Would you move to a yard with limited turnout?

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Elo

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At the moment my horse is turned out everyday on good grazing. I have the choice to move to a private yard for minimum cost, but turnout would most likely be limited due to grazing, I would estimate around one acre, possibly less. This would be for two horses (14.2hh and 15.2hh).

My horse is a good doer so does not technically need a lot of grazing. However I do think that horses should be turned out everyday to at least stretch their legs and interact with other horses if nothing else. I also think it can't be healthy (physically and mentally) if there is hardly any grass to eat. I imagine they would get hay in the morning and then stand around for the rest of the day. It doesn't really encourage them to move around.

The ground is good but the field is not level so not sure how bad the mud would get.

There is a possibility of of extending the grazing in the future.

What are other people's thoughts on this? Would you move?
 
The minimum cost of the new yard would probably be quickly made up to maximum by all the extra hay and feed required, even a good doer will struggle on one acre two sharing it will mean there is never any grass so hay needed pretty much all year, not to mention the possible vets bills if they don't get on in a small area accidents are more likely to happen.
That there may be more available in the future cannot be taken as definite.
 
Elo said:
At the moment my horse is turned out everyday on good grazing. I have the choice to move to a private yard for minimum cost, but turnout would most likely be limited due to grazing, I would estimate around one acre, possibly less. This would be for two horses (14.2hh and 15.2hh).

My horse is a good doer so does not technically need a lot of grazing. However I do think that horses should be turned out everyday to at least stretch their legs and interact with other horses if nothing else. I also think it can't be healthy (physically and mentally) if there is hardly any grass to eat. I imagine they would get hay in the morning and then stand around for the rest of the day. It doesn't really encourage them to move around.

The ground is good but the field is not level so not sure how bad the mud would get.

There is a possibility of of extending the grazing in the future.

What are other people's thoughts on this? Would you move?
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Depends how it is maintained as if you have acreage less than the horse % then it needs to be able to cope and maintained well. Also no horse out 24.7, if there is a risk it would be a quagmire then no but if it would cope and divided into smaller areas of turnout so some rested then possibly.
 
Thanks for responses. You have all confirmed what I have been thinking.

Good point about the cost of hay. The price of livery is to include bedding and hay. Don't think YO has thought that through given how much hay they will need.

The two horses will be stabled overnight but likely to either be turned out all day 8am-4pm as YO and I both work or kept in every alternate day.

HGA - YO are very on top of things so have no doubt they would keep the field well maintained.
 
Don't move!
I have 4 acres between 3. 2 horses & 1 14.2. The 3/4 acre paddock i only use in the summer months to rest the 2 1/2 acre field which is the main summer field. I then have a 1 acre paddock & a little 1/4 acre hard standing with grass over it in front of their stables which i use in winter.

This is only just enough sounds like a lot but when you consider rotating to allow new grass to come through you need the land. I ended up feeding hay in the field last winter & will again this winter & they are also in over night
 
Yes, but only if it was feasible to set up a track system, and it was sandy soil or there was hardstanding type area to use in the winter. But I have a very, very good doer cob and spend my entire time restricting his grazing
 
I would never move to a yard with limited turnout, but depending on the horse I would move to one with limited grass. There is a difference, and to me you describe the latter.

Earlier this year I moved to an area where surprisingly livery options are limited. I found a yard that ticked lots of boxes but had small acreage for the horses. They do however have a reasonable attitude to turnout.

With a natural fatty and a laminitic, keeping them together on an acre of poor grazing has actually made things easier!

So for fat working horses or laminitics, provided the ground holds up and they get enough hours out then it's workable.
 
Personally I wouldn't have a problem with 1 acre at all. For 2 horses it is ample space for turnout. I feed hay to supplement grazing all year round, I have got out of the British mindset that the land must feed the horses.

So in response to the question, if that is your only worry about moving then YES, I would move IF, the area wasn't an absolute bog when it got wet and I could feed hay ad-lib.
 
Enfys said:
Personally I wouldn't have a problem with 1 acre at all. For 2 horses it is ample space for turnout. I feed hay to supplement grazing all year round, I have got out of the British mindset that the land must feed the horses.

So in response to the question, if that is your only worry about moving then YES, I would move IF, the area wasn't an absolute bog when it got wet and I could feed hay ad-lib.
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Agree with this. Not many other places in the EU has huge, lush fields. Horses and ponies are usually muddled together on small, bare paddocks and are absolutely fine (and not fat!).
 
meesha said:
No, cost u a fortune in hay and you may end up with a very frustrated horse if you can't exercise enough !
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As above. Horses need space to run about and be a horse. They need a certain amount of grazing to fulfil the psychological need to eat and if there is nothing they could end up chewing your fences.
 
I moved last year for several reasons and I compromised on a yard with small individual turn out paddocks knowing I could manage/rest the paddock myself. However, the mud on the way to my paddock made it inaccessible for about 4 months over the winter and my mare ended up with a couple of hours turnout per day in the school and I'm on the move again.

Basically I've learnt my lesson turnout wise!
 
Personally not no.
I was at a yard for a few years with very restricted turnout. I found it really quite stressful as my horse needed so much riding and fitting it all in with work was a nightmare. I stayed because we also loaned a pony who's owner stipulated it had to stay at that yard sadly.
Another thing when considering a move like this to consider is the cost. My bedding and hay costs almost doubled.
 
Arzada said:
Never. And it would be a complete nightmare if the YO didn't permit hay in field.
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I don't agree, many YO won't hay in fields. This happens at many yards, as haying in fields makes a mess and creates areas of boggyness. Is acceptable if they are field kept though and kept in use round containers, not if they are stabled part time, ours just come early if grazing is reduced. However they always seem to find something to eat unless the snow is covering the ground.
 
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Thanks again for the responses.

The land has never had horses on it before and so we don't know how boggy it will be. However the land is not level, it slopes downwards with some ditches. The ground appears to be quite good from what we can see.

Also, I am not definite that the grazing is one acre, it may be less.
 
No, I wouldn't. Having been on yards in the past with limited turnout, I definitely wouldn't go back to that - it's one of my absolute must-haves to have the freedom to turnout whenever I like. Mine live out 24/7 in the summer and are in at night and out during the day in the winter. This is sometimes reduced to them being out for half a day when the weather is really bad, but I do like them to get out everyday.
 
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