Approaching Farmers To Rent A Field

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Whoopit

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Now being on the verge of giving up looking for livery with spaces for two horses (one,fine, two is like rocking horse dung), has anyone else just rung/dropped round local farmers to ask if they can rent a field? My experience when I was younger of farmers has been that they're all grumpy old men in their eighties who scowl at you and tell you bugger off and stop bothering them!!

How receptive do you think farmers would be to being approached?
 
All I can say is try, a friend approached a farmer and he was happy to sell her a few acres provided she fenced it !
I guess all lot of them are put off by the fact that horses are accident prone, often escape if fences arnt 100% and a few may chew fences.
But on the upside they can make a good amount of money off it...
Here is a thought, land agents sometimes have small fields/areas to rent on their books on old estates? The one I worked at certinally had a fair few.
 
was once told by a farmer that" no harm in being cheeky and ask" - approach them be honest explain what youre looking for - just be honest - farmers are business men but also in the main good people - we have one round here that i so want to get on his yard - sadly only allowing 9 and 1/2 horses( the half is a mini) and no one leaves he has no room but the farm is immaculate his fields well fenced and no horse leaves the yard if they die/pts he buries them on his land as " they are loved by thier owners" and can name the 5 horses he has buried - hes such a lovely man :) x
 
i amabout to do the same - looking for a field to rent for my horse. I don't drive so need to find a field within walking distance of my house.
 
SOLD!!

I'll be "cheeky and ask" :)

The yard i'm on has too many horses so grass is gone quite literally in 2 weeks and the yard owner refuses to let anyone poo pick, so the horses just stand around all day sniffing ****. There's only mine - a 3yr old Thoroughbred gelding who has no vices at all - and a friends - 5yr old greedy Cob gelding who cribb bites. In fairness though, if we had own field we'd not only poo pick with enthuse, we (being she!) douse fence posts with Tabasco sauce and Cayenne pepper so he doesn't try to grab onto them. We have electric fencing too so we can rope him in away from farmers fencing.
 
I think the best thing is to mention money very early in the conversation. ;)

It definitely helped when I was asking, I also explained that I'd be responsible for the field maintenance and fencing etc (providing you are prepared to be of course!) I find it's often just the little things, like making sure you aren't getting in the way of day to day farming if you hack over the farmer's land, especially at harvest etc; payments on time and so on that make all the difference. If you can get over how easy it will be for him to make a bit extra with little hassle you stand a far better chance imho. :)
 
I asked a local farmer if he had any fields he would consider renting me on a long term basis and fully expected him to say sod off i'm not having horses churning up my grass and he turned round and said yes i do have a field.He showed me the field and said you can put a stable (mobile) up if you want to and if you run out of grass you can always fence off abit of the field next door.I was gobsmacked.I have been up there for two months now and just had a double stable put up,the farmer has been to the field once and told us that there was a natural spring and we could dig it out (as no water on site) and if not he would run some water from his farm yard two fields away.

I was then REALLY cheeky and asked if he would ever sell me the field and he said never say never.

If you dont ask you will never find out.The worst that can happen is that they will say no.
 
we left a note on the gate of our local field. Sadly it was to be used for sheep later on in the year but might be available next year. I wait and hope :)
 
Definately ask - I rent from a farmer (as well as private) to start with was a definate no (I found out later it was because he knew alot more about person I was helping than I did) when I saw the light and told her to get lost - I text him to say no problem if he ever needed access to field through the paddock (that I was by then renting) he then offered me field as he knew I no longer had another to do with other lady.

At end of day what's the worse they can say, no, then at least you know where you stand. But just say well if you do ever decided please can you think of me
 
Whoopit said:
SOLD!!

I'll be "cheeky and ask" :)

The yard i'm on has too many horses so grass is gone quite literally in 2 weeks and the yard owner refuses to let anyone poo pick, so the horses just stand around all day sniffing ****. There's only mine - a 3yr old Thoroughbred gelding who has no vices at all - and a friends - 5yr old greedy Cob gelding who cribb bites. In fairness though, if we had own field we'd not only poo pick with enthuse, we (being she!) douse fence posts with Tabasco sauce and Cayenne pepper so he doesn't try to grab onto them. We have electric fencing too so we can rope him in away from farmers fencing.
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Refuses to let you poo pick???? I do our fields at the yard every day (I'm the poo picking fairy, cos no bugger else does it!) That's disgusting and poor horse management!!! I'd be leaving asap if I was you!
 
Hahah! Did you nearly fall off your chair Holly Hocks? :D

Yep, he refuses to let us poo pick because he says it fertilises the field. And the muck heap that has amalgamated over the winter he muck spreads on the winter fields when they're all out in the summer fields that we can't poo pick. . . Lets hope to fluff nothing has worms or is diseased!

I'm desperate for somewhere to move to. Twenty horses in a field about the size of a football pitch. . . I'll be putting the horses on the decking in my yard before long if I don't find somewhere soon!!
 
I've done a mail drop in areas where there is a possibility of grazing with great success.

I usually print the details on yellow paper - more people will read it than on white.

Included pics of my horses and told them my experience and that I can give them references from past grazing.
 
Didn't ask a farmer but I did find out a bloke (I didn't know) had 3 acres & a stable at the back of his house, so I knocked on his door & asked if I could rent it. He said yes although the only access is through his garden! 4 years later I'm still there, still trapsing the pony through his garden whenever we go hacking or to a show & us going through it every day - & he even supplies our water! All for £10 a week!! It was so worth being cheeky & asking - the worst that can happen is they say no!! Good luck xxx
 
Have never had to, but various friends have. Farmers are not monsters, they have to make a living too, and two friends currently have wonderful farm rents. But don't expect to get a cheapo just because it's a farmer. And respect his/her standards. Horseowners have a bad name for not poo-picking - and all farmers hate docks etc. - and disrespecting the farmer's wishes.

On your side, beware of dairy farm land. The grass will have almost certainly been heavily fertilised for the cows, and what suits cows doesn't always suit horses!
 
Ask, of course, but more important is HOW you ask!

If anyone left a note on my gate asking for grazing, it would go straight in the bin -- unread. Flyers would probably go the same way but maybe after being read. Phone calls get a prompt "No" regardless.

Don't turn up at meal times, when folk are busy, looking scruffy, don't pitch in straight away with your question -- start with a conversation opener to give the other side time to sum you up, but don't spin it out too long either! Name dropping can help.:D

I've been on both sides of the fence and met all sorts. Believe me, first impressions matter a lot! Also things like reliability, punctuality (especially in paying!), lies, not leaving gates as you find them, blocking access when you park your car.... Little things mean a lot.
 
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