BHS horse per acre guidelines

Gloverspiece said:
Does anyone have any issues with their local council regarding the enforcement of BHS guidelines for equine stocking levels.My local council will not allow any more than 1 equine per 1.5 acres regardless of size, breed, stabling etc. This is potentially dangerous for owners of laminitic animals. The BHS states that this is a guideline but some councils are making this law.
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Oh my, we have been there and done that in the New Forest National Park!!! A couple of years ago, they published their draft core strategy for public consultation. Luckily a few of us read it and discovered what a nightmare it was. For what is termed "recreational horsekeeping" they were proposing a stocking density of a horse per hectare (2.47acres) and it was met with complete and utter uproar. Anyone who has owned a NF pony will completely understand why (and funnily enough there are a lot of them about in the Forest), they live on fresh air and this is far too much grazing for them. Amazingly, if you kept them "agriculturally" that was fine, you could have had 15 running 2.5 acres. Unfortunately for the National Park, here in the forest it is a very faint line indeed between what is recreational and agricultural. You need a technically recreational horse to check your agricultural stock running on the forest, some of which you then sell some off to recreational horsekeepers. This was basically how the whole argument the National Park was putting forward collapsed. In the NF District Council area adjoining, the stocking density allowed was 3/4 acre minimum per horse. Oh and they wanted to ban field shelters and electric fencing too.

How brave are you feeling/how rich are you? You could always let them take you to court for Enforcement and then call in your Expert Witnesses such as BHS, Vet etc etc (all of whom were very happy to support all us Recreational Horsekeepers here in the NF and respond to the consultation document saying what a stupid idea it was on welfare grounds alone) and let them end up a laughing stock... But it would take guts to go that route.

Which Council area do you live in?

You need to get hold of a copy of your local council's Core Strategy document and see what they have in there on Recreational Horsekeeping. Challenge them on where they have come up with their arbitrary figure from, and see where you get.

Very best of luck, it was a very upsetting time for all of us down here in the Forest whilst it was going on.
 
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