Minimum acreage.....

[frostyfingers]

I know the recommended is 1 acre per horse (or at least I think that's what it is), but if I'm looking at a house with probably just over 1 acre do you think that's enough for a TB in light work and a small pony on very little work.

Where I am now they are usually kept in a wood chip yard for most of the day, the horse is out in the field at night, and the pony is strip grazed, with occasional time out in the field....

They are both quite round on this regime, but not overweight and in the winter I generally only feed the horse, and the pony gets hay if in, or if there is snow or frost.

If this house is perfect in every way except this paddock, am I mad to consider it, or do you think supplementary feeding will get me by?

the minimum grazing is 1.5 acres fo the first horse and an acre per horse after that. However that only applies if you intend to keep the horses out 24/7 365 days per year and not suplement with hay.

This would allow you to strip gaze in summer and have enough land so that it didnt all get trashed in winter.

if you manage the land carefully, divide it up so you can rest it and keep the horses off it when it is wet, keep horses in at night in winter etc, an acre will be fine for a horse and a pony especially if you have good doers.

Just be aware that if you allow them to totally trash the field in winter, you won't have enough land to be able to set it aside to recover over the summer. which is why you'll probably need to keep them in at night and even during the day if it is wet, and set aside a small corner as a winter 'trash paddock', giving them hay in there during the day.

Is it in an area where you might be able to arrange to rent a nearby field for a month or so in the spring in order to rest yours? That could make all the difference. Last winter was so awful we thought our field would never have grass on it again but a few weeks rest worked wonders.

We have a horse and 3 ponies on 7.5 acres and find we have to strip graze to make it last. However ours are out all year (in at night in Winter though).

With a TB you'll be getting it in at night for most of the year and probably won't turn it out at all during the worst weather so you should be alright with careful management. You may have to make a very small pen (which they can totally trash) for turning out whilst you muck out etc.

I would also point out that in any field there will be sections that they won't really eat. Hopefully they will make these their toilet and you can keep on top of it by poo picking all the time.

We poo pick every day and there are no rank areas at all, they graze it all very evenly.

Now we've had a bit of rain it's gone all lovely and green and looks better than my lawn at home. Can you tell where my priorities lie? Wish I could put the horses in the garden to save mowing!

You are so lucky Pixel. We have areas which, to us, look marvellous. They are lush and we keep them poo free. However the ponies won't touch them!

They seem to love the areas which look as short as a bowling green.

That's strange. Maybe it needs topping?

At one point, my friend had sixteen assorted ponies on around five acres! Strip grazed and in at night with hay, they were all quite happy! She is now down to ten. The land has been grazed for about ten years and could do with topping, but it still does them fine. If you keep your guys in at night and on wet days, an acre should stretch to two. I agree that you should have a backup paddock for a while each year to rest it though to keep your land fresh. I might be mean and horrid, but I leave my ponies with the green patches until they eat them, once they graze them over once or twice, the grass becomes less coarse and more palatable. You could also run a lawn mower over them.

It does depend on the land. Well drained chalk soil can stand up well, if it's clay soil then I wouldn't even consider it. Maybe you could find a bit of backup grazing locally to rent?

Pixel - mine do go in the garden, but only when Dh is away at conferences etc - he doesn't seem to like it, can't understand why!

Well I'm mighty relieved. I've seen the paddocks, there are 2 divided by hedges and the grass is really good quality, topped monthly and grazed for 3 months annually by sheep, apart from that untouched. There are very few weeds, and it's well drained and sheltered. It has been used for horses previously, but not for about 3 years.

I reckon with care we can manage, there is a field shelter and a stable and if we do buy we could arrange for the sheep to still come in as necessary.

Now that's sorted I can decide whether the house is worth considering!

There are also other people with horses in the area so I think it may be possible to rent a bit short term if necessary.

Sounds lovely. (but also !)