Setting up on your own. Tips? What do you really need?

[Jules_F]

Hi,

I was hoping for some advise. My husband and I have just bought a house with six acres. We will get in at the end of the month and intend to move our two horses out of full livery to there at the end of July. I have had horses on DIY but never owned my own place before
As it stands it is four fields of pretty good grazing which has only seen a few sheep sporadically for years. Years ago it was used for the cockle pickers ponies but it is certainly not set up for equine use anymore. What I am thinking we need to do before we can move them is put in a hard standing with a field shelter and water trough. I would like it to be large enough to be used as a tie up area and would like it to be fenced with a gate. Around this I will put up electric fencing to create a small paddock which can be made bigger as needed. The grazing will be much more abundant than where they are now.
We can then think about how to manage the rest of the land. Does this sound sensible? Is there anything hugely flawed or have I missed anything?
Also, for your own yard what do you really need? Haynets, buckets, wheelbarrow I have thought of. Somewhere to store hay before winter...but what else? I am a bit of a consumer but money will be tight with so much to do so what would you say is really useful?
Thank you if you got this far! Sorry for the ramble! Any tips welcome

 

[Dubsie]

Water? How is the supply to the fields set up, and how will it work if you divide the field. Security? Any oaks or sycamore you need to be aware of? Is ragwort coming up?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Unless you already have water piped in some way to the fields, you will need an outside tap and a very long hose-pipe. A small tractor will be very useful, you can pick up implements to use with it pretty cheaply at machinery/farm sales, plenty of electric fencing, so that you can configure your grazing as you choose and contain your horses in the event of boundary failure, locks for your gates, plenty of power tools will also come in handy.
Of course most of us will have bought our equipment as a response to some emergency or other over the years but if you can think ahead and buy your nail gun before you need to staple your roofing felt back onto the stable and thus avoid a dash to B&Q just before they shut, so much the better!

 

[npage123]

Muckheap's position and removal/management thereof

 

[Gloi]

Speak to people to find a reliable local contractor who can come with a tractor to do jobs like topping weeds and harrowing etc.

 

[blitznbobs]

Look at all your fencing - likely to be your biggest expense good fencing is not cheap.. I wouldn't rely on electric only to stop a horse getting into a road/ off your land. If it's not stock proof it'll have to be repaired/ replaced. Check land for rabbit holes etc

 

[Dizzle]

Water and electricity. You may not plan on doing the horses in the dark but sods law they will end up injured, ill, needing a gentle hoof rub in the dark!

Well fenced large paddocks and internal leccy fencing so you can move them around.

Do you have a school? Do you have a flat section you want to save for a summer schooling area?

Hay storage?

 

[Cocorules]

When I got my own land I found the things I appreciated about the way the previous owner set it up was:

- having it split into a number of fields with lots of different gates as it made it easier to rotate them round without killing off any gateway and I can get a low pecking order one in and out more easily

- the water troughs and field shelters were all well away from trees so I do not spend sleepless nights worrying that they will get crushed by a falling tree and the troughs stay cleaner longer

- multiple field shelters so you do not have to ensure that they have access to the same single area

- field shelters that can double as stables for vet and farrier

What I would change:

- smaller water troughs to reduce cleaning out time

- I have double fenced all of it so there is sheep fencing on the outside which stops random dogs from getting in and then post and rail on the inside which prevents injury. I got the distance between the rails wrong and really strong horse gets her head through and so pushes hard against the fencing a lot.

- I hate oak trees and they are taped off for long periods of time from August onwards which reduces the grazing so I have to rotate accordingly rather than according to the wettest and driest areas

- the muck heap which is on hard standing is furthest away from the gate and uphill

What I learnt:

- I got quite daunted by all the maintenance involved at the start but eventually adjusted to that

- having your own equipment is worthwhile rather than trying to get outside help

 

[oldie48]

Here you wouldn't be allowed to put in hard standing and a field shelter on agricultural land without planning which can be quite difficult and take some time. From your description it sounds as if your land is agricultural, so I'd check this out before you start to build as it would be dreadful if you were made to take it down, (perhaps you have already done that). some people get round that by using mobile field shelters but then you can't really put in electrics, water, handstanding etc You can put stables in your garden though!!!

 

[Blurr]

Planning permission?

 

[Jules_F]

Thank you all for your replies! Really helpful and lots to think about!
I had not considered the positioning of the muck heap but it makes lots of sense to do so.
So far my plan is to put a water trough in by the field shelter but slowly put more in the other fields as we work out the best way to use/manage them.
Also, a really good point to think about trees over the shelter as I live in a very windy part of the world.
Electric is another thing that I hadn't thought about but will look into.
Thanks again. Your help is much appreciated

 

[Jules_F]

With regards to planning I am just about to start going down that route. I am hopeful that it will be ok as it has been used for equine use in the past and there is an old dilapidated stable/shelter there already. Although I am hoping to move the location to further away from trees and closer to the house. As it is a small six acre small holding in quite a prime area many people have tried to get permission to build on it and had it denied, I'm hoping the planner will look favourably on a small yard area as it proves we do not intend to try and build on it. We already have most of the neighbours on side as my oh is their vet. I am also hoping to put in a small sand school in the furthest away and flattest field, I understand this also needs permission. Arg! So many hoops to jump through!

 

[cobgoblin]

We have a similar sized setup and two horses, this is the equipment we have. We built it up over a number of years.

A smallish tractor with topper, but this is very old and temperamental so we also have a walk-behind petrol strimmer. a scythe is useful too.
A hand held petrol auger for fence posts and a rabbiting spade for the same.
A small chain saw and a branch lopper.
A hand auger for fixing gate fixings, lots of large nails,screws and staples for mending fences.
Multiple electric fence posts, tape and energisers.
Poo-picking equipment, plastic wheelbarrows etc.
Those huge garden bags for wheeling Haylage into fields in winter.
Troughs for fields, we only have water inthe field next to the house, they have to walk up.
A ragwort fork.
Mucking out fork and plastic shovel.
If you only have two horses let your muck heap rot down and sell it to gardeners at the gate- we get rid of all of ours this way.
I'm sure there's more.....

 

[Orangehorse]

The most important thing is safe and secure fencing, high enough to deter the thoughts of jumping or leaning on the fence.
Then think about water and the quality of the grazing. Somewhere I saw an advocate of dividing into 5 areas, one each for each season and then one to rest/reseed, but I guess that was quite high density of horses. Of course, there is always the Paddock Paradise system, where they are confined to a track, on the perimeter with larger corners to eat, rest, water and shelter, and keep the inside for hay/training/winter time.

When considering a field shelter you will probably be restricted by planning, but think about being able to have two or three entrances to your corral area, so you can just open the gate and let them out into a differnt paddock, rather than have to traipse all the way to the end to fetch them in. It is a huge saving in time and effort in the winter.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We have solar powered lights in/on stables/outbuildings. Even though we do get very strong winds and are exposed they have stood up to the weather pretty well. Much easier than trying to get mains electric across fields etc.

 

[supsup]

Definitely a way to power your fence via mains electricity. This could be either an outlet and energizer in your new stable/shed/field shelter, or the energizer located at your house with an appropriate lead out to your fence (and switch at fence).
Your electric fencing will be much more secure if powered by mains, and you won't have to worry about batteries running flat or vegetation draining it.

 

[lamlyn2012]

Pre application planning advise before you complete on the sale , unless it's too late for that. Councils can be very strict and what seems sensible to us is not necessarily the view they will take. It's difficult to plan your set up until you know where the planners will allow you to put things, if they allow at all! If people have to tried to develope in the past it may make them more cautious.

 

[OWLIE185]

Definitely check that the land has planning permission for Equestrian use.
If you install water troughs get plastic water troughs (Paxton make good ones) and not metal ones as horses have been known to break legs when kicking out at metal ones. (Fit a plastic stopcock to each water trough so easy to turn off and clean out). (Use 25mm plastic pipe (not 20 mm) when installing water troughs so that you have enough pressure).
Find yourself a good reliable grassland contractor to maintain your grassland and also a good fencing contractor.
Endure all perimeter fencing is secure. Best fencing is heavy duty post and rail with Equi-fencing attached (tight form of sheep fencing)
Ensure that you have third party public liability insurance to no less that £20,000,000 (Twenty million pounds) as you are responsible for any accident your horses cause even if it is not your fault.
I muck out/poo pick straight in to a trailer and then get my contractor to take it away when full to a muck heap in a distant field to rot away.
A good quality (Stihl) strimmer is useful to strim down nettles and thistles.
Have lot's of fun!

 

[PorkChop]

We have twelve acres and manage it with a quad - we have a flail, a harrow and a trailer.

Good luck with the move, you will love having the horses at home

 

[Jules_F]

Thank you very much for all of your great replies. Much food for thought.
I will be showing this thread to my OH and may well be back to pick your brains again.

 

[brucethegypsycob]

I wouldn't be without my little quad bike, small trailer and chain harrow. The quad certainly transformed the management of the fields and makes moving hay bales, poo, an anything else so much easier. The other I wouldn't be without is my little flock of six sheep which have also been worth their weight in gold for field management and the horses get on fine with them.

 

[spacie1977]

I'm in exactly the same position as you. It's daunting but also so exciting! I'll be keeping my horse on livery for the first few months after the move, just to make sure I've got everything set up just as I want it. Good fencing is the biggest factor for me to consider because my horse has no respect for electric fencing. Then it's the worry about what to do on the odd occasion I'm on a business trip, or hubby decides to spontaneously book a few nights away (he just doesn't think about the chaos that causes!) I'm probably going to get a sharer and invite someone else to keep their horse on DIY with me so I've got someone to ride with, as well as people to help out when I'm desperate. But I think my biggest concern is that all of a sudden I'm going to be all by lonesome myself. I.e. no-one to point out something isn't quite right with horse and give some pearls of wisdom when I'm flapping, and no-one to grumble about the winter weather with, or pick me up if I fall off. If you're moving to a completely new area, it could be a good idea to join a local riding club and find a local instructor so you've got someone to lean on and pick their brains when needed.

 

[spacie1977]

There's a sticky 'How to set up yard lighting run off of a battery' in the horse care and feeding forum which could be useful to read. Maplins have solar panel systems for sale you can use to supply power to electric fence, clippers, kettle, lights and CCTV.

 

[GinaGeo]

We started with a field shelter. Quickly put in lighting to run off a battery whilst we had a stable block built. The fields need fencing. We have post and rail. We have since run a strand of mains electric round the top of all the fences. They have far more respect for that and has hugely reduced the damage to fencing.

Equipment wise we have a ride on mower tractor. And a set of chain harrows. We also have a groundhog which makes makes poopicking so much easier.

We've also put a winter turnout area in, hardcore and wood chip. We have wet clay land. The horses are happier not standing in mud and it keeps the grazing intact. If I were to do it again I'd have as many barns as possible. You can never have too much storage!

Enjoy! It's daunting. But oh so lovely to be in control!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Speak to people to find a reliable local contractor who can come with a tractor to do jobs like topping weeds and harrowing etc.

Ditto this.

My advice would be, for the first few years, NOT to put any fixed fencing i.e. post-and-rails etc in place. Use electric fencing until you've found out which way of doing things best suits you. If you put up expensive wooden fencing too early on, its there, and you can't change it, whereas if you use leccy fencing you can change it all you want to and then in a couple of years or so put up fixed fencing, if you need to.

If using electric fencing, consider the efficacy of biting the bullet and going for mains powerage rather than battery. You may well find it more economic in the long term, plus you will have assurance that there's always a good strong current going through!! Worth knowing if you've got a hairy cob who seems to have psychic powers in "knowing" when the battery on the energiser's going flat.........

Follow local recommendations for feed merchants, farmers selling hay out the fields etc etc. If you manage to find a good handyman cum muckheap remover cum contractor - and they are reliable and come when they've said they'll come, you are very fortunate!! Ask around for recommendations. The cheapest might not always be the best.

Consider security of your property and yard. After a spate of equine-property thefts in the local area, we invested in a professional security system. If going this route, have several estimates before you decide on which one to go for, and ask around and follow up any "recommendations" on their website. If you see any properties with their security logo on the burglar alarm, or anywhere on the place, be cheeky and go knock at their door and ask them how they've found the security system they've got. Are they happy with it? Is it easy to use? Does it go off when it isn't supposed to? Is the aftercare and customer support, i.e. servicing etc, consistent and good? Most security firms like you to buy into their monthly/quarterly contract scheme for essential repairs etc. You need to ask what, exactly, is covered i.e. how much are the upgrades etc etc. When exactly will the servicing be carried out, and by whom? Also bear in mind that your local Crime Prevention Officer's advice is free! Ditto the Fire Safety Advisor from your local Fire Brigade who will come out and do a survey for you to highlight any fire issues that you might not have thought about. We had both the Crime Prevention and Fire Safety chappies out to our place and not only was their advice free, they both gave us a lot of advice on things we hadn't even thought about. Very worth while indeed.

Good luck anyway...... hope it all goes OK.

 

[WelshD]

I have a 'garden tractor' which is basically a beefed up ride on mower, it pulls a trailer brilliantly. We chose a mower because they are less desirable than quads to thieves

We like these little tipping trailers too, they are so handy http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HEAVY-DUT...ER-PNEUMATIC-TYRES-HAND-TROLLEY-/150741899528

Also you can never have too many feed scoops and tub trugs, goodness knows where they all go!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I have a 'garden tractor' which is basically a beefed up ride on mower, it pulls a trailer brilliantly. We chose a mower because they are less desirable than quads to thieves

We like these little tipping trailers too, they are so handy http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HEAVY-DUT...ER-PNEUMATIC-TYRES-HAND-TROLLEY-/150741899528

Also you can never have too many feed scoops and tub trugs, goodness knows where they all go!

ALDI is your friend! We have bought similar trailer to the one mentioned above, petrol-powered generator, variety of heavy duty garden tools and a variety of 'stuff that you never knew you needed'.

 

[Dry Rot]

The first thing I would do would be to check the drainage to land and buildings. From reading posts here over last winter, that is something that many forget -- especially when they view a property in summer when it is dry.

You could probaby get away by building a hard standing with hardcore, regardless of planning restrictions, especially if you can dig our own hard core on your own land. Moving soil/gravel around on your own land is farming. Concrete it over later, if you have to, when the planners have forgotten about it!

Water troughs are not difficult to install using alkathene piping. Either get someone to mole the pipe in or dug it in with a hired 1 tonne excavator.

I'd install mains elecric fencing with a good powerful unit. Get one much bigger than you think you'll need. I think mine is meant to do 30 miles of fencing and I've only got 25 acres but the horses DO respect the fences!

With a little thought, gates between fields can be hung to make life a lot easier. Plan it out on paper. I have gates that latch together so I can open up different fields to have access to field shelter, etc.

Build a round pen! Probably the most useful single item I have here apart from the barn.

 

[Jules_F]

Thanks for all your replies. So much to think about! It's rather daunting but also exciting, I can't wait to get started.
I will definitely look into mains power for the electric fencing as my oh's hairy beast is currently in disgrace at our livery yard for walking through fences!
I would absolutely love a round pen and a small school and know where I would like to put them, it may just take a while to make the dream a reality
There is going to be a load of equipment coming with the house as the people moving out are older and are retiring to a bungalow where it will not be needed. It is my understanding that they will be leaving us a small tractor and a quad bike. However, I think both may be well past their best, we just need to wait and see when we move in
I have also taken the plunge and rung planning. But just in case we have also earmarked where in the garden we could fit a shelter! There is a handy five bar gate between the field and garden so it is perfectly possible if planning decide to be difficult