horses & windfarms

[chris_j]

Does anyone have any experience of this - either from hacking past them or grazing close by?

 

[Angelbones]

Not much help but we hunt around some wind turbines and the horses don't bat an eyelid. There are also some near out beach ride and again the horses aren't bothered.

 

[maxine1985]

I live 1/2 a mile from one, horses never really interested from the day it was built, can hack pretty close by and local hunt met at the farm almost underneath the turbines, again no issues to any horses. It has 6 turbines, all very modern and although extremely big they make very little if any noise! Hope that helps!

 

[RunToEarth]

Ours were on top of the hill above the arena, we had 13, but now have 19, three super big ones. They don't make much noise and to be honest none of the horses we have had have ever batted an eyelid over them. They did used to make a fair bit of noise in the wind as well!

 

[Ladybird]

I used to hack past a small one, horses didn't bat an eye lid

 

[ann-jen]

I hack past one and the horse isn't bothered

 

[Brightbay]

This near us went very well, apparently. It was horrible weather, so I wimped out, but am not particularly worried about the turbines anyway, more that I'm delighted to get access to lovely off road riding!

http://www.whiteleewindfarm.com/new...r_british_horse_society_familiarisation_event

 

[Merlin1979]

I have taken my horse to Whitelee. He didn't bother at all riding under them at all.

 

[Goldenstar]

We meet them out hunting the horses ignore them.

 

[mandwhy]

Some of them have some nice flat surfaces underneath which would be excellent for a gallop if allowed!

 

[tinap]

We have over 20 near our yard which went up last year. None of the horses are fussed by them, either at home or when out hacking. They're actually quite nice to watch & they come in handy when working out which route to go on to avoid the wind up your bum

This was taken the first time out hacking our new mare, she didn't even notice them

 

[Emilieu]

I run at whitelee and saw two lovely chilled horses hacking there a few weeks ago. I was very jealous. There is one near us, just gone up recently and the horses do stare at it a bit. Never been near to it as yet tho.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I think the only issues potentially aren't really to do with the turbines but only to do with any impacts on access rights (if any) and also when occasionally the turbines crash to the floor! I don't think the turbines themselves are seen as a threat by the horses as the part up in the air isn't seen as a threat, horses predators are land based and the turbine part attached to the ground doesn't move. Plastic bag monster much more scary, and as for those calves who were NOT in that field last week....))

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Not a wind farm but we have several individual ones near us, of varying sizes from very small to medium-sized. The only one that has ever caused a problem is a small one in a garden above the road junction which sometimes casts flickering shadows on a house at the opposite side of the road.
I happened to be riding up the road on the day that one of the bigger turbines was being delivered. As our roads are narrow the huge wagon which brought it had to unload onto the road and then the different bits were taken round to the site on a tractor and trailer. My horse didn't take a bit of notice.

 

[albeg]

They might have a look at them initially, but they generally don't seem to care about them. I've hunter trialled beside a wind farm, and my pony can be quite spooky, but he didn't find them scary at all.

 

[twobearsarthur]

Ours are in a field with three and various others dotted about. Even my 8 month old filly doesn't bother.

 

[posie_honey]

Couple near us (smaller ones) and I hack between them no bother at all
I have no problem with them and neither does my mare

 

[SuperH]

I've ridden a selection of ponies past individual/small groups of turbines without issues. We have three we pass every time we ride out. Even my mare that is scared of her own shadow just gave them a quick glance and ignored them. I have never ridden past a large wind farm.

 

[MagicMelon]

I'm really stressing about exactly this too. Our new house is near a wind farm (20 of the big huge ones), there's loads of tracks / forestry round them though so they do offer great hacking. However, I walked up there the other day and the tracks go right up underneath them and they are SO loud when moving and depending on the sun, there's really bad flicker. I haven't hacked my new horse yet, am dreading it as I hate hacking already

 

[RLS]

I've ridden at Whitelee, it was quite a busy day, turbines were on and turning quite fast. They do make a noise, which my horse had a think about, and then was fine with it. My friend's horse remained a bit worried the whole way 'round the hack. But I think they would get used to them over time.

 

[Floxie]

Mine spotted his first this week and wasn't best pleased! Certainly wasn't me giving the signals cos it took me a while to work out what he was trying to run away from I'm sure he'll get used to them.