Acreage tips from the Fanatics

[cdnlngld]

Just purchaced a new home just outside of Ames with 4.4 acres (3 small pastures, indoor riding arean w/ 6 horse stables, small outbuilding for hay/equiptment,)

I need any advise you can spare. We have never had an acreage and don't know the first thing about horses. We are planning on self care boarding the stables for a little bit of suplimentary income.

Eventually plan on having a horse or two of our own.

I am going to need to purchace a tractor for mowing/snow plowing, and areana maintenance. I am thinking a smaller tractor with a bucket and will need a grader for driveway. Hope to get one with a 60" mowing deck.

Anyway, any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

Might wanna power up the computer and just try **** out

 

[mywayorcyway]

I don't know how much of that you'll be mowing, but if it is significant get a zero turn mower. I almost went with a garden tractor instead, that would have been a huge mistake. It would take me forever to mow if I hadn't gotten the zero turn.

Deck size is important, so is the speed of the mower. My 54" mower will run circles around my neighbor's 60".

 

[CoachHines3]

i have both a john deer lawn tractor and gravely zero turn and the zero turn, with a smaller deck, is much more efficient when mowing.

i probably mow about 6 acres total.

 

[cdnlngld]

I don't know how much of that you'll be mowing, but if it is significant get a zero turn mower. I almost went with a garden tractor instead, that would have been a huge mistake. It would take me forever to mow if I hadn't gotten the zero turn.

Deck size is important, so is the speed of the mower. My 54" mower will run circles around my neighbor's 60".

The previous owners had a small tractor and a zero turn mower. I think this would be ideal, however I don't want to spend 30,000 grand right out the gate. I think a tractor is going to be a necesity, and I would like my dollar to go as far as possible. I think a zero turn mower will be a little bit down the road.

 

[JP4CY]

i have both a john deer lawn tractor and gravely zero turn and the zero turn, with a smaller deck, is much more efficient when mowing.

i probably mow about 6 acres total.

How many daddy pops?

 

[raftercy]

There's many things to consider if you're boarding horses for others. Make sure your insurance carrier is aware of this, most personal insurance for a homeowner won't cover horse boarding and you will need to get proper coverage. You're going to need a good source of hay as well, especially if you plan on keeping the horses in the stalls overnight and not on the pasture full time. You're going to need some kind of tractor so that you can also work the ground in the riding arena, the ground will get packed down from riding and you will need to be able to harrow or work up the ground routinely.

You'll also need some good people skills, horse owners want their horse treated with the highest level of care, and will expect you to able to give that at all times. Keep in mind that you'll also need a reliable source of help that can do the chores when you are gone when you want to get away. Good luck!

 

[CoachHines3]

How many daddy pops?

most of the terrain is so damn bumpy its impossible

however, i can tell how much weight ive gained each year because of my daddy titties bouncin' up and down more and more

 

[BCClone]

If you avoid John Deere (I’m all JD so I’m not beating in them) you can save some good money. Options are an X turn mower with a blower unit. Then a cheaper yard tractor with a loader.

 

[CyCrazy]

If you avoid John Deere (I’m all JD so I’m not beating in them) you can save some good money. Options are an X turn mower with a blower unit. Then a cheaper yard tractor with a loader.

X turn mowers are just fine, nothing wrong with them at all.

 

[DSMCy]

i have both a john deer lawn tractor and gravely zero turn and the zero turn, with a smaller deck, is much more efficient when mowing.

i probably mow about 6 acres total.

Do you leave a little strip in the middle, like your mom?

 

[CoachHines3]

Do you leave a little strip in the middle, like your mom?

play in the sand

 

[1100011CS]

What's your driveway like? Mine gets so drifted over that I run out of places to push the snow with just a tractor blade and bucket. A snowblower attachment for my tractor will be my next purchase.

 

[cydnote]

Don't want to rain on your parade but maybe those things should have been budgeted before the purchase. What about manure handling and disposal? Liability insurance for those on your property? Self care until the tenant doesn't show up for a day or two? Snow removal so the tenants can get to their chores?

 

[1100011CS]

Also, can't tell from your picture but if possible plant wind break trees now on the north and west sides of your property.

 

[enisthemenace]

I know nothing about horses, so no help there. As mentioned, zero turn is the way to go for mowing. I used to mow with a garden tractor. Got a zero turn a couple of years ago, and it has decreased my mowing time by 2/3rds (unless I want to stay out and mow longer just to get away, but that’s a different discussion).

Snow removal is something else to consider. Looks like you have a lot to clear, and maybe high winds to deal with. I’d be skeptical of a garden tractor’s ability to handle a lot of snow with high winds (drifting). I have a 4wheeler with blade and I couldn’t keep up this year. My old man bought a used work truck and blade a few years ago I use when I’m desperate. Might be worth looking into if you don’t have one already.

Congrats on the property. Looks beautiful.

 

[NorthCyd]

Don't want to rain on your parade but maybe those things should have been budgeted before the purchase. What about manure handling and disposal? Liability insurance for those on your property? Self care until the tenant doesn't show up for a day or two? Snow removal so the tenants can get to their chores?

Lol! Chastising someone for budgeting when you don't know their financial situation is a bold move.

 

[KnappShack]

Goats? Let those bastards eat

 

[PineClone]

We have a couple acres with pasture, barn, alpacas, chickens. Echoing what others have said...

• Talk to your insurance person about the horses. We're selling hanging baskets from our driveway (we just built a 100x30 greenhouse), and our insurance guy ended up changing our homeowners policy to a farm policy. He had all kinds of concerns, but our risk tolerance was significantly higher than his, so we were able to push back a bit and get a decent price. Horses are high maintenance and can injure themselves on bad fencing. There are exceptions, but the typical horse owner is even more high maintenance. Dealing with the horses will be much easier than dealing with the owners.
• If you have a lot of mowing, get a zero turn. They are made for mowing and outperform any garden tractor. You'll save a ton of time. I have a basic 50" Troy-Bilt and it does the job.
• I found a small tractor on CL for $3500. It's an early 80's Mitsubishi with loader, grader, mower (which i don't use) and tiller. It's a 2 cylinder diesel and has limited power, but we use it quite a bit for random jobs.
• Stay on top of any weed issues before it gets out of hand. It's worth the cost to have a long-lasting pre-emergent applied (e.g. Milestone) every two or three years. Milestone is safe for grazing, but can contaminate the manure, so you'd want to be careful about spreading it in a garden.

I don't know what your current living situation was, but having some elbow room and privacy is going to be life-changing. At our age we should have been downsizing, but we did the opposite. It's a lot of work, but you won't regret it.

 

[psycln11]

The previous owners had a small tractor and a zero turn mower. I think this would be ideal, however I don't want to spend 30,000 grand right out the gate. I think a tractor is going to be a necesity, and I would like my dollar to go as far as possible. I think a zero turn mower will be a little bit down the road.

My 17 year old has leased horses for the past 3-4 years for 4-H. Each of the boarders have had different equipment, but looking at the property you posted, something like this would seem to be appropriate.

https://www.kubotausa.com/products/tractors/compact/l01

I think you'd want the two separate tractors/mowers similar to the previous owners.
A tractor for the mowing the pastures and driveway/arena maintenance. You'll want a bucket for snow removal and manure management.
A ZTR for mowing the yard. The separate mowers would be beneficial due to varying types of grasses you'll be cutting. You'll get a much cleaner cut for the yard area with a standard mower deck.

I've been to several different horse properties and each is a little different based on owner preferences.