Riding through wheat or barley fields

[wiglet]

Well not actually riding over the wheat or barley (or any other crop) but riding along the tracks left by the tractor tyres. Do you do this?

As a kid, I liveried my pony on a working farm and you absolutely were not allowed into any field with a crop being grown in it. Once the fields were stubble, you were allowed to ride over it.

Recently, I have seen lots of photos on social media where people are riding along the tractor tracks. Is this the norm now? Are you allowed to do this? Do you do this?

Interested to hear everyone’s opinion on this

 

[AmyMay]

You would only be allowed to do it with permission from the land owner, or if a bridle path ran through the field.

 

[Sossigpoker]

You can only do it with permission. Although most farmers don't mind riding when the field is on stubble.

 

[Orangehorse]

On a photo it can be hard to see if there is a standing crop or it is stubble. I have ridden down what are called tram lines in the crop before now, but it was on my own farm, so I would have taken the consequences should we have made a dent in the crop!

I used to blithely canter across stubble fields, but I am rather more cautious now due to ruts and even holes appearing in the middle of a field. I think I would walk or perhaps trot over the exact track I wished to canter on.

 

[YourValentine]

Unless you have the farmers permission or its your own land you should ABSOLUTELY NOT be riding down tramlines (tractor marks) in an unharvested crop.

Stubble is a different matter, but you should still get permission first.

 

[Fransurrey]

I've only ever done it where the bridleway has crossed through or the farmer has given express permission. Otherwise, you risk riding over a direct drilled field or alienating the farmer. My pony actually hated it (he didn't like the stubble brushing his legs!) and cob doesn't like the ruts!

 

[SDMabel]

As others have said on harvested fields that have not been drilled if given prior permission by the farmer don't see the problem.

But i also don't see the appeal in doing so as a rider , Tramlines are usually high impacted from the weight of the vehicles going across them through the growing season , sprayer etc. I know when we harvest we also try and keep the corn carters on them as much as possible to reduce impaction on other areas of the field.

Not like you have a good blast across them ...

 

[asmp]

Used to keep horse on a farm where we were allowed to ride on the tramlines. Wouldn‘t do it on anywhere else though.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I ride on stubble but stick to the tramlines and only on the farm land next door as I have permission to it's actually been really good this year because they are not rock hard and some have a slight covering of straw or weeds so have been able to trot and canter on some of it.

I always stick to the tracks though because it can have holes that you can't see or some crop fields can be really stony so I get to know what are best and stick to them.

 

[irishdraft]

What appears to be stubble to the uninitiated is not always. These days it can often be undersown with something else, this is to limit ploughing etc so always best to check with the farmer before blasting up the stubble.

 

[Gamebird]

It's worth bearing in mind that a lot of farmers direct drill now (ie. drill the next crop through the stubble without ploughing etc. first). So what looks like a temping and empty stubble field may well be drilled with winter barley etc for next year. Riding on that would NOT be appreciated, and it's hard to tell unless you know what you are looking for. Another reason for permission!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Only with land owners permission and never in the tractor tyre marks, they are too rough. I ride with permission the flatter bits of the field.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I used to live In Norfolk and with farmer's permission we rode all stubble fields around us that joined up many bridleways and we could ride for miles. I always took all my annual leave for stubble time! Also on a designated set aside strip on many of the fields with a growing crop at other times of the year. We would never, ever have ridden through a growing crop, tyre tracks or not.

A small word of caution if you are riding on stubble fields without the farmer's consent. A good friend lost her horse to a rotational fall, and injured herself badly after galloping across a stubble field that she did not know and did not have permission to ride on. What appeared to be a standard stubble field had in fact been deeply undercut (not sure of correct term i think it is sub soiling, I am sure one of our farmers on here can correct me) her horse lost its footing deep into one of the undercut pockets and head over heels he went. Killed instantly. Very sad and I am sure she meant no harm having a gallop on the stabble, but I would never risk it on land I did not know and without farmer's prior consent.

 

[Birker2020]

Well not actually riding over the wheat or barley (or any other crop) but riding along the tracks left by the tractor tyres. Do you do this?

As a kid, I liveried my pony on a working farm and you absolutely were not allowed into any field with a crop being grown in it. Once the fields were stubble, you were allowed to ride over it.

Recently, I have seen lots of photos on social media where people are riding along the tractor tracks. Is this the norm now? Are you allowed to do this? Do you do this?

Interested to hear everyone’s opinion on this

I used to if there was a bridlepath round the outside. And can very vividly remember gaving to walk across a field at walk only during a terrible thunderstorm with lightening overhead, extremely dangerous and scary and reduced to walk due to the stubble.

But one day Bailey horse had terrible urticaria as a result of eating a couple of mouthfuls of barley stalks around the edge of a field so presume she was allergic.