horse pasture question

[marvella]

i have 10 unimproved acres that adjoin where i live. i'd like to put a cabin there some day. i don't want to pasture my goats there, bcause they will kill almost everything, including small trees like dogwood and redbud, well all of them, that i'd like to keep. a neighboring landowner has horses, and would like to pasture them on my 10. will the horses be less destructive of trees and such, than the goats? i need to keep it cleared but not chewed to the ground like goats can do. also, what is a commonly accepted deal about fencing? i won't charge him for the pasture, so does he build fence in return for use of the pasture? do we go halfers? i'm willing to kick in a solar charger as well, as i'm sure i'll need one sooner or later.

thanks for any advice or comment.:-)

[second_noah]

Originally Posted by marvella

i have 10 unimproved acres that adjoin where i live. i'd like to put a cabin there some day. i don't want to pasture my goats there, bcause they will kill almost everything, including small trees like dogwood and redbud, well all of them, that i'd like to keep. a neighboring landowner has horses, and would like to pasture them on my 10. will the horses be less destructive of trees and such, than the goats? i need to keep it cleared but not chewed to the ground like goats can do. also, what is a commonly accepted deal about fencing? i won't charge him for the pasture, so does he build fence in return for use of the pasture? do we go halfers? i'm willing to kick in a solar charger as well, as i'm sure i'll need one sooner or later.

thanks for any advice or comment.:-)

In my experience, horses can clear a pasture to the ground in no time, especially if you have too many horses in too small a space. So I guess it would depend on how many horses your neighbor would be putting out on the 10 and if they were going to be rotated on and off.

If he wants to board them there I'd say it's his responsibility to put up the fence.

Just my two cents though...

[marvella]

oh, not crowded.:-) he has 2 horses and a mule on 5 acres, so total it would be three animals on 15 acres. unless i put goats on it too.:-)

[uncle Will in In.]

It can depend on the individual horse. A few horses will chew the bark off of trees eventually killing the tree. Most don't however. If his pasture has any trees check to see if any have had the bark chewed off. They will trim the leaves off pretty high if they get hungry. That could be hard on little things such as young dogwoods.
As far as the fence, he should be willing to put up electric if he is getting the pasture free.

[rambler]

I'm really only expereinced with cattle.

If he has 5 acres, you have 10 - make (2) 5 acre pastures out of yours, and the livestock can be rotated on each pasture for 15 days. It will take 30 days to get back to a pasture again. This gives the trees a chance to continue to grow, the grass to rejuvinate, etc. Perhaps your livestock can be added to the rotation and run on his property as well.....

Anything you work out with the other person will work for the fencing, but if you wanted me to build it I would sure want something in writing that I can use it long enough to pay off if I'm using my supplies - fencing isn't cheap, & you throw me off in one season....

Also, as the landowner, any livestock that escapes & is hit by a car will eventually involve you in a lawsuit. As landowner, you are generally held liable for the condition of the fence. Run any plans past your insurance company that you are indeed covered for this, esp if the other person is to be building & maintaining the fence. Sometimes that bothers insurance companies & you become a loophole with such an arangement.

Should all work out, just some things to get in order.

--->Paul

[agmantoo]

All animals are destructive to trees. If you want to preserve the area get a tractor and a brushhog to cut the open areas annually. If you must put animals on the area get cattle and only a few of them and fence out the desired tree area. No horses, they have the ability to nibble off the grass at the ground, cattle must pull the grass into their mouth with their tongue in order to consume therefore the grass is not all eaten down to the roots.