put one out on loan. So we went in with 9 and soon up to 11. As it turned out far too many for our very wet clay land. We set about reducing numbers and now 28 yrs later only have 3, much more sensible.

 

[palo1]

We 'usually' have 5, thankfully currently only 4; of which I own 2. We have had 6. The others (at any time) belong to my OH. I work p/t and do everything I can to keep costs down AND we have our own land but I couldn't keep more than 2 in haylage and basic veterinary care/maintenance. It is easy for me to limit numbers; I simply don't have the money for them and I am rather grateful for that! OH maintains that we should not have more than 1 retiree at at time which works ok for me; I don't currently have a retired one. I don't particularly want more than 2 that I am personally responsible for; more responsibility really does my head in tbh!! I like looking at fields with lots of horses in and I love them all but VERY glad I don't actually have to worry about more than the 2 I have.

ETA - we have ours on a hard yard with a small turnout field in winter; the work keeping the yard and barn clean is never-ending!! We poo pick twice daily in summer, mole-plough as necessary, spread muck, harrow and really look after our grazing in Summer. It is pretty time consuming and requires a fair committment to keep land in truly good heart when horses are on it. That and with 3 in full work over the winter I definitely don't want any more thanks.