When it comes to our domesticated animals, few require as much space as a horse. Often weighing in excess of 1,000 pounds, they have long legs and tons of muscle that needs to be exercised on a daily basis. Moreover, horses eat incredible amounts of plant matter, which requires ample land to provide. But exactly how much land is necessary to keep a horse healthy and happy?
The simple numbers are at least 200 square feet per horse for exercise and 2 acres per horse for grazing. But the truth is, it depends on several factors, which we’re going to discuss in this article. Hopefully, by the end, you’ll have a good idea of how much space your horses need, based on your own circumstances.
Land for Grazing Versus Space for Exercise
Your land needs will differ drastically depending on whether you plan to have your horse foraging on your land or if you’ll be providing them with hay. If you’re feeding your horse with hay, then the space they need is mainly for exercise. However, if you plan for your horse to get most of their nutrition through grazing, then you’ll need plenty of carefully managed land to ensure there’s sufficient food available. All this is to say that horses who graze will need more land that’s better managed than a horse that only needs the space to exercise.
Land Requirements for Grazing Horses
If you’re going to have your horse grazing in the pasture and expect this to make up most of their food source, then you need to start with a minimum of 2 acres. That’s not to say that a horse can’t survive on less space if it’s carefully managed, though.
That said, horses are voracious eaters. A horse can easily put down 20 pounds of hay in a day, so, you can see how essential proper land management would be, particularly if you have less than 2 acres to work with.
Also, consider that different regions may have land that’s more or less appropriate for grazing. If you live in a dry climate without much growth, then your land might not be as good for supporting a horse’s food requirements. On the other hand, if you’re in a very lush environment, then your horses might not require as much space since they’re able to get more forage out of each acre.
Multiple Horses Means More Space
Of course, that 2-acre minimum is a starting point for a single horse. Every additional horse will require more land. Your first horse needed 2 acres, but each additional horse should be ok with just 1 acre more. For example, if you have two horses, you want a minimum of 3 acres, and if you have four horses, you want to provide them with at least 5 acres.
Land Management
Having land for your horses isn’t enough. You’ll have to actively manage that land if you want it to remain green, fertile, and able to support your horses’ needs. Overgrazing is a major concern that can lead to a dead field full of mud instead of lively grass. You’ll also need to manage weeds and manure to keep your pasture as healthy as possible. Avoiding these issues requires daily work and plenty of pre-planning.
Space Requirements for Exercise
When it comes to exercise, horses require surprisingly little space to remain healthy and get ample physical activity. Land for exercise doesn’t require as careful of management as land that will be grazed on. In fact, there doesn’t have to be any grass on this land at all.
For one horse, you’ll need just 200 square feet of space for them to exercise. More space obviously won’t hurt, but your horse can be healthy with a fairly small space. Horses don’t necessarily need enough space to run every day, they just need to be able to move about freely and stretch their legs.
Keep in mind, additional horses will necessitate a larger area for exercise, unless they’re kept in the exercise lot at different times. You’ll want to provide an additional 200 square feet for each horse. So, if they’re kept together, two horses would need 400 square feet of space and so on.
Legal Requirements in Your Jurisdiction
We’ve discussed a lot of great guidelines and rules to follow to ensure your horses are healthy, happy, and receiving adequate food. If you follow these guidelines, your horse should have ample space for grazing and exercise, but you still have to consider the legality of keeping horses where you live.
Some states and cities have requirements that must be met regarding how much space each horse needs. Make sure you do a little research into your local ordinances before you start constructing fences. You don’t want to plan and build an entire barn and pasture for your horse just to find out it doesn’t meet local regulations!
Final Thoughts
The amount of land your horse needs depends on several factors. If you want your horse to graze in the pasture, you’ll need to provide at least two acres of well-managed land for a single horse, plus another acre for each additional horse. But if you want to feed your horses hay and only need space for them to exercise, you can get away with just 200 square feet per horse. But before you start drawing up any plans, check your local laws and make sure you’re staying within the bounds of legality where you’re at!
Featured Image Credit: Olga_i, Shutterstock
