Gun Dog Forum

Moving in the next year or so... going to get a couple of horses, but not sure if I'll board them nearby or keep them on the land (looking at 5-30 acres).

I don't want to put up a barn or anything, so this will effect which homes we look at.

So, question: Is it a major pain in the a** to keep them on your own property or worth the convenience?

I'm very new to horses and don't even know how to put a saddle on (taking riding lessons soon where I'm sure they'll go over this).


Thanks!

IMO it was always a bigger pain in the "bleep" to not have them on location.

My wife had two a few weeks ago, just one now. She has always said she doesnt want to have the horses on our property. If you have horses on your property, you cannot go anywhere. You cannot leave them by themselves or always have to make sure you have someone to watch them. Just my .02 being a horse owner. They do take a lot of time either way.

Seriously Gooseman? Why could you not go anywhere? I have two horses here on the property and couldnt see the reason in sending them somewhere else. I am tied more to the quail (3,000) than the horses and still have time every summer to take a vacation. Horses take care of themselves for the most part if they have adequate pasture and water.

When you are looking at houses ask about zoning for horses. Sometimes it may look like you can keep horses but often there are certain requirements such as acreage and how property lines make may make horses too near neighbor.
A two months of full care for two horses would pay for a simple run in shed. I know quite a few horse owners and horses do not keep them tied to the house.My dogs take a lot more attention than the horses.

topher40 wrote:Seriously Gooseman? Why could you not go anywhere? I have two horses here on the property and couldnt see the reason in sending them somewhere else. I am tied more to the quail (3,000) than the horses and still have time every summer to take a vacation. Horses take care of themselves for the most part if they have adequate pasture and water.

X1. Mine was turned out in the pasture all summer. Called them up to the dry lot other day and they were fat and happy.

They were probably living the good life (on their own) to long, because now they have a months worth of just getting back into shape.

What is minimum amount of land I would need for 2? Feeding hay is fine - doesn't have to just be grass in a pasture...

If you dont mind feeding hay in the dry times. I would say 15 acres if plenty for 2.

depends on the quality of your pasture. If you have a small amount I suggest an electric fence to separate the field and rotate them, otherwise they will eat an area low and just keep grazing that area for fresh grass leaving the taller.

Well, I guess I grew up caring for horses and other animals more than just pasture. Our horses got grain every morning and night. My wife rides them in work quite a bit so they need more than just pasture. When horses work on a regular basis or are still growing, they can't live on strictly pasture. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving a few horses in a field by themselves for a week. What happens when it storms, they freak out and run through or into the fence you had them in and you're not coming home for another four days?

If my quail have enough food and water for the length of time I'm going away, I don't have one problem leaving them for a week since I know they don't have the size to break my pen and get out.

My dad kept 3horses on 7acres for years but he rotated them every 2weeks to the day and supplemented with hay and grain, In a perfect world on good pasture 1-2 acres per head would be great, but they will walk down more than they eat. By rotating them every couple weeks you give each pasture several weeks to recover.

We also have a hard time leaving for vacation, for more than a day or 2, Its just too hard to try to depend on someone else to come up for feed and water. I will say that 9 of our 13 are in stalls so their is no pasture to speak of.

It works out though because when the wife loads up to go to a horse show I have the excuse of staying home and taking care of the farm. haha

There's more to this than just buying horses and putting up a shed. One horse on its own will be lonely, they are herd animals. Fence is expensive to put up, and you'd better do it right or your livestock will be out, causing a hazard to traffic and a nuisance for your neighbours. Got lots of liability insurance? You'll need somewhere to buy hay, grain and supplements; and somewhere dry to store them which is rat and mouse proof. What does hay cost per ton during a drought? You will need an all weather source for water. Do you have a plan for manure handlng and disposal? What about fly control? You will need to find a local vet, farrier and tack store. Did you budget $60k for a trailer, and something safe and reliable with which to tow it?

Maybe just get your feet wet in all this by half boarding a horse somewhere local, which would mean that you share a horse with someone. Maybe leasing a horse from another trialer would work. If you have a horse which you want to buy, boarding him out will make it easy to change your mind later if the whole thing is not for you.

I have been a neighbour with someone who got two horses with no plan. It was a 5 year wreck for the neighbourhood, but also for the poor horses involved. No neglect really, but the horses' needs were not met because the owners didn't understand what was involved with keeping livestock. They moved to the country with a dream, but no plan.

marysburg wrote:There's more to this than just buying horses and putting up a shed. One horse on its own will be lonely, they are herd animals. Fence is expensive to put up, and you'd better do it right or your livestock will be out, causing a hazard to traffic and a nuisance for your neighbours. Got lots of liability insurance? You'll need somewhere to buy hay, grain and supplements; and somewhere dry to store them which is rat and mouse proof. What does hay cost per ton during a drought? You will need an all weather source for water. Do you have a plan for manure handlng and disposal? What about fly control? You will need to find a local vet, farrier and tack store. Did you budget $60k for a trailer, and something safe and reliable with which to tow it?

Maybe just get your feet wet in all this by half boarding a horse somewhere local, which would mean that you share a horse with someone. Maybe leasing a horse from another trialer would work. If you have a horse which you want to buy, boarding him out will make it easy to change your mind later if the whole thing is not for you.

I have been a neighbour with someone who got two horses with no plan. It was a 5 year wreck for the neighbourhood, but also for the poor horses involved. No neglect really, but the horses' needs were not met because the owners didn't understand what was involved with keeping livestock. They moved to the country with a dream, but no plan.

After reading all of this I think I would just go jump off of a tall building instead of owning a horse.

Ezzy

Get real, I have a 200.00 trailer that is towed behind a $1000 truck. My horses are cared for better than most people that have those $30k trailers. They arent they expensive, but they do have their cost's.

marysburg wrote:There's more to this than just buying horses and putting up a shed. One horse on its own will be lonely, they are herd animals. Fence is expensive to put up, and you'd better do it right or your livestock will be out, causing a hazard to traffic and a nuisance for your neighbours. Got lots of liability insurance? You'll need somewhere to buy hay, grain and supplements; and somewhere dry to store them which is rat and mouse proof. What does hay cost per ton during a drought? You will need an all weather source for water. Do you have a plan for manure handlng and disposal? What about fly control? You will need to find a local vet, farrier and tack store. Did you budget $60k for a trailer, and something safe and reliable with which to tow it?

Maybe just get your feet wet in all this by half boarding a horse somewhere local, which would mean that you share a horse with someone. Maybe leasing a horse from another trialer would work. If you have a horse which you want to buy, boarding him out will make it easy to change your mind later if the whole thing is not for you.

I have been a neighbour with someone who got two horses with no plan. It was a 5 year wreck for the neighbourhood, but also for the poor horses involved. No neglect really, but the horses' needs were not met because the owners didn't understand what was involved with keeping livestock. They moved to the country with a dream, but no plan.

I find this a bit ammusing

There's a book out there...Horsekeeping on Small Acreage by Cherry Hill, that is suppose to be really good.

Gooseman07 wrote:
If my quail have enough food and water for the length of time I'm going away, I don't have one problem leaving them for a week since I know they don't have the size to break my pen and get out.

You obviously have never raised quail. They can get out of anything no matter how good of a pen you have them in. Not to mention EVERY predator known to man that wants in. One coon gets in and tears a hole in your net you will wake up in the morning with nothing.

I don't have a problem getting away. have one horse here that isn't mine. It's got enough pasture to leave a week or so and a large water trough. My quail are not out in a flight pen but a have a 20' x 30' pen built into the back of my machine shed, they are safe there. my chickens wonder around all day and have water outside. The pigeons I just leave extra water and feed and I'm gone. Got three rabbits that need tending everyday. Friends do them but these three will be the last. To get out of a storm, the horse has a loafing shed out in the pasture. I have this on 10.25 acres and I have a couple acres I could fence off for more pasture. When I was married we kept three horses here. I have no idea how your fixed for money but I understand boarding can get expensive.

We used to have the horse's feet done every three months, shots and worming once a year and we'd put in six ton of hay to get thru to the next hay season. hay here is running about $175 a ton undelivered.