Moving onto private land from livery?

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darkhorse123

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Ive had my first horse on diy livery for 3 years.

Due to my husbands work relocating we are moving and ive been offered a free share "of a big field with a field shelter" currently only used by a shetland pony - my lad is a 15 hand cob.

So - considering i know nothing about field management - well im saying nothing. Im thinking i would need to buy electic fencing and partition the field off and finding a local farmer to harrow the used sections every 3 months?

Also - ive no idea how they manage their muck heap - again im assuming you can pay local farmers to remove it - but how often?

At first it seemed like a brilliant oppurtunity but now im not sure - how do you all manage your own land or rented fields?

I am going to see the land next week - what should i look for, be aware of?

Ive thought of size ie enough to split into 3 and rotate throughout the year. Where the muck heap is and how often its removed. If there is running water (ive not the best back to be lugging barrels of water about)

Pros and cons wanted really - and tips of what to look for, ask the land/shetland owner x
 
I've just moved to my own place with 6 acres and I have found several people locally who will harrow, top and spray the fields as required. I found a local company online who will do all the field maintenance as well as muck removal. They came out and gave me lots of advice so I now feel better able to manage my land without having to buy all the machinery myself.
Muck removal is per 4cubic metre load, not sure yet how often I will need it removing but will be more regular than I first imagined if the first 3wks poo picking is anything to go by.
I calculated that I will be paying £600-900 per year on field maintenance for 6 acres and £40 per load for muck removal maybe every 4-6 wks.
I have a field shelter which converts to stables but having been stables all their lives they soon decided to live out (refused to be caught on day 3!) but they do use the shelter most nights.
I bought electric fencing online to split fields but run it off the mains as the house is next to the field. I also use tape and posts with no electric to fence off a riding area.
The other costs to consider are storage and security. I store hay in my trailer but have so much grass they haven't needed hay and everything else is in the garage. I'm really missing a decent tackroom but we have pp to build a yard and arena in the next year or so. I also spent quite a bit on chains and padlocks for both sides of every gate and a 'Yard Guard' to tell me if anyone is coming in.
The initial layout was more than I thought but long term it will be significantly cheaper than livery without all the hassle and bitchiness. It's so nice to be able to do my horses my way without anyone commenting on how I do it. So far pros far out weigh any cons.
Good luck, hope it works out for you.
 
Not a land owner yet but I will be interested in your thread as I hope to own some one day.
When I was almost at the point of buying some I found these sites and forums which were very useful and informative.

http://thegrassseedstore.co.uk/grassmatters/index.php
https://www.equineclub.co.uk/Home/News/Article.html?art=12
http://www.fwi.co.uk/community/forums/default.aspx

You could also try searching in the DEFRA site for info. Hope you get more answers tomorrow

PS You lucky thing LynH, I envy you;)
 
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Lyn ty so much - that is so helpful.
I am very excited about it but it also seems a bit daunting when you are used to your yo doing everything, another huge learnign curve coming up for me i think!
I will try it - its a rural area with plenty of livery yards so im confident i can move my horse quickly if things dont work out - ty :)
 
muff747 said:
Not a land owner yet but I will be interested in your thread as I hope to own some one day.
When I was almost at the point of buying some I found these sites and forums which were very useful and informative.

http://thegrassseedstore.co.uk/grassmatters/index.php
https://www.equineclub.co.uk/Home/News/Article.html?art=12
http://www.fwi.co.uk/community/forums/default.aspx

You could also try searching in the DEFRA site for info. Hope you get more answers tomorrow

PS You lucky thing LynH, I envy you;)
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Ty muff i will look up those threads - it really is a wonderful oppurtunity i have but i want to make sure i can do it properly and know very little about land management - thanks x
 
darkhorse123 said:
Ty muff i will look up those threads - it really is a wonderful oppurtunity i have but i want to make sure i can do it properly and know very little about land management - thanks x
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And I envy you too darkhorse, although at my age, I really dont know if I could stick the physical effort of doing everthing myself, especially thro bad weather in winter, but I can still dream and you never know,maybe one day:):)
 
I rent a field from the local council and have to do everything myself including fencing. In 9 years of renting the field I've never been able to find anyone to roll it so good luck in that area! Muck heap removal I have never had to bother with. I have several muck heaps round the edge of the field and find that they rot down very quickly but if you do think you are going to need removal, have a muck heap near your gate and advertise free manure on your local Freecycle site. I have done that in the past and have been inundated with people coming to collect.
I have almost 4 acres and have split it into three fields with electric rope and permanent wooden posts so I can rotate. This year I have so much grass that I am thinking of advertising for a grass livery sharer!

It can be a bit tedious having to do everything yourself and not having the luxury of electricity etc but the freedom more than compensates. I hate livery.

I noted your comment about putting up a stable. Don't forget you will need planning permission for that plus the permission of the land owner.
 
I also have too much grass so have a friend's pony on my land but needed to get public liability insurance if there were any other horses not owned by me kept there so make sure that the owner of the land has the correct insurance.
 
excellent replies and advice - didnt realise you needed permission for a stable - ty and also re the muck heap - i thought id have to get it taken away or it would just grow!
Ouit of interest - if you cant get your land rolled what do you do - is poopicking sufficient?
 
We moved to a rented field after livery and its the best decision I ever made. Muck heap wise, as there is only two horses, this shouldnt need taking away very often, maybe once or twice a year. You should be able to find a local farmer to do this for you. We split our field using electric tape - just be sure to set up a way of padlocking the energiser to something secure or it wont be there very long! We never roll our field but do chain harrow it to level it after the winter and re-seed any bare areas. If you are lucky the field shelter will be big enough for the two of them, otherwise a mobile stable would be best as you wont need planning permission. We dont leave anything of value at the field. We got the back section of an old BT van from the auctions for £40 delivered which we keep our hay in as its cheaper and more robust than a shed.
It is hard work but definitely better than livery!

ETA: We poo-pick daily and the chain harrowing is just to level the field and remove any moss, dead grass, bits of hay etc - apparently its good for the grass growth!
 
LynH said:
I also have too much grass so have a friend's pony on my land but needed to get public liability insurance if there were any other horses not owned by me kept there so make sure that the owner of the land has the correct insurance.
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didnt know this either so ty :)
 
We bought 7 acres about 6 years ago, best thing we ever did. Started off with a field shelter, and now have stables etc. Best advice - make sure it has mains water. It took a few months of carrying water every day until we got connected. Also, think about winter and when it gets dark . Invest in a good generator - after years we now have mains electric. Spent ages just turning lights on and off !!! Dont worry about harrowing - chain harrows arent expensive, just tow it around the field when needed. Muck heap removal - plenty of people around who will clear this for you, or you could just bag up the poo and sell it on. For any big jobs - rolling / topping get friendly with the local farmers, when they are doing theirs they can ust pop around to you. Def invest in electric fencing. Enjoy - you will love the freedom:D
Oh nearly forgot - get a cat when you have stables.
 
omg ty all so much - you really dont know how much you have helped me - i was very nearly backign out thinking id have no idea!
Re the harrowing - i could teach my cob to pull one - lol will be cheaper than a tractor and good for him!
ha ty all so so much youve really made me think it is possible x
 
Moved from livery yard to own land approx a year ago now, it is hard @ times especially over the winter months but @ I wouldnt go back

I didnt know much about pasture management but you will get there - I have great neighbours that all always there to give advice if required - we brought a harrow that we can tow with the 4x4 form ebay about £165.00 - a local farmer comes & sprays paddocks for ragwort etc..

We have water but no electricty - we have set lights up & electric fencing to run off batteries that are charged by a solar panel

Re muck we bag up (stables & field) & leave @ the gate - sometimes we have quite a few bags but it all goes & the bags are normally returned so that we can reuse them

You won't regret it x
 
Did this nearly 2 years ago. Definitely much better than being on a yard. When you look at it consider how well draining it is, what the fencing is like, how secure it is, is there storage or do you have room to store things at home, poisonous trees nearby, does it get dogs getting in. The maintenance was a bit of a shock to me but bear with it and you get used to it! Will you have people you can ride with?
 
Cocorules said:
Did this nearly 2 years ago. Definitely much better than being on a yard. When you look at it consider how well draining it is, what the fencing is like, how secure it is, is there storage or do you have room to store things at home, poisonous trees nearby, does it get dogs getting in. The maintenance was a bit of a shock to me but bear with it and you get used to it! Will you have people you can ride with?
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ty so much - im going to look next thursday - my thoughts at moment are i can try it and if it doesnt work out i can move him - i dont know anything about the area at all apart from its a horsey area so lots of riders around - tbh im not sure i will not miss having other liveries around - im just sussing it all out tbh

Ive been on a fab livery yard for 3 years - its not only the land upkeep but the fellow brilliant liveries i will miss most - im so undecided
Im thinking now of the night he was very ill - i d come home at tea time , he was fine - and a fellow livery livery rang to tel me at 10pm he was collicking or so she thought - dont get that on private land do you :(

Im really undecided as to what to do for best -
 
I rent a field from a farmer and do all maintenance myself. I have a mobile field stable in mine, one for my horse (he comes in at night as has had laminitis in the past) and one for my hay supplies.
I pay for:
hedge cutting once per year - £100
harrowing in spring - £70 (3 acre field)
muck heap removal once per year £120
spraying if needed once per year £50 plus spray cost
I have no electricity but manage fine with a head torch, even mucking out.
Poo pick every day.
Water is no problem for me as I have attached water butts to my stable guttering and 6 of these keep me in water even in the driest months for my one horse.
I strip graze all year and have good electric tape and a Rutland energiser unit that runs off DD batteries.
Not being on a yeard means that if I go away I have to pay someone to do my horse each day. I have a great lady and she charges £15 per day for morning and night visit.
 
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