what do you do when land is tight?!

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indiat

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The offer has been turned down on our dream house in Cheshire with five acres. We are struggling to find places with land but one house has been on our list that is big enough, has stables etc in place and is close to fantastic hacking BUT it only has two acres of grazing. We only have two native ponies at the moment, one of whom needs to be very restricted as he is fructose intolerant but my girls were hoping to have a pony each. Would it possible to use the two acres as turnout only and feed supplementary forage all year? I assume I would have to sacrifice some of the grazing to create an all weather turnout for them? Can anyone give me examples of how they manage small parcels of land? I am a complete novice I am afraid. :(
 
2 acres is too small - you want 5 acres for 2 ponies with room for facilities. I'd wait for the right placed.
 
It is possible to manage feeding forage all year, especially with good doers. You may also be able to rent some more locally when you have moved. We keep four on 3 acres and they are in excellent fettle. :)
 
If the land is well draining and you can invest in the set up to make the best use of it then you should be able to manage although it needs plenty of thought to get it right, you could make a good sized turnout/ schooling area, linked to a track system round the edge of the field with a shelter incorporated which would enable them to move about and stay out throughout most of the year, the middle could be used in good weather as grazing.
Most ponies would be better off kept on restricted grass being fed hay but with plenty of room to move rather than being strip grazed or wearing muzzles, your main problem may be once you want to move onto bigger ponies/ horses.
 
indiat said:
The offer has been turned down on our dream house in Cheshire with five acres. We are struggling to find places with land but one house has been on our list that is big enough, has stables etc in place and is close to fantastic hacking BUT it only has two acres of grazing. We only have two native ponies at the moment, one of whom needs to be very restricted as he is fructose intolerant but my girls were hoping to have a pony each. Would it possible to use the two acres as turnout only and feed supplementary forage all year? I assume I would have to sacrifice some of the grazing to create an all weather turnout for them? Can anyone give me examples of how they manage small parcels of land? I am a complete novice I am afraid. :(
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2 Acres to me for those kind is enough. I have just over an acre maybe an acre and and half and i have a cob and two miniatures on it. Last summer i had to take them all off it and borrow two TBs to eat the grass cause my lot were about to bust and die. i have a small paddock before it which is maybe 1/4 acre of just weed/mud/moss/crap that i use for my all weather turn out.
 
I think it depends on the soil type ie clay would be awful, even with 2 natives in the winter, summer it would be fine.

How you want to keep them, you would probably have to stable them at night or during the day through out the winter.

Be prepared for it to be expensive as you would have to feed hay all winter

And as others have said when the time comes for your daughters to have bigger ponies/horses they would need more land

I don;t think you can ever have enough! I have three ponies on 5 acres. The spring/summer they only get half an acre which is a track system then two small paddocks. In the winter they get the whole lot..........its fab, never have to feed hay and they can live out without the worry of getting fat!
 
If the house ticks all your boxes apart from the land then personally I would buy it. Especially if you can have a winter all weather turnout. We are on heavy clay and use an all weather in the winter, and feed hay pretty much year round as they are only out 12 hours even in summer. I have had up to three on 2 acres, no issues as they tend to be over rather than under weight.

It just means you have to feed forage most of the time, and the paddocks become a play area rather than relying on them as a feed source. We only use the fields May-November. With the all weather (30 X 30) they always get out to play every day, and it can be all day as I also have a shelter on the all weather.

Most pro competition yards will not have more than 2 acres for 3 horses anyway. A lot of livery yards have tiny little electric paddocks, and yours will have more than that, and you have the bonus of feeding breakfast in your dressing gown, and an arena all to yourself.

It would be more important to me that you have good and safe, varied hacking. At least then your horses get to roam, out and about, rather than just pounding round an arena. We have safe hacking for walking round the lanes but it is not roaming or varied, and to me that is so important that once a week we box up and travel for good hacking, but I would love that to be on the doorstep.
 
indiat said:
The offer has been turned down on our dream house in Cheshire with five acres. We are struggling to find places with land but one house has been on our list that is big enough, has stables etc in place and is close to fantastic hacking BUT it only has two acres of grazing. We only have two native ponies at the moment, one of whom needs to be very restricted as he is fructose intolerant but my girls were hoping to have a pony each. Would it possible to use the two acres as turnout only and feed supplementary forage all year? I assume I would have to sacrifice some of the grazing to create an all weather turnout for them? Can anyone give me examples of how they manage small parcels of land? I am a complete novice I am afraid. :(
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It is possible if the land has good drainage, and it you manage it right. By manage I mean rest some and use some - pick poo up - harrow- fertilize - weedkill - remove plants. Don't have them out 24/7.


I have less than 1 acre at the font and 3 small equines on it, we have cut field into 3 with electric fencing and then cut the in use strip across the bottom and move it up 2ft every week into acres at the they started on a postage stamp and gradually moved it up. You do not say the size of the ponies you have so I guess around 13.3 ish. If it were me. Then with only two acres I would def keep them in the stables part time and out in day to make full use of the land and not over graze it. If you leave them out then I fear your land would look over grazed and struggle for grass.


WE also have 6 acres at the back and that is split into 2 pairs of 2 acres so they are on 4 acres, we rest two and use two and have 8/9 grazing on it. No horse is on grass livery so land is not grazed full time. In summer they are out at night and it in the day time. We used to get hay off one pair so it can be done with small acreage.. Our land copes very well and have been told we have one of the best grazing in our area. Currently we have them all at the bottom of one of the pairs so five horse grazing 2 acres as we are clearing the sycamore from the top.

You would need to plan the using the land and not graze it full time to be able to cope with the amount of horse you want.
 
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I would say it depends on the land and your management of it. If you are prepared to make a winter turnout area it will be fine. That's what we do and the fields are rested all winter and the grazing is good in summer because it has not been poached all winter. Our ponies stayed slim last summer on barish grazing with some hay to supplement them, as we used some of the land to make hay.
 
I own 2.5 acres and have 5 ponies from mini Shetland to 14.2 cob on it. I've had six at one point. It took me a while but I also now have some other fields I rent in the area. One is some hill ground which is good for outwintering. Mine are all natives/good doers and due to several reasons I need to feed hay all year anyway. I have also just built a 32x11metre turnout area. Just got the big one on there just now.
 
If you have the money left over after buying the house to do some work with the land, drainage, surfaces etc. I think that would be plenty. Google "paddock paradise" and you should find lots of ideas for clever layouts. Lots of barefoot horses are kept on track / all-weather turnout type layouts all year and fed forage, but it is equally good for shod horses - especially good doers who need to watch the sugar intake.

I have 8 acres for two good doers, but last summer they spent most of it on one very rough stony acre, whilst the rest was rented out or cut for hay. Even then, I struggled with their weight we had so much grass.
 
Last house I had 2 acres (on chalk) plus two all weather turn out pens for two/three big horses. Had to part stable most of the year with massive amounts of forage fed. Manageable but hard work!
This house I have 3 acres & 2 x 14.2 natives. ....much easier to manage�� They even get to live out most of the summer!
Go onto one of the mapping sites and measure the useable acreage for yourself. .....you may be surprised at the result, I was!
Another acre and smaller beasties makes a HUGE difference to my life as they can have all day turnout in the winter ( I have a .75 acre paddock that I use as a trash paddock in wet weather but in reality I have very little mud here ( also on chalk)
 
I have just under two acres - split in to a larger paddock, small paddock and hard standing in between the two.
I have a tb and Welsh a. I'm on clay, had drainage put in and extra grass seeded before horses went on - was a year in the planning.

It's not enough. I've fed hay throughout the autumn and winter. Hope I'll be ok in summer. Mine come in every night. Smaller paddock trashed, no grass on either - although I've split the bigger paddock in two and saving a bit which I'll let them on in March/April and will be spring, summer grazing whilst I get the rest harrowed, rolled and reseeded.
Mine were out overnight in the summer and are in every night now -they have eight hours out in the week and bit less on weekends.

I have lots of trees - I back on to a wood, too many and will have to look at at least getting branches removed. I have sycamore (which I hadn't realised was a problem) and oak, so that created extra work collecting leaves and seeds.

Surrounded by farmers here and there is no additional land to rent - most have in on a ten year lease.
It has been expensive (feeding hay). However, I wouldn't change it, love having them at home - more land would make life much easier though. What I have will have to do as I have no alternative and my horse is retired, pony is companion so no need (and definitely no room) for a school!
Mine have been out everyday, bar two even if only for a few hours. It's fab to see them at home.
I think if I had the choice though I'd hold out for more land. Houses can be renovated/extended if not ideal.
 
doable but do your research as to whether you can rent locally. I couldn't find anything when I first moved (despite being in the sticks) and it took 6 months to find farmers who then let me rent. Once they realised I paid on time and looked after the ground I got a lot more offers culminating in a 35 acre field to winter them all out in.
It does get expensive on hay (although I feed it year round anyway) and bedding plus you have to poo pick all the time-much harder work keeping them in a small space.
 
Depends on the land - you could easily keep 2 ponies on 2 acres of my land, out 24/7. But it is well draining so rarely gets poached.

Not knowing the land, my advice would be to divide it up into smaller sections, look after it i.e. poo pick and weed daily, and rotate. I would also create an area of hardstanding, so if we do have wet winters, there is an area where you can put them to protect the land.

However if you want to increase your herd, then I would suggest putting stables up, and having them in at night, otherwise you will struggle with enough grass.
 
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I have been there. Having extra land is not always the solution, I have 14 acres but still have the same problems I had when I had 2, mine are all in for the winter the ground is too wet.
I had a brilliant house and a great village with only a small paddock. You can not live in a field, but you can always rent another field, which I did and even better its doesn't add to you mortgage. Yes it wasn't perfect but my children had a really happy childhood in a nice village with the ponies. My house that I live in now although swish and with acreage would have been difficult with children and teenagers, and children soon want as much independence as possible.
Two acres, you make a trash paddock for winter and feed, my rented field had three on it but its was well drained.
 
Rent and hope to buy in time. We have I have a bungalow in the same hamlet as my parents, lived here for 30 years but had mine nearly two. We got 2 acres 17 years ago then 2 years ago got another 8 then my land which is about 8 again and borders the original two. Sadly my dad got ideas about trees, they went mad on 4 acres of the 8 .... Anyone want kindling?
 
As other have said, I`d certainly contemplate it. As long as you can have a large all weather turnout (that can double up as a school) that has access on to a hard standing with stables/field shelters, it is doable. As others have said, google 'Paddock Paradise' ... You could make it work quite well. We might have the opportunity to move to a house with a bit of land, and if we do, this is how we'd set it up.
 
In my experience it will depend a lot on how the land behaves in the winter. I'm on clay soil which is a nightmare in the winter. I have about 2.5 acres of paddocks. My two acre field is full of grass but I won't use as it gets instantly churned up. Mine are in at night from end Oct til end March (shetland and 16hh ISH) and were out on half acre trash paddock during day but after about two months it got so muddy it was becoming a real problem. We are now making a 12m x 30m all weather turnout area in the trash paddock which incorporates the field shelters. With not much land I would have previously been horrified at losing an area of grazing to hard standing but it's going to be a god send next winter. They will be turned out on all weather every day during winter from 6:30am til about 8pm. They will get at least an hour or two in adjoining paddock for a run around. It means I can get stables finished and ready for night time in the morning which is a must for me as by the time the kids are in bed I have no energy left for mucking out again or filling haynets! Also my shetland is a real fatty so he can use the area in the summer with well soaked hay rather than just strip grazing. My two acre field is enough for the big horse who is a poor doer all summer and I am going to put a track around the outside that big horse can graze down then fatty can go on for some variety. The plans I had for how I would manage my land are completely different to the reality of it! If you have good hacking that would also be a big consideration for me. I have to hack up 500 yards of 40mph main road to the lanes and my plan of being able to do this confidently with a bomb proof horse have not turned out as I wanted either! Yes she really is brilliant with the quarry lorries, hGVs, tractors etc but I didn't factor in just how stupid and dangerous some drivers are. We are both completely decked out in high viz but still get some cars and vans going by so fast and close I can touch them :-/ So I don't hack out if it's at all dull, windy or wet which means my saddle time this winter has been very little. For this reason we are also giving up another 20x40m area of our precious grazing for an arena. But for all the above, having my neddies at home is wonderful. I love watching them from my kitchen and having their heads poking over the fence when we are in the garden in the summer - and our clay ground is so hard in the summer they sometimes come into the garden with us and save me time on the mower :-)
 
For two natives, it may just work, but probably not for an extra two.

We have six that are turned out on a 5 acre field (in at night, all year round), and surprisingly it does work. A lot of them are natives, and then we have two Andalusians. The grass is never very long, but often more than enough for all 6, and we still have enough room to 'reserve' 2 paddocks for riding, one for flatwork and the other for jumping.
 
Thriller said:
2 Acres to me for those kind is enough. I have just over an acre maybe an acre and and half and i have a cob and two miniatures on it. Last summer i had to take them all off it and borrow two TBs to eat the grass cause my lot were about to bust and die. i have a small paddock before it which is maybe 1/4 acre of just weed/mud/moss/crap that i use for my all weather turn out.
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Haha. I would agree with this.
Unfortunately our yard has very limited grazing even during summer. We have 3 in an acre field during the day then back in at night and it seems to do not too bad though not ideal at all!
 
SusieT said:
2 acres is too small - you want 5 acres for 2 ponies with room for facilities. I'd wait for the right placed.
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^ is a load of rubbish as the OP's 2 are native ponies & good do-ers.

OP, I'd hold out for more if you can, 2 acres would be manageable for 2, but def not 4 unless only turning out half days & feeding hay all year round.
 
If clay, you do need to manage it when it's wet. How er, for 2 possibly 3 natives imwouodmsay you'll manage most of the year, but november- april are the more difficult my this especially if we get a really wet winter like year.
I have 3.5 acres in clay soil. Last winter i had a 17.2 ish, and 4 Welsh cobs on it. The cobs were fine, but the big boy mushed the field dreadfully and ended up staying in days on end, which I dislike. The Ish was meant to be returning to his owner after our loan finished, but the owner didn't collect him when the loan ended, so he was with me by default longer than he should have been and 2 of the cobs had then been purchased and I took delivery.
5 was too many with one big horse. 3 is manageable though so as your children grow and if you get 2 bigger ones it's just a case of managing what you have.
I have one trash paddock in the winter, so I then have 2 other fields come the better weather.
 
indiat said:
The offer has been turned down on our dream house in Cheshire with five acres. We are struggling to find places with land but one house has been on our list that is big enough, has stables etc in place and is close to fantastic hacking BUT it only has two acres of grazing. We only have two native ponies at the moment, one of whom needs to be very restricted as he is fructose intolerant but my girls were hoping to have a pony each. Would it possible to use the two acres as turnout only and feed supplementary forage all year? I assume I would have to sacrifice some of the grazing to create an all weather turnout for them? Can anyone give me examples of how they manage small parcels of land? I am a complete novice I am afraid. :(
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Two acres is really only suitable for one horse/pony as you would need to section it off (eg with electric fencing) so you could rotate the grazing area. This is important even if grazing is part-time and combined with stabling. Even one horse can make a dog's dinner of a pasture in bad weather and you'd be surprised how quickly the horse/pony will eat down the grass even in the growing season.

The British Horse Society site has some useful info about pasture size requirements. Unfortunately the relevant section won't link. Please bear in mind that their recommendations are the minimum and it will depend on the quality of the land, drainage, etc.

Bear in mind that good quality supplementary forage 12 months of the year will work out very expensive.
 
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Two acres (especially if good Cheshire grazing on good soil) is fine for two native ponies, but, as someone else said earlier on, they will need bigger ponies in time, so it would depend on whether this is to be a forever house.. Personally I'd keep looking.
 
I would find that acceptable, it depends on the land and if you can manage it, yes it won't be enough for two horses, but the girls may not want to go on to horses, and you may have opportunity to acquire extra land, or a better property [finances permitting].
As this is not your dream property, perhaps you should not offer top wack.
I think that buying hay all year round will be cheaper than buying extra acres, I would certainly think that management will be more difficult, but you might be able to rent a few acres for a short period to give your own land a rest, else you are going to have to do a lot of poo picking and create all weather turnout etc etc.
 
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