Renting a field for grazing and riding

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LHIS

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Afternoon all,
OH has put a spanner in the works of our plan to buy a house with a few stables, land and an arena, buy being offered a new job that he'd be stupid to turn down. The potential new house is far too far from the potential new job so if he accepts it (which he will) then my dreams for the house are out of the window.
We can't afford a similar house in the area we are in, and now probably won't move at all because of this, but just stay where we are.
My YO has sold their house (we couldn't afford it sadly) and are moving away from the area, so my horse needs a new home. I have found and said yes to a stable on a lovely little yard near where we live, but YO has mentioned why don't I rent the field she currently does and keep my horse on there with a.n other.
The field in question is just under 3 acres, has water and a field shelter and is currently used for turnout. If I rented it I'd want to use it for turnout, and riding in occasionally (there is quiet road hacking too). However it's an agricultural purpose field (land owner owns it outright, but permissions are ok for livestock and grazing) so I doubt riding in it would be ok. As such I don't know if it's a non-starter or not.

Can someone in the know please advise if this is probably a non starter, or what the options might be?
 
I didn't know about this, so I googled - only grazing falls under agricultural usage. One solicitors' page states bluntly "where the horses are being exercised in the field, the use of the land will not be considered agricultural."

ETA - You can apply for change of use but I don't know how long/difficult a process that is. I'm sure someone will be along to tell you more about it!
 
Yeah that's definitely the case. I suppose what I'm wondering is whether doing that is worthwhile when I don't own the land, I don't know how much these things cost and what else I need to consider. 🤔
 
LHIS said:
Yeah that's definitely the case. I suppose what I'm wondering is whether doing that is worthwhile when I don't own the land, I don't know how much these things cost and what else I need to consider. ��
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Tbh I would rent the field and see how it goes. Unless someone in the know sees you riding in the field then you will probably be absolutely fine, so unless it's in a very visible location I suspect you won't have any problems. We used to ride in our YO's sheep fields and they were definitely agricultural use only and when we rented a field my sister used to ride her horse in that, which again was definitely classed as agricultural land. But we are very naughty :p. Plus these fields weren't overlooked so it was very unlikely anyone who cared enough to complain would have seen us riding in them.
 
I wouldn't worry too much, I doubt that you are going to do so much riding that anyone will object. So long as you don't put jumps up/leave dressage markers lying around/invite dozens of friends to ride in your fields, i'd be surprised if anyone does object. You say that there are already horses grazing, so it unlikely that neighbours will notice the change.
 
Thank you - the fields are overlooked by 2 houses, one has horses and I'm sure wouldn't mind, the other has new owners and I haven't met them, except when the husband came haring round the bend in his silly car going far too fast and I shouted at him to slow down 🙄.
Does anyone know the consequences of being caught doing something with the field it's not permitted for, out of interest?
 
Slap on the wrist I'd imagine. Councils are a bit strapped for cash nowadays and probably have more important things to do, unless the planning dept thinks they can get a couple of quid out of you for a change of use application.
 
Technically anything apart from the horses being grazed needs change of use. That includes giving them any supplementary feeding .Some authorities are absolute zealots and others more relaxed but sanctions include prohibition notices etc.
Dont assume horsey neighbours will not report you especially if they have had to jump through the hoops themselves.

So if you are willing to risk it you may get away with it . Dont forget any planning issue will fall on your landlord who may not wish a change of use anyhow! Certainly any planning control and notices will end up on his door mat.
 
LHIS said:
Yeah that's definitely the case. I suppose what I'm wondering is whether doing that is worthwhile when I don't own the land, I don't know how much these things cost and what else I need to consider. ��
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You can't apply for change of use for someone else land , well in truth you can but it would be an awfully rude thing to do and would probably end in you getting chucked off the land .
 
If I were you I would rent the field and keep your head down .
Then ride in it infrequently don't make a nasty mess or fill the field with miscellaneous equine stuff like jumps that might well cause you a problem .
 
OP- has your YO had any problems using the field ? If someone kicked up a fuss - how much of a problem would it be to just use it for turn out? Different councils will have totally different views/ time to spend on this stuff. At one extreme grazing is strictly that - no hay put out in winter, no hard feed etc. but I would think most would have very little interest in one person riding in a field a couple of times a week!

As an example in our old house I applied for planning for stables - the council basically said build what you like from whatever you like - wherever in the field you like (hence large block built America barn with 12 stables! my friend 4 miles away (different council) had a nightmare applying for planning for hers - only 1 stable per acre of land, only in wood, very close to the house etc. etc. There is no logic, not common sense and no standard set of guidelines in how to apply the rules!
 
I'd rent the field and just plead ignorance. I have fallen fowl of planning rules but the fact that my horses are fed supplementary feed and may or may not be ridden on the land wasn't even asked. The chap seemed genuinely pleased that I was willing to do as he asked (remove a container). He did say if they hadn't had a complaint I'd have been fine but because they did they were obliged to visit. I am on a busy road too so easily seen in whatever I do.

I think council budget cuts may be a good think in this case. They just haven't got the budgets anymore to enforce everything.
 
Some old land is not classified at all. When we applied for planning permission for our stables we added in change of use to mixed use I think it was called. There wasn't a classification on the land at all but this way we can graze sheep and ride the horses. The owner may consider a change to mixed use. I believe, but may be incorrect on this, that after a certain number of years of being pasture you have to get permission to plough it up anyway so it may not be an issue for the landowner.
 
Polos Mum said:
OP- has your YO had any problems using the field ? If someone kicked up a fuss - how much of a problem would it be to just use it for turn out? Different councils will have totally different views/ time to spend on this stuff. At one extreme grazing is strictly that - no hay put out in winter, no hard feed etc. but I would think most would have very little interest in one person riding in a field a couple of times a week!

As an example in our old house I applied for planning for stables - the council basically said build what you like from whatever you like - wherever in the field you like (hence large block built America barn with 12 stables! my friend 4 miles away (different council) had a nightmare applying for planning for hers - only 1 stable per acre of land, only in wood, very close to the house etc. etc. There is no logic, not common sense and no standard set of guidelines in how to apply the rules!
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Current renter of the field hasn't had any issues and has rented it for years and years. They put hay and feed hard feed in the field too and haven't had any issues that I am aware of. It's a rural area and a quiet lane with little to no through traffic. The only objections might stem from the new occupants of the house opposite the field as they are brand new and from what I can tell are not country folk.
I'm going to have a chat to the farmer who owns the field and ask, as I'd maybe want to put a wooden stable in the field and probably a fence to divide it up (can't use just a string of electric unfortunately).
I'd want to ride in the field a few times a week and then hack the rest. I'd need to be able to park my car in the gateway too as I can't leave it on the verge because there are 40ft wagons that come past (potato farm next door) and they can't get past.
 
amandaco2 said:
id just do it. I bet loads of people ride on agricultural land.
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Agree.

We rent some agricultural land and the old tenancy agreement mentioned that we could not train horses on the land, which I guess was something from years and years ago. The Agreement has obviously been updated and now does not mention horses on it all. Good thing too, as it is the flattest land we have and very useful for a gallop after the silage has been cut!
 
LHIS said:
The only objections might stem from the new occupants of the house opposite the field as they are brand new and from what I can tell are not country folk.
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Tbh I'd imagine they're even less likely to cause you problems as they're unlikely to know a) that the land is agricultural use only and b) that you aren't automatically allowed to ride in the field. Don't forget a lot of non-horsey people seem to be confused we ride on roads as they appear to think we can just ride in the fields. They're only likely to complain I'd imagine if you make a mess in the field in some way and it's unsightly, or you are particularly noisy. Honestly I would just go for it as if there is a complaint of some kind (unlikely) you could always just claim ignorance. And you're renting, not buying, so it wouldn't be the end of the world.
 
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