:: neighborly advice

Horse Ownership

Pleasure horses for personal and recreational use represent the largest category of horse ownership in the United States , with about 2 million people owning such horses. Whether a person already owns a horse or is considering the initial purchase of a horse, many questions are asked by new horse owners. What facilities and land does a horse need? Horses need shelter and an exercise area. A typical box stall is usually 10 feet X 12 feet, or 100 to 144 square feet. The minimum exercise area should be 50 feet by 100 feet or 5,000 square feet (about 1/8 acre), but 100 feet by 200 feet or 20,000 square feet (about 1/2 an acre) is better. So, a horse requires 1/4 to 1/2 acre without pasture. With pasture, one needs about 1 1/2 acres to 2 1/2 acres. A three-sided run-in shed or shelter belt of mature trees are adequate housing for horses on pasture. Horses will quickly overgraze this small area. Therefore, a combination of pasture and small lot or barn would be needed to minimize overgrazing. The horse could be confined to the lot or barn and only allowed to graze for specified times, thus reducing damage to the small pasture.