For those of you with small individual paddocks… how big are they?
Or what is the smallest you’ve come across?
I’m wondering what is too small to even bother…
We have 70x70 ft paddocks and find them quite useful. Of course, you have to improve the footing with stonedust or something.
If your definition of a paddock includes natural grass ground cover, expand that size by an order of magnitude.
The smallest paddock I have is 10’x40’ and includes a 10’ over hang and a 10’x10’ stall.
I only use my paddocks as 24/7 living when I am dealing with really crazy ice in the winter or healing some medical issue.
They are usually in their paddocks with their stalls for 10 hours (at night in the winter and during the day in the summer) and out together the rest of the time.
[QUOTE=iJump;8703154]
For those of you with small individual paddocks… how big are they?
Or what is the smallest you’ve come across?
I’m wondering what is too small to even bother…[/QUOTE]
I have a small one that is maybe 20x40 with a shelter. Right now the shelter is being used for storage but I use this paddock to put one horse in while I’m riding the other (I ride in their main turn out area) or if i need to put them both out of the way for some reason (although I wouldn’t leave both of them in there for long).
I think having a small space is pretty handy!
Mine are 35x90. I actually really like the size of them, enough room for them to buck and canter a couple of strides without getting too wild, small enough that putting good footing in them isn’t a huge expense, and picking them doesn’t take very long.
ETA - Since you asked, them smallest I’ve seen were 12x24. They were attached to stalls. That small and they definitely don’t count as “turn out” but at least they allow the horses to be outside and getting fresh air.
I’ve seen some really tiny (maybe 20x20) ones used for rehab or just as an extension of the stall, with the horse then getting regular turnout in a larger area as well. I’ve also seen some that are almost that small a training barns where space is a premium.
My smallest paddock is 25 or 30 x 25 (I would have to measure). I wanted a small one for layup. It is used by a mini donkey and donkey primarily, but works great when I want to handle a foal. I can bring the mare and foal in there and have a little more room, but not too much.
Everyone gets turned out daily, so this isn’t where they spend all day or anything. But I have boarded at facilities where the horse lived 24x7 in a 25x25’ paddock. I can’t imagine how boring that would be.
1 of the fence lines in that paddock is hot, I wouldn’t go too narrow if your fencing is hot.
We call those very small paddocks concentration camps for horses - well, not really, but…
If you could make them as large as possible and put the horses out for half the time - mine move around a lot in my large t/o paddock, they just stand in the tiny ones.
Ours are attached to their stalls and are 16x30 on a 12x20 stall.
I have seen a very small run - 12x12 attached to a 12x12 stall. It was better than nothing!
[QUOTE=costco_muffins;8704347]
I have seen a very small run - 12x12 attached to a 12x12 stall. It was better than nothing![/QUOTE]
I have 12x12 runs on one side of my barn–there just wasn’t room for bigger–and they are SO MUCH better than just a 12x12 stall! Really makes all the difference for those horses. I very rarely have to leave horses in, but I feel far less guilty when I do with those runs on that side and the longer 12 x 48 runs on the other side 
I’ve boarded where they had 12x24 paddocks attached to the stalls, which are better than no paddocks. Horses still got to go out in larger ones for day turnout, but seemed to enjoy having the little “patios” off the stalls when they had to be in. If the weather was really bad, they would be closed in to just the stall, but that was rare.
i don’t get keeping horses like this. horses need to be able to move, to run around. i have refused to board at any place that keeps horses in little pens. make the paddock big enough that the horse can gallop in it.
My three smaller paddocks are 70x100, but I also have a medical paddock that’s about 15x30.
I have limited amount of space near the barn where I want to have dry paddocks (gravel or sand), and will only have one field to rotate horses in. I’m hoping to fit one bigger and 4 smaller paddocks… but debating on what is too small.
