9 months grazing - is there a market?

Darren L

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I wonder if any users can help me with my dilemma.

I have the opportunity to purchase 2 acres of level grazing land with 3 permanent stables and water in the South West of England. The hitch is that it can only be used for 9 months of the year from March to November inclusive. I am not looking at using the land myself (at least in the next 5 years) but am looking to rent it out. My concern is that there will not be much of a market for a 9 month rental as the horses will have to be moved elsewhere for the winter. Also, I would need to charge £150 pcm (or £50 pcm per horse/pony) to make it a viable purchase.

What do people think - do you think there would be a market for such a rental? I know it depends on other variables including what other yards are around the area, but any opinions would be most appreciated!

Thanks in advance.
 

Tinsel Trouble

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I am assuming there is a caveat on grazing due to an existing HLS or ELS scheme? I am not sure horses are an eligablie grazier in those circumstances unless they are native bred.

If the horses were in full time work, and there was adequate hacking and a local arena could the horses stay in the stables during the 3 months? You might find there are some hunters that this might suit? At the end of the day, it is only 12 weeks of stabling.
 

Darren L

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Thanks for your reply Tinsel Trouble. The restriction is due to poor drainage rather than a formal restriction, so they could stay in the stables if getting worked adequately. The land is reclaimed marsh land which is drained by a 200 year old system of ditches and sluice gates. Through the winter the field gets waterlogged and most large livestock in surrounding fields is moved off and the marsh is grazed by sheep instead. I don't think it would be good for the horses to graze them on the land in the winter as I could see it getting very muddy!
 

Tinsel Trouble

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I graze water meadows part of the year. We get them from after the first hay cut until it is too wet to let them graze- normally October time.

We have had some summers where it is too wet and they are put on in July and get taken off in Early September. We have also had years like this one where we grazed from May until early December!

With water tables it is a funny business. If you are able to find summer graziers like myself, then the deal could work perfectly.

FYI: We have 1 acre of our own land with stables and rent 4 acres of water meadow for the summer accross the road. I have two horses and this seems to work ok.
 

Darren L

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Thank you very much, that's very useful information. The good thing about these marshes is that the drainage is controlled by the 'marsh inspector' by letting more or less water through the sluice gates, so should be fairly consistent year on year in terms of grazing months...I hope!

It sounds like it could work then, it's just a case of finding the right person.
 

Oliver12

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I sort of do the opposite. I livery my three horses on a livery yard from about March to November and then move them to a friend's huge fields for a winter "holiday". It works to the YO's advantage as she does not have enough winter grazing and is happy for us to go temporarily. My friend is quite happy to have them there for the winter and when we've gone he rests the fields and a local farmer takes hay off them. And we like it as there's no mucking out stables.
 

Darren L

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Thanks for that Oliver, that's very useful to know. I have always only ever kept horses in a fixed location but it seems that perhaps people are more willing than I thought to move their horses between liveries/grazing through the year.
 

honetpot

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I rent fen land that floods (up to 3 feet), I pay a nominal rent as it has no water(???) They go on from April till November. All I can say is to buy the price would have to be right
 

Darren L

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Thanks Honeypot. This land does have natural water in drainage ditches bordering the field and it also has permanent stables on a hardstanding. Also, it doesn't flood, its just that water sits on it in the winter due to the increased level of rainfall and less active management of the drainage system by the authorities. The land is priced in my opinion to reflect this, but I just want to make sure that there is indeed a market for 9 months rental as this could be the position that I find myself in.
 
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