What is the most efficient, easiest setup for horses at home?

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I'm enjoying reading all of these great threads on perfect size, etc. What I want to hear about is what did you do (or would you change) to make keeping horses at home EASIER and less time consuming. I want to turnout almost 24-7 unless it is bitterly cold or icy rain.

-What is the most maintenance-free (safe) fencing?

-What have you done to deal with the ever present mud?

-Round bales vs. squares

-What is better, growing your own hay and hiring someone to plant and harvest it (think ten to 15 horses tops...but probably more like 4 or 5) or buying it? Why? Would you invest in the equipment to do it all yourself? That doesn't sound cost effective to me, but I'm open to hearing pros and cons.

- How are you separating pastured horses to give them their individual grain and supps? Does your fencing connect right into the barn? Pros and cons of allowing horses access to the side of a barn...I think a lean to side would be nice, but what about damage to the barn?

Tractor vs. skid ster

Automatic waterers...anything to watch for besides monitoring intake and cleanliness?

Ways to cut down on plowing snow. Did you do anything besides gravel for your driveway and how do you like it?

Manure management...easiest way to deal with the poo?

Whatever other tips you have.

[2DogsFarm]

After boarding for 20 years and observing varied barn/horse management practices I had my plan on paper before I even built my farm.

What works best for me - with just 2 horses - is free access to stalls 24/7/365.
I have 2 pastures with the barn in the middle. Barn is surrounded by my sacrifice paddock - aka The Lobby - and horses can access any of the above from their stalls. Or not, depending on which gates I close.
Stalls open to the Lobby from Dutch doors set in the back.
These doors have been closed only when I want the horses in for the shoer or vet, otherwise they are locked in the open position.

I chose a combination fencing with a PVC top rail (like the Centaur or Ramm) and three strands of coated tensile wire under that.
All are strung on treated 6" round posts sunk 4' & set 12' apart.
The top wire can carry a charge, but so far I haven't had to electrify it. I liked this style of fencing as the 4" top rail is highly visible to the horses and the coated wire looks less like a cheese-slicer (to me) than the uncoated.

My most successful mud preventer has been stonedust over gravel. I put this down in back of the stalls and in a path for me to use from the front of the barn to the service door. Two years later I am mud-free!!!

For me small square bales - avg 50-55# - work best as I don't have equipment to handle the larger squares or roundbales.

I am no farmer, so growing my own hay would require a major outlay of cash and a long course in the School of Hard Knocks. I have neither.
Also you need to consider how much acreage you have to set aside for hay. A neighbor who has the equipment cut & baled a piece of my acreage maybe 1/4ac and gave me the 25 bales he got off it. This only represents 10% of my annual consumption so I'd need 25ac to have enough hay to make it worthwhile.

I don't have to separate my horses for feeding. They are very good about each going into a stall when I feed. Occasionally Crabby Old Man will play Musical Stalls when I put their hay down, but once the grain pans are filled each makes All Gone before resuming that game.
Lucky for me they are both easygoing and the pecking order isn't a big thing for them.
Pays to have geldings :yes:

I'd love to justify buying a sub-compact tractor. I just know I;d find a million uses for the FEL alone!
But with just 5ac I can't do that...yet...

My feeling on auto-waterers is just one more thing to break. Buckets work fine for me, but again it's just 2 buckets + a 50gal barrel trough.
I do have heated buckets in the stalls and a sinking de-icer for the big one.I can easily monitor intake by how much I refill the big trough as they seem to prefer that to the buckets in the stalls.
Right now they are drinking about 15-20gal daily.

Plowing gets done when a Good Samaritan neighbor (I have 2) does it for me. But it is a lifesaver when we have more than 4" of snow.
All my drives are gravel and are holding up fine.

I compost manure and what doesn't get carted away by gardener friends gets spread in my veggie & flower beds. I don't pick pastures, when I mow I just shred the piles with the mower.

[LisaB]

Run in shed with huge pasture. Those cow auto waterers. You know with the balls that they push down. And horses that don't need grain.
Okay, reality check. All horses are different. Right now I have my boys outside. It's a pita feeding them. All 3 are different.
So, barn with separate sacrifice paddocks attached to each stall. Gravel with stone dust. Then gates that open to a huge pasture. Auto water out in the field. Oh yeah, run in shed out there because the critters will all try to gang up in one stall. So, try to leave them chucked out as much as possible. Have run-in so they can get out from the heat of the sun.
Then winter for the most part is when you need stall/sacrifice paddock because they will completely destroy your fields. Lights in the stalls and on the outside. Preferrably a light switch in the house for the outside lights.

[LisaB]

crap fencing. I really like the no climb with high tension wire on top that can be electrified. It also keeps other critters (your dogs and children) out of the fields.

[FuelsterFarm]

We made 4 pastures of about 3 acres each, behind the site where our new barn is going to be built (the old barn on the property was not in good enough shape to restore).

We installed (ourselves, since we purchased a large backhoe) the two sided automatic waterers from Miraco at the fence line between the pastures. Since we knew we would be adding pastures as time allowed, we put in 4 waterers to serve a total of 8 pastures. At the same time, we installed electric lines, which allowed us to run electricity to power the heating elements used in the waterers in the winter.

In the 4 existing pastures, we built large loafing sheds. They measure 18 feet long, 12 feet deep, and 8 feet high at the lowest point. 3-4 horses can comfortably fit in each, though we keep groups to 2-3 horses that get along well and have similar dietary needs. Since we had everything already dug up, we also ran electric to the loafing sheds.

The fencing that we choose was EletroPlus (the next generation of ElectroBraid) with GeoTek 7/8" fiberglass fence posts and using 6" recycled plastic fence posts for the corners. The fencing installed easily, is very visible, and is easy to maintain.

We put in 4' gates, also made of recycled plastic near the middle of each fenceline, and added regular gate handles at one end of each pasture to allow for machinery access (for cleaning manure and mowing weeds).

While we have a total of 80 acres of land, we lease part of it to a neighboring dairy farmer who grows crops, and we kept about 15 acres in hay. Another farmer cuts and bales our hay in small squares for us. With the number of horses that we have, we do need to purchase additional hay. Our hay storage is limited to about 3500 bales, but our hay guy is willing to deliver by the load (about 300 bales at a time) throughout the winter and spring.

We tried round bales exactly once... never again. The horses eat far too much and there is a tremendous amount of waste. I very strongly prefer to feed small bales, which also allows me to more closely moniter their consumption.

The lanes and the front 30 feet of each pasture had the topsoil removed (18" here) and we lay gravel. This keeps the high traffic areas far cleaner and more manageable.

We use the backhoe for snow plowing as well as for removing manure from pastures. The farmer that leases the rest of the land spreads it on the fields that he has in crops.

My only complaint about our layout is that the shed holding the hay and grain is about the distance of 4 football fields from the pastures themselves... so if the tractor won't start (which happens at least 10 times a year in the bitter cold here) it is one heck of a long way to lug bales of hay. Once we have the "real" barn up, this shouldn't be such an issue, but for now it can be problematic - although it does keep me in better shape than I would have been in otherwise!

[greysandbays]

I'm enjoying reading all of these great threads on perfect size, etc. What I want to hear about is what did you do (or would you change) to make keeping horses at home EASIER and less time consuming. I want to turnout almost 24-7 unless it is bitterly cold or icy rain.

-What is the most maintenance-free (safe) fencing?
Ain't any such thing. Only difference is what type of maintenance you are best prepared to do. I use electric fence because leaning and butt scratching on non-electric fence is hardest for me to fix with the time, equipment, and energy I have at my disposal.

-What have you done to deal with the ever present mud?
Ignore it and it goes away. Sooner or later.

-Round bales vs. squares
Squares unless you have RELIABLE equipment to handle big bales. All the tractor in the world is no damn good if it won't start when you need to move hay.

-What is better, growing your own hay and hiring someone to plant and harvest it (think ten to 15 horses tops...but probably more like 4 or 5) or buying it? Why? Would you invest in the equipment to do it all yourself? That doesn't sound cost effective to me, but I'm open to hearing pros and cons.
Buying hay wins by a hundred miles. Even after the gigantic capital outlay to accumulate the equipment, you are at the mercy of the weather. Much better to buy hay from whoever guessed right on which two or three days in a row it wasn't going to rain.

Only way I'd say put up your own hay would be if you met the ALL three of the following criteria: 1) You had enough land that there would be extra hay to sell, 2) You have so many horses [or other hay-eating livestock] that the huge capital and labor outlay absolutely offsets the $$$$$$$$$ savings, and 3) You have cattle that you can feed the less than perfect hay to. Oh, and one more: If you have the time and brute strength to do the job.

- How are you separating pastured horses to give them their individual grain and supps? Does your fencing connect right into the barn? Pros and cons of allowing horses access to the side of a barn...I think a lean to side would be nice, but what about damage to the barn?
I don't separate for grain feeding. If I can't jigger the feeding order so that the fatty and piggy horses get fed last and everybody finishes at about the same time, I stand guard until all who might get their feed hogged are done. Seems time consuming, but it's priceless groundwork -- if you can rule the roost when feed is involved, most other handling of them is a piece of cake.

Tractor vs. skid ster
Both. And a whole lot more equipment besides... (OK, I'm dreaming on that one; I'm lucky to have a wheelbarrow).

Automatic waterers...anything to watch for besides monitoring intake and cleanliness?
Unless you can make them 100% freeze-proof, they'll end up being more trouble than they are worth. Oh, they'll seem wonderful until they don't work. Then you just find you've traded 'x' convenience when they work for 'exponentially greater than x' inconvenience when they don't work. It's easier to deal with 'y' level of minor inconvenience all the time.

Around here (upper Midwest), if you don't put water lines eight feed down, sooner or later, they WILL freeze. They might anyway if there is an extended spell of extreme cold without snow cover (or if you trample/drive/whatever over them when there IS snow). Even if your underground lines don't freeze, you have to have heat. Which means electricity to each waterer. Which means one more thing for things to go haywire with.

Ways to cut down on plowing snow. Did you do anything besides gravel for your driveway and how do you like it?
We plow only the driveway so we can get vehicles in and out. For all else, I just tromp paths in the snow. And we don't plow the driveway after every snowfall unless the snow is more than 3-4 inches. (Four times so far this winter.)

Manure management...easiest way to deal with the poo?
Let it rot where it falls. Especially on the winter paddock that becomes my summer garden. (Horses tramping back and forth through it for a while in the spring saves a lot of tilling.)

Whatever other tips you have.

I try to keep as few separate pens of horses as possible. Every additional pen adds fifteen minutes to my chores every morning and evening. I'm miffed this winter because I have five paddocks/pastures for 10 horses. All because one dumb-shit gelding won't quit abusing an old arthritic retired mare.

Another thing I'm going fix this coming summer is getting all horses within winter hose-reach of my hydrant. Lugging buckets of water is getting older by the minute. (While I can string 300' of hose together for summer, it's too hard to drain that much hose every watering; 150' of hose is the best compromise for winter.)

[walkinthewalk]

I'm enjoying reading all of these great threads on perfect size, etc. What I want to hear about is what did you do (or would you change) to make keeping horses at home EASIER and less time consuming. I want to turnout almost 24-7 unless it is bitterly cold or icy rain. In terms of making my life easier, I am still patting myself on the back for that one - lol lol lol I wouldn't change anything in that regard unless I had more money to build a bigger barn:winkgrin: My barn is only 24 X 40 so I had to really think on how best to do things. In 40 years of having my own horses, I have never kept tack at the barn (except for a couple halters/lead ropes) so not having a tack room wasn't an issue for me.

-What is the most maintenance-free (safe) fencing? I prefer woven wire and a top strand of electric could be added if needed.

-What have you done to deal with the ever present mud?We have some of the best natural drainage I've ever seen. Days on end mud isn't an issue for me.

-Round bales vs. squaresI only have four horses, no round bales for me as they can't eat them fast enough for the bales to not get ruined and/or rats or other rodents to move in during the winter. I feed small squares.

-What is better, growing your own hay and hiring someone to plant and harvest it (think ten to 15 horses tops...but probably more like 4 or 5) or buying it?I buy mine Why? More cost effective when only four horses are involved Would you invest in the equipment to do it all yourself? I was raised on a dairy farm and know what that investment (plus repairs) entails - absolutely not. That doesn't sound cost effective to me, but I'm open to hearing pros and cons.

- How are you separating pastured horses to give them their individual grain and supps? Following family tradition, my horses come in at night and out in the morning regardless of weather. No feeding issues and everyone gets ample rest time without the alpha-dominant horse deviling the dickens out of them

Does your fencing connect right into the barn? I have one open stall that goes out into a 100 X 24 paddock that, in turn, opens into the front 1 acre pasture that gives access to three other pastures.

Pros and cons of allowing horses access to the side of a barn...I think a lean to side would be nice, but what about damage to the barn? In all my years of owning horses, that has never been an issue. I have always made sure the barn area had plenty of outdoor space to where the horses could get away from each other without getting "boxed" up against the barn.

Tractor vs. skid sterBoth if you have a bigger operation and have the money. I have a John Deer sub-compact with a front loader. Hubby has a '69 Ford 3000 that does all the bushhogging.

Automatic waterers...anything to watch for besides monitoring intake and cleanliness? For my part I am dead set against auto waterers for horses. I want to know how much they are drinking every day. And as has been mentioned, they are one more thing to break and get frustrated over.

Ways to cut down on plowing snow. Did you do anything besides gravel for your driveway and how do you like it?I'm not where I have to plow snow anymore, but that front loader on my sub-compact John Deere would do that nicely. No fancy driveways here, just plain ole gravel. Only maintenance it needs is a box blade taken to it every other year and a tri-axle dump of re-fill every five or six years.

Manure management...easiest way to deal with the poo?My situation is unique. We have 23 acres and several areas where I can dump and spread the manure that don't include the pasture areas. If you don't plan to make a compost pile, spreading it keeps down the odor & flies, and is a deterrent for rats & other rodents.

Whatever other tips you have.The money you can afford to spend will dictate how simple or how elaborate your equine environment will be. Whatever is spent, don't chintz on the safety issues. When the barn is wired for electric, spend the money and have all that wiring put in metal conduit.

Have an ample size breaker box in the barn. My barn is small so my the breaker box is behind my kitchen counter Have ample electric outlets throughout where the horses can't get to them. I have heated stock tanks and water buckets.

Decide ahead of time where your hay is going to be stored; i.e. in the same barn with horses, in a storage shed, under an overhang?

Last but not least, do not under-gate yourself. Hubby was pretty cranky when he had to spend all that money for gates of various sizes that I wanted and the creosote posts to hang them on. Now that all those gates are in, he understands why I wanted them and yes indeed he really enjoys making use of them --- all of them:yes:

[yellow-horse]

I have a barn that opens into the sacrifice paddock and another sacrifice paddock with a shed, i tend to leave the gate open between both paddocks and use the stalls for feeding.
I have about 3 acres in kinda pasture, that the paddocks open into, it's divided in about 1/2. I can open all the gates and they can go where they want or I can close gates. I have both round bales and squares, I have kind of a portable round bail storage system it's s long chute made of one side of the fence and tposts on the other with cattle panels fastened over the top covered with tarps, when i get my round bales, i untie the top and take the tarp off and the guy just unlaods them into the chute, then i cover it back up, i can then just roll the next one out to the end and keep it covered that way, or if the weather is going to be nice for the next week, i can pull one out with the truck and a chain, i have them on pallets. it's not that hard to roll a round bale, my husband made a redneck round bale feeder that is easy to use.
I have an auto waterer between the paddocks and the pasture area, I also use troughs, frankly where I live it doesn't freeze all that much, one tip that made it esy for me is I bought several hoses and just have them each go to a trough, saves dragging hoses around.
My horse stay out 24/7 unless theres a real good reason not to leave them out so I have minimal stall cleaning, I found they poop on one side of the shed, most times they poop outside, I only have mares so I do put woody pet where they pee.
Mud is a disaster certain times of the year in my paddocks, my pasture area is well drained, thats when i close up the gate between the paddocks and just use one and let the other dry out.
As far as feeding, they know where they're supposed to eat, I open the stalls, they go where they belong, and then they go back out. Horse care takes me about 15 minutes twice a day, once a week or so I clean the shed and stalls and pick up in the paddocks, that may take a while.
For fencing, I have what the clampetts used before they hit black gold, it's a variety of materials, t posts, wood posts, woven wire, electric tape.
I have 3 horses and 2 goats.

[manyspots]

I'm enjoying reading all of these great threads on perfect size, etc. What I want to hear about is what did you do (or would you change) to make keeping horses at home EASIER and less time consuming. I want to turnout almost 24-7 unless it is bitterly cold or icy rain.

We built a 24 x 36 three stall barn. There are two stalls on one side of the aisle the open directly into the sacrafice paddock. I also have dutch doors locked in the open position unless I need them in for the vet or farrier. Other than that, they are out 24/7/365 and can come in by choice only. I also feed grain in their stalls, but can keep the doors open because the two mind their own business.

-What is the most maintenance-free (safe) fencing?
We went with Horseguard tape for financial reasons. I would love to have no climb with a board or wire on top, but this was all I could do for now. Honestly, I LOVE IT! Packs a punch and went in during a weekend. I went with the bi-polar tape due to major snow in this region. Three strands, highest is set at 54". Neither gelding tests it.

-What have you done to deal with the ever present mud?
Ignore it! Oh and order more gravel and stone dust when I have more money!

-Round bales vs. squares
Square only... I don't own the tractor yet and I like controlling how much they are eating on a daily basis.

-What is better, growing your own hay and hiring someone to plant and harvest it (think ten to 15 horses tops...but probably more like 4 or 5) or buying it? Why? Would you invest in the equipment to do it all yourself? That doesn't sound cost effective to me, but I'm open to hearing pros and cons.
Buy it... even better find a service who unloads and stacks too. It will be worth the $1 a bale.

- How are you separating pastured horses to give them their individual grain and supps? Does your fencing connect right into the barn? Pros and cons of allowing horses access to the side of a barn...I think a lean to side would be nice, but what about damage to the barn?

Fencing is attached to the barn which is fine because I do not have chewers. Horses do eat in their stalls as mentioned above but not locked in. They know what stall to go into and leave each other alone. Hay is fed outside 99% of the time unless pouring or snowing hard.

Tractor vs. skid ster
Will be buying a skidsteer. Multi use and can be hauled around in the dump trailer. Plus fiance can use it for work and make $$$$ with it!

Automatic waterers...anything to watch for besides monitoring intake and cleanliness?
Nope... one 16 gal heated tub and one 5 gallon bucket per stall. I did put in a frost free hydrant in the tack room.

Ways to cut down on plowing snow. Did you do anything besides gravel for your driveway and how do you like it?
We have stone dust, works fine for us.

Manure management...easiest way to deal with the poo?
To the dump it goes come spring in the dump trailer. We have a friend with a tractor we can use to load it. At some point I will own the skidsteer and dump trailer of my own.

Whatever other tips you have.
Streamline everything! Don't cut corners, just find the easiest and most efficient way of doing everything. Visit other people's barn and make a list fo what you like and what you don't like. If you can, check out the building process of someone else's barn before doing yours... it will help you to think things out and make changes before they are done and irreversable!

Have fun planning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Valentina_32926]

Horses should be put into stalls (separated) when fed.
Turn out after feeding to keep stalls clean.

Stalls open directly to pasture and have an overhang for shelter in case of bad weather.

Perimeter of property should keep dogs out while keeping horses in. No climb horse fencing is best with 1 hot wire on top (or in front of top of fence) to keep horses off fence and fence in good condition.

Round bales on something horse safe off the ground is least expensive.

Maybe ask local farmers to use your ground, their equipment with an exchange of hay for property use? If you have enough property it sjhould be worth it. Buying hey for 15 horses could be costly, buying the equipment for haying more so.

[deltawave]

-What is the most maintenance-free (safe) fencing?

Strictly IMO, ElectroBraid has been fantastic on all fronts: very economical, very easy to install, 1-2 hours of maintenance PER YEAR, completely respected by horses, and safe--the company offers a $5000 guarantee towards vet bills if your horse gets hurt on their fence. Don't know any other fencing company that puts their money where their mouth is like that. :) However, everyone's opinion varies and horses can hurt themselves on ANY kind of fence, so it's a personal preference thing. I love the stuff.

-What have you done to deal with the ever present mud?

Select your property with care. :) We shopped until we found a place with NO CLAY, good natural drainage, and nice sandy soil. Mud is not a huge problem here at all. I am fanatical, however, about not letting horses out in the grassy pastures when the ground is saturated. They have a 1/2 acre sandy sacrifice paddock with a natural crown that drains really well. Mud is never more than coronet-deep here. :) :) :)

-Round bales vs. squares

I definitely prefer squares for several reasons: easier to store (I have a hayloft), easier for me to handle "solo", and minimal waste. Plus I believe (this is a matter of opinion) that hay in small squares is easier to keep consistent and the quality is better. I also worry about botulism and feel that the risk for that is lower with small squares. My mare eats from round bales at my trainer's, and I'm not freaked out about it, I just prefer the squares for the above reasons.

-What is better, growing your own hay and hiring someone to plant and harvest it (think ten to 15 horses tops...but probably more like 4 or 5) or buying it? Why? Would you invest in the equipment to do it all yourself? That doesn't sound cost effective to me, but I'm open to hearing pros and cons.

I have a wonderful hay man, and am very happy to leave it up to him. First of all I don't have time, and it would cost many thousands of dollars for me to buy proper haying equipment (on the order of $5-$8K) and I'd have to use almost all of my available pasture space to grow it, and then if it was a bad year I'd be screwed AND not able to use my pastures. Totally not worth it to me. I fret right along with the hay man when the weather is not right, but I leave the hay-making up to the experts. :yes:

- How are you separating pastured horses to give them their individual grain and supps? Does your fencing connect right into the barn? Pros and cons of allowing horses access to the side of a barn...I think a lean to side would be nice, but what about damage to the barn?

My 3 stalls open directly on to the 1/2 acre sacrifice paddock where my horses spend most of their time. There is a roof over the end of the barn, about a 10 x 36 foot area, that is their main "shelter" when they're not in their stalls. It's built up a bit and stays nice and dry, and they love it under there. At night I open the stalls and let them go in and out as they please, and they eat their grain in their stalls but hay is fed OUTSIDE ONLY. Mostly the stalls are off-limits unless the weather is bad--they do nothing but go inside to poop and pee anyway. :rolleyes: They sleep under the shed roof or out in the sunshine 90% of the time, given the choice. Mostly the stalls are for winter nights or if I want to keep one inside for the farrier, etc. They're outside 23/6.9/364. ;) I have had NO problems with them "sharing" stalls--often I'll find two big horses and the pony sharing one stall, snug as bugs. They all defer to the "boss mare" and she gets her choice of the best spot, but I've never seen them crowding or acting nasty in the stalls, ever. I realize it could happen. I don't sweat it. No damage to the barn so far, nor the horses. They only eat one small grain meal a day and I am there to supervise so there's no poaching.

Tractor vs. skid ster

Skid steers are S-L-O-W. If you've got any acreage at all, tractor. IMO.

Automatic waterers...anything to watch for besides monitoring intake and cleanliness?

A must, must, MUST, IMO. I don't worry about monitoring intake at all. If I have a sick one, they're in a stall where I can watch how much they drink from buckets. Otherwise I look at their urine output and general demeanor and simply don't worry about it.

Ways to cut down on plowing snow. Did you do anything besides gravel for your driveway and how do you like it?

We don't have a plow, we have a BIG snowblower on the tractor. Our driveway is 1/4 mile and we get 70-100 inches of snow per year, so that is a HUGE job. Blowing is the way to go, otherwise you wind up with 5-foot-tall walls of snow close on either side of the driveway from plowing, and that takes FOREVER to melt and causes flooding. With the blower you can fling the stuff 30 feet away. :D

Manure management...easiest way to deal with the poo?

I don't care to spread feces on my pastures ;) so I compost it all in two large manure bunkers, which I built myself, and that keeps the pile JUST manageable. Every spring and fall I advertise the stuff and most of it is given away. I will occasionally spread some on the neighboring farm fields, or use it in my own garden/around trees. I love not just dumping it in a landfill somewhere, and am happy to give it away to people who want it. :yes:

[Jleegriffith]

I work full-time so quick chores are the name of the game and I designed my barn to make it very quick and easy to take care of the horses. 8 stall barn with wash stall, tack room, feed room and utility room. 4 stalls on each side. The stalls open up to sacrifice areas which then open to bigger fields which can easily be opened and closed. Horses can come and go as they please so I don't have as much stall cleaning to do and I don't worry about them! If they want to stand out in the rain..oh well they have options. I use mats in my stalls and sawdust from the local amish mill which are cheap. We have feed doors that open and I can dump the grain right in. Horses automatically come in the stalls. No walking the horses anywhere which saves time.

What is the most maintenance-free (safe) fencing?
Love the horseguard and did the perimeter with the horsemesh wire with a white flex board on top and a strand of hot wire on the top inside to keep the horses off of it

-What have you done to deal with the ever present mud?
Sacrifice paddocks! We used asphalt millings in our sacrifice areas which are working really well

-Round bales vs. squares
squares for me simply for ease of handling and limited numbers of horses.

-What is better, growing your own hay and hiring someone to plant and harvest it (think ten to 15 horses tops...but probably more like 4 or 5) or buying it? Why? Would you invest in the equipment to do it all yourself? That doesn't sound cost effective to me, but I'm open to hearing pros and cons.
we buy from a super hay farmer. not enough land to do it ourselves

- How are you separating pastured horses to give them their individual grain and supps? Does your fencing connect right into the barn? Pros and cons of allowing horses access to the side of a barn...I think a lean to side would be nice, but what about damage to the barn?
we have a barn in the middle and sacrifice paddocks on either side that open up into bigger paddocks set up to rotationally graze. Horses have dutch doors that open up so they can come in and out of their stalls. You would be amazed but horses pick their stalls come in and eat and don't bother each other. No damage to barn.

Tractor vs. skid ster
tractor

Automatic waterers...anything to watch for besides monitoring intake and cleanliness?
on my list of something to have to cut down on workload!

Ways to cut down on plowing snow. Did you do anything besides gravel for your driveway and how do you like it?
we have asphalt millings which were cheap and easy to put in. It's delaware not much snow!

Manure management...easiest way to deal with the poo?
still working that one out

[pintopiaffe]

24/7 turnout with run-ins

Safe Guard/EquiGard fencing (2" polyweb on T-posts) Comes down when it NEEDS to without injury, is repairable alone, in one day.

Round bales with feeders

Feed bags for grain/supps

Driveway is gravel, snow sucks, but I live in Maine, that's expected. I should have moved the trailer when I could have. Key is to have a good place to push the snow TO . I can't believe I'm saying this, but except for the time factor, snowblowing works better for me as far as getting things cleared how I want them and where I want.

Mud, well, as I said it's Maine. We have three seasons. Winter, mud season and black fly season. Nuff said.

Manure management: Live in a place with seasons. It's worth it. Almost. Feed whole oats, flax and BOSS. Birds and mice/moles/foxes etc. will take care of pastures. Unless you have a stallion, you will not need to drag. See #1 (24/7 turnout) when someone IS incarcerated, stall stuff gets spread on bare spots in pastures/paddocks. Timothy, clover, oats and the occasional volunteer sunflower grow there nicely. HOT hot summer (and birds/mice etc. spreading piles) and frigid winter will take care of parasites. Caution: tomatoes planted in said soil may overtake the entire farm.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

This has been great so far!

I am 99% sure I will do auto water for the pasture. I guess most of my friends have them and don't seem to have problems...we are in the frozen north however. That said I'm leaning towards buckets in the actual stalls.

For those with heated buckets in the stalls, what about all the cords? did you run outlets on the outside of each stall?

Re fencing. I would love to find a place that already has fencing. However, around here if you buy a place with existing fencing it is probably going to be barb or barbless wire. *sigh*

[Bluey]

I would say you should consider if you want to spend time doing chores, cleaning stalls or streamline that.
For that, stalls with runs outside are great, so you don't have to spend so much time cleaning stalls.

I can close the stalls and part of the runs outside are still under the overhang, so horses don't even need to go in the stalls and runs are much easier to clean, especially since they don't come in to stay, they are much of the time out to pasture.

We fed from small squares, but if we had many horses in a rather bare pasture, big bales are better, so all can come and go and still have something to eat left.
Hand feeding a larger group together, you may have some shy eaters that won't be thriving and some bullies getting too fat.

Much of how you can manage will depend on how many and what kind of horses you have, if young ones, you will need better fencing, if broodmares, or oldsters, etc.

[Green Acres]

-What is the most maintenance-free (safe) fencing? We have no-climb wire and Horsequard Tape. Love the Horsequard tape - it's easy to put up, easy maintenace and safe. Above the no-climb we have hot wire on top. Love Electric - horses stay away from the fence.

-What have you done to deal with the ever present mud? The only place I get mud is at the gates...but I haven't done anything to prevent it.

-Round bales vs. squares Square bales, 50-70 lbs.

-What is better, growing your own hay and hiring someone to plant and harvest it (think ten to 15 horses tops...but probably more like 4 or 5) or buying it? Why? Would you invest in the equipment to do it all yourself? That doesn't sound cost effective to me, but I'm open to hearing pros and cons. Would not try to grow my own hay. Don't have the time or the cash to try that or the enough land. Also I don't buy local hay and don't feed local hay.

- How are you separating pastured horses to give them their individual grain and supps? Does your fencing connect right into the barn? Pros and cons of allowing horses access to the side of a barn...I think a lean to side would be nice, but what about damage to the barn? I am down to 2 horses who live in separate pastures so feeding them isn't an issue for me. One of my horses doesn't play well with others so he can't go out with our other horse. I don't have shelter when my horses are out at this time. Hopefully one day we will have access for the horses to a run-in. If the weather is bad, I have stalls for them.

Tractor vs. skid ster - Tractor with 3 point hitch and hydraulics. Bucket would be cool, but not a necessity

Automatic waterers...anything to watch for besides monitoring intake and cleanliness? Manual waterers - ME. ;) I look at the water troughs every other day if not every day.

Ways to cut down on plowing snow. Did you do anything besides gravel for your driveway and how do you like it? - Snow - what is that???:lol:

Manure management...easiest way to deal with the poo? We made a drag out of chain link fence that I drag behind the lawn tractor and break up horse poo. Also I have 3 pastures and only use 2 at a time so I can rotate.

Whatever other tips you have. I have just recently gone to 24/7 TO for both of my horses and absolutely love it. I can finally enjoy my horses without working myself crazy trying to take care of them. So try to simplify having horses at home so you can actually enjoy them.

[SLW]

Mine have access to their stalls 24/7/365 w/ a 100 gallon heated water tank. I buy my hay from a wonderful producer. I switched to big round bales back in December and it has been fabulous for the horses and less expensive for me. It has been so cold that they are not getting fat, just using the extra hay rations to keep warm.

The grain rations are small so no one has to be pulled out and fed separate- IOW, the grain mainly serves as a twice daily injury check. Nature takes care of the manure. My fencing is awful (old) but it's only fallen down once (post heaved up during the freeze thaw cycles) and allowed the then yearling, to walk over it and get in the front yard. The repair was made and it has stayed up since then.....but it still needs a complete redo. :)

[Seven-up]

My only recommendation is for manure management.

I LOVE my manure spreader. I back it up to a stall, shovel directly into it, and when it's full, I take a little break and empty it into a pasture. I pull it with a 4-wheeler. You get a breather, get cooled off a little, because there's always a breeze if you're moving, and no fighting with a manure pile. The last one is my favorite. I will never, in a million years, go without one again.


I have zero smell, zero flies, and no wasted space with a big manure pile. Plus, I think it's fun to zoom around on the ATV. Sometimes I hum the bad witch on the bicycle/flying monkey song from The Wizard of Oz. I'm sure the neighbors think I'm crazy, but really, why hide the truth? :winkgrin:

[Bluey]

My only recommendation is for manure management.

I LOVE my manure spreader. I back it up to a stall, shovel directly into it, and when it's full, I take a little break and empty it into a pasture. I pull it with a 4-wheeler. You get a breather, get cooled off a little, because there's always a breeze if you're moving, and no fighting with a manure pile. The last one is my favorite. I will never, in a million years, go without one again.


I have zero smell, zero flies, and no wasted space with a big manure pile. Plus, I think it's fun to zoom around on the ATV. Sometimes I hum the bad witch on the bicycle/flying monkey song from The Wizard of Oz. I'm sure the neighbors think I'm crazy, but really, why hide the truth? :winkgrin:

Which size and brand manure spreader do you have?

[Seven-up]

Bluey,

I think this is the one I have. http://www.horsestalls.com/manurespreaders.htm?gclid=CNPQr7KVtpgCFQsMGgod7kCN YQ

I have the smaller one.


Once it dies, I don't think I'll buy the same kind. I'd like something bigger, and no wood. The screws rattle out and sometimes the front boards come loose. Also, it would be nice to wait until it was filled before I drag it without worrying about rotting the wood. And I'd like something more maneuverable by hand. Those suckers just don't back up. And my barn set up doesn't allow you to drive thru one end and out the other. So it's either wasting two hours trying to back that thing up, or unhook it and push by hand. That is not fun.

But I don't treat it well, and it's probably 10 years old, so it's definitely durable. Little things have broken, like the chain and some thingie or another ??? don't know what they're called. :winkgrin: but my dad just tinkers around for a while and then it works again.

[Bluey]

Bluey,

I think this is the one I have. http://www.horsestalls.com/manurespreaders.htm?gclid=CNPQr7KVtpgCFQsMGgod7kCN YQ

I have the smaller one.


Once it dies, I don't think I'll buy the same kind. I'd like something bigger, and no wood. The screws rattle out and sometimes the front boards come loose. Also, it would be nice to wait until it was filled before I drag it without worrying about rotting the wood. And I'd like something more maneuverable by hand. Those suckers just don't back up. And my barn set up doesn't allow you to drive thru one end and out the other. So it's either wasting two hours trying to back that thing up, or unhook it and push by hand. That is not fun.

But I don't treat it well, and it's probably 10 years old, so it's definitely durable. Little things have broken, like the chain and some thingie or another ??? don't know what they're called. :winkgrin: but my dad just tinkers around for a while and then it works again.

Thank you for that information.
I have been looking at the Millcreek ones, but don't know if to get the 37 or 57 and have not even asked for prices yet.
There is a dealer close by:

http://www.millcreekspreaders.com/buyingguide.asp

Tractor Supply has some here, that don't look very sturdy and are galvanized, not wood, but their 35 bu is over $3500.-.:eek:
I have been spreading the manure with the bucket on the tractor, dropping it a little bit at the time in a cattle pasture and dragging it smooth backing the bucket over it.

I think I need a different system, but don't know if the cost is worth it...

We were going to make a spreader out of some old combine chains and belting, an old grain auger axle and such, but metal got so high, I think a commercially made one would not be much higher by the time we got ours finished.

Interesting to be warned that those spreaders don't back too well, so I will not get it where it needs to back out of someplace.;)

[KarenC]

I'm on my second barn right now, having moved from MI to OH last year. Both setups were similar and designed for lessening work.

One of the keys is a barn designed for easy in/out for horses. Like many here, my barn is surrounded (on three sides) by a sacrifice area which leads to two possible pastures. Current pastures are about 2 and about 5 acres. The barn has currently 3 stalls and a full run in along one side. In good weather, the stalls are closed during the day and open at night. In bad, open all the time.

Back in MI, we had a six acre hay field that produced a good yield. We hired someone to cut and bale it for us and had extra that he would take and sell - so the total cost to us was never more than 1.00/bale. That's how I prefer to do it. This year we are going to try and find someone to cut/bale our large pasture and another few acres that are not fenced.

Fencing. Agree w/ DW that Electrobraid is both safe and economical. Here at the new place we have a combo of three board and woven wire. I have to say, I like the woven wire if for no other reason than it keeps unwanted animals OUT. Not a fan of the three board, particularly since the previous owners installed it incorrectly -boards on the outside, so I am constantly pounding boards back in as I have a confimed butt scratcher in the herd.

I have no solution for mud. I deal with it and am planning on moving to sandy soil for my next place.

I have never liked automatic waterers because I can't track consumption, but am changing my opinion on that. I realized that I see every horse pee at least once a day (most of them pee when they see me coming) so I can always keep tabs on hydration levels that way. I would like the convenience of them, as I absolutely hate having to fill the water trough this time of year.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I hate filling water in the winter too!

Manure spreader that a 4 wheeler could tow would be good. Still a poo issue in the winter though...we can get pretty deep snow. I like composting, I hate flies. I know nothing is perfect, so it is nice to hear what works for you.

I like the look of the horseguard tape and the electrobraid. If I'm on a busy road I think I want something very substantial along that fence line. I know people who have the centuar type fencing and it seems like no one ever keeps it tight enough to keep up a neat appearance. I don't know if they are just not tightening it, or if it sags that much each year. This is three different farms (one very high end). My friend's horse rub on it or graze over the bottom rung all the time. I'm sure that doesn't help.

I'm having a hard time visualizing no-climb with just a hot wire along the top. I've seen it with the board. Do you think the board along the top helps the fence keep its shape? Or is is just a visual aid?

[ASC]

"Whatever is spent, don't chintz on the safety issues. When the barn is wired for electric, spend the money and have all that wiring put in metal conduit."

NO!

Having just put electrical down to my new barn, I know that the electrical code book insists on that heavy-duty rigid PVC conduit in agricultural settings. I too thought metal conduit -- heavy wall, no less -- would be the way to go, but the corrosive atmosphere of a barn can lead to rust which could in turn expose wiring, make the metal conduit itself "hot," and other not so good things.

ASC

[Seven-up]

Thank you for that information.
I have been looking at the Millcreek ones, but don't know if to get the 37 or 57 and have not even asked for prices yet.
There is a dealer close by:

http://www.millcreekspreaders.com/buyingguide.asp

Tractor Supply has some here, that don't look very sturdy and are galvanized, not wood, but their 35 bu is over $3500.-.:eek:
I have been spreading the manure with the bucket on the tractor, dropping it a little bit at the time in a cattle pasture and dragging it smooth backing the bucket over it.

I think I need a different system, but don't know if the cost is worth it...

We were going to make a spreader out of some old combine chains and belting, an old grain auger axle and such, but metal got so high, I think a commercially made one would not be much higher by the time we got ours finished.

Interesting to be warned that those spreaders don't back too well, so I will not get it where it needs to back out of someplace.;)


To give you an idea, mine, which I think is the 25 bushel, doesn't quite hold an entire stall when you strip it. It irritates me that I have it overflowing, but still have to make a second trip for about 1 shavings bag worth. That's the only reason I'd like a larger one. You have to make sure no hay string gets thrown in there or it will kill the gears, and sometimes hay can clog up the tines. You learn pretty quickly how to spread things out and layer stuff to avoid a tangled mess. I always throw a pitchfork on the back of the 4-wheeler when I go to empty it, in case anything jams and I need to reposition the contents.

I guess it could be possible for a backing genius to back it up without jack knifing it, but even my dad, who can back up anything, has a ton of trouble with it.


Pumpkn--I didn't even think about snow. That's a non-issue here, so that doesn't even occur to me. :lol:

[Bluey]

To give you an idea, mine, which I think is the 25 bushel, doesn't quite hold an entire stall when you strip it. It irritates me that I have it overflowing, but still have to make a second trip for about 1 shavings bag worth. That's the only reason I'd like a larger one. You have to make sure no hay string gets thrown in there or it will kill the gears, and sometimes hay can clog up the tines. You learn pretty quickly how to spread things out and layer stuff to avoid a tangled mess. I always throw a pitchfork on the back of the 4-wheeler when I go to empty it, in case anything jams and I need to reposition the contents.

I guess it could be possible for a backing genius to back it up without jack knifing it, but even my dad, who can back up anything, has a ton of trouble with it.


Pumpkn--I didn't even think about snow. That's a non-issue here, so that doesn't even occur to me. :lol:

Oh, ok, so the larger one may be best after all, in the little ones.

I used one in a stable in NY, by Albany, but it was the larger, farm type, and those didn't clog up easily.

[2DogsFarm]

[quote=ASC;3846649 Having just put electrical down to my new barn, I know that the electrical code book insists on that heavy-duty rigid PVC conduit in agricultural settings. ASC[/quote]

ASC:
Depends on where you are.
Code in my part of the state mandated metal conduit and that is how my barn was wired & passed inspection.
After 5 years exposed to all weather (I don't close my barn up - stalls doors remain open year-round) there is no corrosion visible and conduit - at least where I can touch it - does not heat up.

TrotTrotPumpkn - can I ask how you chose your screen name?
I just cliniced with Jeff Ashton Moore and was highly amused at how he referred to all the horses as "pumpkin" - from the 14h pony to my 17h+ TWH they all got:
"C'mon, pumpkin, you can do it"

[Bluey]

Code here is also conduit for barns and that is what is in ours.
Then, we are so dry all the time, I don't think moisture to produce rust has much of a chance, if exposed to air.

[ASC]

[QUOTE=2DogsFarm;3846721]ASC:
Depends on where you are.
Code in my part of the state mandated metal conduit and that is how my barn was wired & passed inspection.
After 5 years exposed to all weather (I don't close my barn up - stalls doors remain open year-round) there is no corrosion visible and conduit - at least where I can touch it - does not heat up.


Right -- this is from the national code book. Local ordinances may vary. However, I thought it worth mentioning that metal conduit isn't necessarily the only way to go and that it may have drawbacks as well.

As with all horse things, there is no one right answer for everybody. ; )

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

ASC:

TrotTrotPumpkn - can I ask how you chose your screen name?
I just cliniced with Jeff Ashton Moore and was highly amused at how he referred to all the horses as "pumpkin" - from the 14h pony to my 17h+ TWH they all got:
"C'mon, pumpkin, you can do it"

When I was very little my dad would set me out on the end of his knee and bounce me up and down, reciting the following:

Trot Trot Pumpkin
Down to Spring
Careful Pumpkin!
Don't ...Fall...IN!

The word "IN" was accompanied by a big swooping gesture down...kids love it...the "almost" falling off.

[2DogsFarm]

When I was very little my dad would set me out on the end of his knee and bounce me up and down, reciting the following:

Trot Trot Pumpkin
Down to Spring
Careful Pumpkin!
Don't ...Fall...IN!

The word "IN" was accompanied by a big swooping gesture down...kids love it...the "almost" falling off.

:lol: Awwwwww..... what a great memory!
I'll have to remember to ask Jeff Moore if this is where he got it ;)

[SuperSTB]

I'm enjoying reading all of these great threads on perfect size, etc. What I want to hear about is what did you do (or would you change) to make keeping horses at home EASIER and less time consuming. I want to turnout almost 24-7 unless it is bitterly cold or icy rain.

[QUOTE=TrotTrotPumpkn;3844014] -What is the most maintenance-free (safe) fencing? Pipe rail fencing is the most maint free but pricey. Of course vinyl is awesome looking but pricey too.

-What have you done to deal with the ever present mud? Paddock maint is key. You can create dry areas with proper drainage.

-Round bales vs. squares Round bales tend to be cheaper but with more waste. Benefits of round bales are continuous foraging by the horses- always a plus. But I find that people who like to test and control the hay quality it's harder to do with round bales- easier with squares. I feed squares because I can't do round bales (with Santa Ana winds they'd blow away! plus my paddocks are small)

-What is better, growing your own hay and hiring someone to plant and harvest it (think ten to 15 horses tops...but probably more like 4 or 5) or buying it? Why? Would you invest in the equipment to do it all yourself? That doesn't sound cost effective to me, but I'm open to hearing pros and cons. Back in New England my neighbor hayed his own fields which were around us. Maintaining and using your own equipment can be a money factor. I think it's worth it if you can make enough hay for yourself and enough to sell to cover the cost of equipt and maint. Plus haying yourself takes some experience and knowledge. It's labor intensive too- seeding, fertilizing, cutting, baling, stacking etc...

- How are you separating pastured horses to give them their individual grain and supps? Does your fencing connect right into the barn? Pros and cons of allowing horses access to the side of a barn...I think a lean to side would be nice, but what about damage to the barn? I personally like to have a barn plus run-outs. I would not connect the fencing to the barn (damage to siding and trim, drainage, manure and pee spots you want to keep that away from the barn sides)

Tractor vs. skid ster Tractor

Automatic waterers...anything to watch for besides monitoring intake and cleanliness? Some horses are a PIA when it comes to waterers. My gelding can have one because he plays with the water and would turn the area around it into a lake in no time.

Ways to cut down on plowing snow. Did you do anything besides gravel for your driveway and how do you like it? No experience out here but on the east coast it was by had shovel and/or paid plowing service.

Manure management...easiest way to deal with the poo? You can create a system for composting which is pretty easy, you can pay to have it removed, or if your place is big enough- stockpile and spread on the fields.

Whatever other tips you have. I'm in So Cal and horse mgmt is too freaking easy but a clean well organized barn makes all the difference in the world to time mgmt. If you let something slip that inevitably things tend to escalate.

[Trevelyan96]

I'm setup for 24/7/365 access to turnout and stalls, only one pasture does not have direct access to the barn. 34x36 center aisle barn, with 3 12x12 stalls, a 12x12 tackroom, 10x36 center aisle and 24x12 storage, equipment, area. Hay is in loft. I know that's supposed to be a no-no, but with only 3 acres I wanted to keep the barn footprint down.

the stalls have outdoor access through dutch doors with a porch overhang and a 10x36' area in front of that, which can be closed off by a gate at either end. Concrete under overhang on on the area directly in front is great for a wash area. There are sliding doors for inside stall access to the center aisle as well. Big double sliding doors on each end of the barn for equipment access in and out of the barn.

I don't have automatic waterers, as I like to monitor intake. Buckets in stall, and 70 gal troughs in pasture. I use heated buckets in the winter. My well pump is in the corner of the porch overhang, and its great in winter with a 75 gal water bucket and heater right under it. I have an old pool skimmer that I use to keep the water in trough cleaner through winter.

Small paddock is on the south side of the barn, so I'm working to establish grass there as its easy to micromanage. It also makes a nice small riding/training area for green horses, but thanks to a surveyor error, its not wide enough to use as a real riding ring.

1/2 acre paddock on the other side of the barn is my main sacrifice area, mud in there is a real problem, so we will be adding crushed stone/gravel between gate and barn. the largest pasture, around 1 acre, is the only one that does not have direct barn access... so is easy to manage and keep green.

If I could, I'd change 2 things... I'd have run the water into the barn so that I could setup hot water, and I would have fenced differently to have more equally sized pastures as well as having a 'run' from barn to the front pature,. Overall, though, I have a great setup and most horsey visitors are quite envious.

I buy square bales... with only 2 horses round bales go to waste. I usually get 2 large shipments a year, around 200-250 bales each.

We compost manure and give to gardening neighbors, spread on pastures, etc. We have a med Kubota with front loader, large mower, landscape rake, and dozer blade. Its a lifesaver.

[Bluey]

Wow!
Found a used Millcreek spreader.:D
This vet with a breeding operation ordered two from one of our feed stores, a 37 and 57.
The vet just retired and sold out, keeping a few horses and the 57 and just took the 37 to the store for them to sell, saying they only used it maybe 3 times after all and didn't need two.

Guess who happen to be there and has been looking for a small manure spreader for some time now?:winkgrin:

They sold it for 1/2 price and it sold new last fall for $2800.-.
The paint is not even all off the chains yet.:cool:
They will deliver it Monday morning.:)

Some people can be so easy to make happy with...a honey wagon.:lol:

[MistyBlue]

I have never liked automatic waterers because I can't track consumption, but am changing my opinion on that. I realized that I see every horse pee at least once a day (most of them pee when they see me coming) so I can always keep tabs on hydration levels that way. I would like the convenience of them, as I absolutely hate having to fill the water trough this time of year.

The Nelsons can have a water monitoring gauge added on so you always know how much the horses are drinking. :yes: They're also impossible for the horses to play with and flood, the only time the water runs is when the bowl tilts enough to come up off the button underneath that controls water flow. If they held the bowl tilted sideways with their noses or lips the bowl would keep filling and submerge their nostrils. So they could only do that for as long as they can hold their breath, LOL! :winkgrin:

My paddock is attached to my barn...I find it easiest for turn-out/turn-in and not worrying about either getting away and running amok on the road. The second paddock is attached to the first. When the ring is done it will also be attached to the first and the 3rd paddock (years down the road before we clear that one) will be attached to the other side of the ring. When all fencing is done there will be one 12' gate into the horsie areas from non-fenced areas (no multiple gates to worry about being closed or not) and one small gate to the manure pile. There definitely is the problem of mouthy horses messing up your barn exterior...a gelding I used to have very quickly turned my brand spanking new barn into one missing a most of the cross-hatching on my front doors. :mad: ;) He liked to yank it off the doors and then chase the mare with it...he had a warped sense of humor, LOL! But...the convenience of not having to lead them anywhere still outweighs the problem of replacing a little barn trim now and then. My two current horses don't bother the barn.

[Bluey]

Maybe arrange it as I did, have part of the barn the run in and so the horses are not eating the barn siding.

[Desert Topaz]

I wish my two stall barn had a center aisle. Because when the snow falls and the wind blows it is almost impossible to get out of the wind out there and it's miserable. The horses don't seem to care much, but for my comfort I wish I could get out of the weather better when I'm feeding.

[Tom King]

-What is the most maintenance-free (safe) fencing?
STOUT.

-What have you done to deal with the ever present mud?
ONLY live on top of a hill with well draining soil.

-Round bales vs. squares
ROUND. Fed under a shelter with plenty of room for cleanup with loader (see below).

-What is better, growing your own hay and hiring someone to plant and harvest it (think ten to 15 horses tops...but probably more like 4 or 5) or buying it? Why? Would you invest in the equipment to do it all yourself? That doesn't sound cost effective to me, but I'm open to hearing pros and cons.
BUY IT. Period.

- How are you separating pastured horses to give them their individual grain and supps? Does your fencing connect right into the barn? Pros and cons of allowing horses access to the side of a barn...I think a lean to side would be nice, but what about damage to the barn?
HORSES ARE LET IN TO EAT GRAIN AND THEN BACK OUT. IF HORSES HAVE PLENTY OF FORAGE THEY WON'T EAT THE BARN.

Tractor vs. skid ster
TRACTOR. 70 HP WITH FRONT END LOADER

Automatic waterers...anything to watch for besides monitoring intake and cleanliness?
TAKE YOUR PICK

Ways to cut down on plowing snow. Did you do anything besides gravel for your driveway and how do you like it?
MOVE SOUTH

Manure management...easiest way to deal with the poo?
USE LOADER (SEE ABOVE)TO LOAD LOCAL GARDENERS TRUCKS IN EXCHANGE FOR VEGTABLES

Whatever other tips you have.[/quote]
THINK ABOUT SAVING TIME WITH EVERY DESIGN

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

-
Ways to cut down on plowing snow. Did you do anything besides gravel for your driveway and how do you like it?
MOVE SOUTH


LOL...That sounds really nice this time of year!! I should go check my lotto ticket to see if I can afford that!

[foggybok]

TrotTrotPumpkn;3844014]I'm enjoying reading all of these great threads on perfect size, etc. What I want to hear about is what did you do (or would you change) to make keeping horses at home EASIER and less time consuming. I want to turnout almost 24-7 unless it is bitterly cold or icy rain.

-What is the most maintenance-free (safe) fencing?

Make sure you have a solid perimeter, I'm working on 3 board with electric on the inside to keep them off, have the street done, need to finish the rest..... For cross fencing, I have been using temp electric. Is easy to move and change your pasture arrangement, won't work for studs or horse that refuse to respect electric...

-What have you done to deal with the ever present mud?

I live in Washington..... Plan ahead, put in drainage, don't wait until mid winter to deal with it.....

-Round bales vs. squares

Round, square is wasteful and can mold easier
-What is better, growing your own hay and hiring someone to plant and harvest it (think ten to 15 horses tops...but probably more like 4 or 5) or buying it? Why? Would you invest in the equipment to do it all yourself? That doesn't sound cost effective to me, but I'm open to hearing pros and cons.

Unless you know how to put up good hay and hay a LOT of land, won't be worth it

- How are you separating pastured horses to give them their individual grain and supps? Does your fencing connect right into the barn? Pros and cons of allowing horses access to the side of a barn...I think a lean to side would be nice, but what about damage to the barn?

Horses separated in groups that can eat together, fat guys don't get grain, oldsters share a pen and get grain. Don't need to be connected to barn, unless you plan to take them in and out, then it helps, but they do need a run in shed of some kind. Make sure the run in is big enough and tall enough to clean with a tractor, or you will be scooping by hand... Horses will eat the barn if it's wood and can hurt thenselves on the metal ones, so keep that in mind

Tractor vs. skid ster

I love Bobcats, but a tractor is more useful around here. Bobcats nice on dry level gound and for running down a big barn aisle, but the tractor will be more useful overall

Automatic waterers...anything to watch for besides monitoring intake and cleanliness?

Or large stock tanks, with heater if you live in a cold area

Ways to cut down on plowing snow. Did you do anything besides gravel for your driveway and how do you like it?

But plowing snow means you get to play on the tractor :) Gravel is fine

Manure management...easiest way to deal with the poo?

Drag the pastures, compost the rest

Whatever other tips you have

Marry well :)