People who rent a field - advice please

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Chichi

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Hi, I would like to hear from people who rent a field for their horses rather than have them at a livery yard.

So basically where and how did you find a field? Could you do what you want with the field (ie. building a track, putting a mobile field shelter...)? How do you manage on your own on a day to day basis and also when you are away? How do you cope with being on your own? Do you have water, electricity? Do you use the field to ride as well?

I have the feeling that most people are happier once they have their field even if he can be tough at times. What are the issues you have encountered? Are you worried about the safety of your horses (if the field is isolated).

I am trying to think of the location, the size, the access, the fencing, the maintenance... but I would appreciate any feedback that could help me decide whether this is really an option for me and what to be aware of when looking for a field to rent.
Many thanks in advance.
 
I've had mine on my own land for several years now and it is bliss. There is another thread dotting around where people have given some really good advice. Maybe someone can point you in the right direction or you could do a quick search. cant seem to find it myself
 
Thanks, will try and find it. I did search before starting the thread but could not really find what I wanted. I will search again. Do you keep yours at home or close to home then?
 
I keep them at home - it is bliss! Be aware though that you may be responsible for all maintenence which can work out quite costly when you start talking topping, rolling the fields, maintaining/repairing fencing, sorting drainage. Worth it though!
 
My friend and I rent several fields between us. We are lucky that every field already has a shelter in it with water trough. We poo pick daily and sort out issues with fencing when it arises, we contact the chap who does the fencing and the field owner pays for the repairs. We had a small track from the gate to the barn this winter as it was nearly impossible to push the wheelbarrow through the mud, we were happy to pay for it but the field owner paid as it is her land.

We are able to ride in the fields but don't abuse this as it's also our grazing land. We have use of a harrow so do this when required. We got a friend to install some lights for us that run off a car battery, so we have internal and external lighting. A camping gas stove provides the hot water for our coffee/hot chocolate after we've finished feeding/poo picking etc!

We rent about 20 acres in total for a number of ponies. We rotate as much as we can. We both go up weekday mornings to split the chores and my friend then does the afternoon feeding/checking as I have 2 children at school so it's trickier for me to do pm's. As there are two of us covering for holidays, sickness etc isn't a problem. I live 5 miles away but my friend lives 5 mins down the road so in bad weather (like that horrid stuff called snow) she's able to walk.

I wouldn't have it any other way, I used to be on a livery yard years ago and although it wasn't particularly bitchy, things used to go missing etc. I like my time with my ponies and the freedom that renting our own fields gives is much better in my opinion.
 
A simple enough question that requires an answer that isn't at all simple! Not many farmers will lease a field. More likely they will grant "a grazing licence" which is less than a lease (often referred to as a 364 day tenancy) and can be terminated fairly easily by either side. Farmers fear creating an agricultural tenancy which give the occupier statutory rights that I am not up to date on.

If a licence, the occupier usually accepts the land as it is, unless there is some other agreement to the contrary, with the farmer doing any necessary cultivations, fencing, etc. A landowner is also unlikely to want the land to be classified as amenity (equitation) rather than agricultural because of tax implications (death duties, business rates, etc).

I used to let grazing to horse owners but, frankly, it is fraught with problems and if you do manage to find a farmer who will do it, I strongly advise that you do your best to be good tenants, look after him, and don't cause problems like mess (litter, white tape, and scattered make shift jumps are like a red rag to a bull to most farmers!).

Yes, I have my own land and a few ponies and no longer let grazing. It is bliss to be able to look out of the window from my arm chair to check foaling progress, not to mention fixing problems myself without running cap in hand to a landowner.
 
Thanks all for advice. I understand now why when people have found a field they try and hang onto it. It looks like it is not that easy to find.
Falconers you seem to have found a very good arrangement. What do you do with your muck heap though?
I do not have space at home so it will have to be a few miles away and I am wondering whether I will manage this on my own. I always think where there is a will there is a way but I have children at school too and I could imagine the winter being rather tricky if I have to go after the school run in the dark. Ideally I would find somebody to share the chores with but I do not have any horsey friends in the area and if I take on a grass livery I imagine that brings a bit more complexity.
I will have a look at 'grazing licences'.
Anyway please keep the advice coming.
Thanks.
 
Just a thought, I don't know where you live but how about letting your house out and renting a cottage with a field attached?
 
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Agricultural grazing licences are often time limited so only 10 months of the year to prevent a tenancy being created.

Often fields to let are advertised in local tack shops, or you simply have to go knocking on doors when you see a likely empty field!

It is true that farmers don't much like horses, unless they are their own. The don't understand about limiting access to grazing and don't like white electric tape, or jumps left in the field or general mess!
I did hear a rumour that in the Cotswolds a council was considering bringing in a ban on white electric fencing, although I never heard if it was done.
 
Chichi said:
Hi, I would like to hear from people who rent a field for their horses rather than have them at a livery yard.

So basically where and how did you find a field? Could you do what you want with the field (ie. building a track, putting a mobile field shelter...)? How do you manage on your own on a day to day basis and also when you are away? How do you cope with being on your own? Do you have water, electricity? Do you use the field to ride as well?

I have the feeling that most people are happier once they have their field even if he can be tough at times. What are the issues you have encountered? Are you worried about the safety of your horses (if the field is isolated).

I am trying to think of the location, the size, the access, the fencing, the maintenance... but I would appreciate any feedback that could help me decide whether this is really an option for me and what to be aware of when looking for a field to rent.
Many thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

My horse has always lived out, but until this year, he's been on grass livery, either as part of a livery yard or in a farmer's field. This has worked well up to a point, but there were always issues These included (a) other horses - the yard or farmer could always randomly add other horses to the group, causing issues with the herd, breaking fences, trashing parts of the field I'd set aside to rest, and eating grass I'd set aside to do us for winter. And (b) lack of control over management - see previous point! I hate mud with a passion - I think most people who have grass livery horses do, because you are dependent on your gateway for everything - tacking up, grooming, hoof picking, vet visits, farrier visits... and if it's all churned up through horses hanging over the gate or through the farmer randomly deciding the wettest day of the spring is the best day to harrow and roll, you're the one who suffers. Then there's (c) infection control - other horses being added at farmer's discretion have rarely been wormed, and unless you have a very thoughtful field owner, there's no quarantine either.

So, this year, I managed to lease a field from a local yard. I now have control over how many horses, how much grazing to open, what to do about gates, what to do about poo picking (farmers really don't understand this one!), what to do about worming, quarantine, when to roll, whether to harrow... This is making a huge difference - all the benefits of having a horse living out 24/7 in a lovely field with lots of variety and natural shelter, but also control over what happens.

I have been able to set up a sort of track (handy gorse bushes means I can have a restricted grazing set up that has a flat top part near gate, a water source at the bottom of a steep hill, and a circular path between the two, so the horses spend the day walking up and down the hills :)

I have two friends sharing it with me, so maintenance/chores are shared, and there's holiday cover :)

Security is always a slight concern, although I don't think our horses would be first choice for anybody wanting to make off with them, however we do have a padlocked access gate to make sure walkers etc. don't accidentally release the beasties on to the road.

We have 20 acres, and at the moment, using two energisers and lots of (green ;) )tape and posts, have 4 horses and a pony on an area of 6 acres - probably 4 acres grazing and 2 acres gorse with pickings under it.

The drawbacks are almost completely weather related... However we don't have electrics and we can't put in a field shelter (there are several wooded areas for natural shelter). We also don't have a tap - a stream runs through the field for the horses to drink from. We can ride in the field, but not school - there are no real flat areas. None of us are really that concerned, we school on hacks and there are arenas nearby where lessons etc. can be arranged.
 
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I rent a field - much, much prefer it to livery.
It is my friends granddad's field, but I have also rented from farmers. It isn't that hard to find if you go wandering around lanes, google earth and knocking on doors!

That said, it can be a pain with fencing maintenance (most field owners will do the bare minimum), mud in winter, storage etc. At the moment I'm finding it a struggle to find people to hack with, too.

Still, its a million times better than livery! (can you tell I have not had the best experiences...)
 
I don't think the modern rent aggreements are the same as the old tenancies that could become a lifelong tenancy and even be passed on down the family! This was put a stop to a long time ago, I am pretty sure. So long as you/farmer get legal advice and both sign an appropriate legal agreement there shouldn't be a problem. Of course there will always be tennants (and landlords) who try to byepass the system and an eviction may be needed in some cases!
 
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