It will be a mix of both. I’ll have to think where I’d put compost bunkers to avoid the smell and ugliness of them. Good point, I had forgotten about that. A dumpster would be in front of the pole barn, else I don’t know if they’d have the room they need to pick up and dump it.
Full perimeter fence beyond something very very cheap will be out of reach financially for some time, unfortunately.
I plan to take a little of the back half of the barn for horse stuff. A tie area and a small tack room/feed room probably. I’d like to cut a door on the south side, but it currently has a bizarre gutter run all the way across it. I can fix that and reroute the water, it will just take time.
What about T-posts and two inch tape? That is what my perimeter is. Some of it isn’t electrified. But is tight, three strands of tape on 7 foot T-posts so that the top line is at 5 plus feet even at the mid point of the sag. (drafts, a six foot T-post is ample height otherwise). They are spaced at 15 feet apart.
I mean I would love Horseguard or the like on wooden posts. But, the highly visible and high breaking strength of T-posts and Tractor Supply tape shouldn’t be underestimated!
I can’t overemphasize enough the ability to have all your horses tied up under a roof, on dry ground, in good lighting. It makes things so much easier when you have a small herd living outside to have the option and to use it regularly.
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I find that rounds are worthwhile. They save me a couple grand a year on hay. We do have a tractor (considered a compact) with a spike that we use to maneuver them. I feed small squares inside. We won’t do large squares as I don’t feel comfortable storing them outside but under cover as we do with the rounds. I wouldn’t feed rounds without a net otherwise they will make a huge mess. The HayHut with net has been awesome for this and I could fill it with small squares or flakes from large squares if needed. Just keep in mind bay takes up more space than you think and you’ll need more than you think. I figure 25lb/ day/ horse and try to buy 12 months worth of rounds at a time, knowing they won’t actually last 12 months due to waste. IME a 12x12 stall holds just about 100 small (50lb) squares. I stall during lightening, severe heat/ cold, ice, and sometimes will bring them in for a bit to get them dry if it’s been wet for a while (such as I’ll have to this week). For two horses, that’s about 8-10 rounds bales and 250-300 small squares. I feed free choice, but net everything. I’m just South of you near STL. Also wanted to add the rounds are great for convenience - we put one out every 4-6 weeks vs putting a few small squares out every few days.
Another thing to keep in mind is storing shavings if you stall. Buying bulk sawdust saves me hundreds but it takes up half of our small barn (with small squares taking up the other half). It’s $225 for a dump truck that lasts 3-4 months vs $8-10/ bag from TSC or similar which was running me a lot more. I also find the sawdust easier to pick through, YMMV.
Also storing tools and such. We have one stall dedicated to all of the various tools (chain saws, leaf blower, rakes, shovels, spare buckets, extension cords, storing the big barn fan in the winter and the heated buckets in the summer, etc). The stall isn’t packed to the brim but we also have some tools stored in the garage, house, and opposite end of the barn.
Grain storage - how and where will you store grain? (rhetorical) We use an old chest freezer, which works great but takes up a chunk of space and is NOT maneuverable at all, as well as a table where the supplement containers for each horse go. Together, they take up about a 12x 3 or 4 ft area.
Dry lot is certainly a must IMO. Put down footing/ geotextile/ grid mats and be eternally happy you did. I will never not complain about the mud.
If you can DIY it/ find the budget for it, put in an auto waterer. If you do it centrally with all the paddocks/ dry lot connecting you could get away with just one doing most of the work (if you have two horses you could place it between the stalls and truly just have one). I hate, HATE the time suck that is dumping/ scrubbing/ filling waters. Sweeping constantly due to our dirt floor is right up there too.
If you don’t do stalls, make sure you have a dedicated space for your vet/ farrier to work that is out of the elements. Fans are greatly appreciated. Make sure it’s well lit too.
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Oh, you can total have horses in dry lot visible from the house, how about this?
Red, dogs.
Blue, dry lot.
Yellow, arena.
Green, fields.
You can still fence north east for a field, but leave directly north east of the barn open for snow and or trailer or whatever.
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T posts and tape is within reach because I can do that myself without wanting to blow my brains out 2 weeks into the project lol. I’d love to have woven wire but I think that will be too pricey and it’s harder to put up.
@Simkie one of the trade offs that’s a plus of having the dry lot behind that barn is they will have nice shade for a good part of the day via the barn. I’ll have to think about the pros and cons through the winter. They will be fenced off the barn a foot or two so no one gets stupid and kicks a hole in it or something.
@kaya842 I think sans a big enough tractor I will really have to think about the rounds. I do not plan to stall unless it is absolutely brutal outside (think record breaking) so I think I’ll be OK with bagged shavings.
If the horses can go in and out of their stalls at will, they get to pick when they’re uncomfortable enough to want inside, and likely won’t spend enough time inside to use up much bedding.
Since you’re in a farming area, might straw for bedding be easily, cheaply available? It can be stacked compactly.
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Maybe! I’m well connected in the NW Indiana region, but only marginally connected where this house is (a bit south, in Illinois). I’m friendly enough to find out.
There have been studies that horses lie down more and rest better in straw. It also is better if you’re spreading/composting. That is a good thought!
I’m in Southern PA and moved a soy bean field to pasture 3 years ago. I seeded in the fall with a regional quality pasture mix and cover crop of annual rye. I was grazable in the early summer once I mowed the annual rye.
FWIW I feed small squares as I just couldn’t justify the need for a larger tractor. My 25hp Massey with a 60” mower deck and FEL meets all my basic farm needs (but could never move rounds and might struggle with large squares)
I use pelleted bedding, easy to store but does get dusty if your stalls don’t get a lot of use.
Enjoy the adventure. I love my little place.
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So you seeded after the crops came off the field? Or did you let it sit fallow for a year?
Add an overhang to the barn, line the side with wood. It’s really fabulous to have that sort of shelter.
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I’ll have to brush up on my framing. I also don’t know what the setback requirements are for this county, I’ll have to check. I could always put it on the back, if the setback is an issue. I’d like to have a door back there though. I guess I could do both, if I tied the overhang roof in high enough.
First I would check the drainage especially in your proposed dry lot area. You need to know if it currently collects water/mud! Next you need to figure out water access. Is there a hydrant in the barn. Would it be easy to run a hose to the lot, or, even better, put in a line for another hydrant or auto waterer?
My priorities would be to first do what is necessary to have reasonable footing in the dry lot in bad weather. (Do the same for arena at same time if budget allows) Then I would invest in permanent fencing for that area. Include gates for both pasture access and to get machinery in to clean, level, or plow.
After that you can do your t-post and electric for as much of the pasture as time and money allows.
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So we did just what I’m describing–there’s a thread around here somewhere. I had stalls in the barn, with runs under the overhang, that opened to the dry lot, which opened to the pasture. It was GREAT. I closed off the stalls during the day, opened the runs, and horses always had access to shelter.
As you work through this, really think about what you really want here. If seeing the horses from the house is important, then set it up that way, even if there are a few steps between here and there. Make it the property you really want–don’t settle, at least not long term.
Wrt the bean field, I’d be curious if it would be possible/smart to work drill seeding your pasture mix preference into your offer. Fall seeding gets this space useable for you that much earlier, and this guy probably has the equipment to do it?
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This guy isn’t the farmer. The bean area is attached to a MUCH larger parcel. This is an estate, so the fella was aged and probably didn’t want to mow it all anymore.
I don’t need to see the horses. Also, this isn’t a forever and ever home - we will be here about 10 years before we move to Iowa.
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The 5ft tall woven 2x4 hole wire is an absolute beast to install. 4 ft tall is a little less trouble. 4ft tall woven field fence is a breeze to install (and not terribly expensive). I put a line of hot tape on top of my sections of field fence and horses don’t get close enough to catch a shoe. I like that it keeps all but the tiniest dogs out of my paddocks.
I’d likely prioritize examining the barn to determine which modifications are possible and then orient the dry lot after that’s determined.
Here in the gulf coast, we’d have enough time to plant Bahaia with winter rye as cover after the soybeans were harvested and be able to graze the rye some over winter. I don’t think your growing conditions are similar though. Suggest making friends with a local guy that runs cows, row crops and bales hay. He’ll know what’s up for your area.
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Where in Iowa are you going?
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I had a little 22 hp tractor with front loader on my 20 acre farm and fed round bales, large squares, and compressed blocks without issue. Could pick up the 500-lb pasture blocks if I had a counter-weight on the back. Round bales and larger blocks/squares I would push/roll across the ground instead of pick up. 
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Southeast of DesMoines, ideally. I have to locate industry so I have somewhere to work.
About seeing the horses in the dry lot: You could install a camera so you could easily check them at any time.
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