How hard can it be to find some grazing available when you live in the New Forest?!!

[kelly2719]

I don't expect that any of you will be able to help me so I suppose this is more of a rant but I can't believe how hard it is to find a field and I live in the middle of the new forest!! We have found a lovely little shetland x fallabella pony for our little girl but we have been trying for the last week to find a week with no success. I have tried advertising on NFED, adtrader, freeads etc, put ads up in shops/tack shops, phoned around local farmer/livery stables and even riding schools.

Anyone else got any suggestions? Ideally I just need a shared field as she has been kept with other ponies and horses all her life. I don't need anything fancy just some access to the Forest or another field to ride in. Its silly because we are surrounded by fields just nothing seems available at the moment

We live near Hythe by the way if anyone knows anywhere, I know its a longshot!

 

[galaxy]

very very hard!

The NF has tight planning restrictions. There are not a huge number of facilties for horses down there. Well not the number you'd expect!

I'd write some notes and post it through the doors of everywhere that has a horse. You never know!

 

[scrat]

I think people are being very cautious about their grazing at the moment as we have had a very dry period. The grazing where we are is only just begining to recover with the last few days rain. Maybe this applies to commoners land too which they may well need if they need to take ponies / livestock off the forest in the winter so what appears to be plentiful now may well be in demand. However you are only trying to accomodate a small pony so perhaps see if anyone would take you on as a companion. My only other thought was that fencing would need to be shettie proof and this may not be the case in a shared field? Are there any other shettie / miniture owners in the area? Good luck with your search.

 

[Faithkat]

Grazing is very, very difficult to find, especially at a sensible price. Believe me, I know, I have to find somewhere else for mine for two months every year as my field is only a 10 month lease. There are a great many restrictions in the Forest and I know people who get more money from the Government for "set aside" than they would renting the land out for grazing. There are also covenants attached to some land stating that horses cannot be turned onto it.