I want to know about how many acres each horse should have to roam on. I am wanting to get 1-2 horse(s) and a cow. I have 4.5 acres. So how much should I fence them in?
2007-01-08 07:21:19 · 13 answers · asked by Bluie, The Big Plastic Whale? 4 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
It depends on where you live. There are different things to consider: if your animals will be subsidized with grain feed, what type of grass you have, the general terain of the area, etc. But the general rule is 1-2 acres per horse (similar for cattle). You just might want to divide your area so that you can rotate them, so they don't destroy the land. Call your local County Agriculture Extension Agent and he/she should be able to tell you more about your local environment and needs.
2007-01-08 08:01:47 · answer #1 · answered by auequine 4 · 19⤊ 0⤋
First, I think we need to remember that these state laws along with the local ordinances are not written by horse people in most cases, if ever. I am guessing that they go by the rule of thumb most horse people use which is an acre per horse. Beyond that I think the lawmakers are pretty much clueless. I think regulating how much turnout a horse must have is a slippery slope since what is appropriate for a particular horse can vary so much. A horse may need to be stalled for an extended period of time due to an injury, or a horse prone to founder may never be able to be turned out in a pasture and require being kept on a dirt lot. Climate can affect how much horses can be turned out also. There is just too many factors at play for it to be regulated within reason- especially by politicians. But yeah, keeping a horse stalled just because especially when you have the land to turn them out is just dumb. It's been proven time and again the more turnout a horse gets the better it is for their health.
2016-03-14 03:12:08 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give it all to them, but fence off a small area around your house to keep them away from the sides because they will chew on a home. Fence the whole area and put a gate over your driveway. Or at least give them 4 acres of it. Depending on where you live, some states have different laws on how much land is needed per animal, but the rule is generally 2-2.5 acres an animal, so in your case you may want to invest in some hay, and feed them a leaf a day per animal. (square bales, once you cut the wire, spring out a little bit and there are sections that are about 2 or 4 inches thick, this is a leaf) or you could buy big round bales(='s about 20 square bales) and let them eat on that as they wish, but you will need a round bale feeder so that the animals don't drag and step on the hay. and for horses you need bremuda round bales, or a high quality grass hay of some sort. horses are so much fun, and such loving creatures if treated properly, luck to you!
2007-01-08 07:37:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
In my area we are allowed one horse per 3 acres. I have had 3 horses on 3 acres fenced on a total of 5 acres and as long as they are being fed hay, they were just fine. That was the only thing was they ate the grass away. They had room to run and hang out.
2007-01-08 15:43:20 · answer #4 · answered by Kate 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
A horse, and this is coming from a vet at ETSU said that for a horse to live comfortably each horse needs 1.7 acres, and a cow needs atleast and acre. if you are going to get 2 horses you have plenty of room, but you wont have enough room for the cow, a horse eats the grass down plum to the root, while a cow only eats the top part so if you put a cow in with the two horses, the grass wouldn't grow back fast engouh for the cow to get enough food, so therefore you would have to spen more money on hay and grain, so i would just stick with horses, it also ruins a horse to let it run with a cow, I know this from experience, and i wouldn't recimend it either... the cows teach the horse bad manners, very bad manners, like to run from you and all that stuff, but you have plenty of room for 2 horses or 1 horse and a cow, but the horses would be more comfortable with a friend of there own kind.
2007-01-08 13:54:46 · answer #5 · answered by Amanda K 1 · 4⤊ 0⤋
A typical rule of thumb is minimally, two acres per horse and five acres per cow. Remember too, that horses will root up any vegetation in the area with their hooves as well as pulling vegetation out of the ground when eating, and will also and oftentimes chew any wood that may be used for fencing materials.
Sounds to me like you're a little short on land for three animals of this size. I'm sure you could fence them in this smaller area, but they won't be happy or comfortable after a period of time.
.
2007-01-08 07:29:20 · answer #6 · answered by ruby_jazmin 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For residential lots under five acres, you may keep one horse per full acre. For residential lots over five acres, you can be considered a farm with no restriction on the number of horses. Stables and manure piles must be kept 75 feet from any property line or body of water. The same rules apply to alpacas, burros, cattle, donkeys, llamas and similar animals.
2007-01-08 07:36:32 · answer #7 · answered by Roxy 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
People say that you should house 1 horse per every acre. You have plenty of room.
2007-01-08 07:54:59 · answer #8 · answered by jakesbell87 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Roaming is different from grazing, which is the real concern. You will need to make sure the horses get exercise to keep them in shape.
An acre is enough - but you want to alternate pastures. Cows eat grass closer to the ground,so you will want to give time for the grass to grow and recover on a patch before moving horses onto it.
The best thing for all is to fence off 1/2 acre paddocks and move your livestock daily to keep the ground from getting over grazed and plowed up/muddy from hooves.
2007-01-08 07:26:26 · answer #9 · answered by justbeingher 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
usually its 2 acres per horse. well thats what ive been told.
2007-01-09 07:15:03 · answer #10 · answered by thinroch03 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋