When we decided to move to the country, a large reason for this move was to bring our 2 boarded horses home. We had boarded our horses where we took riding lessons and it was expensive. After 4 years of learning all we could about horsemanship and taking care of the animals, we took the first step by finding a country property.
Why we call it a hobby farm
We consider our little place a hobby farm because having horses for us is a hobby! We compare our hobby to other hobbies like golfing or classic car owners. Our horses don’t make us money. They are not used for farm chores other than eating the grass but we still have to mow occasionally. They are not our prominent mode of transportation. We do ride them as much as possible but just watching them graze our land and having them come to us for an apple is a pleasure for us.
Preparation for their shelter and pasture
Our property is 6 acres of land with some rolling pastures and a small creek running through it. We built a 3 stall horse barn and fenced in about 2 acres for pastures. Our trainers who owned the boarding farm brought our horses to our farm in their horse trailer. In the 10 years we have had our horses, we have not needed a horse trailer but it is something a lot of horse owners have.
Building run-ins
Over the years we have built 10′ by 10′ run-ins in 2 of our pastures for shelter from wind or rain. Our horses mainly stay outside all year round. They only come into the barn for the vet, the farrier, to be brushed and saddled or if the weather is particularly nasty. Only freezing rain, blizzard conditions or hail causes us to bring them in. They prefer being outside otherwise and it is much healthier for them to get exercise and fresh air.
Rotational grazing
We have added 2 more fenced-in pastures and practise rotational grazing to help keep the pastures in shape. Horses will graze on the tenderest grass first and eat it down to the ground. They will pick an area to go to the bathroom then will not eat the grass in those areas. If you don’t move them from this pasture they will kill the new grass and only weeds will grow. With 4 pastures we can usually allow each pasture 3 weeks of new growth between grazing time. This pasture management works well in the spring and fall when the growing season is good.
Pasture maintenance
We use a rough cut mower on our tractor about 3 times a year to cut down the weeds. In June, August and late September we mow it down to an even 4 – 8 inches. We also fertilize the areas that need it and overseed them in the spring to help keep them lush. Only one field in the winter is used. We picked the highest and driest pasture to keep the horses out of the mud. It is also closest to the barn so we can use 16 gallon heated buckets and fill them from our hoses. Our horses can feed on pasture from May to October in our area.
Feeding hay in winter
Come wintertime we use hay bales to feed our horses. We researched and decided early on how to get our hay and how it would be delivered. There are large bales and small square bales available to us.
If you don’t have a tractor for moving large bales then using small bales is the way to go. The small bales weigh between 40 to 70 pounds and can be cut open and used as flakes. These are compressed layers that come apart easily to feed in portions or you can put the whole bale out in feeders. We use a hay hut and it has saved us a lot of wasted hay.
We use our Kabota tractor to move our large square bales that weigh about 500 pounds. This allows us to put a bale in the hay hut and depending on how cold it is, the hay can last from 1 to 2 weeks.
Feed and treats
Hay and grass are the majority of feed needed for a healthy horse. We only give apples and carrots in the warmer months to have them come over and be friendly. As our 2 horses are over 15 years old now, we give them a scoop of senior feed in the winter. Each morning feed allows me to see them up close to check on their appetite, their gait, their eyes etc. to catch any problems early.
Horse maintenance
Now all horses should have some regular maintenance. The vet should see them once a year for their annual shots and checkup. The horses need their teeth checked as well to see if they need to be filed down. This usually needs to be done every second year as their teeth can get sharp edges that will irritate the inside of their mouths. A farrier needs to come out and check their hooves and make a schedule for trimming or horseshoeing as needed. This is usually a 6 to 8-week interval and longer intervals in the winter as their hoof growth slows.
Tack needed
Other items you will need for your horses are headstalls and leads to move them around safely on your property. If you plan to ride them you will need saddles and bridles.
You can buy blankets and rainsheets for different weather situations. We have bought brushes, horsepicks, curry combs, shampoo etc for grooming purposes as well as feed and water buckets to use for feeding.
The sky is the limit for buying items to pamper your horse as well as training items like pylons, barrels, wooden jumps and poles, lunge lines, sand rings. OK, I will stop now but I think you can see how this hobby can be addictive.
We love having horses on our hobby farm and therefore wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t been part of our lives. Do you want horses on your hobby farm?