Hill - Horsekeeping on a small acreage: designing and managing your equine facilities

Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage

Designing and Managing Your Equine Facilities

Second Edition

Cherry Hill

Illustrations by
Richard Klimesh

Photographs
by Cherry Hill and
Richard Klimesh
(unless otherwise noted)

Edited by Deborah Burns

Art direction and cover design by Kent Lew

Front cover and spine photograph taken by Blake Gardner at OConnor Farm, Rhinebeck, NY; back cover photographs by Richard Klimesh; photographs on page ii, vii, and 157 taken by Blake Gardner at Kildare Stables LLC, Millbrook, NY; timothy on Peter Lilja/age fotostock

Text design and production by Karin Stack

Indexed by Susan Olason, Indexes & Knowledge Maps

2005 by Cherry Hill

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Printed in China by Elegance Printing
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hill, Cherry, 1947
Horsekeeping on a small acreage : designing and managing your equine facilities/
Cherry Hill.2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-58017-603-3 (alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-58017-535-7 (pbk.: alk. paper)
1. Horses. 2. HorsesHousing. 3. Farms, Small. I. Title.

SF285.H55 2005
636.1083dc22

2004025198

To Richard, for making my horsekeeping dreams come true.
And to Pat Storer, for her enthusiasm and love for animals
and for her desire to share with others.

PART ONE
Knowing Horses

PART TWO
Designing Your Acreage

Since I wrote the first edition of this book almost 15 years ago, I have come to appreciate the privilege of owning horses more with every day. As our planet continues to host larger populations of people, its resources are being spread dangerously thin. More than ever, we horse owners must be diligent caretakers of the land and environment so our children will be able to know the joy of owning, caring for, and riding horses.

Since 1990, many farms and ranches on the outskirts of towns and cities have been subdivided into small acreages, often of 1 acre or less. Some subdivisions are specifically designed for horses and include communal arenas, trails, and other facilities. The sense of horse community is evident in other ways, too, including the rallying of assistance during times of fire, flood, and drought. So although the earth seems to be shrinking as we live in closer proximity to each other, we horse owners are coming closer together in purpose.

I want to be a good steward of the land while providing my horses with the best care possible. If you share these goals, I hope you will find some practical help in the pages of this book. Without further ado, lets get to work! Happy horsekeeping.

It was a hot, sticky July day in northeast Iowa. The auctioneer had moved through most of the household goods and furniture and all of the shop and farm tools. The crowd was thinning, and those left were congregating under the huge shade trees on the side lawn. My husband and I had purchased a rake and a stepladder and stood leaning against them while we waited for the final item to be soldthe house and 10 acres.

The house was modest, and the well might have been an early experiment in hand-dug wells. The garage was Model T size, but at least there was no old barn that had to be torn down. The 10 acres were as flat as a pancake and covered in shoulder-high iron-weed. There wasnt a single fence post or rail in sight, but there was rich Midwest soil and subirrigated fields. The road out front was lazy and peaceful, yet it was only 10 miles to a fair-sized town. It was far from ideal, yet if it went for an affordable price, it might make a nice little horse farm.

Finally, just a dozen folks were left, and only two parties were bidding. When the gavel sounded for the last time, my husband looked at me with a smile and said, I guess Ill put the ladder and the rake back in the garage! We were ready, once again, to set up horsekeeping!

I simply cannot imagine life without horses. Its not that horses are more important than or a substitute for people and other activities, but horses do have a special way of making lifes big picture complete. When my schedule or the weather does not allow me to ride, the day feels as if a piece is missing. But riding is just one part of the horse experience. Conscientiously caring for animals brings a wonderful sense of satisfaction. There is nothing quite so fulfilling as a job well done, and the satisfaction of owning a healthy, fit, well-trained, and happy horse is great. Just imagine being able to see the fruits of your efforts as you glance out the window to check on your broodmare and foal, as you stroll through your well-manicured pasture, or as you open the door to your tidy tack room to prepare for a morning ride.

Even though owning a horse and boarding it away from home is better than not having one at all, keeping a horse at home offers many advantages. It allows you to be involved in and to attend to every single detail of horse care. And because keeping a horse at home makes it more convenient to undertake routine handling and training, you will find that you are able to spend more quality time with your horses.

The suggestions and information offered in this book are based on recommendations from Extension agents all over North America as well as on my experiences owning and managing horses in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Alberta, Canada. The herds have ranged from two to more than one hundred horses, from new-borns to geriatrics, including idle horses and those in all phases of development and training. I have been involved with breeding operations and training businesses for both English and Western riding. The size of the facilities has varied from a single acre to 160 acres. Some farms were relatively complete on my arrival, others required remodeling or repair, and some were mere tracts of bare land. From these experiences I will share with you what I believe contributes to a horses well-being.