Garden & Water Utilities
Horse pasture acreage.
Pick how long your horses are turned out each day. Get acres per horse from a university extension stocking guide, then acres for your herd or how many horses a given pasture supports. Runs in your browser.
Your pasture
Stocking plan
Fill the form and press Calculate.
Worked example
Three horses with unlimited turnout need 2 acres each: 3 × 2 = 6 acres (2.4 ha). A 5-acre pasture with 6 hours of turnout a day is 1 acre per horse, so it supports 5 horses.
How it works
Acres per horse by daily turnout: under 3 hours, 0.5 acre; 3 to 8 hours, 1 acre; over 8 to 12 hours, 1.5 acres; unlimited, 2 acres or more. These are the figures in the Pasture Stocking Rates section of E296: Agricultural Management Practices for Commercial Equine Operations (Rutgers NJAES), which adds that rates can be higher with mowing, irrigating, fertilizing, overseeding and rotating pastures, while keeping at least 70 percent vegetative cover. Poor soil, drought and heavy horses may need more land, and the horse count is rounded down.
Sources (opened 2026-10-08): E296: Agricultural Management Practices for Commercial Equine Operations (Rutgers NJAES).
FAQ
How many acres do I need per horse?
Rutgers extension says one horse can be maintained on 2 or more acres with unlimited turnout, 1.5 acres with 8 to 12 hours, 1 acre with 3 to 8 hours and half an acre with under 3 hours.
How many horses per acre?
With unlimited turnout, half a horse per acre or fewer. With 3 to 8 hours of turnout, about one horse per acre.
Can I keep more horses on less land?
Yes, with good management such as rotation, mowing, fertilizing and limited grazing time, or a dry lot with hay.
Does this include hay and a barn?
No. It covers grazing land only, not buildings, arenas or hay fields.
Disclaimer
Planning guide only. Local conditions, soil, rainfall and bylaws change what is right. Ask your county extension office.