The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

How much space does a horse need?

44K views 25 replies 14 participants last post by  caseymyhorserocks 
#1 ·
How big should a turnout for one horse be? There is no grass, just a place for a horse to stretch it's legs and run around comfortably. What about four horses at once?

I heard the general rule is one acre per horse, but that is assuming the horse is pasture fed. I'm assuming it Is different with a large weatherproof hay bale laying in the desert pasture.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#2 ·
I have heard 100' X 100' is a decent size dry lot for one horse -- enough to allow them to stretch their legs and move around. I wouldn't think that you have to double or triple it with the addition of each horse, but you might consider adding another 20' per extra horse... or something like that.
 
#7 ·
Yeah, agree with the above, esp honeysugar & PaintHorse. It depends. To a certain degree it's like saying a certain dog 'needs a big yard' when regardless of size, if it's not a motivating environment it doesn't matter. Horses need exercise but are largely lazy beasts when there's no reason to move, (generally) are far better in company, so I'd opt for keeping 2-3 horses in a yard/paddock of whatever size. If it's very limited, so long as they have adequate room to get away from one another they tend to get on. But in a small pen they will need a fair bit more exercise from you. They are made for open spaces, lots of movement & herd environment & I do think this is best, but whatever we may be stuck with, keeping that in mind & working for the most natural lifestyle we can will help.
 
#10 ·
You do need to check on zoning rules for your area first
Depending on how much daily exercise & attention/stimulation the horse gets you can keep a horse in a stable 24/7 and it will be fine - its how many racehorses, competition horses, working horses etc live but they aren't in that small space all the time and if you cant give them the work then their muscles will weaken and circulation not be so good - plus their mental attitude can change and bad habits being like food aggression,weaving, chewing and cribbing develop
If you're going to put a lot of horses into one small area they have to get on really well with each other as no room to avoid conflicts
 
#11 ·
Our paddocks are roughly 60x60, give or take on a few. 2-3 go in each and we always make sure they get along swimmingly because there is no room for really escaping. When they are fed we spread the hay and always leave one more pile then there is horses.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#12 ·
Our guys are in a few different size paddocks on 2.25 acres. The biggest is probably about an acre, with a group of three and a group of two rotated on it. Then we have a 48'x72' pen/riding area that has anywhere from 2-6 minis in it. Another small pen that is maybe 15'x72', usually has 2 minis but occasionally 3. Both of those pens can be opened up to the barn to give more room if necessary. The smaller pen is maybe 35'x40', give or take. It's a bit odd shaped, and it has 2 minis in it. The smallest is about 15'x20', and it has one mini in it.

Our paddocks have little to no grass, so essentially dry lots. The horses get fed twice daily, and have had this routine for 15+ years. They used to be on straight sweet feed, but we have recently begun adding a 12% protein pellet(I forget the other ingredients/percentages), and our grain about 75/25 SF/pellets. They are given about 10lbs of hay per horse(5 lbs for the shetland, about 2 lbs each mini), per feeding. Never had an issue with colics, ulcers, bad attitudes, hot horses etc. that is associated with our routine. Is it ideal? No, absolutely not. But it has been tried and true for so long, that my grandmother is unwilling to make changes. I would prefer they were straight pasture kept, but there just isn't the room and our ground does not grow grass well, it is a slate base.
 
#13 ·
Anyone one looking to keep horses should be looking at the largest possible space, not the smallest. The bigger the better and the more turn out the better! We have 25 horses on 7 acres. Every little spaced has, and has to be, been optimize! 6 horses come in at night as per their owners request. And on pair is in during the day 7-4 and out all night. There is room for pretty much ALL there horses to be outside 24/7, if need be.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#19 ·
Anyone one looking to keep horses should be looking at the largest possible space, not the smallest.
I'm sure just about everyone does, but I think OP is asking because reality means that the largest space *that's feasible for someone* may be vastly smaller than what might be ideal - such as your 60' pens(sorry, but can't bring myself to call that size a paddock!:lol:
 
#14 ·
All of ours are out 24/7, except in winter they stay in if it's below 20*F, snowy or rainy. They all have room to get away from each other and are only turned out with someone they get along with. It's a very peaceable situation, for us. No real scuffles or anything like that, even with one breeding stallion, a former breeding stallion(now gelding), and two stud colts. The boys play rough, and my mares boss my gelding around, but nothing they can't handle.
 
#16 ·
My horses just got kicked out to pasture yesterday its 4 acers of lush grass. Their in hog heaven. Won't even come up for their dailey alfalfa pellets with supplements.

Their paddocks are a 100 by 50 that's were they live in winter. Hardly ever have them in paddocks come summer they run on the 4 acers.

Running out of hay so its pasture time full time now.
 
#22 ·
Here is an aerial photo of my corral for 3 horses. Zoning restrictions on setbacks for horse corrals prevent expanding it much. It is about 70 feet top to bottom, and about 95 feet max across. A lot of the time, all 3 horses will be side-by-side under the double shade. If my neighbors didn't hate horses, I could expand it by about 30 additional feet...:-x

 
#26 · (Edited)
My two horses are kept in a 100 ft long pen with half of it being 30 feet wide and the other half 70 feet wide, but only in winter to preserve pasture. I have 20 acres, but only 2.5 acres of open land - the rest is heavily forested and I cant trust Candy in a temporary fence which is the only thing we can use as we are logging it in 5 years. And you can bet every inch of the 2.5 acres is used for grazing (except for the house and garden!) , including my lawn. We get a lot of rain, 50+ inches so they can only be kept in a gravelled area safely, and I am not graveling one of my pastures!

As I live in Cali, I see a lot of horses kept in less then ideal situations. The biggest horse boarding spot here has 200 horses on 5 acres. Horses are kept in box stalls with one window, and if they are lucky they are let out a 12 by 30 pen each day. Every horse is miserable. Casey goes crazy if I ride her there because of all the horses with vices and running around in their tiny pens. Another place turns horses out in 12by 30 pens as well. I went to the bay area for a horse show, amazing facility. The horses had stalls with 50 foot runs. You could turn them out in a 20 by 100 pen if you wanted, but no more than 1.5 hours, and every horse there was happy! I saw no cribbers, chewers, pacers, etc, and every horse was regularly exercised. I wouldn't mind boarding there if it wasn't 50 feet off the freeway. It is all about the facility and the surrounding horses!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top