Lot size for mini horses

topstud

topstud

Zooville Settler
Hi all, coming in with some questions for the horse owners out there. It's my dream to own a mini horse, and I'm wondering about the viability of having one as a backyard animal, specifically what is the minimum amount of space. Attached is a photo of a house I was looking at online, edited to remove distinguishing features. It's two lots, each approximately 6100 sq ft, for a total of 0.28 acres. The little shed in the back is also included. I'm just wondering:

* Would this be enough space for a mini horse?
* Would one mini be alright by itself? I've heard some advice to get two. I work from home, and could spend a lot of time with it. Would a dog also work to provide company? I did some research, there are stables nearby this house, I could take it there from time to time for activities and things.
* Any recommendations as to what to do about manure and things like that? I've heard this can be a complaint with having an animal in a residential neighborhood.

If I'm way off base with the idea of having a mini in an environment like this, please set me straight! If not, I'd love to hear that too. Thanks!

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Probably not enough to graze, so plan on hay bales & pellet feeds year round. You're in a good climate for grass, plenty of annual rainfall so the farms around you should have bales for sale all year. Your first project will be fencing whatever you buy, so get good at posthole digging, bracing, stretching wire, hanging gates etc. For manure, either make a compost pile far enough from your neighbors (or centered equidistant on your lot) or invest in a spreader. Equines are herd animals and will fare much better with two of the kind, but I have a jack donk here who's been raised alone til I start another cow or mare. He's bonded like Velcro to the dogs, integrated himself into the pack, which is both a solution and a problem at the same time, so yes plan on having two.
 
Can't answer any of that, but you might need to check if it would even be legal. Pretty sure most residential areas are going to have laws regarding barnyard animals.
 
Codes are your friend, friend....Its not likely that animal husbandry will be legal in any residential area not classed as agricultural....even chickens generate complaints from property value-concious neighbors. Either find a farmette with five or six acres or forget about it....and if you do, pasturage QUALITY, and suitability is key. Different plants, like the buttercup are toxic, more or less. Clover is toxic to cattle....talk to the local extension Agent.
 
saddlebum66 said:
Codes are your friend, friend....Its not likely that animal husbandry will be legal in any residential area not classed as agricultural....even chickens generate complaints from property value-concious neighbors. Either find a farmette with five or six acres or forget about it....and if you do, pasturage QUALITY, and suitability is key. Different plants, like the buttercup are toxic, more or less. Clover is toxic to cattle....talk to the local extension Agent.
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Codes would be a big concern, and frankly I'm not even sure how to go about checking them. Like who does one even talk to?

And also, with this being a mini horse, I kinda wonder if the emotional support animal card could be played. Thoughts?
 
Daedalus said:
Probably not enough to graze, so plan on hay bales & pellet feeds year round. You're in a good climate for grass, plenty of annual rainfall so the farms around you should have bales for sale all year. Your first project will be fencing whatever you buy, so get good at posthole digging, bracing, stretching wire, hanging gates etc. For manure, either make a compost pile far enough from your neighbors (or centered equidistant on your lot) or invest in a spreader. Equines are herd animals and will fare much better with two of the kind, but I have a jack donk here who's been raised alone til I start another cow or mare. He's bonded like Velcro to the dogs, integrated himself into the pack, which is both a solution and a problem at the same time, so yes plan on having two.
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solid info
 
topstud said:
Codes would be a big concern, and frankly I'm not even sure how to go about checking them. Like who does one even talk to?

And also, with this being a mini horse, I kinda wonder if the emotional support animal card could be played. Thoughts?
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The local permit department should be able to tell you whats allowed.

I roll on the floor thinking of an equine as an emotional support critter.....yeah....me supporting HIS or HER emotional needs maybe... But I suppose the option is open. Again...what the regs are differ from place to place, as do the classifications...PB pigs are classed as pets....a Duroc is agricultural stock.
 
topstud said:
Hi all, coming in with some questions for the horse owners out there. It's my dream to own a mini horse, and I'm wondering about the viability of having one as a backyard animal, specifically what is the minimum amount of space. Attached is a photo of a house I was looking at online, edited to remove distinguishing features. It's two lots, each approximately 6100 sq ft, for a total of 0.28 acres. The little shed in the back is also included. I'm just wondering:

* Would this be enough space for a mini horse?
* Would one mini be alright by itself? I've heard some advice to get two. I work from home, and could spend a lot of time with it. Would a dog also work to provide company? I did some research, there are stables nearby this house, I could take it there from time to time for activities and things.
* Any recommendations as to what to do about manure and things like that? I've heard this can be a complaint with having an animal in a residential neighborhood.

If I'm way off base with the idea of having a mini in an environment like this, please set me straight! If not, I'd love to hear that too. Thanks!

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As said it is doable, but just because you can, doesn't mean you should

You'd need to do a ton of feeding and cleaning to maintain that small of an area as livable for the horse and your self, I got ruffly 4 times that and it is very labour intensive

So ignoring code issues, where are you going to put all the crap, and hay they don't eat! (For every bail you'll have a good chunk they won't eat and just kick around and that will have to be dealt with)
 
I've got some neighbors that have mini horses. That parcel on the right looks sufficient for two or three, but you'll need to feed them as mentioned.

That long barn looks metal, it'll absorb a ton of heat and radiate a ton as well depending on the climate and sunlight situation but that can be remedied with a walled shelter for the horses.
 
OffgridK9lover said:
As said it is doable, but just because you can, doesn't mean you should

You'd need to do a ton of feeding and cleaning to maintain that small of an area as livable for the horse and your self, I got ruffly 4 times that and it is very labour intensive

So ignoring code issues, where are you going to put all the crap, and hay they don't eat! (For every bail you'll have a good chunk they won't eat and just kick around and that will have to be dealt with)
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This is the main thing I worry about, too much crap in too little space lol
 
topstud said:
This is the main thing I worry about, too much crap in too little space lol
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and they do crap a lot!

So if there are any local farmers see if you can strike a deal for free manure fertilizer they just have to load it, then you just need to pile it some where easy for em to scoop from, mix the un eaten hay in with it

but bet on a solid 1h a day with a wheel borrow of just scooping shit from around the property
 
Point 1: Horses are herd critters. With very few exceptions, a horse alone (alone in this case specifically meaning "without another horse" is a horse being slowly tortured into insanity.
Point 2: Horses want to roam a large area, and need to be able to run. The lot you're showing just isn't big enough, even for minis. WIthout seeing it in person, just going from the picture, that "side yard" will be a mudhole without so much as a single sprig of green to be found within a month, at the outside, probably sooner than that.
Point 3: As has been mentioned elsewhere, zoning issues are likely to bite you in the ass.
Point 4: A mini is going to go through (not necessarily eating, but definitely including spreading it all over) about a bale of hay every 3-5 days. Where are you going to store it?
Point 5: Horse people generally don't mind, but to Joe Average, horse shit stinks, draws flies, and is disgusting when piled up. Figure roughly triple the volume of "output" as "input, since you *WILL* be shoveling waste hay and/or bedding into the pile along with the turds - What are you planning to do with it? It takes weeks to months to "cook down" in "shitpile" mode, and many disposal operations either won't take it at all, or will absolutely SLAM you with extra fees, possibly even requiring you to go with a dedicated dumpster that you'll be charged an extra rental for. Depending on your area, you can most likely forget the classic "put out a "free horse manure" sign and wait for everybody to hurry over and strip your place of every turd" concept that so many think is possible. In *A VERY FEW* places, that can work. In most places, you can't find someone you can pay to haul it away.
Point 6: Horses, big or small, usually get counted in the same category as a swimming pool: "Attractive nuisance". Even a mini can (and seem more prone to actually doing it than "regular" horses) kill a kid with a kick, or casue severe damage with a bite. Hell, they can do you dirty without even meaning to, just bashing you with their head as they swing to bite at a fly. And if the kids know that they're around, they'll draw 'em in like a magnet draws iron filings.
Point 7: most horses will eat damn near anything they get offered by a kid - Can you be sure the kids aren't going to (probably without knowing) poison your critters by bringing them "treats" that are actually toxic?

And those are just the points that immediately leap to mind...

I'd say that your idea isn't viable - at least not on the pictured property.
 
UR20Z said:
Point 1: Horses are herd critters. With very few exceptions, a horse alone (alone in this case specifically meaning "without another horse" is a horse being slowly tortured into insanity.
Point 2: Horses want to roam a large area, and need to be able to run. The lot you're showing just isn't big enough, even for minis. WIthout seeing it in person, just going from the picture, that "side yard" will be a mudhole without so much as a single sprig of green to be found within a month, at the outside, probably sooner than that.
Point 3: As has been mentioned elsewhere, zoning issues are likely to bite you in the ass.
Point 4: A mini is going to go through (not necessarily eating, but definitely including spreading it all over) about a bale of hay every 3-5 days. Where are you going to store it?
Point 5: Horse people generally don't mind, but to Joe Average, horse shit stinks, draws flies, and is disgusting when piled up. Figure roughly triple the volume of "output" as "input, since you *WILL* be shoveling waste hay and/or bedding into the pile along with the turds - What are you planning to do with it? It takes weeks to months to "cook down" in "shitpile" mode, and many disposal operations either won't take it at all, or will absolutely SLAM you with extra fees, possibly even requiring you to go with a dedicated dumpster that you'll be charged an extra rental for. Depending on your area, you can most likely forget the classic "put out a "free horse manure" sign and wait for everybody to hurry over and strip your place of every turd" concept that so many think is possible. In *A VERY FEW* places, that can work. In most places, you can't find someone you can pay to haul it away.
Point 6: Horses, big or small, usually get counted in the same category as a swimming pool: "Attractive nuisance". Even a mini can (and seem more prone to actually doing it than "regular" horses) kill a kid with a kick, or casue severe damage with a bite. Hell, they can do you dirty without even meaning to, just bashing you with their head as they swing to bite at a fly. And if the kids know that they're around, they'll draw 'em in like a magnet draws iron filings.
Point 7: most horses will eat damn near anything they get offered by a kid - Can you be sure the kids aren't going to (probably without knowing) poison your critters by bringing them "treats" that are actually toxic?

And those are just the points that immediately leap to mind...

I'd say that your idea isn't viable - at least not on the pictured property.
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Cant argue with this, Pard, except to point out that Horse, in all its glory, is the 2nd sweetest scent in the wide world...😉
 
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