Please help me decide whether to rent this field or not 🙈

[MrsMozartleto]

I think you need Pros & Cons sheet.

And the one bit you need to add in, which isn't really quantative, is the saving (whatever it is less the costs of looking after land) worth what you have where you are?

 

[MrsMozartleto]

also to be aware that when they have stables being built, you will have periods where concrete trucks and builders will be opening gates and going across field.

And given the recent rains the timings will be whenever the contractors can get the machines in, and the ground will suffer from being driven over.

 

[Wishfilly]

Yep, all stuff that's preying on my mind. It's a very expensive, rich, 'posh' area with a few huge houses on a quiet lane, not like an estate. Horses currently live out 24/7 anyway. I have a friend locally with a yard who could step in to check them and whose arena I can use. Horses can colic in a stable at 8pm and not be checked until the next morning, so no difference there really but yes, all issues that are keeping me awake at night!

I appreciate all yards are different, but all the ones I've been on have had the owners or other people living on site or very close by. I appreciate they might not notice colic (especially depending on how it presented) but I do think on my current yard there are enough people living there that they would notice something like theft or similar, or the horses being loose etc. People do also come and go at different times- the other day a fence came down and one of the girls who was on the yard after school fixed it and put the horses back in the right field- if it had been left to the owners, then they wouldn't have been seen for another 2-3 hours, which is an issue with laminitics getting onto lush grass!

I would worry if my pony was somewhere where the people around were either not the most friendly or horse savvy, and I could only check on them twice a day.

I know things can happen in the middle of the night which no-one may notice, but I do at least think on a yard there is a little more back up.

For me, I wouldn't want to be somewhere with no facilities, so it would be a no, no matter how much I was saving, but if you need to save the money, I can understand wanting to look into it further.

 

[ester]

It's definitely yard dependent, my old yard there'd still be people on the yard at 9pm and 2 on site that did checks 10/10.30ish. Current yard I'm usually the only person still there past 7pm (I still find it a bit weird!)

 

[Jambarissa]

Are you sure planning will be granted?
If you're renting is their a chance of locals who don't want the yard building putting more pressure on the land owner, maybe a bit of a cash incentive not to do it?

It does seem odd to me though, if the land owner has planning and is going ahead with it surely if you don't rent someone else will? So its not you causing an upset but the land owner.

You say your horses are currently field kept but renting this will save you thousands. That's a very expensive yard you are on!

 

[PoppyAnderson]

I have mine in a field that's just mine and it isn't at home so the risk of turning up and finding one of them has hurt themselves is always there - but it was there when I was on livery too.

I do have somewhere for the vet and farrier though so I'd make sure you have somewhere dry before next winter.

I guess the reason the neighbours are upset is because at somepoint someone wants to build on it? That'll happen whether you and your horses rent it or not!

Yep, it definitely will happen at some point regardless of me. Stables soon-ish and a property probably in 5 ish years (very rough guess).

Are you sure planning will be granted?
If you're renting is their a chance of locals who don't want the yard building putting more pressure on the land owner, maybe a bit of a cash incentive not to do it?

It does seem odd to me though, if the land owner has planning and is going ahead with it surely if you don't rent someone else will? So its not you causing an upset but the land owner.

You say your horses are currently field kept but renting this will save you thousands. That's a very expensive yard you are on!

They're on the equivalent of full livery but living out rather than stabled. The field rental would be nominal, so over the course of a year, I would save several thousand pounds.

 

[nagblagger]

So in 5 years you, potentially, will be fieldless and lost your place at the livery. I like security, so for me I wouldn't move.

 

[Melandmary]

I moved my horse from livery to my OH’s land at home 5 years ago thinking it would save me money and time travelling to and from livery…..and I can tell you it definitely doesn’t save money!! Even though there were barns and stables there already I have spent literally thousands putting in hardstanding and fencing . I am in a built up housing area and houses back on to my fields so I have had to put another fence line away from those fences so people can’t feed my ponies. A couple of years ago I had a massive ding dong with a neighbour who let fireworks off directly onto my arena and hardstanding where my horses were stood eating. I stormed round in my dressing gown , shoeless, and burst into their house screaming at them to stop as my horses were terrified….It is lucky that I can see them from my bedroom window. Also I spend about £1000 on average on freelancers for holiday cover which on livery would just be favour swaps for people. I would say that cost of keeping on own land until the set up is complete is more and I certainly wouldn’t do it unless I owned the land as the person who does own it can ask for you to leave at any point after you have made investment in it.

 

[PoppyAnderson]

Thank you so much to everyone who's replied. I knew I could count on the collective wisdom here to help me to make a decision. I've flip flopped backwards and forwards so many times. Did the pros and cons sheet at the start. So much to consider. I would 100% be saving money. I've owned land in the past, so I know what it entails. I definitely wouldn't be investing any money into anything permanent there. Ultimately though, I keep coming back to no for several reasons and I think I need to listen to that voice.

 

[Melody Grey]

I’d be wary of changes to weather patterns and global warming- years ago I’d had mine living out all year round without much shelter and did really well. However, the past few years have been so abysmally wet, I’d be worried about trashing the land and mud fever amongst other things and whether it would be worth it. There’s nothing more stressful than needing a horse to be in for vet reasons and not having the facilities.

 

[vickyb]

Yep, it definitely will happen at some point regardless of me. Stables soon-ish and a property probably in 5 ish years (very rough guess).

They're on the equivalent of full livery but living out rather than stabled. The field rental would be nominal, so over the course of a year, I would save several thousand pounds.

But would it always be nominal? Why is someone willing to let it for a smaller than normal sum? That is a rhetorical question, but...when I had horses I managed to get hold of a lovely field close to my own private stables, which was a welcome adjunct to my rather sparse grazing. I lived in an area of extreme horsiculture, and land was always being sought for grazing. The problems I had with other people offering much more than me for the land (once they knew it was actually rentable because it had been empty for years. I just happened to get lucky!) and in the end it was just too tempting for the landowner. When the lease came up for renewal I couldn't afford it - was way beyond my financial reach, essentially it went to the highest bidder. I suppose I just should have been glad I hadn't forked out for field shelters and the like.
My other worry would be about fireworks...

 

[Abacus]

But would it always be nominal? Why is someone willing to let it for a smaller than normal sum? That is a rhetorical question, but...when I had horses I managed to get hold of a lovely field close to my own private stables, which was a welcome adjunct to my rather sparse grazing. I lived in an area of extreme horsiculture, and land was always being sought for grazing. The problems I had with other people offering much more than me for the land (once they knew it was actually rentable because it had been empty for years. I just happened to get lucky!) and in the end it was just too tempting for the landowner. When the lease came up for renewal I couldn't afford it - was way beyond my financial reach, essentially it went to the highest bidder. I suppose I just should have been glad I hadn't forked out for field shelters and the like.
My other worry would be about fireworks...

It's possible that the owner just wants horses on the land to ease the first planning application for the stables.

 

[PoppyAnderson]

It's possible that the owner just wants horses on the land to ease the first planning application for the stables.

Exactly, plus its the going rate for a patch of grazing land (although there's not much to compare it to, as available land round here is incredibly rare).

 

[PoppyAnderson]

I’d be wary of changes to weather patterns and global warming- years ago I’d had mine living out all year round without much shelter and did really well. However, the past few years have been so abysmally wet, I’d be worried about trashing the land and mud fever amongst other things and whether it would be worth it. There’s nothing more stressful than needing a horse to be in for vet reasons and not having the facilities.

My horses live out all year round anyway. They're small-ish, barefoot and don't fence walk or hooney round. They never get mud fever but yes, it seems like our winters and therefore land management are getting increasingly challenging.

 

[Miss_Millie]

I hate to say it but I think you would really regret it come Winter, if this year is anything like the Winter we've just had.

I keep mine at home, they're literally on my doorstep out 24/7, it's nothing fancy but we do have running water, a decent sized shelter and a large hardstanding.

My sanity was tested with the amount of rain we had, the fields got wrecked and without the hardstanding and shelter we would have been screwed.

If renting the field is unlikely to be long term and there isn't a hardstanding or shelter for Winter, I think it would be a real struggle.

 

[AandK]

The main thing for me would be what happens in 5yrs if planning for a house is granted? I would not want that uncertainty.

 

[Melody Grey]

The main thing for me would be what happens in 5yrs if planning for a house is granted? I would not want that uncertainty.

This is true, but no situation is ever certain (though admittedly owning tends to be more certain than renting). Yards that people have been on for donkeys years suddenly close. If the situation was right and there’s a good saving to be made, maybe worry about that if/ when it happens. OP could be better financed to deal with those challenges then?

 

[Muddywellies]

Grass isn't always greener. Sounds like you'd be walking into a whole load of problems.

 

[maisie06]

I'm currently on a yard. No issues, all's good, horses happy, got my friends there, good support network etc. However, I have the opportunity to rent a field. I'd save several thousand pounds a year and I'd have a lovely field all to myself and be able to manage my horses exactly to my liking. No facilities there at the mo but here's the crux. If I take it on, I upset a lot of people, including and especially the people I work for (I can't go into details but it's around planning issues). I am completely torn. I like the people I work for and don't want to upset them but saving several £000 is very tempting. I'm also worried about being there by myself, having no help and the horses being in a field with residents around them who aren't happy. What would you do? Please help.....

In reality you WON'T save several k a year! by the timeyou have done all the maintenance, topped, sprayed, rolled, harrowed, fixed fences etc it will probably cost the same as being on the yard. Plus you may have to pay someone to cover holidays illness etc. Having a sole rent field/yard is hard work on your own.

 

[maisie06]

Thank you so much to everyone who's replied. I knew I could count on the collective wisdom here to help me to make a decision. I've flip flopped backwards and forwards so many times. Did the pros and cons sheet at the start. So much to consider. I would 100% be saving money. I've owned land in the past, so I know what it entails. I definitely wouldn't be investing any money into anything permanent there. Ultimately though, I keep coming back to no for several reasons and I think I need to listen to that voice.

Always listen to that gut feeling!