wild horses to ride

[fatcat]

hi all thinking about getting 3-6 acres in the bush and i am wondering will be able to have a few horses up there. will they handle not been feed each day. and then letting me ride them on the weekends.

p.s cant wait to build my own mud run, and use the defenders bull bar as a dozzer threw the tress, hope no greenies are reading.It would be a planned cull.

[Slunnie]

I'm not a horse person, but my neighbours do that. The horses just graze on the pasture and they have a trough onto a water tank (which is on to a bore). The horses are (actually were, one fell to a snake so they gave the other away so that it would have friends) on about 8 acres.

[dullbird]

hi all thinking about getting 3-6 acres in the bush and i am wondering will be able to have a few horses up there. will they handle not been feed each day. and then letting me ride them on the weekends.

p.s cant wait to build my own mud run, and use the defenders bull bar as a dozzer threw the tress, hope no greenies are reading.It would be a planned cull.

its depends on what sort of work your going to be doing with them... and it also very much depends on the quality of the pasture inwhich they are grazing on......as to whether or not you need to supplement there feeding..

but note you shouldn't just throw them a bowl of feed every now and again as they need a consistant routine....and a reasonably consistnat diet other wise you can induce colic
But could easily suplement with hay

also depends on how many horses you intend to get...

as me personally wouldn't have more than 2 possibly 3 horses on 3/6 acres

for large horse ideally should have an acre a horse and an acre at rest

and with only 3/6 acres i would say you may also need to do regular poo pick ups good practice to help with worm prevention but also it turns the grass sour if left and horses tend not to eat where they deficate...

i'm sure others will chime in with there thoughts also, these are justy mine:)

[Bundalene]

Agree with all the above. We are not horse experts by any means, but have had horses in the past. Might suggest you select geldings over mares...mares tend to get very tempremental if not handled often, and as you only want to ride on the weekends, I would definitely suggest a gelding.

Also, owning a horse can get quite expensive, as they do need certain maintenance - worming & food supplements, as Lou said, and also a farrier is required every 6 months or so, to keep the hoofs trimmed and clean. This, along with all the gear needed for riding.. tends to be a bit of a drain on the finances.

Our daughter went through the "I want a horse" stage when she was growing up, so we got one for her and she sort of lost interest, so I was the person who rode it most of the time. Anyhow we ended up getting rid of it after a year or so.

Don't get me wrong, I rode horses a lot when I was young and loved it, but there are a lot of responsibilities, as with any pet.

Mrs. B

[dullbird]

Agree with all the above. We are not horse experts by any means, but have had horses in the past. Might suggest you select geldings over mares...mares tend to get very tempremental if not handled often, and as you only want to ride on the weekends, I would definitely suggest a gelding.

Also, owning a horse can get quite expensive, as they do need certain maintenance - worming & food supplements, as Lou said,
and also a farrier is required every 6 months or so, to keep the hoofs trimmed and clean. This, along with all the gear needed for riding.. tends to be a bit of a drain on the finances.

Our daughter went through the "I want a horse" stage when she was growing up, so we got one for her and she sort of lost interest, so I was the person who rode it most of the time. Anyhow we ended up getting rid of it after a year or so.

Don't get me wrong, I rode horses a lot when I was young and loved it, but there are a lot of responsibilities, as with any pet.

Mrs. B

6 to 8 weeks on average unless you have something that is good on its feet but generally this when they should be done

unfortunatly like mrs B is trying to say horses are not the sort of animal you can just throw and and forget about (not saying that that is what you want to do) but only seeing them on weekends etc
and if something stopped you getting over to see them you could do with someone dropping in on them to check them over. Vet bills fpr horses can be large.

I'm not trying to scare you off...but often I dont feel people full understand the comitment need for such an animal...

But what ever way you look at it even if you do have them in a field that you own horses are expensive! and anyone that thinks they are not is probably not caring for them at the standard they should be:)

[Rangier Rover]

Horses can eat around 3% of body weight per day:eek:. I doubt the area unless irrigated will support them. Cost of a farrier is around $160 to $200 per horse per 8 weeks. Then the price of good quality lucerne hay at around $14 a small bale for cold or dry periods. Horses are also selective crazers so if left in one place you will end up with a paddock full of weeds.
Just my experience but I only have eight of them. I call them Hay burners;)

Tony

[Slunnie]

I agree.... stick to riding cattle. :D

[Lost Landy]

I would also surgest that you look at getting your pastures improved as well, because the native grass is quite low nutriants and you will need supplerment there feed more so.

[EchiDna]

1 donkey = 7 acres kept very short in 50% pasture/50% bushland in my experience - horses are bigger and more selective than donkeys though... so you will need either regular feed supplement or very very good pasture where you are.

farriers can be VERY hard to find as well - getting a slot in their calendar can be tough!

if it were me, I'd rent by the hour and when the costs regularly go over $500 a month per horse, consider to buy.

[wardy1]

"p.s cant wait to build my own mud run, and use the defenders bull bar as a dozzer threw the tress, hope no greenies are reading.It would be a planned cull."
I really hope that you are kidding with this part...... more vandals in the 4wd fraternity we DON'T need:twisted:.
Oh, and rest assured, there are 'greenies' who DO read forums such as ours and they will LOVE to take your post and spread it in justification for their claims that our access to sensitive areas should be stopped.
THINK next time

[V8Ian]

Horses can eat around 3% of body weight per day:eek:. I doubt the area unless irrigated will support them. Cost of a farrier is around $160 to $200 per horse per 8 weeks. Then the price of good quality lucerne hay at around $14 a small bale for cold or dry periods. Horses are also selective crazers so if left in one place you will end up with a paddock full of weeds.
Just my experience but I only have eight of them. I call them Hay burners;)

Tony
I used to call my nags hay burners, in hindsight I think they were money burners:D

[Slunnie]

"p.s cant wait to build my own mud run, and use the defenders bull bar as a dozzer threw the tress, hope no greenies are reading.It would be a planned cull."
I really hope that you are kidding with this part...... more vandals in the 4wd fraternity we DON'T need:twisted:.
Oh, and rest assured, there are 'greenies' who DO read forums such as ours and they will LOVE to take your post and spread it in justification for their claims that our access to sensitive areas should be stopped.
THINK next time
I don't think the greenies have a claim on Wardy's own property - as much as they would probably like to think they do.

[rick130]

Horses can eat around 3% of body weight per day:eek:. I doubt the area unless irrigated will support them. Cost of a farrier is around $160 to $200 per horse per 8 weeks. Then the price of good quality lucerne hay at around $14 a small bale for cold or dry periods. Horses are also selective crazers so if left in one place you will end up with a paddock full of weeds.
Just my experience but I only have eight of them. I call them Hay burners;)

Tony

Mate, you're getting ripped on the farriering, and we've used the best performance horse farriers in the Sydney basin ;)
I have to say, we were a bit shocked at the Farriers in the Upper Hunter, 99% aren't as good as what we were used to and they charge more than the big smoke and aren't as reliable :eek:

I'm not big into lucerne hay, IMO a good quality pasture hay, barley hay and oaten hay is preferable in a lot of instances. We tend to feel lucerne should be used a bit more sparingly than most people feed out.

The times when feed really needs to be supplemented are winter and the changes of season when pasture quality is poor. For those times we just give our young ones (ie, those not in work) a mineral/vitamin supplement in pellet form to 'boost' what's lacking in the grass.

A big factor is what grass varieties exist on your place ?
What a lot of people think is grass, in actual fact are weeds for grazing animals. I know of paddocks around here that look lush to the casual observer that you wouldn't support a horse without quite a bit of supplemental feed.

[Zute]

My wife's horse "Snoopy" is around 38 years old. I get really annoyed at people who treat them as throw away toys.:mad:
And than to see horses in paddocks with coats on in 30deg+ heat. makes my blood boil.:censored:
There should be a course you need to do before you can own these wonderful creatures.:rulez:

Nice to see the stereotype of Land Rover owners and horse owners rings true. This is prob' the next best place to get horse advice than a dedicated web forum.

[dullbird]

Mate, your getting ripped on the farriering, and we've used the best performance horse farriers in the Sydney basin ;)
I have to say, we were a bit shocked at the Farriers in the Upper Hunter, 99% aren't as good as what we were used to and they charge more than the big smoke and arent as reliable :eek:


I'm not big into lucerne hay, IMO a good quality pasture hay, barley hay and oaten hay is preferable in a lot of instances. We tend to feel lucerne should be used a bit more sparingly than most people feed out.

The times when feed really needs to be supplemented are winter and the changes of season when pasture quality is poor. For those times we just give our young ones (ie, those not in work) a mineral/vitamin supplement in pellet form to 'boost' what's lacking in the grass.

A big factor is what grass varieties exist on your place ?
What a lot of people think is grass, in actual fact are weeds for grazing animals. I know of paddocks around here that look lush to the casual observer that you wouldn't support a horse without quite a bit of supplemental feed.

Finally found someone that feels the same........I have had this argument at work many a time.

But I was brought up feeding hay in the uk never hard of lucerne till I came here.......but then in the uk we never really fed hay for the main feed it was fed as roughage to back up a quality grain and pasture diet.

Oh and I did wonder about the farrier prices.......

I have just paid at work $56 dollars for corecctive trimming.

[wardy1]

Guess I should clarify something. I don't own an acreage property, I am NOT a part of any green group. I AM however a dedicated 4wder. I simply want to continue to enjoy access to as much of this beautiful country as possible. I don't believe that 'bulldozing through trees' will assist.

[Rangier Rover]

Other than nutrition and Farrier cost..... The other major cost I have are Veterinarian,Dental,Internal and external parasites. You may also consider land value tied up and rates to pay:eek:
As mentioned before they do have to be cared for and are a huge undertaking in numbers. Why I have eight.... Have Eight thousand acres to work them on. Mum and two kids ride. Some go to competition.
They all still have to be supplementary fed as feed quality drops off at times.

Tony

[rick130]

Finally found someone that feels the same........I have had this argument at work many a time.

<snip>

And we live near one of the biggest lucerne growing areas in the state.
You'd be staggered how much the studs go through.

We (or more correctly SWMBO) feel that lucerne is too rich and can be too acidic for the horses.
It definitely should be avoided (as should grain) if horses are prone to tying up.
It's also interesting to note the feeding habits of horses in a mixed pasture paddock.
When lucerne is growing they don't tend to graze it much at all when other yummy grasses are on offer.

[Rangier Rover]

We use boiled Barley and oats (as is only around $160 per ton bulk these days ),with Milled first cut lucerne & grass pasture hay. Some times add some Bran or pollard.
If turned out in a large paddock just a bicky of hay and a dipper of oats seems to hold them together.

Tony

[V8Ian]

I agree with what the others are saying re the size of property
Unless you have really good pasture it may not be big enough

We are north of Brisbane on 5 acres, of which about 4 is open paddock.
We have 2 cows
We have had to hand feed grain and hay for the last 5 yrs due to no grass growth...this summer is the first time there has been enough grass to keep them good. If the rain stops and we get hot days to burn the grass it will be back to hand feeding

Looks like both our girls could be pregnant, so if they are, there will not be enough to support good lactation so we will be feeding hay and grain anyway.

Expensive pets....horses are more expensive to keep


Oh yeah....and you need a reliable water source as well
Horses eat 2-3 times as much as cattle.

[dullbird]

I know someone that will not feed barley as a straight.......he said every time he has done something funky happens to the horses in one way or another

for our normal everyday horses we feed a good quailty pasture mix with alfa-A (bit like lucerene chaff..

competition horses were more like Alfa -a rolled oats in winter Sugar beet and top spec feed balancer! and at times other odds and sods
for my boy he had haylage (dust allergy) but for most, good quality hay that had been barn stored the year before.
I think our hay in the uk is a Little like what you call grassy hay hear according to someone at work......and they reckon grassy hay is crap! So i'm not sure...personaly uk hay I think is a cross between grassy hay and clover hay.

either way it doesn't matter how you brake it down I really really dont think a horse can be kept as a weekend retreat if your not prepared to put the work and money in

[werdan]

An alternative solution might be to get a dozen or so horses in the compact form of a 250cc dirt bike. :-)

[rick130]

I know someone that will not feed barley as a straight.......he said every time he has done something funky happens to the horses in one way or another


<snip>

A good friend had a shed full of barley hay they'd acquired from Queensland and as a result of being on the national Elite Squad Kentucky Equine did an analysis on it and KER reckoned it was the most nutritionally balanced hay they'd ever tested.

But as you say, competition horses in full work require a slightly different diet to paddock bashers.

<edit> derr, you said barley (grain), not barley (hay) oops :oops2:

[dullbird]

:lol2:........

[fatcat]

Well thanks for that i will not be getting a horse now that all sounds like to much hard work and $$$ may wait till kids are older . For the greenies what i said is, as i own the land i can drive off the track and make my own tracks to any spot on the land i want. when i am in a national park i only stay on the tracks and get upset when i see others do the wrong thing.

There's nothing like going off the track in africa in a cut open defender sneaking up on a heard of elephant.

[dullbird]

Well thanks for that i will not be getting a horse now that all sounds like to much hard work and $$$ may wait till kids are older . For the greenies what i said is, as i own the land i can drive off the track and make my own tracks to any spot on the land i want. when i am in a national park i only stay on the tracks and get upset when i see others do the wrong thing.

There's nothing like going off the track in africa in a cut open defender
sneaking up on a heard of elephant.

So get elephants instead:D they seem to like eating yellow grass :lol2:

[dobbo]

Horse is a $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ word.

[numpty]

.

There's nothing like going off the track in africa in a cut open defender sneaking up on a heard of elephant.

Would that make them "seen and not herd":angel:

[Disco2tow]

Horses eat 2-3 times as much as cattle.
WOW Really? Do you have Dexters or something?:confused: How much do your cattle weigh when you sell them I'm very interested how you were able to get them to do this? We sell cattle at 600+kg if they could do that while eating less 3x less than the horses that be great.
The cows here strip the paddocks bare; if you need to slash a paddock cows are great.
My horses get fed 2x a day pellets; chaff & Lucerne Hay (which is very good here in WA we buy it fresh locally) so did the cows but the cows got 3 X more. We also give them fresh fruit & vegetables; branches from fallen trees etc
My horses spend most of their day scratching their butts & starring at things; we put them in clean paddocks full of their favorite grasses but they barely graze they are too spoilt & lazy;). The cows eat until they are full sit for 20 minutes start then eating again much better at clearing the grass.
I can't talk for other horse owners but my horses don't cost much. We do pretty much everything ourselves except dentistry (cost no more than $50 a horse 1x a year) and buy feed in bulk. They have never cost me as much as the dog to feed & look after. Last time I vaccinated the dog it cost $200 the horses cost $15 each; sheep are $50 for 100:o Vet Bills are pricey with all pets no avoiding that.
But still the discovery wins it has cost more than any of the animals!:angel:

[dullbird]

WOW Really? Do you have Dexters or something?:confused: How much do your cattle weigh when you sell them I'm very interested how you were able to get them to do this? We sell cattle at 600+kg if they could do that while eating less 3x less than the horses that be great.
The cows here strip the paddocks bare; if you need to slash a paddock cows are great.
My horses get fed 2x a day pellets; chaff & Lucerne Hay (which is very good here in WA we buy it fresh locally) so did the cows but the cows got 3 X more. We also give them fresh fruit & vegetables; branches from fallen trees etc
My horses spend most of their day scratching their butts & starring at things; we put them in clean paddocks full of their favorite grasses but they barely graze they are too spoilt & lazy;). The cows eat until they are full sit for 20 minutes start then eating again much better at clearing the grass.
I can't talk for other horse owners but my horses don't cost much. We do pretty much everything ourselves except dentistry (cost no more than $50 a horse 1x a year) and buy feed in bulk. They have never cost me as much as the dog to feed & look after.
Last time I vaccinated the dog it cost $200 the horses cost $15 each; sheep are $50 for 100:o Vet Bills are pricey with all pets no avoiding that.
But still the discovery wins it has cost more than any of the animals!:angel:

jesus how many bloody dogs do you have to get vacc costs like that:o

I cant believe that your horses cost less than your dogs:eek:

But then I suppose its each individual persons approach to care.....I know full well I could not care for a horse at the cost of a dog infact probably 4 dogs maybe more

[Rangier Rover]

Just an example of work dog cost. We have 28 kelpie dogs and cost 3.5k a year to keep. Bloody cheap compared to one mans wages. I'm afraid the horses are a little more than that if shod etc.

[Disco2tow]

[quote=dullbird;924534]jesus how many bloody dogs do you have to get vacc costs like that:o
Insane isn't it I can vaccinate a herd of 100 cattle or just one dog. It is because when you vaccinate a dog or cat an act in the TGA says you have to take them to a vet; other animals are deemed stock so anyone can do it themselves. I learnt this after I was very annoyed that vets wouldn't just sell it to me & I phoned Pfizer to complain :p
We don't shoe our horses I'm a believer in bare feet and we do almost everything ourselves that is why they are fairly cheap. I worked out a few years ago a Financial budget; the dog cost a grand or so more per year.
I'm in accounts so this is my forte.
I know a lot of people who spend a lot more than they need to but I'm from a long line of very thrifty cowboys :D.
I've been asked to give lessons on being "miserly" but I'm not giving away my secrets. :ninja:
Lets just say it is similar to how people here can work on the land rovers and they don't cost much for them but for me it costs a fortune because I'm reliant on someone else to fix it & have no idea what I'm doing.

[rick130]

<snip>
We don't shoe our horses I'm a believer in bare feet and we do almost everything ourselves
<snip>


Horses for courses then, isn't :Rolling:




Sorry, couldn't resist. :angel:

Impossible for any of ours in work to be barefoot, they'd have no hoof left.

This thread could now take a turn unprecedented in AULRO history. If regulars think people get heated up over oil vs grease in the swivels, wait till they see the arguments rage over barefoot vs conventional shoeing :twisted:

[dullbird]

jesus how many bloody dogs do you have to get vacc costs like that:o
Insane isn't it I can vaccinate a herd of 100 cattle or just one dog. It is [QUOTE]because when you vaccinate a dog or cat an act in the TGA says you have to take them to a vet; other animals are deemed stock so anyone can do it themselves. I learnt this after I was very annoyed that vets wouldn't just sell it to me & I phoned Pfizer to complain :p
We don't shoe our horses I'm a believer in bare feet and we do almost everything ourselves that is why they are fairly cheap. I worked out a few years ago a Financial budget; the dog cost a grand or so more per year.
I'm in accounts so this is my forte.
I know a lot of people who spend a lot more than they need to but I'm from a long line of very thrifty cowboys :D.
I've been asked to give lessons on being "miserly" but I'm not giving away my secrets. :ninja:
Lets just say it is similar to how people here can work on the land rovers and they don't cost much for them but for me it costs a fortune because I'm reliant on someone else to fix it & have no idea what I'm doing.


Yes I know you must have a very expensive vet thats all I can say;)
I'm licensed to vacinate dogs on premesis just not anywhere else as I'm not a vet but was trained by one

[dullbird]

Horses for courses then, isn't :Rolling:




Sorry, couldn't resist. :angel:

Impossible for any of ours in work to be barefoot, they'd have no hoof left.

This thread could now take a turn unprecedented in AULRO history. If regulars think people get heated up over oil vs grease in the swivels, wait till they see the arguments rage over barefoot vs conventional shoeing :twisted:


or Pirelli over classical:D

[rick130]

or Pirelli over classical:D

You mean Parelli vs anything else :D (how much is that carrot stick® and rope® again, oh, and the new Natural Balance saddle® ? :lol2: )

Classical vs competition
German vs Dutch
Spanish vs everyone
Classical vs Deep
Classical vs Rolkur

Have I left anything out ? :D

[dullbird]

You mean Parelli vs anything else :D (how much is that carrot stick® and rope® again, oh, and the new Natural Balance saddle® ? :lol2: )
Classical vs competition
German vs Dutch
Spanish vs everyone
Classical vs Deep
Classical vs Rolkur

Have I left anything out ? :D

they have saddles now:o

I knew a girl that used to play the 10 games with her horse ride in a head collar with a loooong rope from the center ring and bare back oh and her carrot stick:D..................she just really couldn't get her head around why the horse ****ed off down the beach with her when she trailered it there for a hack. :Rolling:

the training had been going soooo well!!! in the fenced 20x40 :lol2:

[Disco2tow]

Horses for courses then, isn't :Rolling:
Sorry, couldn't resist. :angel:

Impossible for any of ours in work to be barefoot, they'd have no hoof left.

This thread could now take a turn unprecedented in AULRO history. If regulars think people get heated up over oil vs grease in the swivels, wait till they see the arguments rage over barefoot vs conventional shoeing :twisted:

Yes lets not go there!:eek: everyone is entitled to choose their own methods for their animals.
For the record I have shod some horses so I'm not against shoes or anything my girls just don't benefit from them.
One horse can't be shod she had a partial hoof transplant a few years ago when she ripped off it in a barbed wire fence. So it is odd shape; she is fine now other then it looks a bit odd she has no lasting effects.


I agree.... stick to riding cattle. :D

I trained a cow once it is not as hard as people think I shall post a photo once I find it.:D

[rick130]

<snip>


I trained a cow once it is not as hard as people think I shall post a photo once I find it.:D

But no where near as comfortable as a neddie.
There was a bloke over here a few years ago that trained one to jump, and yes, he rode it :lol2:

[dullbird]

well I have seen two camels do a part deux ;) ...(sorry cant remember how to spell)

at olympia.....their one time changes were perfect!!
and so was their piaffe and canter piroettes