Shelter

[flappytabs]

Hi all, i am new to this forum, actually i am new to the equine world if truth be known.

my wife and daughter are horse mad and i am thinking of buying them a horse each. the horses are school horses and are ridden regularly by my wife and daughter.
horse one is 15-2 and horse 2 is 13-2 and both are teenagers.

i have access to a paddock, but i am unsure what size shelter i need and how to configure it ie do i need open shelters or stables. whichever i go for it has to be mobile.

also what size of paddock do i need?

cheers

Andy

 

[juliette]

The size field you need will depend on whether the land is well drained, type of soil etc. Opinions vary on how much land you need per horse, but I'd suggest 2 acres each as a minimum.

Shelter is really down to your preference. A field shelter could suffice for both to shelter in provided it is big enough, (say 18 x 12) but you aren't guaranteed that they will choose to use it so you can end up with very muddy horses in the winter, or very wet and muddy rugs! Stables have the advantage of you having more control over keeping them dry/clean, but of course the down side is they aren't available to them to help themselves to if the weather turns when you aren't around.

 

[Hollycatt]

If your wife and daughter are riding at a school - maybe the best person to speak to is their instructor. If your wife was never owned a horse before then you both have a BIG learning curve, and it would probably be better to keep the horses at livery for a while so they can both have lessons and get into the swing of horse ownership. It is a big committment, lots of hard work but very satisfying. Maybe you will start riding yourself soon!

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

...And be very careful about buying riding school horses and ponies. Riding school customers often fall for the horse or pony they regularly ride because they are usually biddable, well schooled, well behaved etc etc etc. But removed from the very regular (and often quite hard) work and discipline of the riding school, they can morph into hideous spawns of Satan.