omg there's a fun fair next to our horse field

Firehorse

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 September 2008
Messages
1,124
Location
sunny and cold sussex
Visit site
moved in last nite by permission of the farmer next door. i'm really hoping they don't have fireworks. is there anything we can do to get them moved? the same farmer chucked some travellers off his land and moaned at us for riding on a path on his field elsewhere and now he's done this! grrrrr. very concerned.
 
Call your local council now - they have to give permission for the siting fo the fun fair - and you can legitimately complain.
 
Mm yes I would've thought you need council permission for anything like this??? I don't think anyone can just decide to have a fun fair on their land just like that!

Yep, I'd be on to the council PDQ - and keep your gates locked if poss plus general good security of tack etc. We had somebody pinch a gate clean off its hinges a while back when the funfair were in the nearest town.
 
a friend rang the rspca this morn and they said if one of us horse owners rings them they will take a look and see if there is likely to be any upset caused to the horses. i'm not sure about the council, the land belongs to the farmer. our yard owner used to work for the police so i'll hve a chat with him. he comes down every 6 weeks and is down at the mo luckily. he'll know what to do and wont stand for any nonsense. i noticed as i drove past this morn he has moved his horse trailer to block off the gate. we can still get the horses in and out, but it would stop any vehicles passing should they try to break in. we cant move the horses as they live in one huge field. they'd be likely to ignore any elec fencing if they panicked over fireworks. mine has put himself thru it twice before. the fields back onto houses where there hve been a few fireworks in the past, but these will be the big display variety. we hve a lot of these fairs in our area and we can hear the fireworks from the next town along!

anyway, getting changed and going down the yard now i've finished work to see whats going on.
 
They will still have to have permission for such an event to take place, even if they own the land. There are all sorts of implications of an event of this scale (policing, traffic, nuisance, etc) and the council has to give permission. You (or the YO) really do need to call your council offices. You have rights.
 
Last edited:
i'm not sure about the council, the land belongs to the farmer. our yard owner used to work for the police so i'll hve a chat with him

Events like this can't take place without the permission of the Council, regardless of who owns the land. Ring them.
 
Try not to panic too much if you can't get it moved. The yard where my horse lives is host to the Sugar Hill Festival once a year, none of the horses seem particularly bothered
 
mine would be fascinated.

we had 2 huge combines that worked in the next fields day and night recently..they were all stood watching intently..even when the combine came close to the dividing hedge!
 
Are you more worried about thieving by the fair goers or the fun fair frightening your horse? If it is the latter then I think you will find you are probably more worried than your horses will be. My pony is regularly penned at country fairs, he sees fun fairs quite regularly and from the very first time was pretty not bothered by them. If the horses are all together I'm sure they'll be fine.
We even had the red arrows doing a display right above the pens the other day.....the horses were far less bothered than the humans!!!!
 
I gree with Jinglejoys I think this could be a good opportunity to get your horses used to different things.

My friend who breeds horse has a spring fair on his farm every year he looks upon it as a good opportunity to get the horses used to noise traffic people gunsmoke and bands musics.
 
If its the fair you are more likely worried and your horse wont give it a passing bother.
If its the fair goers, maybe section on a large part of the field where the fair is so that anyone chucking stuff over the horses cant get near and in the dark the people will get a good ping from the electric fence.
If it is stealing, chain up everything so anything is a darn nuisance to move and take as much movable stuff home as you can
 
a friend rang the rspca this morn and they said if one of us horse owners rings them they will take a look and see if there is likely to be any upset caused to the horses. i'm not sure about the council, the land belongs to the farmer. our yard owner used to work for the police so i'll hve a chat with him. he comes down every 6 weeks and is down at the mo luckily. he'll know what to do and wont stand for any nonsense. i noticed as i drove past this morn he has moved his horse trailer to block off the gate. we can still get the horses in and out, but it would stop any vehicles passing should they try to break in. we cant move the horses as they live in one huge field. they'd be likely to ignore any elec fencing if they panicked over fireworks. mine has put himself thru it twice before. the fields back onto houses where there hve been a few fireworks in the past, but these will be the big display variety. we hve a lot of these fairs in our area and we can hear the fireworks from the next town along!

anyway, getting changed and going down the yard now i've finished work to see whats going on.


The council has to grant a license for a funfair to be held at any particular site. The landowner also should have puplic liability insurance. The fairground owners will also have to be licenced have have insurance, but so does the land owner. This is why most fairgrounds are held on council owned land, as it is easier for the authorities to license themselves.

If you contact the council, and it turns out that no licence has been applied for, or approved at this site, then the Council will send an enforcement notice to the land owner. The police wont necessarily be involved in the licensing issues. They will only be concerned with any trouble that is happening at the site.
 
Our horses have an air display to contend with every year - much louder than ANY fire work - i think you'll find they wont be too bothered. Perhaps if you are concerned - find out when the fireworks will be and watch them in the field for a bit -
 
The comparison of aeroplanes and fireworks isn't necessarily valid. My mare is kept under the takeoff route from Manchester airport, and we regularly get the police flying over in a low helicopter too and she takes no notice, but starts to panic at fireworks being let off over a mile away.
 
the y.o rang the council and asked if they were having fireworks and they said they didnt know and to ask the police!!!!! Y.O told the council they must take responsibility if any of the horses should get injured or his property damaged. there is meant to be a website which shows all firework displays, so shall be looking at that in a mo. the Y.O also went down to speak to the fair people just as i was leaving for a ride, not sure what he said or what they replied. the worry is..... theft, bringing our horses to the public attention, our place is fairly hidden and non locals wouldnt even know its there, plus fireworks being so close. one of the owners lives within sight of the field and i know she will keep an eye out as much as poss and i live close by so can pop down to check everyones ok. but still a worry. apparently they had fairs there about 30 yrs ago and for some reason now theyre back. so i guess it cud become a regular thing that we'll jst hve to get used to. plus keep my bedroom window closed for a few nights to block out the noise.
 
The comparison of aeroplanes and fireworks isn't necessarily valid. My mare is kept under the takeoff route from Manchester airport, and we regularly get the police flying over in a low helicopter too and she takes no notice, but starts to panic at fireworks being let off over a mile away.


Horse's for courses. My boy is equally not fussed at fire works but looses his head at half a crisp packet..... dumb ass
 
Horse's for courses. My boy is equally not fussed at fire works but looses his head at half a crisp packet..... dumb ass

Yep.....I used to have one like that lol.

My 6 year old didn't bat an eyelid at a helicopter hovering over the tops of the trees as we hacked in the woods......then spooked at a pile of straw in the farmers field on the way back home:rolleyes:
 
Hiya, try not to worry too much as people have said the horses probably care less than you do.
If you are very concerned why dont you go and talk to the lessee (chap running the fair) he will most likely happily let you know what their plans are and help you out if needs be, im only speaking from experience as i have horses and my husband is also a showman (runs funfairs). They are only like us and are trying to make a living in these very trying times, please dont confuse these people with travellers who steal (there are good and bad in all walks), these people will want to be welcomed back to your area should they and you have a good time with this event.
Im sure they will be more than happy to work with you than against you, just bear in mind that is their lively hood for them and their families and the business is other peoples pleasure!!

Hope it all goes well for you!
 
Top