Grass livery

[AmyMay]

You guys all have access to look at that video but you all just fixate on one place and get hostile over it
It’s a wire “gate” doesn’t get tighter

I’m not getting hostile at all. Just pointing out an issue and how to resolve it.

 

[Fjord]

How does the ground hold up over winter? Will it be OK with multiple horses using narrower areas if it is a very wet winter? That's one of the disadvantages of tracks, they can get churned up quickly.

That second picture looks like you've got loads of grass, it may not be so good for a fatty after all! ?

 

[JBM]

How does the ground hold up over winter? Will it be OK with multiple horses using narrower areas if it is a very wet winter? That's one of the disadvantages of tracks, they can get churned up quickly.

That second picture looks like you've got loads of grass, it may not be so good for a fatty after all! ?

The ground has a bit of give but doesn’t get boggy due to the rushes and amount of trees. It’s..squishy? But your foot doesn’t sink and boots are always clean after I come out. Weirdly enough! And Judys white sock is still white!
The ground gets harder as you start to go up the hill and there’s about a 4 acer clearing at the top which is where they’ll probably hang out most of the time
There is definitely a good amount of grass! But it’s not sugary grass at all and a good portion of it is rushes! would do a small number of horses a good amount of winter I’d think

 

[SpotsandBays]

I think that it could be a really interesting set up for horses not in work! Lots of room to roam and explore across different terrains etc, with lots of natural shelter!
However I do agree with the others in terms of the fencing. The first picture you posted is a really poor example of fencing I’m afraid. Sagging wire and the stock fencing is all wobbly looking… however your second photo is much better. Stock and wire fencing needs to be very tight.
Some people might not mind, however the majority would probably steer clear of it

 

[SpotsandBays]

On a different note, I’ve always thought it would be great to own a piece of woodland. I’d turn it into a XC course! (Ensuring that the ground was good of course).

 

[Dexter]

This poster is not set up or capable of taking money to care for other people's horses, with all the responsibilities that entails.

It is clear from her numerous posts that she is both very inexperienced, and that she doesn't realise how inexperienced she is.

Theres endless posts like this about having liveries and the story is never the same twice. Given previous comments about a serious lack of money I cant see how OP is going to fund the cost of insurance. They will need care, custody and control as well if they are the one looking after the horses which is another expense.

 

[JBM]

I think that it could be a really interesting set up for horses not in work! Lots of room to roam and explore across different terrains etc, with lots of natural shelter!
However I do agree with the others in terms of the fencing. The first picture you posted is a really poor example of fencing I’m afraid. Sagging wire and the stock fencing is all wobbly looking… however your second photo is much better. Stock and wire fencing needs to be very tight.
Some people might not mind, however the majority would probably steer clear of it

That’s what I was hoping for! I think it’s great for older horses too as it helps keep an amount of muscle on them due to the fact most of it is on a hill and it’s not flat land
It’s a wire gate they don’t really get tighter because they move every time you open it, she comes to the gate for feeding

On a different note, I’ve always thought it would be great to own a piece of woodland. I’d turn it into a XC course! (Ensuring that the ground was good of course).

Unfortunately don’t think the land would be suitable for that unless I put some work into it! Would be a very experienced xc course as would mostly be hill jumps! Which terrify me!! It would probably be too much of a slip hazard for my heart

 

[SpotsandBays]

not sure what you mean by a wire gate, could you replace it with a metal gate? Would be much safer

 

[JBM]

not sure what you mean by a wire gate, could you replace it with a metal gate? Would be much safer

Probably yes! It’s something we have a lot around here they were used a lot years ago as you can make them instead of buying in but I would be replacing it anyway if I was putting more horses in there as they’re really annoying to open

 

[JBM]

Theres endless posts like this about having liveries and the story is never the same twice. Given previous comments about a serious lack of money I cant see how OP is going to fund the cost of insurance. They will need care, custody and control as well if they are the one looking after the horses which is another expense.

Yes I do have planning permission for an actual livery stables not sure how that’s relevant to this
Also didn’t realise you were my accountant but you’re fired

 

[Fjord]

I think that it could be a really interesting set up for horses not in work!

Just out of interest, when you say horses not in work, do you mean proper competition work or just hacking? I'd consider something like this, but I only hack, so don't need facilities as such for training. Although I do like hard standing and a stable for tacking up and grooming etc.

 

[Barton Bounty]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking a few questions and throwing around some ideas from likeminded people @Katie&Judy .

 

[JBM]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking a few questions and throwing around some ideas from likeminded people @Katie&Judy .

Thank you! I’ve always asked way to many questions because I’m curious but I know it’s annoying to some people ?

 

[PurBee]

My mare comes for her feed once a day it’s more about routine than trying to find them
I wasnt looking to put many horses there just was thinking of offering to 2 or so horses so Judy would have company without getting more horses
I’m up checking mine everyday so you wouldn’t need to check them yourselves
Lovely hacking around
Agree with the hard standing but unsure why a shelter would be needed in a forestry?

Im surrounded by these spruce plantations in w. Ire and wouldnt graze horses there as the plants the plantations encourage due to shading of trees, like moss and ferns are toxic to horses.
There’s strips of grass alongside the tree tracks but its rushes mostly with rough tall fescue as native grass surrounding these plantations. Again, really not ‘preferred’ grazing conditions, but if ‘stuck’ for land for a season it’ll do.

The tracks through the virgin forestry, while trees are young, may have grass, as it was once rough grassland where they get planted. But once the trees are 15 foot, theyll overshadown current grass tracks and become more mossy as the trees grow, eradicating grass.

My youngster from age 0-4 loved eating forestry plants on the edge of one of my fields - toxic ferns and spruce he’d happily eat, and i was forever adjusting fencing especially summer when the ferns grew strong. The older 10yr mare didnt. So your idea of youngstock might not fly well as theyre mouth curiosity truly knows no bounds. My youngster went into thick bunches of my birch trees to nibble on bark and leaves, so the density of trees won’t deter them from having a dive into the trees. Its the curiosity of youngsters!
I personally wouldnt want to take on others youngsters with that kind of grazing as poison plant risk and them eating too much young tender spruce:colic issues, is quite high.

They can manage consuming some fir needles and fresh twigs - but when grass is non existent in winter months, theyll be tempted to eat the only green thing growing and that would be the trees.

If this is a virgin plantation its safer to walk around and through the trees. But once an area has been harvested, and re-planted these forestries become ankle and pastern breakers after the junk left by the machines Leaving massive potholes and huge buried slippy logs. Not ideal land for stocking animals on. (If youre thinking future prospects once harvested)

This would work only if you have some fairly wide 10+m strips of good grass outside the thicker forest area, on fairly good firm ground that you could then make a ‘grazing track system’ out of. If the land is good, you could sow more grass species to give much better quality grazing. If the land is fairly soft and peaty/water-logged, as many of these plantations lands tend to be, grazing on such lands with too many hooves will become a quagmire quite quickly. I have 2 horses on 7 acres, aswell as herds of wild deer, eradicating my grazing, tearing-up the land, and its a struggle grazing management with ‘wet lands’.
Your picture shows land-type that now makes my blood run cold, land that i had and spent unimaginable funds and time draining, re-seeding etc - more rushes than grass and a soggy sponge most year round. However i get thats a winter pic of a tiny section near a gate that always ends up muddy where there’s horses!
If there’s other strips of the forestry that are firm and grassy, so you can make a generous grazing track system, electric fencing is easy to set up - having a couple more there could work, but i would try to avoid housing youngsters there, personally.

Theyre tricky lands to manage for grazing heavy animals, but with some clever fencing of drier parts, giving shelter from the horrid westerly winds, it can be done. As youre daily checking the horses, thats important with such set-ups. I get why youve had the idea as trees provide good shelter, especially if theres wide tracks between the trees, so they can shelter from all brutal weather. Assessing the soil type and grasses % of growth, gives you an idea of stock-numbers.

 

[SpotsandBays]

Just out of interest, when you say horses not in work, do you mean proper competition work or just hacking? I'd consider something like this, but I only hack, so don't need facilities as such for training. Although I do like hard standing and a stable for tacking up and grooming etc.

To be honest it could be a great set up for a lot of horses in work too! Might just be abit of a pain finding them for a ride ?

 

[SpotsandBays]

To be honest it could be a great set up for a lot of horses in work too! Might just be abit of a pain finding them for a ride ?

And obvs lack of facilities wouldn’t be what a lot of people would be interested in

 

[JBM]

Im surrounded by these spruce plantations in w. Ire and wouldnt graze horses there as the plants the plantations encourage due to shading of trees, like moss and ferns are toxic to horses.
There’s strips of grass alongside the tree tracks but its rushes mostly with rough tall fescue as native grass surrounding these plantations. Again, really not ‘preferred’ grazing conditions, but if ‘stuck’ for land for a season it’ll do.

The tracks through the virgin forestry, while trees are young, may have grass, as it was once rough grassland where they get planted. But once the trees are 15 foot, theyll overshadown current grass tracks and become more mossy as the trees grow, eradicating grass.

My youngster from age 0-4 loved eating forestry plants on the edge of one of my fields - toxic ferns and spruce he’d happily eat, and i was forever adjusting fencing especially summer when the ferns grew strong. The older 10yr mare didnt. So your idea of youngstock might not fly well as theyre mouth curiosity truly knows no bounds. My youngster went into thick bunches of my birch trees to nibble on bark and leaves, so the density of trees won’t deter them from having a dive into the trees. Its the curiosity of youngsters!
I personally wouldnt want to take on others youngsters with that kind of grazing as poison plant risk and them eating too much young tender spruce:colic issues, is quite high.

They can manage consuming some fir needles and fresh twigs - but when grass is non existent in winter months, theyll be tempted to eat the only green thing growing and that would be the trees.

If this is a virgin plantation its safer to walk around and through the trees. But once an area has been harvested, and re-planted these forestries become ankle and pastern breakers after the junk left by the machines Leaving massive potholes and huge buried slippy logs. Not ideal land for stocking animals on. (If youre thinking future prospects once harvested)

This would work only if you have some fairly wide 10+m strips of good grass outside the thicker forest area, on fairly good firm ground that you could then make a ‘grazing track system’ out of. If the land is good, you could sow more grass species to give much better quality grazing. If the land is fairly soft and peaty/water-logged, as many of these plantations lands tend to be, grazing on such lands with too many hooves will become a quagmire quite quickly. I have 2 horses on 7 acres, aswell as herds of wild deer, eradicating my grazing, tearing-up the land, and its a struggle grazing management with ‘wet lands’.
Your picture shows land-type that now makes my blood run cold, land that i had and spent unimaginable funds and time draining, re-seeding etc - more rushes than grass and a soggy sponge most year round. However i get thats a winter pic of a tiny section near a gate that always ends up muddy where there’s horses!
If there’s other strips of the forestry that are firm and grassy, so you can make a generous grazing track system, electric fencing is easy to set up - having a couple more there could work, but i would try to avoid housing youngsters there, personally.

Theyre tricky lands to manage for grazing heavy animals, but with some clever fencing of drier parts, giving shelter from the horrid westerly winds, it can be done. As youre daily checking the horses, thats important with such set-ups. I get why youve had the idea as trees provide good shelter, especially if theres wide tracks between the trees, so they can shelter from all brutal weather. Assessing the soil type and grasses % of growth, gives you an idea of stock-numbers.

Thank you that’s all amazing information
This is the first time trees have been grown in this field and I believe they’re at least 10 years old just grow very very slow as I believe they take 25ish years to grow for wood
There’s still a bit of grass in the trees but isn’t growing much anymore but doesn’t seem to be anything poisonous in there for the moment but I’ll keep an eye
There are some small paths but there are wide ones too it depends which one! There are some very large paths that are pretty much just fields in the middle of the forestry to make a sizeable gap to prevent fire spreading if it ever happened (hopefully not)
It’s spongy exactly like that at the bottom as it’s flat for awhile but once it starts to get into the hill it dries out
It also has drainage in the form of small streams running through some of the clearings to carry the water into the river to the right of the field (they’re not deep and are sloped so they won’t fall into them)

 

[PurBee]

Literally nothing bloody wrong with it

I havent read the whole thread, but just whizzed through and saw this pic. I can see it’s very thick rush land, so there will be very little actual grass grazing, however rushes do stabilise the soil so hoof poaching is less likely. Ticks are more likely though, especially on face/chest as horses reach in to find grass between the rush clumps.
Only by continually cutting 1 bad rush field i had did i eradicate high tick exposure. Its the deer, and pine martens - they roam and bring ticks in. Keeping grass/rushes cut short lessens tick longevity during winter months, so the numbers are drastically reduced next season.

With some work cutting everything down and electric fence tracks made - It could be a good track system to have as ‘turn out exercise space’ 24/7 - but with the addition of good quality hay added.

I’d get a flail mower on the tracks this coming spring, sort out electric fencing tracks.

Judy ideally needs a mate if she’s on her own in forestry. Being herd creatures, safety in numbers is their predominant instinct. With trees everywhere theres no knowing whats beyond thick trees (in their mind), at least in a wide open field they can see clearly ‘Predators’ approaching, but trees dont give clear vision so a more stressful set-up for a lone horse.

I doubt she’s laying fully down and getting REM sleep, being on her own without herd mates as ‘lookouts’. She’ll be standing up snoozing. They need REM sleep and can only achieve these deeper sleep brainwaves by laying down.

I realise this is why youre looking for herd mates for her. If theyre youngsters she may well feel she has to be lookout for them, as theyre young and sleep a lot. Best to have more mature herd mates that she feels would be reliable herd partners so she can also lay down and sleep for REM Sleep.

My mare when looking after the foal never slept laying down in the field, sleeping always when brought in close to our home and in the ‘safe’ stable. She was known for sleeping in fields, but she never did once she had a ‘youngster’ to look out for.

Many struggle with turn-out space for exercise in the winter, so some oldies that are needed to be turned-out but retired by owners would be best.

Many do get on fine with barb fencing. I personally dont like it and eradicated it from laying in streams and ditches here after decades of neglect to maintenance. I use electric fencing which im now thankful for, as 1 of mine loves to figure out how to ‘get to the other side’, and barb for him would be too much of a risk.
If its just the top line - i’d personally replace it with bright white electric 1 string.

There’s 4 rows of barb here around forestry - its the ‘standard’ fencing that coillte install after theyve planted the trees to keep deer out from eating young trees and destroying them. Of course its just 4 foot tall so doesnt keep deer out! My dog got caught twice in forestry fencing, luckily not seriously, but required stitches.
Part of your forestry agreement with coillte might be to keep the land barb fenced, and changing it might conflict that agreement. Best check as coillte do inspections on an multi-year basis.
Electric fencing does deter deer though to some extent - especially top line.

 

[JBM]

I havent read the whole thread, but just whizzed through and saw this pic. I can see it’s very thick rush land, so there will be very little actual grass grazing, however rushes do stabilise the soil so hoof poaching is less likely. Ticks are more likely though, especially on face/chest as horses reach in to find grass between the rush clumps.
Only by continually cutting 1 bad rush field i had did i eradicate high tick exposure. Its the deer, and pine martens - they roam and bring ticks in. Keeping grass/rushes cut short lessens tick longevity during winter months, so the numbers are drastically reduced next season.

With some work cutting everything down and electric fence tracks made - It could be a good track system to have as ‘turn out exercise space’ 24/7 - but with the addition of good quality hay added.

I’d get a flail mower on the tracks this coming spring, sort out electric fencing tracks.

Judy ideally needs a mate if she’s on her own in forestry. Being herd creatures, safety in numbers is their predominant instinct. With trees everywhere theres no knowing whats beyond thick trees (in their mind), at least in a wide open field they can see clearly ‘Predators’ approaching, but trees dont give clear vision so a more stressful set-up for a lone horse.

I doubt she’s laying fully down and getting REM sleep, being on her own without herd mates as ‘lookouts’. She’ll be standing up snoozing. They need REM sleep and can only achieve these deeper sleep brainwaves by laying down.

I realise this is why youre looking for herd mates for her. If theyre youngsters she may well feel she has to be lookout for them, as theyre young and sleep a lot. Best to have more mature herd mates that she feels would be reliable herd partners so she can also lay down and sleep for REM Sleep.

My mare when looking after the foal never slept laying down in the field, sleeping always when brought in close to our home and in the ‘safe’ stable. She was known for sleeping in fields, but she never did once she had a ‘youngster’ to look out for.

Many struggle with turn-out space for exercise in the winter, so some oldies that are needed to be turned-out but retired by owners would be best.

Many do get on fine with barb fencing. I personally dont like it and eradicated it from laying in streams and ditches here after decades of neglect to maintenance. I use electric fencing which im now thankful for, as 1 of mine loves to figure out how to ‘get to the other side’, and barb for him would be too much of a risk.
If its just the top line - i’d personally replace it with bright white electric 1 string.

There’s 4 rows of barb here around forestry - its the ‘standard’ fencing that coillte install after theyve planted the trees to keep deer out from eating young trees and destroying them. Of course its just 4 foot tall so doesnt keep deer out! My dog got caught twice in forestry fencing, luckily not seriously, but required stitches.
Part of your forestry agreement with coillte might be to keep the land barb fenced, and changing it might conflict that agreement. Best check as coillte do inspections on an multi-year basis.
Electric fencing does deter deer though to some extent - especially top line.

Thank you great information I’ll look into the requirements
It’s definitely not 4 rolls of Barb! That would be too much
I have two horses but unfortunately one of them can’t live out all the time as he has problems currently but I had a rescue out for a home check today and I’ve been approved so I have a companion coming soon for her! I do worry about her laying down while she’s by herself which is why I sort of rushing to get something but I couldn’t keep her in any longer as she hates being in
So she’s been alone for about a week out by herself and I hate it but hopefully be sorted soon

 

[PurBee]

Thank you that’s all amazing information
This is the first time trees have been grown in this field and I believe they’re at least 10 years old just grow very very slow as I believe they take 25ish years to grow for wood
There’s still a bit of grass in the trees but isn’t growing much anymore but doesn’t seem to be anything poisonous in there for the moment but I’ll keep an eye
There are some small paths but there are wide ones too it depends which one! There are some very large paths that are pretty much just fields in the middle of the forestry to make a sizeable gap to prevent fire spreading if it ever happened (hopefully not)
It’s spongy exactly like that at the bottom as it’s flat for awhile but once it starts to get into the hill it dries out
It also has drainage in the form of small streams running through some of the clearings to carry the water into the river to the right of the field (they’re not deep and are sloped so they won’t fall into them)

With some calculations, you may be able to have 2 tracks - so that the softer areas are used during warmers drier months, but closed-off in winter so they dont get poached heavily. Then have the sloped tracks that are drier for winter use.

Make sure the open drains cut out are clearly visible for the horses to avoid them. Im adept at hopping through these types of forestry mushroom-hunting, but occassionally have been caught-out by slipping into drains that were hidden by long grass and over-grown rushes.
I have drains on my own land the horses are fenced away from, but even then i strim them regularly if growth takes-over, so they are clearly seen, and they cleanly jump IF they escape the fencing.
Mine know every inch of this land now, but a new horse on land with access to open drains that are overgrown and not clearly seen, is at risk of injury. Thats more likely than barb injury in this scenario, so be mindful of that and fence them away from hidden ditches.

The ditches tend to be drawn within the forestry, and then some going around the outer perimeter of the trees, with tracks between, so you should be able to fence off exposure to the drains leaving them with just stable ground.

Horses brought-up on these hills navigate them wisely. Theres a ‘wildish’ herd near me some breeder turns them out on all the forestry here, that i have followed their hoofprints and am amazed the banks and ditches/dodgy fencing they navigate through. Theyre hardy little blighters and have little ‘value’ to the owner, so all risks considered are ‘worth it’. Theyre in remarkable condition considering the level of abject neglect. Theyve grown up here and know the risks to navigate.

Yet a ‘domestic’ horse, brought up on manicured paddocks, railed fencing, a complete bubble of ‘no risks’, would likely not survive well this forestry-type of exposure, without you the owner, eradicating all potential ‘risks’.
Any livery you have likely values their horse much more than these breeder types i refer to, yet also likely wont appreciate the risks these forestry scenarios pose- open drains, some barb, potential toxic plants.
You therefore want to minimise these risks as much as possible.

With judy currently being on her own there shes likely going slow through the terrain, just wandering around calmly nibbling here and there. Once more horses are there the chance of ‘playful frolics’ is high, so hence why overgrown hidden open drains, and loose smooth-wire or barb wire can become a real danger. They tear about like loonies, kicking back playfully etc.
Gateway ‘competing’ can happen and the inevitable kick-outs and barging you arent experiencing with just 1 horse there, but likely will with more waiting at the gate for food/hay feed times. So gateways want to be free of barb to be risk-free.

With work, you could create a really good electric safe-fenced track system, dividing the tracks seasonally depending on ground conditions. Cutting the rushes, sowing more grass species for better grazing.
I’d feel more worried about others horses, than my own that know the land. Is the worry worth it?
Have you considered getting an older pair of small chilled-out ponies to be companions for judy? They then keep each other company as you take judy out for rides.
Shetlands are apparently a menace with fencing, otherwise id suggest them!

 

[PurBee]

Thank you great information I’ll look into the requirements
It’s definitely not 4 rolls of Barb! That would be too much
I have two horses but unfortunately one of them can’t live out all the time as he has problems currently but I had a rescue out for a home check today and I’ve been approved so I have a companion coming soon for her! I do worry about her laying down while she’s by herself which is why I sort of rushing to get something but I couldn’t keep her in any longer as she hates being in
So she’s been alone for about a week out by herself and I hate it but hopefully be sorted soon

Thats brilliant, discount parts of my reply above. ?

 

[JBM]

With some calculations, you may be able to have 2 tracks - so that the softer areas are used during warmers drier months, but closed-off in winter so they dont get poached heavily. Then have the sloped tracks that are drier for winter use.

Make sure the open drains cut out are clearly visible for the horses to avoid them. Im adept at hopping through these types of forestry mushroom-hunting, but occassionally have been caught-out by slipping into drains that were hidden by long grass and over-grown rushes.
I have drains on my own land the horses are fenced away from, but even then i strim them regularly if growth takes-over, so they are clearly seen, and they cleanly jump IF they escape the fencing.
Mine know every inch of this land now, but a new horse on land with access to open drains that are overgrown and not clearly seen, is at risk of injury. Thats more likely than barb injury in this scenario, so be mindful of that and fence them away from hidden ditches.

The ditches tend to be drawn within the forestry, and then some going around the outer perimeter of the trees, with tracks between, so you should be able to fence off exposure to the drains leaving them with just stable ground.

Horses brought-up on these hills navigate them wisely. Theres a ‘wildish’ herd near me some breeder turns them out on all the forestry here, that i have followed their hoofprints and am amazed the banks and ditches/dodgy fencing they navigate through. Theyre hardy little blighters and have little ‘value’ to the owner, so all risks considered are ‘worth it’. Theyre in remarkable condition considering the level of abject neglect. Theyve grown up here and know the risks to navigate.

Yet a ‘domestic’ horse, brought up on manicured paddocks, railed fencing, a complete bubble of ‘no risks’, would likely not survive well this forestry-type of exposure, without you the owner, eradicating all potential ‘risks’.
Any livery you have likely values their horse much more than these breeder types i refer to, yet also likely wont appreciate the risks these forestry scenarios pose- open drains, some barb, potential toxic plants.
You therefore want to minimise these risks as much as possible.

With judy currently being on her own there shes likely going slow through the terrain, just wandering around calmly nibbling here and there. Once more horses are there the chance of ‘playful frolics’ is high, so hence why overgrown hidden open drains, and loose smooth-wire or barb wire can become a real danger. They tear about like loonies, kicking back playfully etc.
Gateway ‘competing’ can happen and the inevitable kick-outs and barging you arent experiencing with just 1 horse there, but likely will with more waiting at the gate for food/hay feed times. So gateways want to be free of barb to be risk-free.

With work, you could create a really good electric safe-fenced track system, dividing the tracks seasonally depending on ground conditions. Cutting the rushes, sowing more grass species for better grazing.
I’d feel more worried about others horses, than my own that know the land. Is the worry worth it?
Have you considered getting an older pair of small chilled-out ponies to be companions for judy? They then keep each other company as you take judy out for rides.
Shetlands are apparently a menace with fencing, otherwise id suggest them!

All good points thank you
May only be suitable for calm types like Judy
It may not be worth the worry to be honest! But thought I’d talk about the idea and you’ve definitely given a lot of food for thought
There is a horse I’ve picked out from the rescue as a companion and hopefully have her next week
Definitely no more sheltlands!! Been there never again? they used to live in the forestry Judy was in now but my dad bought them and he knew nothing about horses! They were half feral and I was 7 ??‍

 

[PurBee]

All good points thank you
May only be suitable for calm types like Judy
It may not be worth the worry to be honest! But thought I’d talk about the idea and you’ve definitely given a lot of food for thought
There is a horse I’ve picked out from the rescue as a companion and hopefully have her next week
Definitely no more sheltlands!! Been there never again? they used to live in the forestry Judy was in now but my dad bought them and he knew nothing about horses! They were half feral and I was 7 ??‍

I rarely get other farms stock on my land due to forestry blockades and wide ditches and streams surrounding us - yet the 2 i have had was a female cow determined to get back to her young she was being weaned from, and a mini shetland!
I got the cow back safe, but the shetland evaded capture, and i was left tiny hoof-print tracking through the most treacherous routes, i was amazed at the bravery of its adventurous spirit ?

 

[JBM]

I rarely get other farms stock on my land due to forestry blockades and wide ditches and streams surrounding us - yet the 2 i have had was a female cow determined to get back to her young she was being weaned from, and a mini shetland!
I got the cow back safe, but the shetland evaded capture, and i was left tiny hoof-print tracking through the most treacherous routes, i was amazed at the bravery of its adventurous spirit ?

They’re so much personality! Love them to bits but you couldn’t keep them anywhere! Escape artists of the highest order

 

[Sossigpoker]

This isn't somewhere I'd put my horse.
The fencing isn't safe , there's no way of actually finding him plus how do I know there are no sycamore seeds or acorns ? They'd probably need a fair bit of hay too as can't imagine there's much grass.
Others may disagree but I just don't see how this could work as a livery set up.

 

[[153312]]

Open to correction if wrong but I get the impression OP is a young teenager (maybe 15/16?) who has her own horse on her family's land, so would need their permission/help to do any major land maintenance/changing to fencing etc. - especially if the trees are grown as a crop and not just woodland they own. Modifying such a setup to make it suitable for horses would require significant pecuniary investment before it could ever be considered for livestock unfortunately. I'm also surprised a rescue has homechecked this and said it's suitable for one of their animals....?

 

[JBM]

Open to correction if wrong but I get the impression OP is a young teenager (maybe 15/16?) who has her own horse on her family's land, so would need their permission/help to do any major land maintenance/changing to fencing etc. - especially if the trees are grown as a crop and not just woodland they own. Modifying such a setup to make it suitable for horses would require significant pecuniary investment before it could ever be considered for livestock unfortunately. I'm also surprised a rescue has homechecked this and said it's suitable for one of their animals....?

In my 20s thank you and family land generally stays with the parent until they pass on due to tax reasons
Trees are grown there by initiative from the government for habit reasons mostly and they pay you cuz you can’t use it for farming
They did yes ??‍ didn’t actually question the fencing at all as I said it’s common here

 

[[153312]]

You probably should have been clearer in your OP in detailing your experience so people could give more tailored responses FWIW, I don't think anyone here has been hostile, just honest. Wanting to run a livery is by no means easy at all, there's much, much more involved than just photographing your land and sticking an ad up on donedeal. That's not to say you can't do it, just to let you know that there might be more planning involved than you realise right now.
Good luck!

 

[coblets]

Maybe better if OP calls it a field share not a livery.

 

[JBM]

You probably should have been clearer in your OP in detailing your experience so people could give more tailored responses FWIW, I don't think anyone here has been hostile, just honest. Wanting to run a livery is by no means easy at all, there's much, much more involved than just photographing your land and sticking an ad up on donedeal. That's not to say you can't do it, just to let you know that there might be more planning involved than you realise right now.
Good luck!

You don’t need my life story to give advice I’ve gotten great advice from people here without people talking about me as a person my experience doesn’t really have anything to do with me asking a question about insurance which was my original question btw
And please do find where I said it was just about taking photos and posting an ad because weirdly enough asking for advice is the starting stages for planning something?