Managing a 2 acre paddock

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shadowboy

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So we have made an application for the house with the 2 acre paddock. It is well fenced with hedges and has a few trees on the outside for shelter. Currently it is grazed by a handful of sheep but the grass is ankle high.

I have a NF and looking for another horse/pony now to take with him for company (cant take the old boy as he's a loan horse)

so I will have 2 horses. Whats the best way to manage the paddock. Strip graze? Divide field in 2? Divide field in 4? I am pretty clued up on the actualt management of the grass but not sure how to make the 2 acre paddock work for us so that it is good grazing all year round. Obviously I dont know how well it drains yet so that might need to be considered but its on top of a field.

Any advice welcomed or examples of how you manage your paddocks. Thanks in advance!
 
oooh, i'll be watching this with interest, as i'm in the process of buying a house with just over 1.5 acres... and we're planning on squeezing my horse and a small companion on there... i have been told strip grazing is the way to go, plus topping up with hay.

not only do i want good grazing all year round... i want the paddocks to look relatively nice as they are the view from my house! i'm lucky in that my horse likes being in so would prefer coming in at night (he gets stressed if left out 24/7).

i just then have the problem of getting planning for the stables... as it's a listed house... oh the headache of moving house! xxx
 
You normally need 2 acres per horse for year round grazing, one to graze one to rest is the theory. I like more as I like my paddocks to look good, but the downside is that for several months a year there is too much and in winter grass gets over grazed. If the ground is wet horses will take out a lot of the sward very quickly.

You might want to sacrifice a small amount in the worst weather just to use as turnout if you want to keep the rest for summer grazing.
 
As much as I would like more rollin, sadly I could not find anything. I will have to manage on the two acres I will have - hopefully if I do it right the field will survive! If not im going to be in trouble. The farm nearby might be able to give us a week or so in their paddocks so we can rest ours but thats about it
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We're moving at the weekend and we have a 2 acre field to ourselves.
My plan is to divide the field into 3. Half the paddock will be rested until winter. The other two sections will be used during whats left of the summer and will be rotated until winter.

The field has excellent drainage, having been there before we know it doesn't get too boggy during the winter.
 
I you have a NF sand a small/native companion pony you should manage fine on 2 acres, obv you will need aditional forage in the winter.

As you have a pony, I personaly would divide into 4 using post and electric rope to malke semi permanent paddocks. You may find in the spring/summer yopu may need to strip graze each quater. I have 3 acres divided into 6 1/2 acre paddocks. I normaly divide one in half when the ponies are about to go into it then move the fence overr as required.

In the winter I pick the two paddocks which are highest and driest and once they have both been eaten off I open the gate ways and allow them to mooch over them both and spread their hay out in small piles over them both, this helps prevent poaching in one area. Sometimes I spread hay in both but shut one off, and pop out to open up at lunch time so they dont eat all their hay in one go.

With small paddock you can top with a ride on mower and spot spray if needed with a napsack sprayer. Good luck with your new venture.
 
thank you magicmillbrook- that has been very helpful and given me some ideas to work with.

out of interest does anyone know how many metres of elec fencing tape I will need and what stregnth energiser would be adequate?
 
I very much depends on the type of soil you have, undeground drainage, the type of grass you have and the gradient of the land.

I keep two 14.2 cobs out during the day and in at nights on about half an acre of sloping mature grass pasture land. The boundary of the field is well fenced with heavy duty post and rail and equifencing. I have a plastic water trough (so that if they kick it they can not fracture a leg).

I section off part of it with electric fencing and move it a bit each morning so that they get some fresh grass and an incentive to go out!

The gate entrance has well crushed hard core which prevents it becoming poached.

I have no mud at all in my fields even in Winter.

So it can be done.

When they come in at night they get a feed and also soaked hay.
 
I would split it into 4 paddocks.

When I had a NF he got fat just breathing grass fumes, I would have loved to have access to smaller paddocks. You can rotate them then and have a sacrifice paddock for winter without worrying, if you need to feed hay then so be it. Half an acre is actually plenty for them to have a hooley in as well.

Smaller paddocks are convenient, easier to clean and top all round, I top mine with the lawn tractor, far easier than faffing around with the tractor for a few patches.

Enjoy.
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I have an acre paddock at home with 4 ponies on it..
I have a track going round the outside that I have allowed to turn to dirt as I have laminitics but you can avoid that if you prefer. I allow them onto the middle section at night and keep them on the track during the day atm but vary it depending on the weather and how fat/healthy they are. They also have a yard area with a shelter on to come onto should they want...plus to the left of the track is another bit of grass I use only in the height of summer as it is on a slope and gets trashed otherwise.
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I have just over 1 acre for a horse and mini shetland. We have given up trying to have good grass but have divided into 3 paddocks and as drainage is poor we have actually put sand on an area 20 x 20 for all weather turnout so they don't have to stand in water. I then rotate the remaining two paddocks and keep them off them completely if it is wet. I also religiously poo pick every day and put out hay. We are managing fine like this and we still have some grass. Both mine are fatties so it suits us. We will be getting more grazing next year but I think that if you manage it carefully it should be fine. I would definately strip graze and break it up and maybe have just one area if the land is wet/ doesn't drain that they can 'trash'. Maybe create a turnout area it didn't cost alot and as been a godsend when its been very wet...
 
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thanks- again some really usefull help. Im starting to feel more positive that this is do-able!

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VERY Do-able. It is just getting past this British thing about horses NEEDING to actually graze on lush grass in summer and needing acres, they don't (I had to move thousands of miles away to get my head around that one) Looks pretty, but a fair percentage of them then end up in starvation paddocks anyway on diets as you know. I am all for keeping paddocks grazed down (without overcrowding naturally) and feeding hay year round if needs be. In the long run, hay costs are probably less than Vet/farrier costs for laminitis treatment. As long as they have space to run if they want to, shelter blah, blah, blah then they are fine.

I have 30 acres of grazing, I use less than 5 for the horses in summer, the rest grows hay. They have the run of an 8 acre loop and 20 acres of forest after the last hay is in...not that they use it much once the snow gets more than about 6" deep, hay feeder to water to shed,I may as well keep them all in a half acre paddock from November to April
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Just thought, perhaps you might consider the track system (Honeypots uses this I think)
 
What a good idea, you normally only hear of paddocks being split up into squares. Very clever, might try that with mine.
 
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