# Where does your horse live?



## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

My horse lives with a herd of 11 others (mostly geldings and 2 mares) in 37 acres large pastures, which are divided in several separate fields that are switched throughout the grass season. They graze and roam there freely 24/7, have lots of various terrain, a river as a water source, lots of trees for shade, and also access to three large shelters to hide from bugs. 

At winter they are moved to a 9 acres large winter field with access to the same shelters, a large hay feeder (access to hay is also unlimited 24/7), an automatic waterer with warm water and also haynets are distributed around the forest so that they are motivated to move around more. Saltlicks are freely placed around both the summer and the winter fields. 

They live under full care (that includes feeding, checking for any issues, fencing and mucking) of the BO during working days and partial care (we feed, help out with mucking and repairing fences if needed) during weekends, and are fed full grain oats once a day, with supplements of the owners' choice.

We have an outside dressage arena with good footing and floodlights for dark evenings and very vast territory for trailriding, but I'd love to have an indoor arena, too, as the weather can be very harsh during winters here. I'd also like to have at least a couple of separate stalls in case a horse needs to be stalled for medical reasons, and one more shelter, because the current amount seems a bit smallish for the size of our herd. 

I pay 150$/95 GBP a month + 20$/10 GPB for the trimmer.


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

We are fortunate enough to be able to keep our horses on our own property. They are in a little over an acre of pasture at this point - with plans to fence an additional lot next spring as well as extending the exisiting pasture so they will have just under two acres in two lots. We use 24/7 turn out but they have access to the barn if/when they choose.
I wish we had an arena, preferably covered and lighted.
We pay ............... I don't even want to think about it, lol.


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

Mine live out my back door  Wouldn't have it any other way, it's nice having them right there plus I don't like to share  We have a 12 stall barn with feed & tack room and washrack, separate hay barn. We have 5 pastures, smallest is a stud lot at 1 acre to the large ones that are not quite 10. We have an insulated indoor arena and a 150 x 300 outdoor arena (that also doubles as dry lot when needed) There is 17 acres of woods at the back of the property to ride in as well. Costs, don't want to go there, in a year generally enough to buy a new car...


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

At one time I thought stalls would be nice but unless one is showing, why have the extra expense plus all the work of cleaning them? When my barn was being built the graph paper came out plus the calculator. How far in to debt? Nope, don't like debt so it was built in two sections with the second being built about 5 years later. It can be two generous stalls but they horses prefer it as a run in. Much less cleaning as well.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Mine have lived in my 5 acre backyard for 12 years now. The old herd is gone, but the new herd have stalls for super-wet/icy weather. I even put them inside Saturday night bc there was too much mud to lay down. 
Shavings on everybody's coats Sunday morning, so I guess they agreed.
My horses are on pasture for 6 months/year. Costs are higher ONLY bc gas is soaring and we have to drive to work. Generally they cost me water year round, cost of transporting hay/grain/bedding (pine shavings and Equine Fresh) to store, which runs ~$4,000.00 a year total. It would be 1/2 that if gas prices were at $1.86/gallon.


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## peppersgirl (Aug 24, 2012)

I too am fortunate enoughhave my girls in the back yard..

We have a 100X200 arena and a two (soon to be three) stall barn with a wash rack. 

as of right now we keep the girls in a tape fencer during the day so the can graze (will put up more permanent fence in the spring)- which we move around to prime grazing spots on our 6 acres...and at night they go back into the arena. Other than the barn they dont have shelter yet so on really nasty rainy nights we will toss em in stalls. but other than that they stay out.

I love the fact that I have proper stalls, but I don't use them much for a couple of reasons:

A.) being pregnant, I totally admit to being too lazy for daily mucking right now.

B.) the stalls don't have turn outs yet. I want my horses to be able to go in and out before I start really using the stalls.


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## Prinella (Jul 12, 2011)

The stalls would provide a covered grooming/ treating area and somewhere to lock em up if need be.

MH I'm coming to live with you.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

I to keep my girls in my backyard. I have 20 acres with about 3 acres of pasture. 










2 stall barn with two 10x12 stalls (well its under renovation for 2nd stall and tack/hay room right now) with a 8x12 tack/hay room. Stalls lead out into a 12x10 graveled runs- would like them bigger but its better than nothing and means I have enough boards from the 24x12 run before to make the two separate ones without having to buy to many more and also that they can have enough gravel! The barn before with one stall


















And a kind-of rocked 40x110 run for keeping them off pasture. I have access to about 4 hours of trails if you go down every dead end and walk the whole thing. The fencing is 3.5 foot high electric fencing and outside our 8 foot tall deer fence there is two strands of it. There will eventually be 4.5 foot tall board fencing.


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## Spotted (Sep 19, 2012)

5 horses, soon to be 7 on 20 acres of mostly trees for them to roam around in
4 stall barn with extra room for tack, square bales, feed ect
50' round pen 
2 acres seeded into grass & fenced off to make into a pen if need be and a corral that can made into 2 if need be.
I haul fresh water to troughs 2x times a week and have water heater's for winter
free choice salt and mineral licks
mostly feed round bales with a slow feed hay net and have slow feeder to hang
trim hooves myself
costs for 5 horses are about $150.00 a month give or take a little.

wish I had an indoor arena
Oh and more pasture..


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

MHFoundation Quarters said:


> Mine live out my back door  Wouldn't have it any other way, it's nice having them right there plus I don't like to share  We have a 12 stall barn with feed & tack room and washrack, separate hay barn. We have 5 pastures, smallest is a stud lot at 1 acre to the large ones that are not quite 10. We have an insulated indoor arena and a 150 x 300 outdoor arena (that also doubles as dry lot when needed) There is 17 acres of woods at the back of the property to ride in as well. Costs, don't want to go there, in a year generally enough to buy a new car...


I'm moving in with you, kay? Will ride/help train for board...Morgan can ride my fatty and I'll sneak Knot Head lovings.. I think between you and I riding him he'd get his weight where it needs to be..Not sure about Hickory and Morgan giving him peppermints. :wink:

Luckily I keep mine at our horse and they are all turned out together 24/7 on a 17 acre pasture, 5 horses and a pony..fall-spring they are on free choice high quality hay with grain year round. They seem to like it that way..They have trees along the fence line of one parture (ours is seperated in two areas, one smaller than the other. We also have a twoish acres area seperated from the others if we need to isolate a horse, there is also a stall in that area.


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## BB2 (Oct 22, 2012)

All of mine live in the back yard in a 15 acre field with a stream for water, and and 4 stall barn. No separate paddocks though, I do wish I had that. It's nice to walk outside and see them, and look out the window and watch them hanging out. 

I'd never board my horses unless I absolutely had to.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kenda (Oct 10, 2008)

I envy you guys who get to keep them at home, especially with the personal indoor arena! I keep my new girl at a riding school. She is stalled nightly and during bad weather, individual turnout in a hog fuel paddock during the day. The place has a nice well lit indoor, and large, slightly sloped outdoor. There is a field in the back for summer pasture turnout. I supply my own hay and feed, they feed and turnout mornings and I clean and feed evenings and I pay $200/month.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

My four are are kept at our place - the only way to go for me. They have two ten acre pastures (rotated) with trees/sloughs plus about an acre of corrals. They have access to a large run in shed and go in the four stall barn during bad weather. They go in the pasture every day but I bring them into the large corral (with run in shed) for over night where they are fed grain and hay (amount depends on the season). This is partly for security and partly for dietary considerations. 

I have a portable 50-60 ft round pen plus a couple of corrals for "arena" work. While I would love to have an indoor arena, I know that is never going to happen. 

We have enough land that we grow and make our hay. That helps reduce costs. We have in the past grown our own oats but now find it more convenient to buy from the feed store.


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## StealingSociety (Mar 10, 2007)

Where my horse lives...let's just say it's not ideal. :-|

The barn has the best training in the city, is only 20 minutes away from my house, AND it employs me during the summer but it houses about 120+ horses on 20 acres...you can see where this is going.

He lives in a 12x12 stall most of the day and for two hours, he gets turned out in a dirt paddock with a one other horse. They just sort of stand around doing nothing. At least he's a calm guy who hasn't known what it's like to live out all the time, and honestly I don't think he'd thrive like that. He's a sensitive type, gets picked on if he's in a big group and loses weight in the summer because of the heat and flies. 

The riding rings are nice, a bit deep in my opinion, but they get watered and dragged regularly and there's lights and nice jumps. Each boarder gets a tack locker and a space for their trunk. Lit grooming stall with a fan for cooling off and outlets for clipping. Wash racks with good water pressure.


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

DrumRunner said:


> I'm moving in with you, kay? Will ride/help train for board...Morgan can ride my fatty and I'll sneak Knot Head lovings.. I think between you and I riding him he'd get his weight where it needs to be..Not sure about Hickory and Morgan giving him peppermints. :wink:


We keep sugar free peppermints so at least they are diet treats lol! 
You have yourself a deal if you add nanny/babysitter to the plan and maybe some southern charm lessons for my ornery tomboy :wink:

If we have both of the fatties at my house I'm thinking that a hot walker might be a good investment....had one when I was a kid, wish gpa wouldn't have sold it. It mostly got used as a swing though, my sister & I had milk crates with leg holes cut out on the front and we'd swing around in circles while mom worked horses :lol: Oooooh or even better an aquatred! Just have to hit the lotto first.


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## Tazzie (Nov 8, 2011)

I wish we could keep my girl at home! Eventually we'll be buying land for a mini farm, and she can come home then!

For now she lives in I *think* 10 acres (give or take) with three other horses. Her field has a lot of trees for shelter along with two run in areas in the barn (which is a working tobacco barn; no, the horses don't bother the tobacco). They have a river for a water source, but they do haul water to a trough for winter and when needed in the summer. Free choice round bale given along with 3 bales put in the hay racks in the barn after supper for my girl and the oldie out there.

Eventually he plans to build a barn up by his house and moving the horses up there. He is going to have 4 stalls (one for each as needed), but still have the run in area since he'd rather not stall unless needed. But that's in the future


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## TrojanCowgirl (Jun 1, 2012)

After about 2 years of boarding... I kept my horse home... and then bought another one... and then had to board again... I hated it. Once you bring your horse home, you can't be happy with them anywhere else.

Now, fortunately I have my own farm and I can always keep them home. 

At this very moment, my mare is in my backyard (usually where the dog is!) to mow the lawn and my gelding is out in the paddock.


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

My horses live at home! I have never had to board horses and I don't think I would like it much. We live on 10acres, there is a main pasture, north pasture and a outdoor training riding arena (with a wooden bridge/cowboy curtain/pedastal/cavaletis/logs/horse stairs/etc.). There is a run in shed and in the summer I put a rope across our driveway and the horses have full run (LOL literally they do some days) of the yard. We have a 60ft. round pen also.
I have four horses and one boarded here. We also have use of 1/4 sec. of one of our neighbor's to put our horses at during the summer to graze. Luckily we have water both in the north pasture and in the main pasture, so no hauling water for me.
Cost=more than I want to know LOL
My boarder pays $100/month and he supplies his own hay/feed for his horse, his horse has been here four years now and thank goodness we have never had a problem with him and we do ride alot together.


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

MHFoundation Quarters said:


> We keep sugar free peppermints so at least they are diet treats lol!
> You have yourself a deal if you add nanny/babysitter to the plan and maybe some southern charm lessons for my ornery tomboy :wink:
> 
> If we have both of the fatties at my house I'm thinking that a hot walker might be a good investment....had one when I was a kid, wish gpa wouldn't have sold it. It mostly got used as a swing though, my sister & I had milk crates with leg holes cut out on the front and we'd swing around in circles while mom worked horses :lol: Oooooh or even better an aquatred! Just have to hit the lotto first.


I can definitely play the babysitter role, I'm rather good at it.. We'd work on the charm lessons but I even fudge them a little at time :wink:

An aquatred would be awesome..Talk about buffing up the fatties..


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

StealingSociety said:


> Where my horse lives...let's just say it's not ideal. :-|
> 
> The barn has the best training in the city, is only 20 minutes away from my house, AND it employs me during the summer but it houses about 120+ horses on 20 acres...you can see where this is going.
> 
> ...


I'm with you on that one. The barn where I board has 76 stalls and 4 acres of their own land, plus ~10 acres of pasture that then lease from the neighboring properties. My horse gets 3-4 hours of turnout on pasture in the summer, but in the winter gets turned out in much smaller hogsfuel paddocks. Depending on the weather, he might get as little as 1 hour turn out in the winter :-|

His stall is at least a large-ish one (I haven't measured it but I'm guessing it's about 14x16). I love my trainer and the other people at the barn. It's very low key and relatively drama free. I just wish my horse could spend all day outside.


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## KountryPrincess (Oct 23, 2012)

I wish my girl had 24/7 turnout with shelter, and that is what she had here at home with me, but I really needed more amenities for training and I was lonely, nobody to ride with....kind of boring. So now she lives in a full service facility. She is out during the day if the weather is good, in a 12 x24 pipe corral stall at night. She is blanketed at night if it is cold, and she gets her supplements plus hay fed in a nibble net so it gives her something to munch on much of the night. They are usually fed in the turnouts in the morning. 

In the summer, they come in from about 1pm to 7pm during the heat of the day. That is when they get their supplements, and the rest of the time they are turned out and usually have their hay outside. They are turned out with anywhere from 1-3 other horses, so they get some social time. 

Oddly, they *love* coming into the barn....they socialize thru the pipe corrals and it seems to be a great source of comfort for them. Of course when turnout time comes, they love that too. I like the fact that she is handled frequently, with people laying eyes on her often. We also have a nice roundpen, outdoor arena, covered arena, and access to hundreds of miles of trails. That is what I mean by ammenities.....could not afford to have anything like that at home for just me and one horse. Besides, they do all the maintence, cleaning, grooming of footing, etc. I just get to go out and enjoy my horse.


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## BarrelRacingLvr (Feb 26, 2012)

Our horses are on our place...

We have 3 Pastures...2 North and one on the South of the property. During the Spring/Summer months the broodmares who are expecting are in the Top North pasture, the non Expecting broodies and mares that aren't getting rode go in the Bottom North Pasture. The geldings who aren't getting rode and youngins go in the South Pasture. And the Performance horses who are getting rode are in their own pens up front by the house. 

In the Fall/Winter we move everybody around and get situation for the yucky weather to come. The broodmares and horses not getting rode get both North Pastures (connecting) so they have all that. Then the Youngins (2-3yr olds) and older geldings go in the drylot and arena (connecting). Then the weiners go in the main drylots (by house) in a pen to get weaned. After a few weeks they get opened up into the small grass lot with the dry lot pen (connecting). And the performance horses stay in their pens. 

That way we only have to self feed in 3 spots and they have all the room. 

The only thing I wish we had is a power source to the South Pasture....that way we could put in a Stop N Waste there and have water....but with no power means no tank heaters so frozen water. 

But when the snow holds off like it did the last couple years, we didn't have to start feeding the horses in the Pasture till January because it is LUSH with grass because we don't really use the Bottom Pasture much because we turn all the youngins and non broodmares out to our 350+ acre mountain pasture for the spring/summer so less horses around the place to worry about and can put more in the south pasture.


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## barrelbeginner (Jan 31, 2012)

Oh my god. .Im moving in with you BarrelRacingLvr... Make room.. Not that it would be that hard with 350 acres.. Please\

My horses are on like 5 acre pasture right now.. but let out to the back 40 come summer and spring time.. but since it's been so dry.. we already are having to feed hay:/ not gonna be a fun winter


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## NordicJuniper (Jun 9, 2009)

I hope to someday have my boy at home with me, and buy him a buddy 

Right now he is in a stall with a 40' run. There is a hogs fuel round pen and a sand outdoor arena. Both of which can't be used due to rainy weather. They are absolute slop. He was living in complete mud but thankfully the BO got some new footing and drainage going in the runs and now he is a lot better. He loves having a stall. I have partial care, I provide feed and cleaning, BO feeds for me when I am not there. $150 a month.

I am moving him to a place where he will have a 10x16 stall with a 40x400' run. There is an indoor arena and an indoor round pen. Plans for an outdoor arena and outdoor round pen are being drafted and they should be built this spring. His run is a little bit of mud just up near where he enters and leaves the stall but the rest is grass. This place also has an insulated viewing lounge so my poor boyfriend doesn't have to freeze when he comes to the barn with me. I am moving to this new place in a couple weeks. It is also partial care. Some hay and bedding is provided but I will be providing extra hay as well as grain and any extra bedding I might want. I take care of cleaning as well. It is $200 a month. I figure it is worth it for $50 extra to be able to ride.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Just north of the house.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

My 5 girls live at our home, we have a 5 stall barn with hay loft and tack/feed store, 7 acres of pasture and a menage. I would love an indoor school as the summers get hot and sweaty and from mid December to March we are mostly covered in snow so have to trailer to an indoor to work them a couple of days a week. 
My horses do not appreciate the natural life at all - they are begging to come in as soon as they feel too hot, too many bugs, too cold, too wet. They tend to spend the afternoons in during the summer and are in at night in the winter - we dont have heaters in our field water tanks so they would have nothing to drink once it freezes - solid block in not very many hours - and hay soon gets blown away or buried. When they stand in I know each one gets there fair share and as they all have different feeding needs I dont have to stand around making sure they arent swapping buckets. Mucking out has never bothered me as I've always done it and we have less horses now than we've had for a long time, gives me incentive to get out of the house so helps keep me fit!!!!
I wouldn't want more land as it would mean more work to manage it and as we already have to restrict grazing for laminitis prevention I would only need it for maybe making our own hay


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## crimsonsky (Feb 18, 2011)

i used to have my horses at home with me but as i've just moved to a new state i'm officially a boarder. :/ and on that note i'm moving all three of my horses to a new barn at the beginning of December which i'm pretty excited about. 

the new barn is on 21 acres with three timothy grass pastures, round pen, 80' x 130' covered arena, 10 stalls in the barn (12' x 20' each), 4 with 12' x 50' runs and another five outdoor stalls with 12' or 24' x 75' runs. the ladies who own/run the barn seem like real honest horse people so i'm pretty confident my horses will do well there. they'll go out on the pastures from morning until night (so at least 8-10 hours a day) and will come in in the evenings. boarders get lockable individual tack lockers (3' x 5') and plenty of room for grain, etc. there are also plenty of grooming areas and a hot water wash rack along with a full bathroom for boarders.


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