Community Access to Private arenas?

[Goldenstar]

Northumberland is a very rural area near me there are four indoors I can hire inside the half hour drive ,one of those I could ride too .
They all have outdoors as well and are run commercially.
I think these environmentalists can’t have any commercial experience ,any experience of liability law , writing risk assessments, the difference between own use and commercial use insurance cover or how the rates work .

 

[twiggy2]

someone i knew from yorkshire i think, years ago said they had an arena for public use

we should have arenas for use constructed by the council like parks playgrounds footie pitches, where there is a need to encourage equestrianism and keep horses off the roads, and encourage proper training of horses and ponies,

i am not precious in an elite kind of way, people need somewhere to ride and train for all the shows these days, its only common sense, at the end of the day its just a surface that is very easily constructed and easy to maintain

Why on earth should public money be spent on something that would benefit so few?

 

[Sossigpoker]

Well people would be required to pay for that access but the 'point' of community access would be about limiting the environmental impact of the number of personal arenas and about improving community access. It is interesting to hear just how negatively people feel really. It wouldn't bother me hugely I don't think as I would have enough people I trust that could use an arena if I had one! But I do understand some of the logistical and privacy issues.

So if someone wanted to tarmac their front lawn for parking, should they have to be made to open it to the community to park on as well to reduce the environmental impact of private parking spaces?

What an utterly ludicrous idea.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Yes, me too though I don't think the idea that I have heard discussed really involved 'strangers' - more of an identifiable local 'community' need. I would far rather subscribe to a local community facility than build an arena tbh.

Well of course you would since you'd be enjoying free access to an arena someone else has spent tens of thousands on.
Lucky you
Not so lucky them.

 

[sport horse]

If you build an extension to your house would you want a restriction on the planning enforcing you to allow the commuity up to 30 nights of overnight stays? How would anyone's insurance stand up if outsiders were using the arena? If someone had an accident could they complain that the surface was not properly maintained and casued said accident?

Totally impracticable and possibly dangerous idea.

 

[palo1]

Well of course you would since you'd be enjoying free access to an arena someone else has spent tens of thousands on.
Lucky you
Not so lucky them.

Umm, it wasn't actually my idea!! I don't particularly want to use someone else's facilities either. I think what is interesting is that environmental concerns about all sorts of land use can raise a completely different perspective about ingrained ideas. I never said I think this is any kind of 'plan' in fact although personally I don't like seeing old pasture torn up for any reason.

 

[Leandy]

Mandatory public access to private land and facilities?? Not mine thanks! Should pp for houses be subject to a mandatory requirement to house the homeless and community access to the garden for picnicing 30 times a year? What about private tennis courts and swimming pools, would they be subject to the same requirement?

 

[palo1]

If you build an extension to your house would you want a restriction on the planning enforcing you to allow the commuity up to 30 nights of overnight stays? How would anyone's insurance stand up if outsiders were using the arena? If someone had an accident could they complain that the surface was not properly maintained and casued said accident?

Totally impracticable and possibly dangerous idea.

I think you are letting the idea get away from you a bit. The environmental perspective seems to be to reduce the building/construction of potentially 'unnecessary' facilities (of any kind). As equestrian arenas may be considered 'unneccessary' by some external viewers, unless people are actually using them as part of their business. The notion of something as a community asset isn't particularly revolutionary either. A house extension is a wholly other proposition but I do understand the sense of protection around personal investment, property and insurance. As I have said several times, this is not something that I am suggesting, just an idea that a local environmental group have discussed! Don't shoot the messenger and all that...

 

[Goldenstar]

Go after the housing being built round every town and village that’s what’s tearing up the land .
My arena is 30x 40 metres .
Out of twenty five I would say less an an acre of my home is taken up by garden and buildings and the school the rest is pasture and eight and half acres of woodland .
That pasture is managed as close to chemical free as we can get its grazed extensively four horses on about sixteen acres .
We don’t let people in wood to walk because it’s quiet place for the wild animals who live there and it’s our home .
I don’t see my school as huge issue .

 

[palo1]

I think, to enrage all arena owners further, (apologies - again this is just reporting!) there is in some places a sense of frustration that people who have land feel an entitlement to do what they want with it (including building fancy arenas lol). I am not one of those people but I hear that more often than I used to. This is, of course aimed at farmers as much as equestrians - for some people looking at environmental matters they are much the same in that they own land and 'should' be looking after it in a specific way (according to those pesky environmentalists). I personally don't hold those views at all but am interested to hear them increasingly voiced. For me, as well as idealism and lack of real knowledge in those voices there may be some points that seem mad now but may come to bear in the future.

 

[paddy555]

I completely agree too that just because someone else owns something it does not mean that others are morally entitled to access that but I think that we are living in a time when questions about all sorts of consumption, access and activity are valid; even if they are only questions. It is hard for people not to get defensive and the increasing divisions in society are not making open and free discussion about contested issues any easier.

so do people with lorries and trailers have a duty to offer a spare standing to someone, similarly people with a spare horse in the field doing nothing.

 

[YorksG]

I wonder if the environmentalists realise that this comes across as the "politics of envy"? Are they the same environmentalists who promote vegan diet? If so, do they realise that without grazing animals the land will no longer be meadow of any sort, which will then make it much easier for people to argue to build on it.

 

[palo1]

Go after the housing being built round every town and village that’s what’s tearing up the land .
My arena is 30x 40 metres .
Out of twenty five I would say less an an acre of my home is taken up by garden and buildings and the school the rest is pasture and eight and half acres of woodland .
That pasture is managed as close to chemical free as we can get its grazed extensively four horses on about sixteen acres .
We don’t let people in wood to walk because it’s quiet place for the wild animals who live there and it’s our home .
I don’t see my school as huge issue .

No, I get that and the same goes for stables etc but if many, many people decide to have those things, from an environmental point of view it could be an issue. There are external views to equestrianism that question everything about it so I don't find it shocking that the issue of arena building is one that some might discuss even when it seems ridiculous to horse owners. Not so long ago you would have been considered deeply eccentric to object to someone creating off road parking by tarmacking their driveway - now that is definitely a valid conversation in the same way that the use of insect protein for mainstream pet food is a thing!

 

[palo1]

so do people with lorries and trailers have a duty to offer a spare standing to someone, similarly people with a spare horse in the field doing nothing.

Now you are just being silly!!

 

[Goldenstar]

I got a vacuum doing nothing people are welcome to pop round and use it this place is a mess .

 

[palo1]

I wonder if the environmentalists realise that this comes across as the "politics of envy"? Are they the same environmentalists who promote vegan diet? If so, do they realise that without grazing animals the land will no longer be meadow of any sort, which will then make it much easier for people to argue to build on it.

Yes, I think there is a degree of 'envy' or at least deliberate misunderstanding/lack of tolerance tbh in these views.

 

[palo1]

so do people with lorries and trailers have a duty to offer a spare standing to someone, similarly people with a spare horse in the field doing nothing.

Well a horse in the field is a different issue to 'lift sharing' which lots of people do quite happily.

 

[palo1]

I got a vacuum doing nothing people are welcome to pop round and use it this place is a mess .

Community asset!!

 

[spacefaer]

I don't see the difference between using that and using one of a number of indoor and outdoor arenas that are hireable locally around here.

Because at the time it was set up, there was nothing up there in a fairly deprived area.
There's still nothing like it.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

So someone worked hard for something, has and spent their own money on something, and they should share it with others because they now have something. Riiiiggghhhtt.

I think there are environmental concerns, but I also think some are using it as a cover for envy and wanting something for nothing/letting someone else finance it.

 

[Winters100]

I wonder what other private facilities would also be included? Swimming pools? Barbecue areas? Conservatories?

 

[paddy555]

Well a horse in the field is a different issue to 'lift sharing' which lots of people do quite happily.

I had a lorry in years gone by and never ever again. I was more or less obliged to offer someone a lift to a show with their horse. It kicked the shit out of it. The petrol money did nothing towards the damage.

 

[palo1]

So someone worked hard for something, has and spent their own money on something, and they should share it with others because they now have something. Riiiiggghhhtt.

I think there are environmental concerns, but I also think some are using it as a cover for envy and wanting something for nothing/letting someone else finance it.

Yes, I think that could definitely be a part of it except that the group that were discussing this locally to me are not horse owners or riders so the envy bit probably isn't relevant to them. But there are other ways in which I think the politics of envy come into play with those sorts of discussions/issues as people seem to feel entitled to 'have' access to many things...

 

[paddy555]

I got a vacuum doing nothing people are welcome to pop round and use it this place is a mess .

for me they don't need to "ride" my vacuum, they are free to bring their own vacuum to exercise. We can soon come to an arrangement for weekly exercise for their vacuum, in fact more regular vacuum exercise would be welcomed.

We could also have "duster" exercise if they wanted further use of my facilities.

 

[palo1]

I had a lorry in years gone by and never ever again. I was more or less obliged to offer someone a lift to a show with their horse. It kicked the shit out of it. The petrol money did nothing towards the damage.

I understand that. A friend and I usually try to lift share when we are doing equine trips though and that works well as there is a clear understanding about costs and stuff and of course if my horse damaged her trailer or vice versa damages would have to be paid.

 

[palo1]

I wonder what other private facilities would also be included? Swimming pools? Barbecue areas? Conservatories?

Community access to gardens isn't particularly new...always voluntary though!!

 

[ester]

Our horses are already a community asset, they also specialise in appearing in house listings.
Interestingly when someone got the wrong end of the stick and sent an anonymous letter round to everyone with regards to it being built on all the long term neighbours were like hey, we've had the view for 20 more years than we thought we would it's sad but we knew it would happen at some point, it was the newer ones who have been most upset, (see previous note about horses being included in house sale ads )

 

[tristar]

Why on earth should public money be spent on something that would benefit so few?

because i don`t think small or have a miserable attitude, i think of all those who have ponies and horses who need somewhere to ride and have no surface trying to get through winter

and because i think of all the great things that could be done with the money the government and useless councils waste, the here and now is our lives and i think what a wonderful dream come true it would be for all those who lack facilities

horses in the uk are big business, big yards, loads of comps, its well past time for a government to recognize the part horses play in the economy and encourage grass roots level riding for many reasons i can think of

 

[Caol Ila]

Community access to gardens isn't particularly new...always voluntary though!!

Indeed. And if you've lived in a tenement building, you've probably experienced a communal garden, which everyone who lives in that buidling can access and use. Some of them are lovingly maintained. Others not so much. That's how I envisioned Palo's vague idea -- one arena accessed by a number of private horse properties.

 

[ycbm]

I think, to enrage all arena owners further, (apologies - again this is just reporting!) there is in some places a sense of frustration that people who have land feel an entitlement to do what they want with it (including building fancy arenas lol). I am not one of those people but I hear that more often than I used to. This is, of course aimed at farmers as much as equestrians - for some people looking at environmental matters they are much the same in that they own land and 'should' be looking after it in a specific way (according to those pesky environmentalists). I personally don't hold those views at all but am interested to hear them increasingly voiced. For me, as well as idealism and lack of real knowledge in those voices there may be some points that seem mad now but may come to bear in the future.

I see large amounts of land on every working (as opposed to hobby) farm taken up by all the old vehicles and machinery that are now unusable but somehow never disposed of, two/three year old holed bales of forage that can never be used, piles of rubbish like old wrappers, pallets, fences and one, two, three years of used winter bedding,

I'll take criticism from farmers for my one quarter of an acre arena when they clear their land of rubbish and use it!
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