Dry Lots...how big? Pictures of new barn in the process..

[Whispering_Pines]

We are in the process of finishing up our new miniature horse barn, we are down to figuring out the pasture, paddocks, etc. We will be fencing in a pasture for them to run and graze in, but they will not be in that all day long. We will turn them out at night for a few hours, I do not give them unlimited grass.

1. How big would you make this turn out pasture? We have sixteen acres but will not be fencing that in because we bale it for hay also.

2. How big would you make their dry lots? I don't worry about them getting enough exercise, they get walked several times per week, we tie them out while we are working in the garden etc. We have 5 miniatures. One can have no grass. Right now the gelding that can have no grass is in a dry lot 40x40, but we take him out nightly and walk nearly a mile. The other paddocks are 30x100. Two horses on each side. (Right now I do have two horses in the 40x40 simply because we are weaning a filly. I have no other place for him because he is aggressive with my mares. He will only be in there short term.

So....

1. How big for a pasture to be turned out in nightly? Would one acre be enough fenced in.

2. How big do the dry lots have to be? Would the 3- 30x100 paddocks be enough room for the 5 minis?

Thanks for all your input.

Val

I have posted pictures of our barn, of course not finished yet. The back view is where the stall are going to be.

 

[chandab]

Four of my mares live in a 50x100' dry lot and they seem to have plenty of room to move around. One stallion has a 16x40' run, he gets plenty of exercise. The geldings are a little crowded in their 50x50' pen, but they get out on enough pasture during summer to do fine. Another two mares and a jenny have access to a 50x100' dry lot, and the other stallion shares their dry lot every other day or so.

 

[Marty]

I'm no good at measurements so I'll say that whatever you decide, go bigger. You never know if you will add or subtract a horse, if you have a drought, or flood, you will always need more room. Make plenty of paddocks for rotation and pasture rest. Good luck. The barn looks good!

 

[Jenny]

My one gelding's paddock (dry lot) is about 40x60, and his pasture is about 60x60 (this is just for him to nibble on something a few hours a day). He has LOTS of room in his paddock! He also gets two short walks/trots a day to burn some energy.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

How big an area do you have altogether? I ask because under your circumstances I wonder if you have considered making a "pony path"- where a channel is fenced all the way round the pasture and the horses walk round it grazing- very little grazing goes on, btw as IME the horses like running round these things and what grass there is quickly gets eaten anyway.

In answer to the original question, though, I always go for as big as is humanly possible. I do not use a dry lot, never shall, but I see your dilemma with the gelding (although I have always managed to get an laminitic animals back on grass) and obvioulsy he will need company.

 

[Whispering_Pines]

The entire area with the paddocks with be aproxmately 100x100 for the 5 minis. We have sixteen acres of field, that I could do a pony run around, that would help salvage the rest of that acreage that we bale. I do let the gelding in the dry lock nibble on grass in the evening when we walk.

 

[maggiemae]

Rabbitsfizz How have you always managed to get lamanitic horses back on grass?

 

[rabbitsfizz]

MM I am not sure I have ever had a problem with it- the mare I have at the moment who went "footy" around three months ago went back on grass as soon as her weight reached an acceptable level and she was sound. She went out with the herd 24/7 almost immediately on a filed that was well, but not lushly, grassed. The worst case I have ever had was a Welsh mare who came with the problem but came in winter and no-one saw fit to tell me!! She actually foundered in spring and it took us a while to get her sound again but we did it and she went back on grass, just watched her and brought her off in spring from then on. The mare I had this summer I shall watch her weight this winter and probably bring her up in spring for a couple of weeks but if she is in foal she should be OK.