# Paddock layout ideas wanted!



## iloverains (Apr 1, 2011)

Hey - So I'm currently clearing a new area on the property for a new paddock! But, I'm not quite happy with the layout of things so was wondering if anyone had any suggestions or ideas of what and where I should put things!!

It has a gully, a whole lotta scrub and it's all on a slope one way or another. 

I was originally going to make it just a big paddock, for my four horses, and have it sort of paddock paradise set up with a track around and the water at the other end. But, now, I think I need to separate it into two if not three sections due to my Gelding being a spontaneous down right meanie to any other horse.


Attached is a drawing of it (an incredible drawing may I add) - basically I have the perimeter fence and the tack shed locations. The paddock is about 3 acres.

Green is foliage/trees, which they can kinda walk in and around most of it, but the cleared areas are hopefully grassed and open

The Blue X's is a gully, just a little moist, no water, but not suitable for a fence line. 

Brown are logs and piles of logs, they can step over most of them. 

the 'T' is the tack shed, which isn't there yet. And the arenas are already there. 

Current Yard is where they are now, smaller paddocks, Mares are in one, and the geldings are in their own pen. But I'm getting rid of that whole paddock because it's tiny and I don't like it. 

Now the Orange stuff is what I was thinking, if I were to put them all in together, the Rectangle is the Shelter, little square box is a sand pit, the area joined to the tack shed is the feeding area, the other two lines would be another fence line to encourage the paddock paradise walking around kinda deal. and the little square over to the right is the water. 

Anyway, any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Not sure of how I would be cross-fencing the new land but I would not be doing away with what you have currently either.
There are times you need separation for medical or environmental reasons.
You may not "like it" but is serves a very useful purpose to me and me, _I would keep it._

So, layout is kind of confusing but size of 3 acres, 4 horses, scrub plentiful, a gully and some trees....and sloped.
So, pasture it is _not_ currently.
I don't see anything more than barely 2 paddocks.

The gully I would incorporate to both paddocks you separate into as it offers protection the horses can run to in case of severe weather and it also will fill under tremendous water run-off saving your other ground from a swamp.
Trees, hopefully a long stand of them that can be included into both paddocks.
Water, well that you must have available no matter how you do it no matter where the horses are located on the land.
3 acres is not much land for 4 horses if your plan is for grazing 24/7...of that much land from your description you already lost 1 acre to "stuff"...leaves 2 acres of grass if they eat every blade...now down to 1.5 acres realistically.
Like I said not a easy separation and a lot of maintenance to establish grazing land, keeping grazing land if desired...
If you're not looking for grazing land, then I would just leave it one large piece and if anything section off a rectangular area for that aggressive horse so he can see and be near but not be bullying the others.
Give him some terrain to move around on, some protection from the weather elements...but offer him away time.
I still though would _*not*_ do away with that other paddock piece, maybe section it differently and get your herd _together_ better, all running together. 
:runninghorse2:...
_jmo..._


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Instead of starting with the many terrain challenges, I would start with what you want your paddock/s to do. For example, things I want my paddock to do include

keep horses off pasture when wished
divide the horses when wished, but also open up the whole area to all the horses when wished
give access to stalls/shelters
give access to water
have gates to pastures, to stable, to grooming/tacking up area and to arena

I ended up with a lot of gates! But I use them all. Because my paddock is divided into two with a gate between them, I can give each of my two horses their own feed in the morning and then open gates and let them into one or another of the small pastures, or just join the paddocks.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Avna said:


> I ended up with a lot of gates! But I use them all. Because my paddock is divided into two with a gate between them, I can give each of my two horses their own feed in the morning and then open gates and let them into one or another of the small pastures, or just join the paddocks.


THIS. Whatever you do, try to keep it as flexible as possible. I LOVE my gates, especially the one that can be moved to rotate pastures. I have everything done in electrobraid except my winter/sacrifice paddock which also has a top board, so it's just a matter of hooking and unhooking handles. All areas can be opened for one huge 5 acre fun park, though I almost never do that, or the paddock connects to an area that can then give them access to one of two 2ish-acre pastures, depending on which way I hook up the fence line. Incredibly convenient. 

Are you planning on moving the logs and cutting the trees? I think varied terrain is good, but would want some open areas myself. It's nice for them to have some ares where they can run a bit.


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## elkdog (Nov 28, 2016)

Avoid corners! Especially if you have a bully horse. Corners can be angled off with panels or built round in the first place. A horse can't be cornered if there are no corners. This could save you some future vet bills or even a horses life!


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## iloverains (Apr 1, 2011)

Thank you all. 

They’re mostly on Hay, but will be grassing the couple of open spots - don’t have a nice flat grassy pasture for them, but lots of hay all the time. 
Thanks re the suggestions - I will have smaller pens/paddocks/stables for injuries or if needed. And no corners is a good idea. 

It is hard to explain. Might post some photos of it when done.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

It's nice that you have all that variety. As others have said, you won't really have any pasture, but having your horses turned out on a lot with varying elevation and lots of obstacles seems to make them a little more sure-footed and confident on the trail.

You will need to keep an eye on the trees -- some horses love the bark on some trees, and will kill them in short order.


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