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[RC] Land per horse in Michigan - Mike & Laurie Hilyard

Well I do live in Michigan - In Clare, which is about 120 miles NE of Kalamzoo.  How much pasture you need depends on how long you expect your horses to get the bulk of their nutrients from the grass.  The grass starts growing in Clare the first week of May, and stays green until a week or so of hard frosts in the fall - the end of October.  In Kalamazoo, you will probably get an addition week to 10 days of growth.  I used to have three horses on three acres of uninproved pasture, and I needed to start supplementing about mid August, depending on how much water we had gotten that summer.  When I had two horses on three acres, I started feeding hay in late September, early October.  I now have two horses and a pony on seven acres of improved pasture, and didn't put out my first round bale until 10/31/04.  As a group, they have eaten less than 300 pounds in 10 days,  because they are still getting most of their nutrition from the pasture.  Michigan has fertile soil and incredible growth rates in the months of May and June, and as long as we get water, growth gradually tapers off until the snow flies.  Even in September, the grass grows.  Something will grow, improved or unimproved, that your horse can safely eat.  Even with generous pasture (say 1.5 - 2.0 acres per head) plan on feeding hay 180 days a year.  Most of Michigan is selenium deficient, so you will likely want to supplement.  Hay is plentiful and relatively cheap, especially during first cutting (June).  Second cutting in Michigan tends to be richer and more costly.  Better for dairy cows than pasture ornaments (horses).  Most farmers in Michigan plant an alfalfa/grass mix, and the concentration of alfalfa is higher in second cuttings.  Zoning laws will vary by township, but most Michigan cities are not expanding so what zoning laws you move into will likely stay that way.  Most zoning is not done here by # of animals per acre.  More likely it will be a yes/no question on whether livestock is allowed at all - which should only be an issue if you plan on living where city services are provided (water, sewer, etc.).  Welcome to Michigan, and I hope to meet you at our Great Lakes Distance Riding Association rides!
 
Laurie Hilyard in Clare