# land questions .....



## Larra98 (Jan 17, 2009)

Ok I didn't know where to put this but I hope it is the right spot. :-|
SOON I will start to clear of land. I don't want to worry about
constantly buying hay because my horse dosn't have enough grass.
so how much land would it take for a Haflinger and a friesian (2)
to have enough grass to eat though the summer and have enough
hay for all the winter (the hay comes from the same field)?????
Plaese help!
Larra


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## Larra98 (Jan 17, 2009)

ok i guess it is too hard???


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

Where I board my horses, my BO has about 12 acres for land for 10 horses, 2 mini donkeys and 1 mini. In the summertime there is enough grass that they don't need any hay. Though she does buy hay in the winter.

I'm really not sure how many acres 2 horses would need to have.

sorry if that wasn't really helpful


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

we baled a couple acres and had enough for the year (3 cuts) but the horses were not on the same land we were baling...


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## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

For the best advice for your particular circumstances you should speak with your county agriculture agent. They will even come out and help you with a plan for optimal land usage.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Appyt is right, you need to contact your local Department of Agriculture or Natural resources agent. The land needed can very by state and rainfall. Your in Atlanta which I think has been having a drought for the last few years. What you need during those times will be different then for normal rainfall years too. 
The main thing if you wish to have a "hay meadow" area is to set it aside from your normal horse pasture. I used to have our place split into 3 sections. A dry lot, a warm season pasture and a cool season pasture and I only have 10 acres. I still buy my hay, its just cheaper to buy it from my neighbor than to pay someone to bale it, or purchase and maintain the equipment needed to bale it myself.


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## Larra98 (Jan 17, 2009)

WOW! thanks for all the help! I will be sure to ask a local Agriculture or Natural resources agent.


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## chelssss(: (Jul 22, 2008)

Where i live, you HAVE to have three acres per horse.
Maybe look up your states equine laws? and see what the legal about of land is?


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

chelssss(: said:


> Where i live, you HAVE to have three acres per horse.
> Maybe look up your states equine laws? and see what the legal about of land is?


Chelsss - that's for horse ownership -- she's asking about how much is need to grow sufficient hay... different issue

People have given you good advice. And be conservative -- that is -- if you are told 5 acres and you have the option to do 7 -- go with the 7. A bad year can really mess you up. A good year, you can either sell it or fallow some the next year.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I asked my husband and he doesnt think you are going to be able to hay the same land they are turned out on. You'd be better off doing a sacrifice lot (which would be like a corral that you can shut the in that will more then likely always be dirt). Then have your pasture, and you can monitor your grass and keep it from being eaten down to much. Keep them up in the lot when it's really wet so they don't tear it up and also pull them off the grass entirely for the winter. Then if you can get yourself a 2 or 3 acre section that they are not on at all you can probably bail enough to get you through the year... hope that helps.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Larra -- just how much land do you have available anyway? I have 157 acres, but it's mostly bush... to many people anything more than 5 acres is unthinkable... Personally, I find our land too confining. I want 500 acres minimum one day!


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

We're looking at a place now. The guy is a trainer and he's moving out of state. He has about ten acres in hay and does 2 cuttings. He has a neighbor come in and farm the hay for half of the hay. The current owner had 16 horses and didn't have to purchase any hay, only some feed in winter. He still has tons left. Anyway, he does only two cuttings in summer, doesn't fertilize, but lets the horses graze that field all winter long. This piece of property is 25 acres. Only about ten are in hay.


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## hotreddun (Jun 27, 2008)

Im pretty sure Atlanta is in the same growing zone as me...Zone 8. My trainer has 25 acres...10 for turn-out and 15 for growing hay (which never has horses on it). She feeds hay heavily in winter to all the horses and usually only once a day during the summer to ease up on the grass eating when it is to hot to grow. If you want to cut hay you can not put horses on it. It will never get to a length proper for cutting.


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## Larra98 (Jan 17, 2009)

farmpony84 said:


> I asked my husband and he doesnt think you are going to be able to hay the same land they are turned out on. You'd be better off doing a sacrifice lot (which would be like a corral that you can shut the in that will more then likely always be dirt). Then have your pasture, and you can monitor your grass and keep it from being eaten down to much. Keep them up in the lot when it's really wet so they don't tear it up and also pull them off the grass entirely for the winter. Then if you can get yourself a 2 or 3 acre section that they are not on at all you can probably bail enough to get you through the year... hope that helps.


 yeah u r probley right.
I guess it won't hurt that bad to buy a little hay. :-o


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## Larra98 (Jan 17, 2009)

northernmama said:


> Larra -- just how much land do you have available anyway? I have 157 acres, but it's mostly bush... to many people anything more than 5 acres is unthinkable... Personally, I find our land too confining. I want 500 acres minimum one day!


 I don't have a pasture but i have 40 acres. I'm trying to find out how much land to clear. :?


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

we cleared about 10 and it doesnt seem like it's enough... we are still in the pasture building stage though... it seems like it takes forever...


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## Larra98 (Jan 17, 2009)

OK.. doing a LOT of reading and pasture management reading i think i'm going with 4 acres for my 2 horses! time to get out that dozer!!!!!!!!


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