Does equestrianism have a future -wasting good farm land in current times ?

[BBH]

Can you give examples of farmland being wasted? There are times when maybe the casual passer by would think our fields are 'idle,' but they're like that before & after hay harvest, for a bit.

Land can be used more intensively, but to do that requires a greater input of capital, and I'd guess that will happen more & more in the UK as food prices increase. No one's going to do it for fun.

Right now, I can only think of equestrian as being a 'waste' of good farm land. Horse is tasty though, so I'm told.

The guy above is a farmer and was just reading a debate about the use of land, a valuable and scarcer commodity , about the fact that given the need for more land to be available to build homes other farming land has to be put to good use to feed us all and using a limited resource for horses is a waste.

Any thoughts. Do recreational horses waste land and will riding become a hobby for the richer only in designated livery yards.

Can you see a time in the future where the opportunity to ride in open country is diminished with this concreting over of land for housing and the rest for food production.

Any thoughts.

 

[flyingfeet]

Nothing is a "waste"

Horses are generally on permanent pasture, which otherwise might be used for arable and ploughed

Horses allow more 'weeds' to flourish (compared to sheep), and encourage biodiversity

Since the EU rightly or wrongly are paying for environmental upkeep, horses are not wasting the land, but enhancing biodiversity

 

[jrp204]

I can't see it as a problem, the land isn't being taken away, it is having a change of use which can be reversed. If and when we need to be more self sufficient or the need for food is greater I am sure the horses will be the first thing to go as disposable income will probably be that much less.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Interesting idea, but my feeling is that its horses that are being kept more intensively. Turnout is becoming a real issue for many horse owners as livery yards move towards individual/paired turnout. More horses can be kept this way than in a herd and often paddocks are not rested or rotated during the grazing season, added to that are restrictions on winter turnout as many yards do not have provision for decent turnout during the cold and wet months.
Regarding the increasing need for food production, the trend for owners to have maintence free gardens by concreting over lawns is very different from 30 years ago when is was common for those with gardens to grow some of their own vegetables and fruit, keep chickens and meat was not seen as an everyday part of the main meal. Maybe we need to turn back the clock with growing our own food.
Landshare is a new project for connecting people with owners of a piece of land for growing veg and keeping chickens, sheep etc.

Another modern trend is towards single people living alone. More and more people choose to live on their own in houses following divorce or because they remain independently single. The demand for housing is therefore increased.

 

[OWLIE185]

Just some interesting statistics:
270,00 people are employed within the equestrian industry in Great Britain
The equestrian industry is worth 7 Billion Pounds
The equestrian industry is the second largest land based industry in Great Britain.
There are 2006 licensed riding schools in Great Britain.
There are about 1.35 million horses in Great Britain.
There are about 975,000 live horses with Passports in Great Britain which are owned or cared for by 720,00 people or 1.2% of the poulation.
The average annual expenditure per privately owned horse is about £3,000.00p
Leisure riding is the main equestrian activity showing an increase of 5% in just over a 5 year period.
There are 34 million registered cars on te roads of Great Britain which equates to 37 cars to 1 horse!
The number of horses in Great Britain in 1930 was less than today.
4.3% of British households have a household member with some interest in horses.
38% of riders are between 25 and 44
75% of horse riders are female
31% of horse riders are under 16