# How many horses can I have on 7 acres??



## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

I was raised on the OH/PA border. The Rule of Thumb was five acres per piece of large livestock.

I called the Ag person in my county in Middle Tennessee when we first retired here. He said five acres per piece of livestock applies here as well.

Meaning you are done adding livestock to seven acres, unless you want to buy Cherry Hill‘s book and learn how to rotate, how to maintain small acreage. Also be prepared to hay them them most or all of the year especially if a drought comes along.

My horses have to be separated. One is on about six acres. Right now, he can’t keep, it eaten down. That will all change around October and by December he will barely have any grazing - all by himself on more or less six acres.

Others who do keep many horses on small acreage may come in and relate how they do it but it’s a lot more work and expense when acreage is over crowded, not to mention the health issue


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

walkinthewalk said:


> I was raised on the OH/PA border. The Rule of Thumb was five acres per piece of large livestock.
> 
> I called the Ag person in my county in Middle Tennessee when we first retired here. He said five acres per piece of livestock applies here as well.
> 
> ...


Ok, Thanks for the info! So I can't have any more horses than 2 on 7 acres?


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## ferricyanide (Jan 14, 2020)

I think it depends where you live? I feel like where i live, i have always heard 2 acres per horse.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Not if you want pasture to be a large part of their diet.

If you want to supply hay year round you can have more. I know here in Indiana you have to have 1 acre per head of livestock but other states may have different laws. The crazy part about it is the pasture or whatever doesn't have to be an acre per head you just have to own that many acres. For instance, you own 5 acres but only have 3 acres of that fenced for livestock. You can still have 5 head on that 3 acres. I do not know how strict they are at enforcing it, I think not very.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

ferricyanide said:


> I think it depends where you live? I feel like where i live, i have always heard 2 acres per horse.


Thanks so much for info!


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

JCnGrace said:


> Not if you want pasture to be a large part of their diet.
> 
> If you want to supply hay year round you can have more. I know here in Indiana you have to have 1 acre per head of livestock but other states may have different laws. The crazy part about it is the pasture or whatever doesn't have to be an acre per head you just have to own that many acres. For instance, you own 5 acres but only have 3 acres of that fenced for livestock. You can still have 5 head on that 3 acres. I do not know how strict they are at enforcing it, I think not very.


Thank you! I would definitely supply hay in the winter, but do you mean for the summer?


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## ferricyanide (Jan 14, 2020)

🤷‍♀️ i have a total of 8 acres but my two are on like 6 acres and im drowning in grass and mowing currently. I feed hay in winter only.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

ferricyanide said:


> 🤷‍♀️ i have a total of 8 acres but my two are on like 6 acres and im drowning in grass and mowing currently. I feed hay in winter only.


I only feed them hay in the winter also, and summer I just let them eat the grass, actually when I have like 3 horses in 7 acres they usually get too fat.


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## ferricyanide (Jan 14, 2020)

When i was a kid we had 3 just fine in summer. But yeah one of my 2 gets a grazing muzzle.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Friesians45 said:


> Was wondering how many horses I can have on 7 acres I have a lot of grass on it. I already have 2 horses on it, how many more can I have for it to be a decent amount of grass for them?


The first question you should be asking is what are you county/state ZONING for how many animals you can have on your acerage. Depending on your area, you may be limited on what it was zoned for. (On that note, is it even zoned for horses in the first place?)

Secondly, it varies greatly on where you live and what your turnout plans are.
If you think you are going to turn out 2 horses on 7 acres 24/7, well, you are going to have a dry lot in a hurry with zero grass. 
If you are going to graze them 1-2 hours a day and lock them up and feed hay the rest of the time, then you might be okay. 

I haven't measured, but I just put my 4 horses on an area probably about that size (7 acres or so; it is for sure not more than 10 acres). We are in a terrible drought. They are probably not going to be in there more than a few weeks, and then they are getting moved to a different location. There's just hardly any grass. Mine are out 24/7.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Friesians45 said:


> Thank you! I would definitely supply hay in the winter, but do you mean for the summer?


Yes. Now if you live in area that has lush pastures, always has adequate rainfall to keep them that way, and you put in the time and effort to keep it weed free, manure free, mud free etc... then you might be able to add a 3rd and still have enough pasture to feed them through the growing season.


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## Part-Boarder (Aug 17, 2019)

A number limit per acres probably depends on your local bylaws. If you have more horses, you will need to provide hay and your grass will be destroyed unless you rotate access to particular areas but seems to me that 7 acres is a lot of space for 2 horses (as long as hay is provided). You could consider a paddock paradise system around the perimeter of your pasture and let them graze at particular times - again hay would need to be provided but if the bylaws allow, you could probably keep more horses that way.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

When I lived in east Texas I could keep one per two acres. West Texas it was one per 150 acres. Up close to the Oklahoma border it was 1 per 5 to 10 acres. Depending on your rainfall znd soil conditions which could and often would be dramatically different place to place you can find recommendations for any number. Laws in Texas for the most part said one per acre but again that all depends on zoning and is no reflection on carrying capacity. Carrying capacity gets you through a good season but you will have to feed through a not good season. Some areas if well managed and climate allows can have two seasons of grasses grown (warm and cool) but there still will be points you are feeding AND your second season is one that you are buying seed, fertilizing, putting that seed out, and keeping animals off until well established. Your area will be affected by seasonal norms. Heavy snow there will be no winter grazing. No rain in winter? Cold, freezing conditions, pastures are dormant. Drought conditions in spring or summer then no pasture at a time you would normally have pasture.

The law says how many you can keep. The land tells you how much management and money it will take to keep that number. General rule if the law allows is 1 per 2 acres. Input (time - physical input, money and material) changes based on your local conditions and seasons.

There is a woman here where I currently live in the coastal south that has one horse for every acre. 15 horses on 15 acres. She has a covered arena (full dressage) and stalls along with her house and a shop on that acreage. Those things take up space. There is no grass. She feeds year round and has to pay to haul off manure. Another has 18 to 20 on 20 acres with a barn, an outdoor arena and ring. A couple of sheds for equipment and leases another 20 acres. All grass areas are intensively managed and she has grass year round but they are supplemented hay and a varying amount of hard feed depending on workload and time of year or they would not have enough to eat for the amount of work they do. She has enough room to spread her manure from the barn and uses a drag to spread what is in the pastures which double as cross country and stadium jumping courses. Her farm is a jewel. She spends most of her time intensively managing that acreage including mowing. She also spends quite a bit in money to make sure everything is running equipment wise and kept fertilized, seeded and sprayed for weeds in areas they get out of hand. There are 5 main areas she rotates through and one large dry lot that the all spend at least part of the day twice a day in.

First answer what are your laws then ask yourself how much time and money do you have to manage that acreage as well as what are your goals for providing forage. Do you want pasture or do you want to feed year round. Realize it just isn't managing for forage you have to manage your manure as well. Have enough acreage and you can rotate grazing areas letting some rest while manure is spread around and grass recovers. Don't have enough and manure becomes a nightmare that could get you in big time trouble with authorities ranging from local to state to even federal in some cases.

Getting 3 fat on summer grass won't carry them through winter. I'd say two is plenty.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Your question isn't clear to me. Are you asking how many horses you can have as per zoning laws? That depends on where you live. Are you asking how many you can sustain on 7 acres? Two is probably your max then, but lots of people have more and just supplement with lots of hay. 

Also, when you say 7 acres, is that 7 acres of pasture? Or is the entire property (house, barn, yard + horse space) 7 acres? That is really very different. 

For reference, I have 2.5 (two small horses and a pony) on about 5 acres of pasture (my entire property is 13 acres). These are maintained pastures. I have to supplement with additional hay and be very aggressive with pasture rotation to keep them from killing it all. It's a never-ending, exhausting job. They spend no more than 3-5 days in one area. I have 5 areas in total. After a few days, I move them to a new area using temporary fencing inside a big, solid perimeter fence line. This gives the grass a chance to grow back. It works, but my life would be easier if I had 40 acres. Then again, at least one of my horses would be very fat if I didn't manage grazing aggressively, so there are benefits as well.


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

Call you local Ag Extension office. This is a loaded question and really depends on where you live and how well established your pasture is, if you will rotate, will you mow and fertilize? There is a lot more to keeping horses on pasture than putting up a fence and throwing your horses out. A pasture may look like it has a lot of grass left but a horse will not eat where it poops and they may create quite a few bathroom areas that always look like they have tall grass but the animals will not eat there. 7 acres in my area would support 2-3horses from Spring into late summer at which time the grass would be dried up and stressed from over grazing and the heat of summer. I live in NW IL and keeping a horse on pasture from May until the end of October requires lots of land and pasture management.


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## sootiek (Jul 7, 2021)

Found a good article on it, but I think calling your local Ag Extension office is a great idea.

How Many Horses Should You Have Per Acre? Reference Guide


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

beau159 said:


> The first question you should be asking is what are you county/state ZONING for how many animals you can have on your acerage. Depending on your area, you may be limited on what it was zoned for. (On that note, is it even zoned for horses in the first place?)
> 
> Secondly, it varies greatly on where you live and what your turnout plans are.
> If you think you are going to turn out 2 horses on 7 acres 24/7, well, you are going to have a dry lot in a hurry with zero grass.
> ...


Thanks! So your saying I can't have 4 horses on 7 acres 24/7, correct? I live in Oklahoma so I'm not sure if you have a limit of horses. I tried looking it up and not seeing anything about it.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

If the law allows it you can have as many horses on 7 acres as you want. The point everyone is trying to make is that your inputs whether it be extra forage and/or food year round or seasonally and management of the pasture (poo picking/spreading/removal from the property, dragging, mowing, fencing, fertilizing, overseeding...) will be determined by the number you have. It is a balance. More horses and you are buying feed and have manure and mud to manage because your grass may potentially be destroyed.

I think you are looking for some type of blanket permission from this forum to convince someone you need more horses or you are trying to see if you can turn 7 acres into a business and make money.

Several have asked you questions you haven't addressed. Is it truly 7 acres of fenced pasture? Are there buildings or driveways on the property that would mean the property may be 7 acres but the actual.pasture area is not. What is your general location and climate? What are your soils like? That will affect amount of grass and when available.

There is always going to be an ideal carrying capacity for any pasture. Even then it doesn't mean you won't have added input at certain points of the year. Ideal carrying capacity adequately feeds the number of animals on it during your growing season.

Others have mentioned manure because a horse won't eat where it poops unless it has absolutely no choice. How are you currently managing poop? More horses results in more management. If there isn't enough acreage to spread it on you will have parasite problems and hoof issues. Weeds will become an issue if you don't mow or manage the grass growth. If there are too many horses there won't be grass. Or you may have enough for spring and summer but not fall and winter. Yes if your climate allows you can overseed but where will you put the horses until that grass is established? What will you do if adding more destroys the grass there during the dormant season?

*The answer is not 7 acres = a specific number of horses because every situation is different. Laws are different depending on your location and what your actual property can support will be different depending on all those things mentioned.*

Is the property on incorporated or unincorporated land? Is it zoned residential or Agricultural? How close are the fences to any residential housing not on that property?

Look at a typical house. Number of bedrooms typically determines number of people. Put that house on a septic system. Now put three people in the house - three bedrooms (one person per bedroom) with one bathroom. Works fine. You could even add another person and if all got along and had different time schedules for the bathroom it could still work. Size is a factor. Say two of those are children (reduced needs) and two are adults then even better than 4 adults. But let's put 2 adults in every bedroom and you are now overloading the system. Add a couple more on the couch and another two each in a recliner..... or as I saw commonly happen in one place I lived - each family had a bedroom with the odd ones out (non married without kids) in the combined living areas and you could have 12 or more people in a three bedroom home. Do they fit? Sure. Is it sustainable? No. Is it allowed by law? No. Do people try to get away with it? Yes. Eventually it all comes crashing down for a variety of reasons.


*ETA: From what I remember when I did consulting work Oklahoma carrying capacity (in general as it is rarely more and frequently less or to put it in acres more typical is one animal per a greater number of acres in some parts of the state) is a one livestock unit (horse) per 5 acres recommendation IF you are bringing in forage from offsite. You are already over capacity based on that. Law though says as long as you meet specific requirements and have a minimum of an acre and a half you can put what you want on it. So unless limited by specific laws for your city or county you do what you want until the neighbors complain.*


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I read some but not all the comments...

Sure _you can_, but should you is a better question...
First off to me, you live in the US so your seasons are "the same" summer, winter, fall and spring but depending upon where you live depends what kind of native grass you have in those pastures, the length of year for growth and good nutritional content had and...how much of your pasture is not-edible by picky animals you have.
Because its green doesn't mean they will eat it and that is what many just not understand.
7 aces, all grass and more than 1/3 they _won't_ touch unless starving is a good ratio of honest assessment.
Now, how long is your growing season? 
When do you truly have growth good with decent rainfall, warm days and cool nights?
There is only a short period of time where nutrition is premium for our horses.
Snow coverage, drowned fields in mud and rain or drought in hard-baked grounds occurring.
So much depends upon your location and how much effort you put in time-wise and financially to allow you to graze longer months but controlled exposure so you not over-tax the ground and ruin your fields.

I live in Florida, land of horses and very populated with livestock. 
Behind my land is a dairy farm... = pampered cows!
The cows are only in the last 3 weeks not being supplemented with hay rounds to eat and only on grass with daily feed of minerals/vitamins for increased milk production. Seen yearly the rounds will again start to be fed about mid-August to September when the nutritional value of the grass dumps and so could the milk production if not "helped"...But the cows "graze" year-round on "busy-food"...
So for horses to truly thrive from pasture...no matter where you live you need to feed hay at least 3 months of the year minimum faithfully.
Even though green our picky connoisseurs do not eat every blade and often over-graze and can ruin the roots of the favorite areas to much...
So 7 acres of grass to me... 3 _maybe_ 4 horses _at most_ and yes you will still need to rotate where they eat, tend to the fields by mowing and doing manure pick-up or dragged *and* weed & feed or lose the good grasses to inferior and weeds.
🐴... _ jmo..._


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Yes, to be clear, I mentioned I have 2.5 horses on about 5 acres of pasture sub-divided into 5 areas so I can rotate them. BUT, and this is a big BUT, I pick up all the manure. ALL of it. Every day, or every other day. Not a single manure pile stays in my pastures. It's a heck of a lot of work. Did you know a horse, on average, produces 50 lbs of manure a day? I know, because I get to move that much manure x 2.5 daily. We do have a farm tractor, but it's not efficient to pull it out for a few piles a day, and it would ruin the grass to be constantly running it, so all of it is picked up manually. Spreading it is not an option because you will kill your grass. It must first be composted. So we haul all the manure to manure piles down the hill (this is why I have a 13 acre property, but only 5 acres fenced) where we have three piles, one for each year. By year three, the manure is composed and ready to use in gardens, etc. We gave a lot of it away this year so that was great. Believe it or not, composted manure is not always in demand, especially if you live in an agricultural area where there are farms everywhere also producing manure.

The manure piles are not near the barn - that would attract flies. So there is a low area on the property (you don't want to put your manure uphill or rainfalls will make it... interesting) that is just used for manure piles. These are very, very large piles (again, do the math above).

I can honestly say that manure management is about the only thing that holds me back in terms of how many horses I want on the property. That and grass. It needs CONSTANT attention. I need to fertilize my back pasture because weeds are overpowering the good grass despite a good mowing not long ago, but to do that, I will need to pull the horses off the pasture for 14 days so I'd like to wait until fall if I can, when they are pulled off that pasture for the winter. I may not be able to wait.


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

I think @QtrBel addressed this the best way possible. Oklahoma is an arid climate more desert like than a lot of midwestern states. 7 acres there may be barely enough for 1 horse that is out 24/7 - 2 would be at its max. As @Acadianartist artist so clearly pointed out horses kept on small acreage require A LOT of extra work. There have been a lot of great comments here and most are to the point - IT REALLY DEPENDS - it depends on you, how much work are you willing to put in, how much can your finances handle if you have to buy hay year round, how much area is truly fenced in.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Friesians45 said:


> Thanks! So your saying I can't have 4 horses on 7 acres 24/7, correct? I live in Oklahoma so I'm not sure if you have a limit of horses. I tried looking it up and not seeing anything about it.


Call your county office with your land description and ask for legal zoning laws for your parcel.

Well you can put out 4 horses on 7 acres in Oklahoma 24/7, but your 7 acres is going to turn into a 7 acre dirt lot, as they will eat/destroy the grass over time.

So if you want them to actually have grass to graze on, you are going to need to come up with a management program.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I agree that a pasture management program is required for more horses than you currently have now and already you truly need that management program to give longevity to what grazing pasture you use.
The more horses you have, the more eating and waste of the land will occur if not strictly controlled and maintained = expensive and time-consuming.
I did not mean my response to indicate a go for 3 - 4 horses, but with strict controls in place and recognizing you will be feeding hay a minimum of time and honestly probably year round with *not* continual access you might eek out...
Call your county extension office for some guidance and do indeed check your zoning laws you must abide by or face fines and worse...
🐴...


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Acadianartist said:


> BUT, and this is a big BUT, I pick up all the manure. ALL of it. Every day, or every other day.


@Acadianartist about how long does this take you per day? I mean, ballpark...


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## MeditativeRider (Feb 5, 2019)

@ACinATX at the place I volunteer, we pick up every single poop once/day for 9 horses on 6 acres fenced into individual paddocks. It takes about 45 mins to 1 h for myself or my daughter (age 12) if we either of us do it on our own. Some can do it faster (like 30 min) and others take a lot longer (multiple hours). It takes longer in winter because it is harder to get the wheelbarrow through the mud areas in each paddock. As you can imagine there are permanent large mud areas in winter.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Absolutely depends on your climate, soil, etc.

Here in New England, where it rains all summer and snows all winter, 5 acres is just dandy for my two horses unless we get a big dry spell. But I have to feed 100% hay November to May, and would no matter how big the pasture was. In California where I'm from, two horses would eat down ten acres in a growing season (which is February through June or used to be) and then they'd turn it into a wasteland, first dust, then mud. For a _sustainable_ pasture, it's in the neighborhood of 10 acres a head.

Both places are the the US, just completely different climates. There is no one answer because there is no single climate. As many posters mention, pasture always needs to be managed to keep it healthy.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

Part-Boarder said:


> A number limit per acres probably depends on your local bylaws. If you have more horses, you will need to provide hay and your grass will be destroyed unless you rotate access to particular areas but seems to me that 7 acres is a lot of space for 2 horses (as long as hay is provided). You could consider a paddock paradise system around the perimeter of your pasture and let them graze at particular times - again hay would need to be provided but if the bylaws allow, you could probably keep more horses that way.


Ok, thank you! I live in Oklahoma and I've had like 8 horses before at one time.. sometimes I will put some on the 7 acres and I have a other 2 acre field that I sometimes keep them on also.. I honestly don't think their are any restrictions here.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

Acadianartist said:


> Your question isn't clear to me. Are you asking how many horses you can have as per zoning laws? That depends on where you live. Are you asking how many you can sustain on 7 acres? Two is probably your max then, but lots of people have more and just supplement with lots of hay.
> 
> Also, when you say 7 acres, is that 7 acres of pasture? Or is the entire property (house, barn, yard + horse space) 7 acres? That is really very different.
> 
> For reference, I have 2.5 (two small horses and a pony) on about 5 acres of pasture (my entire property is 13 acres). These are maintained pastures. I have to supplement with additional hay and be very aggressive with pasture rotation to keep them from killing it all. It's a never-ending, exhausting job. They spend no more than 3-5 days in one area. I have 5 areas in total. After a few days, I move them to a new area using temporary fencing inside a big, solid perimeter fence line. This gives the grass a chance to grow back. It works, but my life would be easier if I had 40 acres. Then again, at least one of my horses would be very fat if I didn't manage grazing aggressively, so there are benefits as well.


I'm asking how many horses can I have on 7 acres for it to be an equal amount of grass for them so they don't get too skinny or something, I honestly don't know if they're are restrictions here but I've had 8 horses at one time before, all together I have 10 acres, yes the 7 acres is a pasture of grass.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

ACinATX said:


> @Acadianartist about how long does this take you per day? I mean, ballpark...


20-30 minutes or so. Not that bad. Because they are limited to smaller areas for rotational grazing, it tends to be fairly concentrated. I have a muck bucket that will hold one horse's worth of poop and I fill it about 3 times (depending on how much bedding they are soiling, sometimes the bedding gets added of course). They aren't stalled, but they tend to stay closer to the barn at night, so there's usually a bucket's worth right there. I just pick it up while they're eating their wet food. I often get one bucket in the morning, and another one or two in the evening.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

carshon said:


> Call you local Ag Extension office. This is a loaded question and really depends on where you live and how well established your pasture is, if you will rotate, will you mow and fertilize? There is a lot more to keeping horses on pasture than putting up a fence and throwing your horses out. A pasture may look like it has a lot of grass left but a horse will not eat where it poops and they may create quite a few bathroom areas that always look like they have tall grass but the animals will not eat there. 7 acres in my area would support 2-3horses from Spring into late summer at which time the grass would be dried up and stressed from over grazing and the heat of summer. I live in NW IL and keeping a horse on pasture from May until the end of October requires lots of land and pasture management.


Thanks for info, like I said don't know if their are horse amount restrictions here in Oklahoma. I would mow but how do you fertilize a field? sorry if that sounds like a stupid question since I own horses but I don't fertilize since I've only got 2 out in my field and I would think I'm feeding them the right amount since they're so overweight and their stomachs look they're about to pop, do you think I should put on a grazing muzzle?


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Friesians45 said:


> I'm asking how many horses can I have on 7 acres for it to be an equal amount of grass for them so they don't get too skinny or something, I honestly don't know if they're are restrictions here but I've had 8 horses at one time before, all together I have 10 acres, yes the 7 acres is a pasture of grass.


Ok, but not all pastures are created equal. As others have said, it really depends on your climate, the quality of the pasture, how much effort you're willing to put into keeping it clear of weeds and manure, and whether you plan on applying lime and fertilizer, whether you're going to seed, etc. In my part of the world, we only have pasture for about 3-4 months at most, so the rest of the year we feed hay. I don't know enough about your climate to know what your winter looks like, but it's likely that the grass will only sustain the horses for a few months a year. Plan on feeding hay for the rest as the grass grows dormant or dies. 

Best case scenario, with all the management in the world, seeding, fertilizing, etc. you might be able to sustain three horses for a few months.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

sootiek said:


> Found a good article on it, but I think calling your local Ag Extension office is a great idea.
> 
> How Many Horses Should You Have Per Acre? Reference Guide


Thanks! I was reading the article and think it's pretty good!


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

QtrBel said:


> If the law allows it you can have as many horses on 7 acres as you want. The point everyone is trying to make is that your inputs whether it be extra forage and/or food year round or seasonally and management of the pasture (poo picking/spreading/removal from the property, dragging, mowing, fencing, fertilizing, overseeding...) will be determined by the number you have. It is a balance. More horses and you are buying feed and have manure and mud to manage because your grass may potentially be destroyed.
> 
> I think you are looking for some type of blanket permission from this forum to convince someone you need more horses or you are trying to see if you can turn 7 acres into a business and make money.
> 
> ...


Their is nothing on the 7 acres except a little carport garage and a pond.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Both of which take up room. 

Carrying capacity says you are already over your limit. As you have said you bring in hay that puts you in the 5 acres per horse category. If you didn't bring in forage that would be enough for one.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

Here is a picture of my field. If you can't tell where the end of the fence ends it ends straight ahead where the woods starts where all the green trees are. Lol, the horses were taking a dip in the pond, when it gets hot they cool of in there.
Also btw this picture was taken 10 minutes ago.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

@ferricyanide what do you think? I posted a pic of my field!


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## ferricyanide (Jan 14, 2020)

The picture is not super detailed on my phone but based on what i see, i would not add a 3rd horse and expect to not need hay bales year round.

Here if im not on top of mowing most of the pasture will get above my waist. And i only need hay from nov/dec depending on year to early/late march.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Agree with @ferricyanide not a field that would support another. Likely you'd start seeing areas with no grass at all


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Nope, not much grass there given that there are only two horses on it. Any more, and you'll start to have bare patches. I would have expected to see much taller grass. 

It can be done, you will just have to feed them hay.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

Acadianartist said:


> Nope, not much grass there given that there are only two horses on it. Any more, and you'll start to have bare patches. I would have expected to see much taller grass.
> 
> It can be done, you will just have to feed them hay.


Ok, I'll think about adding a 3rd, only reason not a lot of grass is because It was just recently mowed the back of the field comes up to my waist.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

I also did not get the whole field in the pic. I have another 1.5 acres that I could keep em on.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

How about if I fertilized it? Even though that big field would take me all day...


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Friesians45 said:


> How about if I fertilized it? Even though that big field would take me all day...


Yes, but it's not that simple. You have to know what the soil needs. You may have to add lime to adjust the PH. Nitrogen is usually needed. But a simple soil test can tell you this. Others know far more about this than I do, but I can tell you that the longer you keep horses in an area, the more it is going to start to go downhill. I don't mean that you should have lush, rich pastures, not at all. But if you wan to avoid going to war with weeds, or having it turn into a mudhole in rainy season, then a dry desert in dry season, you will have to manage the grass. First you start with a soil sample, figure out what is lacking, and add that. And you will have to keep doing this probably every year. The horses will have to be removed from the field to give a chance for the grass to grow and if you use pelletized nitrogen (that's what I did, and I had to keep the horses off for 14 days). A one-time application of a generic fertilizer isn't going to fix the grass - it needs to be approached strategically and it will be an ongoing struggle. The thing about horses is that they are picky eaters. They only eat what they want and leave the rest to get overgrown. So when you say parts of your field are much taller, that tells me the horses aren't interested in eating what grows there. Therefore, it is useless to feed them if they won't eat it. Weeds left uneaten grow, and spread, and outcompete the good grasses. This is why ongoing management is the only way to keep a pasture productive. It might be ok for the first year, maybe even the first two, but it will eventually degrade and then you'll have a real uphill battle on your hands to try to rejuvenate it. When you get into plowing and re-seeding, that's when it becomes a big endeavour (not to mention expensive) so you want to try to avoid that by being proactive.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

Acadianartist said:


> Yes, but it's not that simple. You have to know what the soil needs. You may have to add lime to adjust the PH. Nitrogen is usually needed. But a simple soil test can tell you this. Others know far more about this than I do, but I can tell you that the longer you keep horses in an area, the more it is going to start to go downhill. I don't mean that you should have lush, rich pastures, not at all. But if you wan to avoid going to war with weeds, or having it turn into a mudhole in rainy season, then a dry desert in dry season, you will have to manage the grass. First you start with a soil sample, figure out what is lacking, and add that. And you will have to keep doing this probably every year. The horses will have to be removed from the field to give a chance for the grass to grow and if you use pelletized nitrogen (that's what I did, and I had to keep the horses off for 14 days). A one-time application of a generic fertilizer isn't going to fix the grass - it needs to be approached strategically and it will be an ongoing struggle. The thing about horses is that they are picky eaters. They only eat what they want and leave the rest to get overgrown. So when you say parts of your field are much taller, that tells me the horses aren't interested in eating what grows there. Therefore, it is useless to feed them if they won't eat it. Weeds left uneaten grow, and spread, and outcompete the good grasses. This is why ongoing management is the only way to keep a pasture productive. It might be ok for the first year, maybe even the first two, but it will eventually degrade and then you'll have a real uphill battle on your hands to try to rejuvenate it. When you get into plowing and re-seeding, that's when it becomes a big endeavour (not to mention expensive) so you want to try to avoid that by being proactive.


Thank you! If I cut the weeds in the back part of the pasture would grass grow or just weeds again?


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

How many hay bales would I have to buy a month?


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## Crazy cat (Jul 6, 2021)

So along with what everyone else has said it also depends on the horse. If I put my QH on a grass pasture he doesn't eat as much as my mustang does. This also would be the same for the hay bales, it would depend on the horse as well as the work the horse was doing. Honestly, I'd suggest cross fencing and sectioning off an area that you don't mind being a dry (no pasture) lot so that when it is really wet or really dry you can keep the horses off the main pasture and let them back out into it when conditions are better. Ideally you would make multiple pastures in it and rotate the horses through so they don't eat everything in their favorite areas and completely ruin the field.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Weed management in the pasture is a whole different ball game. Depending on the weed and how much is present and whether it has seeded (and next year you will have even more) or not, or does it also spread under ground. That will determine what you have to do to control it. If you have to apply chemicals then the horses will need to be removed for a time. If you are disking and burning then you have to allow time for reseeding and new grass if a large area or surrounding grass to fill in in small areas. Some areas you may be able to hand pull. Again it all depends.

I get the feeling you are new to all of this. I'd suggest you find a copy of Cherry Hill's book about keeping horses on small acreage and get to know the county extension agents. They should be a wealth of info for your specific area. 

Same with fertilizers and same with overseeding. Dividing the pasture helps 3 to 4 sections with a dry lot is a good place to start.

Number of bales would be an estimate based on the weight of your horse/s and the weight of the bales. Then you adjust for how much they actually consume.

For every 1,000 pounds of horse I expect to go through 20 pounds of hay a day if there is no grass. Some of mine eat more, some less and amounts depend on how much grass is actually available that they are eating.

In winter I typically go through two 1,200 pound round bales a week when I am at maximum capacity for my pastures. That would roughly be 50 squares a week. That drops in the spring once grass starts coming in and depending on temps and rainfall I may not have to start putting out bales until November. Some years it is October. In a drought year it may also be all summer.

Rounds are cheaper but storage and moving can be an issue if you dont have the equipment to haul and put out as well as store.

If I have a good cool season grass established I can cut that in half. Here rainfall is abundant in the winter so establishing a winter pasture is not a problem. All of your costs are mostly up front as opposed to hay which is purchased as needed. But that can also depend on your area. Some places if you don't buy to fill all your needs you risk not having hay. If you buy for the entire season you have to have a place to store it.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Yes, to reinforce what QtrBel said, you'll need to store hay somewhere. You can't just buy it and leave it in the field. Depending on where you live, some farmers will deliver regularly. But if you leave hay out, it will get wet and moldy. Quantities depend on the type of horse. Quality is really important too.

I also agree that the most efficient way to manage a pasture like this is to divide it into sections. That way, you can let the grass rest, fertilize, seed, etc. without horses on it. However, I may have missed it, but are you thinking of just leaving these horses out 24/7, 365 days a year? Because if so, they'll need shelter and clean drinking water. This includes a heated water trough in winter.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Depending on where in Oklahoma a protected trough may be ok and no heating necessary. Being able to get out and break ice in a hard freeze though would be a consideration. Shelter could be trees and a good tree line a windbreaker. I see no trees in that pasture. If the tree line is thick and blocks prevailing winds it will be a help. The pond may of may not be suitable for year round drinking depending on size and source of water.


I get the impressions from pictures this is unimproved acreage meaning no access to water or electricity. I may be wrong though.


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

I think the picture already shows an over grazed pasture - I would be interested to see what that pasture looks like in late August. How long has the pasture had horses on it? Why do you want another horse? Is it just to manage your pasture. When you say your pasture is wrist high keep in mind that horses should (ideally) be kept on pasture that is 6 inches high or taller in order not to stress the plant. My pastures are mowed and drug about every 3-4 weeks and rotated every 2 weeks. I also do not let me horses onto a really wet pasture so they do not tear up the roots of the grass. We lime and fertilize our pasture each year as well.


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## Txshecat0423 (May 27, 2020)

I have three on nine acres. I live in Central Texas in a rural area where there’s no limit as to how many I can have. I even supplement that with hay/pellets though. We recently took over management of this property and it hasn’t been maintained for over ten years so we’re having to re-seed, fertilize, etc. There’s “stuff” for the boys to graze on, but according to our county extension agent, what’s there has little to no nutritional value.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## mkmurphy81 (May 8, 2015)

Wow, I didn't realize the numbers varied that much depending on area. I have 4 horses on 10 acres (no rotation) and they can't keep up with the grass. DH needs to bush hog about every other week. I only feed hay about 3 months a year, and even then the horses often eat the green scruff around the pond instead. One mare lives in a grazing muzzle 24/7, two others will be getting muzzles soon, and the 4th is old and needs all the grass he can get. I could double the number of horses and not run out of grass, but manure management would become an issue. I realized not everywhere could support as many horses, but I didn't realize areas like this were that rare.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Friesians45 said:


> I would think I'm feeding them the right amount since they're so overweight and their stomachs look they're about to pop, do you think I should put on a grazing muzzle?


That does not necessarily mean fat. A hay or grass belly is often seen on a horse with poor nutrition and indigestible fiber. Not all grass is good grass nor does all grass digest well.
You can have a horse that looks like it swallowed a whale and it not be fat. Fat is cresty neck, fat pads in places, a crease down the back. Most horses that I have seen people call fat were actually under weight and skinny except for the huge belly which made people automatically think fat. Weight held and hanging in their digestive tract may add to the total poundage of the horse but it isn't weight that would go toward determining score on a body condition score.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

_Friesians,_ I think you are feeling slightly ganged up on but none of the contributors responding is doing that...
You asked, they/I responded and you've now posted a picture of what you have....now seeing what you have just concerns those of us with years of owning and keeping our horses on pastures knowing how fast what appears great suddenly is not.
A quick education in pasture management and now to gauge weight and quality of weight on a frame is all part of that pasture management and horse thriving we all have had to learn and are trying to share our years of accumulated school of hard-knocks with you.
Your picture shows a lot of very short pasture grass, already eaten down by 2 horses, weeds that are very invasive and already started to choke out your grass growth all over the place.
Weedy grass my horses would not eat is very apparent.
The "watering hole" also used for storm run-off to me means you lose potentially a significant space to heavy rain flooding.
If you just cut that field then you need attention from your ag management people as your grass is noticeable showing fennel and a host of other nasty grass choking weeds in abundance. All of that brown wispy background is thin growth and if like our grasses those brown appearing wisps are weed tops flowering = more weed to come.
I also look at your fence and catch my breath at the amount of rusted barbed wire....
I don't like barbed wire for my horses to be fenced with, period. But adding rusted wire is a recipe for some nasty tears of more delicate skin of a horse by brushing into it as they mosey around in their wandering ways.

You asked how long a round roll will last....
For 3 horses allowed access about 18 hours a day free choice you _might _get 3 weeks on a 1000 pound roll..._maybe_.
You must factor in the loss/waste of a roll just set out for them to eat.
Those who just place it and do not daily cleanup and placing shelter over the top and a ring around it will lose near 300 pounds to waste from feces/urine, dragging through dirt and standing on it, etc...and could be more depending upon how wet and how it molds or not occurs.
There is no way to determine how much each horse will eat or not as some will eat and walk away to come back later, others will eat and never stop and some will just rip it apart making a mess as they search for select morsels...
It is cheaper to feed rounds providing you not have immense waste.
However...If you not have a way to move a round roll and a way to clean up and dispose of the waste from it then...think carefully of how you will address those things if you plan to put in your pasture cause you just lost a very large area of grass growth ruined. Even in a dirt paddock it is something you need to address before bringing in those rolls cause stench from that area, continued buildup of placing in the same location and no cleanup between placings also soils the bottom of and the loss starts as soon as you place...
I write from my heart as I do feed rounds and can tell you it* is* much work to keep the loss ratio low...
If you are asking about square bales, average of 50 pound bales and for 1000 pound horses... you should feed 1 1/2 bales every day for the 3 animals.
2% of their combined weight is 150 pounds = 1.5 bales and then segregate them from each other so they eat their amount and not gorge on others too.
Quality of those bales also is important as feeding better hay quality may allow a bit less fed, but you can't feed top-shelf and not also have adequate exercise or risk some health issue to show up possibly.

I live in Florida where it is now rainy season.
Between my and my neighbor we have 5 horses on 4 1/2 acres and currently I just finished the back field to cut it 6 - 7" high and am cutting the front field same height but the horses are out eating it...
Where they like the grass most is being fenced off cause in 2 days they have it to the roots = waste soon to happen if not controlled.
We have weed problems being addressed tomorrow with a sprayed weed & feed product the truck operator knows what mix we need as he walked the property 4 days ago and will have on the truck to add to the mixing vat then to be applied.
Once applied the horses are restricted for 24 hours off....so will be drylotted and on hay they will give nasty, dirty looks to eating.
Seeing what you have shown... _no more than 3 _and please get some help with the weed growth/suppression and improving your root system with correct fertilizer will give increased positive yield off your field.
And indeed, some new fencing "horse" safer, a sectioning/fencing off that pasture if mine would be done as rotational grazing _would_ help you.
You mentioned OK as your homestate to me means you have very flucutating weather conditions of drought, torrential rains, snowstorms and with brutal wind-driven to all of them. You did _not_ mention shelter and not seeing large stands of trees in your picture I would caution you to please consider some shelters placed so all the animals can benefit from wind-blocks and roof overhead to aid in them thriving during all kinds of weather present...if you section those pastures then providing shelter to each section needs to be figured out is my thought too..
Best of luck in your decisions
🐴... _jmo..._


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## rambo99 (Nov 29, 2016)

A big round will last 3 to 4 weeks if netted for three horses. There will be almost no waste also. 

Horses up here are surviving on short grazed grass no supplemental hay being fed. We're in drought too. OP pasture is in better condition then most up here. Sorry horses don't need to be in 6 inches of grass stuffing there faces 24/7. 

No way that 7 acres will be turned to dirt with just two horses. On a good rain year, 2 an half acres of pasture my 3 horses when I had 3 horses couldn't keep up with it had to mow it 3 different times.

Here's what my horses are surviving on and only give 1 pound of hay cubes once a day. Horses are fat so no they don't need knee deep grass to survive.


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

@rambo99 I understand what you are saying and am not trying to start an arguement as I have seen how nice your horses look - but the field in your picture is unhealthy and very over grazed. The plants will be stressed and producing a lot of sugars to stay alive and that makes for a disaster if feeding a horse at risk to any health issues. I mention 6 inches of grass because that is the ideal in order to have a healthy plant and keep your fields from turning into weeds. You say you mow but I am guessing it is in the bathroom areas and where the grass is so undesirable the horses will not eat. University of Minnesota has a great Facebook page and gives a lot of tips on acreage. I studied grasses and did soil testing as my first job out of college (many years ago) and test my own fields yearly. My degree is in Animal Science with a focus on feed formulation for ruminants. 

None of live in an ideal world and have perfect pastures but the OP asked what her pasture could safely carry and she has gotten a lot of good advice. The truth is that it really depends on how much work she wants to put in keeping her field as healthy as possible. Can a horse look good and be ridable on an over grazed pasture - you bet! Is it getting all of the nutrients it needs - Nope - could it cause a borderline IR horse to tip over into full blown laminitis - yep.

There is so much more to a healthy pasture than mowing it and letting the horses eat it. And maintenance depends on the persons willingness to educate themselves or to just let the horses live on it.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Well said carshon and mimics my thoughts.
I erased before posting seeing yours is so much more to the point...  
🐴...


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## rambo99 (Nov 29, 2016)

carshon said:


> @rambo99 I understand what you are saying and am not trying to start an arguement as I have seen how nice your horses look - but the field in your picture is unhealthy and very over grazed. The plants will be stressed and producing a lot of sugars to stay alive and that makes for a disaster if feeding a horse at risk to any health issues. I mention 6 inches of grass because that is the ideal in order to have a healthy plant and keep your fields from turning into weeds. You say you mow but I am guessing it is in the bathroom areas and where the grass is so undesirable the horses will not eat. University of Minnesota has a great Facebook page and gives a lot of tips on acreage. I studied grasses and did soil testing as my first job out of college (many years ago) and test my own fields yearly. My degree is in Animal Science with a focus on feed formulation for ruminants.
> 
> None of live in an ideal world and have perfect pastures but the OP asked what her pasture could safely carry and she has gotten a lot of good advice. The truth is that it really depends on how much work she wants to put in keeping her field as healthy as possible. Can a horse look good and be ridable on an over grazed pasture - you bet! Is it getting all of the nutrients it needs - Nope - could it cause a borderline IR horse to tip over into full blown laminitis - yep.
> 
> There is so much more to a healthy pasture than mowing it and letting the horses eat it. And maintenance depends on the persons willingness to educate themselves or to just let the horses live on it.


I keep manure picked up daily or every other day. On good years it's mowed 2 or 3 times a year. I do the maintenance required. Yes it depends I also know grass is stressed over grazed. But my horses have more then 7 acres my pasture is cross fenced. So I can close gate to back pasture. 

No offense taken I know you're not trying to start an argument. I see both sides on this pasture thing it depends. Unfortunately it's not an ideal world. 

But OP pasture looks nice an green so must be getting plenty of rain. Yes short but grass is still growing horses will be fine. If already in good condition weight wise. 

Had a neighbor who had 3 horses on 7 acres 24/7 from may to November. Was like golf course greens all summer. She never fed a stitch of hay fed no grain. Horses were in good weight. Never did that pasture have bare spots,was never turned to dirt lot. I know because I took care of her place when she went out of town. But that was back when we got lots of rain over the summer months.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

Crazy cat said:


> So along with what everyone else has said it also depends on the horse. If I put my QH on a grass pasture he doesn't eat as much as my mustang does. This also would be the same for the hay bales, it would depend on the horse as well as the work the horse was doing. Honestly, I'd suggest cross fencing and sectioning off an area that you don't mind being a dry (no pasture) lot so that when it is really wet or really dry you can keep the horses off the main pasture and let them back out into it when conditions are better. Ideally you would make multiple pastures in it and rotate the horses through so they don't eat everything in their favorite areas and completely ruin the field.


Thanks! I don't my the field being dry but the horses would have no grass.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

QtrBel said:


> Weed management in the pasture is a whole different ball game. Depending on the weed and how much is present and whether it has seeded (and next year you will have even more) or not, or does it also spread under ground. That will determine what you have to do to control it. If you have to apply chemicals then the horses will need to be removed for a time. If you are disking and burning then you have to allow time for reseeding and new grass if a large area or surrounding grass to fill in in small areas. Some areas you may be able to hand pull. Again it all depends.
> 
> I get the feeling you are new to all of this. I'd suggest you find a copy of Cherry Hill's book about keeping horses on small acreage and get to know the county extension agents. They should be a wealth of info for your specific area.
> 
> ...


Thanks!


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

Acadianartist said:


> Yes, to reinforce what QtrBel said, you'll need to store hay somewhere. You can't just buy it and leave it in the field. Depending on where you live, some farmers will deliver regularly. But if you leave hay out, it will get wet and moldy. Quantities depend on the type of horse. Quality is really important too.
> 
> I also agree that the most efficient way to manage a pasture like this is to divide it into sections. That way, you can let the grass rest, fertilize, seed, etc. without horses on it. However, I may have missed it, but are you thinking of just leaving these horses out 24/7, 365 days a year? Because if so, they'll need shelter and clean drinking water. This includes a heated water trough in winter.


I give them water but for some reason they prefer to drink out of my pond. Yes, I do leave them out 24/7 365 days a year, I have 3 barns that they could go in, the barns are on my 2 acre field, their is gate leading from my 2 acre field to my 7 acre field so they have access to the barns in the winter..


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

QtrBel said:


> Depending on where in Oklahoma a protected trough may be ok and no heating necessary. Being able to get out and break ice in a hard freeze though would be a consideration. Shelter could be trees and a good tree line a windbreaker. I see no trees in that pasture. If the tree line is thick and blocks prevailing winds it will be a help. The pond may of may not be suitable for year round drinking depending on size and source of water.
> 
> 
> I get the impressions from pictures this is unimproved acreage meaning no access to water or electricity. I may be wrong though.


Thanks! I don't have electricity running out there, they have access to clean water that I give them.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

carshon said:


> I think the picture already shows an over grazed pasture - I would be interested to see what that pasture looks like in late August. How long has the pasture had horses on it? Why do you want another horse? Is it just to manage your pasture. When you say your pasture is wrist high keep in mind that horses should (ideally) be kept on pasture that is 6 inches high or taller in order not to stress the plant. My pastures are mowed and drug about every 3-4 weeks and rotated every 2 weeks. I also do not let me horses onto a really wet pasture so they do not tear up the roots of the grass. We lime and fertilize our pasture each year as well.


Thanks for info! I can post a picture in late august if you want, the pasture has had horses on it for about 3 years but I've had different amounts of horses on it before, I want another horse for myself..


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

Txshecat0423 said:


> I have three on nine acres. I live in Central Texas in a rural area where there’s no limit as to how many I can have. I even supplement that with hay/pellets though. We recently took over management of this property and it hasn’t been maintained for over ten years so we’re having to re-seed, fertilize, etc. There’s “stuff” for the boys to graze on, but according to our county extension agent, what’s there has little to no nutritional value.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks!


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

mkmurphy81 said:


> Wow, I didn't realize the numbers varied that much depending on area. I have 4 horses on 10 acres (no rotation) and they can't keep up with the grass. DH needs to bush hog about every other week. I only feed hay about 3 months a year, and even then the horses often eat the green scruff around the pond instead. One mare lives in a grazing muzzle 24/7, two others will be getting muzzles soon, and the 4th is old and needs all the grass he can get. I could double the number of horses and not run out of grass, but manure management would become an issue. I realized not everywhere could support as many horses, but I didn't realize areas like this were that rare.


Thank you!


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

horselovinguy said:


> _Friesians,_ I think you are feeling slightly ganged up on but none of the contributors responding is doing that...
> You asked, they/I responded and you've now posted a picture of what you have....now seeing what you have just concerns those of us with years of owning and keeping our horses on pastures knowing how fast what appears great suddenly is not.
> A quick education in pasture management and now to gauge weight and quality of weight on a frame is all part of that pasture management and horse thriving we all have had to learn and are trying to share our years of accumulated school of hard-knocks with you.
> Your picture shows a lot of very short pasture grass, already eaten down by 2 horses, weeds that are very invasive and already started to choke out your grass growth all over the place.
> ...


Thank you! Their is shelter it is not in the picture I didn't get it all in the picture since I have a 2 acre field that leads out to the back Their are 3 barns that they can go in.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

rambo99 said:


> I keep manure picked up daily or every other day. On good years it's mowed 2 or 3 times a year. I do the maintenance required. Yes it depends I also know grass is stressed over grazed. But my horses have more then 7 acres my pasture is cross fenced. So I can close gate to back pasture.
> 
> No offense taken I know you're not trying to start an argument. I see both sides on this pasture thing it depends. Unfortunately it's not an ideal world.
> 
> ...


Wow!


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## 4horses (Nov 26, 2012)

I keep 4 horses on 3 acres. During the winter the horses are in a dry lot. In the summer they are turned out at night and in the dry lot or stalls during the day. The guidelines around here are 1 horse per acre. Doesn't mean that is what people have. One barn might have 13 horses on 5 acres. 

You can have multiple horses on a small property if you manage your manure well, and are willing to feed hay year round. This may mean having a dumpster delivered and the manure removed. Or composting your manure into dirt and spreading it on the pasture. The limitations are the extra labor involved in upkeep. 

Right now I have enough grass for 3 fat horses (old horse excluded since she can't eat grass)- I feed 1 to 2 flakes of hay per horse per day during the summer. My grass is sectioned off with electric and pastures are rotated. 

My manure is dumped directly on the pasture and either dragged or mowed down. 

My grass stays short. Mowing height is 3 inches. I could mow on 4 inches but would miss the smaller weeds. 

Coming from south Florida - I had 2 horses on maybe 1/2 acre. Technically we had a one acre lot but the house, driveway, barn and pond took up most of the room. 

3 acres is plenty of room for 4 horses, especially with the abundant rainfall we get in the summer. Grass is almost growing faster than they can eat it without getting obese. 

It is entirely dependent on where you live. As land becomes developed and cities start swallowing acreage, it seems like the rules as far as horses per acre get looser. Most people don't mind well-managed horse farms. This area is getting housing developments put in and pretty soon I will be surrounded by the city again. 

You have a large enough property you can either put in a drylot around a barn or run-in, if needed. The horses on lush grass around here are at risk of obesity and laminitis. Being able to control access to the pasture is important. You just have to decide what set-up you want to have and how much work you want to do. A big enough drylot can be dragged without mucking.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

How many horses can I have on 7 acres??


Nope, not much grass there given that there are only two horses on it. Any more, and you'll start to have bare patches. I would have expected to see much taller grass. It can be done, you will just have to feed them hay. Ok, I'll think about adding a 3rd, only reason not a lot of grass is...




www.horseforum.com





She is talking about having a sacrifice area (dry lot) - it is not intended to have grass. It is an area (smaller than other fenced off portions) that you put the horses when you need them off the grass. Because it is small the lot is typically without grass due to the intense pressure (eaten down and cut up by hooves) a horse or horses put on it. My dry lot is where I feed every day and hay is typically put. Part of it still has grass but not much. Any injured, colicky or sick animal can be kept there safely. If I had a metabolic horse they could be kept there indefinitely. We ride in that pen if practicing dressage, cavellletti work or small jumps, if there is a new rider with us or if I am working with a group of kids that have never been around horses or ridden. My round pen is in that area as well. It is also where any visiting or new horse gets put until they can be turned out. A dry lot can have many functions.

I have an 8 acre pasture that it is cut out of And will attach a photo of a drawing of the layout. It takes up about a half acre. There is a bit of grass in the center of the oval pen and the end the small dressage area is on is grass but the rest is basically dirt. Two of the horses are fed in there as they get totally different feed and a greater amount. To the bottom from the drawing if you were in the pasture is also dirt. That is where hay bales go and the rest that are in that pasture are fed. They only get about a half pound of feed - enough to keep them coming when called.









The rest of that pasture is divided into two sections as we are having to keep all the horses in one field. Still rebuilding fence from Sally. They are turned out part of the day in the area around the house. That has meant no garden this year but gives us another acre and a half of grass. And then rotated between the two sections that are separated with a really hot electric fence. Manure has had to be picked up but since we have plenty of room it is on the top backside of the property. Usually the numbers in each field are low enough we just spread with a chain drag and mow.


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## Palfrey (May 29, 2020)

rambo99 said:


> I keep manure picked up daily or every other day. On good years it's mowed 2 or 3 times a year. I do the maintenance required. Yes it depends I also know grass is stressed over grazed. But my horses have more then 7 acres my pasture is cross fenced. So I can close gate to back pasture.
> 
> No offense taken I know you're not trying to start an argument. I see both sides on this pasture thing it depends. Unfortunately it's not an ideal world.
> 
> ...


Isn't it interesting how different people's perspectives are? 

In the OP's field, I see some short areas that are obviously favorite spots, but I would not call this field overgrazed at all. To me, an overgrazed pasture/field is grass that is so sparse you can see the dirt. And it is like that equally throughout the area, not just focused in one spot. 

Lots of people manage horses on less than ideal landscapes/areas. To me, if you @Friesians45 wanted to add another horse you could, but your management would change and you would have to be okay with that. 

Good luck in whatever you decide!


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

Palfrey said:


> Isn't it interesting how different people's perspectives are?
> 
> In the OP's field, I see some short areas that are obviously favorite spots, but I would not call this field overgrazed at all. To me, an overgrazed pasture/field is grass that is so sparse you can see the dirt. And it is like that equally throughout the area, not just focused in one spot.
> 
> ...


Thank you! I thought I could add another horse since I have green grass back there.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

Ok, one question if I wanted 4 horses back there, I honestly don't think they would eat the hay I give em... Would they?


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## rambo99 (Nov 29, 2016)

Ok my pasture isn't anywhere near as nice looking. Yes it has green but also a lot of brown grass.

I put out some hay today because horses were doing a lot of walking around. Did 3 different piles spread out about a flake of hay each pile. Both horses came over took a bite an left to graze grass. 

They seem to choose grass over hay even when I think they wouldn't be finding enough to eat. Oh well my boy is rather fat ,so doesn't hurt him to scrounge around for food.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

You've jumped from adding one horse to two. In an area where the recommendation of 1 horse per 5 acres is given by the Ag. Ext. Cooperative. And you already say there are 2 on 7 acres. That recommendation is based on the climatic history of the area and not one picture on one day in a year where your area is experiencing higher than normal rainfall. You have demonstrated you do not know what pasture management involves. Who is ultimately responsible for these animals? Stop and think about the possibility of adding two horses and then heading into drought and having no grass and having to support not one, not two but four. At some point in past replies you said you wanted one more because you wanted a horse of YOUR own. So who do the other two belong to? Is this family property? Your personal as in your name is on the deed property or do you just pasture board?


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

I am by far no expert, but that pasture looks like something that is currently acceptable, but could not take any more horses, and honestly even if you keep the same number of horses on it that you have now I'd expect it to get worse, and to be a weedy lot within a few years. What I'd like to see is the horses taken off that pasture, mow for weeds, let the grass grow for a few weeks and then turn them back out on it. It would really really benefit from a rest IMO.

The more horses you have, the more intensely you have to manage. Smaller paddocks, faster rotational grazing, using dry lots when the pastures need to recover a bit. Your set up as it is won't take any more horses without extra work on your part.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

rambo99 said:


> Ok my pasture isn't anywhere near as nice looking. Yes it has green but also a lot of brown grass.
> 
> I put out some hay today because horses were doing a lot of walking around. Did 3 different piles spread out about a flake of hay each pile. Both horses came over took a bite an left to graze grass.
> 
> They seem to choose grass over hay even when I think they wouldn't be finding enough to eat. Oh well my boy is rather fat ,so doesn't hurt him to scrounge around for food.


See that's what other people are telling me they would eat the weeds and grass stuff before the hay.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

QtrBel said:


> You've jumped from adding one horse to two. In an area where the recommendation of 1 horse per 5 acres is given by the Ag. Ext. Cooperative. And you already say there are 2 on 7 acres. That recommendation is based on the climatic history of the area and not one picture on one day in a year where your area is experiencing higher than normal rainfall. You have demonstrated you do not know what pasture management involves. Who is ultimately responsible for these animals? Stop and think about the possibility of adding two horses and then heading into drought and having no grass and having to support not one, not two but four. At some point in past replies you said you wanted one more because you wanted a horse of YOUR own. So who do the other two belong to? Is this family property? Your personal as in your name is on the deed property or do you just pasture board?


Yes, this is family property some of my other family wants a horse of their own instead😕 of sharing with someone.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

ACinATX said:


> I am by far no expert, but that pasture looks like something that is currently acceptable, but could not take any more horses, and honestly even if you keep the same number of horses on it that you have now I'd expect it to get worse, and to be a weedy lot within a few years. What I'd like to see is the horses taken off that pasture, mow for weeds, let the grass grow for a few weeks and then turn them back out on it. It would really really benefit from a rest IMO.
> 
> The more horses you have, the more intensely you have to manage. Smaller paddocks, faster rotational grazing, using dry lots when the pastures need to recover a bit. Your set up as it is won't take any more horses without extra work on your part.


Thanks! Maybe I just shouldn't add anymore horses, from replies I'm seeing on here I just don't think I should..


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

If I put a haybale out there they wouldn't eat it, I have a haybale in my barn and their not interested.


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

Friesians45 said:


> Was wondering how many horses I can have on 7 acres I have a lot of grass on it. I already have 2 horses on it, how many more can I have for it to be a decent amount of grass for them?


There are variables that impact the answer. Such as where you live. In AZ you would need more acreage than you would in someplace like eastern GA. Here, in the flat, well watered deep South I can keep 2 horses on a 4 acre section of the field and they keep it well grazed to the point that it doesn't really need mowing. While if I put them on a 6 acre area they don't eat it down quite as much and i might need a light mowing a couple of times a month. I personally would probably keep my numbers down to 3, but certainly no more than 4 for 10 acres, but that's just me since I prefer to always have a bit more grass than needed since my horses lived completely on grazing during the grass growing seasons here (which is April through Oct....it's warm, hot, and wet most of the year so there is an over abundance of vegetation growth)


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

There is what the OP pictures and consistently says is a 7 acre field with a pond and carport as well as an additional 2 acres (1.5? In some posts) that have 2 or 3 barns on it. Not clear. OP is in Oklahoma and recommendations for that area from the Ag Ext are 1 horse per 6.5 acres unless you provide hay then 1 horse per 5 acres. They are experiencing an unusually high rainfall for this time of year. OP is also not the owner of the property as it belongs to a family member (extended?) and it is not clear who owns the two horses shown. OP wants her own horse. Only water available on that field is the pond.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Friesians45 said:


> I give them water but for some reason they prefer to drink out of my pond. Yes, I do leave them out 24/7 365 days a year, I have 3 barns that they could go in, the barns are on my 2 acre field, their is gate leading from my 2 acre field to my 7 acre field so they have access to the barns in the winter..


Do you provide clean, fresh water daily? Is the water trough scrubbed regularly? Horses really like fresh water. If the water in the trough is dirty and stagnant, or full of algae, they might prefer water from the pond. Either way, you should still continue to provide them with clean, fresh water daily. You may need to break the ice on colder days too.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

You do not need a ton of acreage IF you are planning to supplement the horses with feed and hay. 

You say you have a 2 acre lot that is attached to the larger pasture. If I read it right, it's only open to them in the winter but it has outbuildings they can go in. 

If you use those outbuildings to bring them in and turn them out or swap, you can keep your pasture fairly healthy. You would have to supplement with more horses.

I have 4 horses. I have one big pasture and 2 small sacrifice paddocks. They will grow some grass but it's mostly weedy. They have an overhang in the paddocks. I have 5 water troughs that I fill daily. At the very least I run fresh water into them each day. I feed AM/PM hay and grain. In the summer months I use very little hay but I alternate who is turned out. The girls go out at night and the boys go out during the day. I could put all four out at a time but it makes it easier on my as far as feeding is concerned.

Rules change when you have stalls for the horses but so does the feeding.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

Acadianartist said:


> Do you provide clean, fresh water daily? Is the water trough scrubbed regularly? Horses really like fresh water. If the water in the trough is dirty and stagnant, or full of algae, they might prefer water from the pond. Either way, you should still continue to provide them with clean, fresh water daily. You may need to break the ice on colder days too.


Yes..


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

QtrBel said:


> There is what the OP pictures and consistently says is a 7 acre field with a pond and carport as well as an additional 2 acres (1.5? In some posts) that have 2 or 3 barns on it. Not clear. OP is in Oklahoma and recommendations for that area from the Ag Ext are 1 horse per 6.5 acres unless you provide hay then 1 horse per 5 acres. They are experiencing an unusually high rainfall for this time of year. OP is also not the owner of the property as it belongs to a family member (extended?) and it is not clear who owns the two horses shown. OP wants her own horse. Only water available on that field is the pond.


My mom and dad own the pasture.. I'm sorry if I confused you when I said family.. I do mean family but I didn't know if you were thinking something else.


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## Friesians45 (May 18, 2021)

1 more question, Would I be able to have 4 horses if I fed hay all year round?


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

You really aren't understanding that what is put on that property cannot be determined by any internet advice. Talk to your parents.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Friesians45 said:


> 1 more question, Would I be able to have 4 horses if I fed hay all year round?


Sure. People keep more horses on less land than that. But the question is, can you care for 4 horses? Will you be removing all the manure? Do you realize that's approximately 200 lbs of manure per day? Miss a day, and you can double that. Even on a larger pasture, it will add up before know it. Will you add lime and fertilizer to the pasture and mow the weeds? Will you be able to pay for 4 horses to have their feet done, their annual vaccines and teeth floated? Will you supply them with a complete feed that contains the right vitamins and minerals? Can you take on the inevitable vet bills for when they get hurt or sick? Will you check in on them every day, 365 days a year and never take a day off? Who will bring them hay and where will you store the hay in the meantime to prevent it from getting wet and moldy? Do you have the ability to move round bales every few days? Who will provide you with this hay and do you have the budget to pay for it all up front when it is cut? Or will your supplier be able to sell you what you need every week or every other week when you need it and deliver it to you?

You seem to be very focused on getting more horses in this pasture, but we haven't heard anything about the care you will need to provide to them.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Another question: are you planning on buying more horses for your own use or are you thinking of offering pasture board? Because if it's the latter, you may not be able to turn boarder's horses loose with your horses. It would be better to have the ability to separate horses for various reasons. So again, it's possible, but you'd have to build more fences. Secure fences too, not just temporary step-in posts in case some horses don't get along and are aggressive towards each other. Also so you can keep new horses out of the herd until you've made sure they don't have any illnesses or parasites they can pass onto your horses. Another reason for keeping horses separate is that they very often have different feeding requirements. Put an easy keeper out with hard keepers and some will be too fat while others might be seriously underweight. Older horses might have special requirements in terms of hay or grain, and if you put them out in a herd with younger, more dominant horses, they might get chased off their food. Of course keeping horses separate also means providing more feed stations and more watering areas. More than one shelter becomes necessary too, since it's unlikely that four horses will get along well enough to share one shelter so someone will end up being stuck outside in the elements.


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## rambo99 (Nov 29, 2016)

In another post your talking about putting up an arena. Taking up part of an acre. So is that part of the 7 acre pasture??? your going to be using to make an arena???

Now you're wanting to add a 4th horse. To keep pasture good it's a lot of maintenance. 

I have 2 horses on 9 an half acres. Every day manure gets picked up weeds are either mowed or sprayed with chemicals to kill them. Pasture is kept mowed on good rain years every month. Sometimes every two weeks depends on how fast it's growing. 

Keeping fence in good repair is also part of maintenance. I check my fence lines at least 2 times a week. 

Can we really tell you your land will support 4 horses. There's a lot of things that depends weather ,what kind of soil what kind of grass. Do you have a place to keep horses off pasture if need be.??? 

My horses are on pasture from mid April or may, till mid November. Then they are put in corrals near barn for winter. This year drought has changed things horses aren't on pasture 24/7. To keep my pasture from being destroyed I have to limit there time on pasture. Had them on pasture for 2 weeks now they are back in corrals. 

You mention nothing of maintenance being done. I spend over an hour daily picking up poop In pasture, an corrals. That's for 2 horses.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Closing thread as it seems to be getting sidetracked into new queries from the OP and members.

Thank you to everyone who contributed with useful advice


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