Fencing for ponies?

[miniaturefarm]

I'm back, now I am a little bit more experienced on ponies. What fence is best for Shetlands? I keep looking at google and stuff, but everybody has a different one I don't know what to choose! Wooden fence is a bit expensive- would woven wire keep them in + there hooves getting stuck, Imperial fencing panels, I need advice!
So I should fence in two separate pastures, Each one acre? I also I'm probably going to be keeping the goats with them sometimes. We are also getting a two stall or one stall 12x12 row barn, I'm also not sure if I should keep the goat in the stall with the pony? or if we should get a two stall row barn, A One stall would probably be cheaper. But where would I keep the hay / all the grooming supplies mucking supplies etc. ahhhh so much deciding, please send me any tips and tricks. - Miniaturefarm

 

[Alaskan]

For a barn.. I like a hay loft, and a tack room, and the rest a run-in style, good and wide so no one can pin anyone else in a corner. Fence panels to make temporary stalls if you think you might need them. A way to close up the barn at night to keep small stock safe from predators.

As to fencing for a pony and a goat.... Since it sounds like you have a max of 2 acres for them....I would invest in fantastic perimeter fence... maybe a strong woven wire with one electric strand at the top.

Then I would use temporary electric fence, the goat net from premier 1 fencing, to make smaller paddock areas that can be adjusted in size as needed.

 

[miniaturefarm]

For a barn.. I like a hay loft, and a tack room, and the rest a run-in style, good and wide so no one can pin anyone else in a corner. Fence panels to make temporary stalls if you think you might need them. A way to close up the barn at night to keep small stock safe from predators.

As to fencing for a pony and a goat.... Since it sounds like you have a max of 2 acres for them....I would invest in fantastic perimeter fence... maybe a strong woven wire with one electric strand at the top.

Then I would use temporary electric fence, the goat net from premier 1 fencing, to make smaller paddock areas that can be adjusted in size as needed.

We actually have 20 acres+ if we need bigger room for them? and we only have one pony so a run in with a tack room?

 

[miniaturefarm]

For a barn.. I like a hay loft, and a tack room, and the rest a run-in style, good and wide so no one can pin anyone else in a corner. Fence panels to make temporary stalls if you think you might need them. A way to close up the barn at night to keep small stock safe from predators.

As to fencing for a pony and a goat.... Since it sounds like you have a max of 2 acres for them....I would invest in fantastic perimeter fence... maybe a strong woven wire with one electric strand at the top.

Then I would use temporary electric fence, the goat net from premier 1 fencing, to make smaller paddock areas that can be adjusted in size as needed.

I am back after looking for barns (the delivery kind) I see what you're talking about, The run in style with a tack room since I'm not riding them or ponies don't really need grain, (and are goats are Wethers do they don't either.) so I could use that extra space for all the pony's needs, also would a 10x20? or Bigger? I want to provide all the space my pony needs. (And my goats) But we are keeping the goats with the pony sometimes, or we may get him a separate goat, again, it depends on the pony but I know I'm going to spend alot of time with him.

 

[Alaskan]

As to how big the barn should be...... how many animals?

I found a 10x20 good space for 4 goats.

And a 30x20 good for 3 horses.

But really... no such thing as too big... it can always be partitioned and made into a machine shop, dove cote, rabbitry, vehicle storage....

As to pasture size.... how good is the pasture? About how many acres per animal unit? And... how long is your gazing season?

 

[miniaturefarm]

As to how big the barn should be...... how many animals?

I found a 10x20 good space for 4 goats.

And a 30x20 good for 3 horses.

But really... no such thing as too big... it can always be partitioned and made into a machine shop, dove cote, rabbitry, vehicle storage....

As to pasture size.... how good is the pasture? About how many acres per animal unit? And... how long is your gazing season?

Okay, this is hard to explain but, what grows in our field may be hay? or some type of weird grass. its starting right now to grow green and tall with other flowers like, (Clover, (some type of daisy's) buttercups, and some other ones.) I think in fall it gets yellow, and tall, but once they cut it the last time the whole winter / early spring is some weird plant looking type? it has some yellow spots with grass, if you check my old forum "new to owning horses" or whatever it's called lol, there is a picture on it of my grass in early spring. But now we are asking are neighbors who cut it what it is.

But about the acres, but I heard that you should make two pastures, so they don't stomp and make it into a dirt lot (some said.) If I did have two pastures, I would have to get a row barn,


The barn should be able to fit maybe two goats / three goats? (Or none,) or just one pony

 

[Alaskan]

But about the acres, but I heard that you should make two pastures, so they don't stomp and make it into a dirt lot (some said.) If I did have two pastures, I would have to get a row barn,

Well... where the animals are fed is usually seen as a sacrificial area.

You can have the barn in a small paddock/pen that then opens up to 2, 3, or 4 different pastures. Then it is super easy to rotate pastures.

However, that uses a great deal of fence, and fence costs money.

You can always scetch out how you want it to go... and fence one pasture or paddock at a time. (A paddock is small, a pasture is large. So the small pen type area around a barn is a paddock).

What I did was have great fence for my one pasture... then I used my temporary fence to change what area they had access to. Early spring it was important to restrict their access. Going from a diet of mostly dry hay to green new growth has to be done slowly. I also used the temporary fence to keep them off of areas that they were grazing too short.

In that pasture I did NOT have a barn, I cut a shelter into a clump of trees. But, that was only their summer pasture.

I have a big barn closer to the house that connected to a paddock, which was for winter. It mostly turned into dirt.


Ok... as to space... when I asked for your AU per acre.... an AU =animal unit. A standard animal unit is a 1,000 cow with a calf. So, usually one AU = 4 or 5 goats, roughly. And a pony... eh.... I would be conservative and think of it as almost a cow... so .8 animal units.

Think about it this way... if I asked you how tall you are, you would tell me you are 5 feet, or 5 feet and 6 inches. Those are units of measurement. Then, even if we have never seen each other, since we both agree on how large a foot is, and how large an inch is... I now know how tall you are.

Animal units are measuring how much plant matter (grass, and other plants) that can be eaten by livestock, are being produced. So, AU are simply a way to get an idea of how productive an area of land is

Different areas of the world have different amounts of rain, warmth, and soil quality.

As a great example, over in the start of West Texas (where I am from) you need 20 acres for a single AU. Further west in Texas, you need 40 acres. Thatcis 40 acres for one single cow and calf.

Over in Virginia, I hear tell of places where you need TWO acres for a cow.

I have no idea where you are in the world... and even if you told me your state, that would help some but not much.

My family land in Texas, has one area with great soil, that is 18, maybe even 16 acres for a cow. Then there is one strip that is so rocky it is 22 or so acres for a cow. Same ranch, same rainfall, same weather.... but the soil makes a huge difference to the carrying capacity.

So..... you need to research your place.

You might be able to find Soil Maps online. I would Google it that way "Soil Map of country where you live". If you are lucky it will pop up all online. If it isn't online you will have to find your local agricultural extension office, and stop in and talk to them.

The soil map will look like a topographical map of the area. There will be a key that tells you the AU/carrying capacity of each soil type. It will have a table that tells you the productivity of that soil if you have it planted in coastal, or timothy, or whatever grasses are usually planted in your area...

If you end up stopping by your local extension office, rip up and bring with you one if the grasses/plants from the pasture. They will tell you what it is, and how good it is for a pony.

But.... until you know the general productivity of your area...NO WAY to know how big your pastures have to be.

 

[Pinewood Ridge]

We have 3 good sized pens for our Nigerian Dwarfs. One also has two miniature donkeys in with them. They get along fine. That shelter has one big stall (probably 12x12), then a little breezeway connected to a small feed room. The stall has a long shelf for the goats to jump up on. In nasty weather, they all go in together. I have rubber mats down in the stall, and bed with pine shavings of pellets.
We have just finished fencing an adjoining area for them that is wooded, with a small pasture. We need the goats to be in there awhile to eat it down before letting donkeys up there so they don't founder.
My husband built all of our little goat barns. Our fencing is all five foot welded wire (2"x4" squares) on a combination of 5" by 8' wood posts and t-posts (most of it came from Tractor Supply). For the new pasture, we did the outside perimeter in 6 foot fencing.
Have not had any problems with hooves or horns getting caught.
Just remember to keep a close eye on what the pony is eating, especially this time of year with lush spring grass. Google founder/Laminitis and colic symptoms, so you know what to watch for.
They can get too porky really fast too.

Good luck!