Details About Running A Smallholding

[(~JEMMA~)]

hey everyone, me and my family are looking for a smallholding, bu before they will consider anything they want to know all the in's and out's.
we will be in durbanville area so anyone around there, joosternbergvlakte morningstar etc might have the same prices etc.
anyone that buys from equifeeds? general prices per bag, how long a bag lasts and for how many horses.
oat hay and lecern, costs, who you buy from, do they deliver how long it lasts etc.
sawdust or shavings, same as above.
does anyone have any idea about space restrictions, how many horses per hectare or acre. any tips on how to get really good drainage in arena's and paddocks. does anyone here do DIY or muck out and care for their horses on there own property, how long does mucking out take you and when do you do it, morning afternoon etc, i think everyone mucks out in the morning though. . would anyone here that takes care of there own horses and run a smalholding ever go back on the decision to get a smallholding?

i know it's asking alot of info, but any at all would be greatly apreciated. i think that the only way i am going to get to where i want to go with my riding is to get a smallholding so i can spend more time riding with my horsie. really need this info
thanks. would like to see alot of this

[~*Lizzy*~]

Ok i can answer a few of those:
Equifeeds is about R60-R80 per bag depending on what you feed and it also depends on how much you feed!
Oathay is quite expensive but the farmers around that area sell at about R22 per bale and lucern is like R35 per bale!!
Small holdings are great but in that area as it gets very hot in summer and almost never rains try get a place with enough water so you can water your paddocks....
Sorry back to the oathay it costs alot to deliver so most people i know just take their horse box and bukkie and pick up themselves!! ;D
Shavings aroung that area rare are we struggle to get and its also costly but it depends on your contacts!!
We mostly have grooms that clean the stables and the paddocks ect!!
Hope this helped
xxx

[(~JEMMA~)]

thanks Lizzy

[~*Lizzy*~]

Pleasure

[Macluke]

We just have a groom that feeds in morning and mucks out otherwise we do the rest. Isn't it half a acre per horse?? Try get borehole/well point water if you can!!!!

[*RANDOM!*]

Wow jemma if your mom says yes you r so lucky

[Nina]

2 horses per acre!
Food depends on what type you buy (eg 10%, 12%, warmblood, etc) but equifeeds is around R60-R80
Drainage, there's this new thing called equitred. Call Simon Hill on 0832557038 (www.decramat.co.za) Its really nice!!
Shavings cost us about R100 per month per horse (but we're in hout bay)
We have a groom. He gets R2500/ month to look after our 4 horses and he's excellent!!
Are you gonna get another horse or get a livery? Cause I dont think you're horse will be very happy on its own

[(~JEMMA~)]

no i will get another horse and my sisters will probably get a pony + everyone would love to have a mini

[~*Lizzy*~]

R2500 for a groom we pay ours 1400 and he does everything tacks up ect. but then again u are in hout bay!!!

[megzmc]

i feed equifeed, but i think our prices are different from yours, i pay R98 for a 40kg of 10% meal.

[Nina]

Wow lizzy that's cheap!

[julesh]

Groom prices vary quite a lot depending on various circumstances..
Does the groom live on the property? If so is his electricity, water etc.. paid for by the owner of the property or the groom himself. If he lives off the property does the owner provide transport or pay towards his/her transport? If the groom is from another part of SA does the owner contribute towards their holiday leave when they travel home. (ie. Back to Transkei over Christmas etc..)
Does the groom work every day or only 5 working days? Do they get paid overtime for working on the weekends etc..
How often do they muck out, feed, groom etc.. - once a day, twice a day?? Are they responsible for the paddock maintenance as well - watering and weeding of grass.. maintaining safe and sturdy fences.. etc..
All these points and more help determine the salary of grooms.. So the prices do vary quite a lot....

[тєgι **]

We pay R110 for our groom per day. In hout bay. He lives off but works 6 days a week from 7:00AM - 5:00PM... we give him lunch. he does everything including the gardening and pool cleaning and maintenance at the house and is VERY VERY experenced and good (he lunges, pulls manes, cleans tack, tacks up, feeds horses, mucks out... everything! and is also extremely reliable!)
Some bags of equifeeds can reach up to R108 per bag, and how long it lasts depends on how much you feed!
Oathay is about R20-R25 per bale and you pay per kilometre for delivery usually comes up to about R24-R28 in total!
We are getting all our food from customfeeds which is about 100m up the road from our property.

[Nina]

Ok our groom gets R2500 to feed the horses, groom, clean stables, clean paddocks, maintain fences, stabling, etc. He gets another R1000/month for gardening, etc! So he gets R3500 in total and works mondays-fridays 8-5 and saturdays and sundays 8-12!
Tegs have you found a lease/companion yet?

[(~JEMMA~)]

thanks alot you guys

[Nina]

Plesh! Let us know what happens!!

[(~JEMMA~)]

kay, so it looks like we have the farm ( waiting for transfere). anyone know how much oats cost?

[[[Christine]]]

OMW SO U HAVE A FARM??? *faints* lucky!!!!!!!!!!! do u do livery lol where is it?

[le]

Hi Jemma

It is wonderful keeping ones horses at home, but one disadvantage that I have (I also live on a smallholding) is that you can never get away as you always have to be there to check on the horses. I have learnt not to rely on my groom as they can be unreliable when you need them the most. I buy food in bulk (eg: teff) for the whole year so that I can get it at a better price and make sure that I don't have to worry about availability throughout the year.

Other than that, the advantages of seeing and working with your horse everyday far outweigh the negatives.

Enjoy your smallholding and good luck!

[(~JEMMA~)]

LOL, its not a smallholding anymore, its a farm of 400 hectares, just before swellendam, we wont be moving there yet, but the parents are going to start an eco accomadation "resort". i would like to start a livery place when we move there (dont no what the market is like in swellendam/bonnievale), but at the moment we only have 3 stables.