Space at home for horses

vidis

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Hello

I am looking ahead to the future and doing some research. I have asked similar to this a few years ago but things have moved on in our property search so just looking for some advice.

I am wondering if a property that has essentially half - three quarters of an acre of paddock and space (on that) to build 2 stables, plus tack/storage room, is sufficient. I know 'they' say 1 acre-1.5 per horse (presumably living out 24/7).

Would my area be good enough to keep two small happy hacker horses/cobs there (stabled most of the time) and potentially build an all weather arena/small paddock for limited turnout on our land.

We live rurally so my idea would be to build that on my own stabling and rent a field locally, so I would envisage being able to have them stabled at home with some small turnout in a sand arena/small paddock but able to be turned out in the rented field also.

I am NOT going to rush into anything as I want to be sure that if we did go down this road it would be of a standard high enough for the animals to be enjoying themselves/living well.

I have seen numerous properties built on half acre - 1 acre (on which their house also sits) where the owner has built a couple of stables, an arena and I presume they are stabling the horses most of the day. A quick look on property sites shows many people are doing this, and I don't know necessarily that they have access to further land.

Providing feed etc would be necessary, of course, if stabled a lot, and I would be envisaging two older, happy hacker, type horses. I just want to hack around our countryside home, not to compete or anything, but we live rurally in a quiet place where our few neighbours have horses, beaches nearby, lots of nice trails etc.

Just thinking through all the options well in advance!
 

abbijay

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It may be possible but I would not want to keep 2 older horses shut in most of the time with only limited access to stretch their legs.
 

Asha

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For 2 horses, no its not enough. Just have a look through the threads where everyone is moaning about mud over the winter. Winters are getting wetter and longer, fields are getting churned up faster than every before.

We have 6 horses on 15 acres. Ive coped ok on that over the winter.
 

Nasicus

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It may be possible but I would not want to keep 2 older horses shut in most of the time with only limited access to stretch their legs.

Same, they'd be stiffening up, not to mention bored. They might not be so placid when they go out if it's the first chance to stretch their legs all day.
 

meleeka

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I have two on two acres who live out with acres to stables. I could potentially manage with one acre but wouldn’t go any less than that.
 

ester

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The people I know who do it do as you are suggesting and lend over quite a lot of that 3/4 acre to all weather turnout and prepare to feed hay all year to make up for the lack of grass, or rent additional summer grazing.

I'm not sure where the stabling responses have come from as the OP said she was considering an all weather turnout?
 

be positive

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I would do things differently on limited land, build a decent sized open barn and all weather turnout/ arena to the front so they are not shut in at all, have the rest of the land so they can have access on good days so they can wander about as they please, I am moving to a property with under 2 acres and taking 3 non working horses with me and this is the set up I will have, the open barn is about 45ft x 20ft and the all weather will be about double that so in winter they will be enclosed and have enough room to move about saving the grazing for the rest of the time, I wouldn't do this with young horses but my older sensible ones will be fine, one is only 12 hands so will have room to get going if she wants.

In an ideal world I would have found a property with 6 acres but they were few and far between and had other compromises that made them unviable so it was the land I gave up in order to have everything else, bonus is the barn is already there so no planning to worry about.
 

Nasicus

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I'm not sure where the stabling responses have come from as the OP said she was considering an all weather turnout?
OP mentions stabling them most of the time a few times:

"Would my area be good enough to keep two small happy hacker horses/cobs there (stabled most of the time)"
"I presume they are stabling the horses most of the day."
"Providing feed etc would be necessary, of course, if stabled a lot"
 

ester

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She was talking about presuming other people with arenas and stables were stabling most of the day, not suggesting she would?

I missed the second bit though.
 

Ruby's Mum

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I think you would have to plan as be positive said to have an all weather turnout but don't under estimate how much room buildings/storage (as you will need to store hay!) and an arena will take up from that small area. I think you will find it is too small an area to have an arena also, but guess you could build an arena and have that as your turnout and have somewhere (stable etc) to out your other horse while you ride. I wouldnt personally want to have that setup (ok very short term for convalescing etc) I think you will find it a struggle.
 

MagicMelon

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Ive only got about 1.5 acres with 2 horses and a pony on it (they live out 24/7). I put in a hardcore pad with 3 stable block on top and space out the front which is my yard - its totally open to the field so I keep my round bale feeder on the hardcore pad and they can come and go in and out of the stables as they wish - this helps a lot I think with keeping them off the field. The hay encourages them to stand about it rather than muddy up the field. Yes, I do feed ab lib hay all year round as a result though as the grazing isnt massively plentiful. Id love a school but I would never consider putting one in here as for me, space for them to stretch their legs and live out is the most important thing especially when they get older/stiffer. I guess it would depend if you could get a long term rental field next door, then it could work but what happens if you lost that grazing? Then you'd be left with a tiny postage stamp at your own place...
 

rabatsa

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Many years ago I did this and swore never again. Everything cost more due to lack of storage. I was able to buy shavings by the pallet but had to unload them by hand much to the drivers disgust. The muck heap ended up too close to the house and caused a fly problem inside the house. Gardeners turned their nose up at the muck only wanting well rotted stuff and there was not enough to interest the local farmers.

I did find the convenience of horses just outside the door a major advantage for night checks ect though.
 

vidis

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Thanks everyone.

I think I have not been as clear as I should have been as I repasted some of my old thread with my new thoughts.

I am wondering about building the stables and an area of hard standing on my own property, with perhaps a small arena/paddock for limited turn out (as I realise it would get churned up and muddy quick). Two years ago (prior to buying our home, when we were just looking) I was wondering if that would be enough and came to the conclusion it wouldn't be.

Now that we have bought our home and live in a very horsey area (rural, surrounded by fields and a stud farm and local hunts) I am thinking it may be more possible to find easy access to rent a field nearby.

With that in mind, I would still ideally like to build our own stables and hard standing/small paddock, on my own land for the convenience of sometimes having the horses at home, but also with the rented field nearby for proper turnout.

I think I am answering my own question sometimes about horses being stabled quite constantly or most of the day and it's not something that appeals to me, I realise it may work for some but I would prefer them to be able to be out during the day at least.

Again, apologies if I have been unclear - I don't have any totally definite ideas on my plans and am still (2 years later :D) thinking through my options, trying to see what is available to me as an option or what I should really, totally avoid.

Thank you all.
 

vidis

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Ive only got about 1.5 acres with 2 horses and a pony on it (they live out 24/7). I put in a hardcore pad with 3 stable block on top and space out the front which is my yard - its totally open to the field so I keep my round bale feeder on the hardcore pad and they can come and go in and out of the stables as they wish - this helps a lot I think with keeping them off the field. The hay encourages them to stand about it rather than muddy up the field. Yes, I do feed ab lib hay all year round as a result though as the grazing isnt massively plentiful. Id love a school but I would never consider putting one in here as for me, space for them to stretch their legs and live out is the most important thing especially when they get older/stiffer. I guess it would depend if you could get a long term rental field next door, then it could work but what happens if you lost that grazing? Then you'd be left with a tiny postage stamp at your own place...

I don't suppose you'd have any photos to share? it sounds like a good idea. :)
 

laura_nash

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FYI here is a house for sale similar to my own - I envisaged a similar small stable/storage block and hard standing.

Are you in ireland?

I ask because in my experience finding grazing to rent for horses in the UK can be pretty difficult. Farmers have visions of churned up fields strewn with hay and masses of sagging electric tape, and livery yards have too many stables vs too little grazing so the last thing they want is to rent you grazing and no stables.

Finding places to graze horses in ireland (at least around me in Galway / Mayo) seems like it might be a lot easier as people see them as a cheap option for grass / shrub control on odd pockets of land. I know a few farmers locally who have a small herd mostly for that reason. I have mine at home, but my neighbour's two oldies are quite in demand as mowers and he only really has them on his own land in winter (of course he does know everyone locally).
 

vidis

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Are you in ireland?

I ask because in my experience finding grazing to rent for horses in the UK can be pretty difficult. Farmers have visions of churned up fields strewn with hay and masses of sagging electric tape, and livery yards have too many stables vs too little grazing so the last thing they want is to rent you grazing and no stables.

Finding places to graze horses in ireland (at least around me in Galway / Mayo) seems like it might be a lot easier as people see them as a cheap option for grass / shrub control on odd pockets of land. I know a few farmers locally who have a small herd mostly for that reason. I have mine at home, but my neighbour's two oldies are quite in demand as mowers and he only really has them on his own land in winter (of course he does know everyone locally).

Yes, I am! :)
 

pippixox

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I look after 2 horses when their owner is away who have stables and a small paddock (maybe an acre) right next to the house.
its lovely as she can pop to check on them in her dressing gown!
other things cost more- for example she finds she has to buy the small packets of halage so she can have them delivered in her drive and then stack them in her spare stable by hand. where as I buy much cheaper large bales as a tractor drops them in the barn I rent. she has a muck heap in her field out of site of the house, as it is other side of the stables.
however... she has a brilliant set up because just next door is a livery yard! so she pays for grazing year round there. they have 2 paddocks there that they can rotate. so on days she is short on time she can literally open their stables and they go out onto their home paddock. but when I look after them or she is not busy they have a 5 minute walk to the fields at the livery yard through a few gates. the livery yard also has an indoor school she pays to use.

I rent about 8 acres a 15 minute drive from my house and a barn, but I would cope with slightly less if they were literally out of my back door. but at the same time, I love that in the spring/summer and most of autumn I put up a track and my 2 live out happily. less than 2 acres requires careful management and costs won't really go down in the spring/summer. but the convenience of opening your back door is nice.
 

pippixox

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my only other concern would be planning and costs. as even in a horsey area as well, it often won't add much value to the property. not like building a house extension. arenas/all weather replacing a grass area should need planning
 

southerncomfort

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Unless you definitely have a field available to rent I wouldn't do it to be honest.

For me that isn't enough land even if you put in all weather turnout. On wet days I turn mine out in the school and they very quickly get bored and cranky and start bickering with each other. It will also cost a small fortune in hay. It's a very expensive way of doing things by the time you've paid for planning fees, installation and field rent.

When we were looking to buy someone said to me that if you have to compromise on anything compromise on the size of the house rather than the amount of land. Houses can be extended but land can't (unless you have a neighbour who wants to sell land and a bank account full of cash!).
 

Leo Walker

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I would love that set up for mine! I'd build a school in the middle of the paddock. That would mean in summer they had a track round the outside of it, and in the winter when it was wet they would have the hard standing and the school. I'd leave the stable doors open so they could come and go as they please and I'd feed hay on the hard standing. Would be perfect for my good doer cob and a friend!
 

laura_nash

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all weather replacing a grass area should need planning

OP has confirmed she is over here in ireland so probably not an issue.

OP - My main concern would be hay storage. Having them on hardstanding over winter is all very well (and probably a lot nicer than many other options given how wet our winters are) but you will need a fair bit of hay (or in my case I feed a hay / straw mix) and if you haven't the storage to buy it in advance that is expensive and puts you in a precarious situation. I don't know if you've seen the stuff in the news about the forage shortage this winter but it was very real, I ran out of hay and straw after having to keep my pony stabled 24/7 for some time due to his sickness and struggled to get any more. Luckily I have masses of turnout so still had plenty of grass in the fields to cover the gap.

I know someone nearby who has stables and a small area of hardstanding at home (probably less space than you have) and a field elsewhere, but they own the field. I believe they mostly use the stables for sick horses or for convenience on the morning before hunting / competitions and the horses live out most of the time.
 

Oscar

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Do you have horses already? Are they happy to be stabled all day? Are they still quiet to be ridden from being in a lot? Personally I would investigate renting a paddock or paddocks nearby to see what your options are? E.g. How do you get from home to field? Is it walkable or do you need to ride or drive (trailer/box) them there. If you ride them to the field, how do you get home and what about the tack? Is it safe to lead to and from if it's dark, foggy, etc. How does the land drain? Sand and chalk can cope with wet, but peaty or clay land will be deep mud in a a few days of wet weather if nowhere to keep them off the grass.

There's no right/wrong option, there I see no perfect set up, you just have to think what will you do for x,y,z scenario. And everyone is right, storage is a nightmare. Horses in a lot need a lot of hay, feed and bedding which needs dry storage and that equates to a lot of mess and a big muck heap!!
 

JACQSZOO

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Its doeable. I have the same sort of set up here. Small all weather turnout in front of the stable and a very small paddock. In winter she gets let onto the paddock on dry days. In the summer I am able to rent grazing a mile away.
 

Red-1

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We are on heavy clay and don't use the fields at all Nov - May, but use the arena for turnout. It is not perfect, of course I would prefer sand or chalk turnout for 24/7 year-round, with a lovely barn and arena too. I is, however, perfectly workable.

I have had a farmer sell me the hay for the year but deliver in dribs and drabs. I have also found that a standard loosebox can fit 100 bales!

I would also bear in mind that many horses in livery yards only have a patch of half an acre as a paddock. They seem to manage. It would not be for me, but many horses in livery have no turnout in winter at all.

Yes, it is more expensive, to buy in hay year-round.

But, it would be do-able depending on planning, an arena for turnout and ridden work, plus harrow to keep it fit! Suitable stables, water, spare stables for storage, muck disposal.... I also find that shavings/chopped wrapped rape straw can be delivered in 10s, so no storage issues.
 

Jayzee

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I think it is possible however it is only possible if you can secure extra grazing as you'll be left with about 1/4 of an acre once everything is built which really isn't enough - mud in winter and dirt in summer.

Another thing to consider is the type of soil you are on as clay would require more land a sand based soil would mean that you could get away with renting less land.
 

Enfys

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I have kept 2 horses on half an acre perfectly well, it is quite adequate. Where I live it is completely normal for horses to live on much smaller areas than the BHS suggests as preferable, but then, we feed hay year round and do not rely on the acreage to sustain the horses.

Obviously it will basically turn into a dry lot and forage will need to be offered year round. That said, if the ground is clay or something that floods then I would say no, because it will be a bog in the rainy season, on sand, or well draining soil then it will do.
 
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