So I’ve taken the lease on a 7 acre field – now what!! (Long sorry)

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shellonabeach

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I made a rash decision a couple of days ago and have taken on a years lease a 7.2 acre field. It has been grazed by horses in the past and last couple of years cut for hay . There is one automatic water trough near the only entrance which goes out onto a quiet lane but is next to a house so secure. 2/3 of the fence line is tall hedges – there are also a few mature trees, the other 3rd backs onto people’s houses, the fencing is sound but I intend to run a strand of electric approx 2-3 metres inside the garden fences when the horses are in the field.

There are no stables / field shelters etc. But plenty of natural shelter around the edges.

I’m getting this for a very very good price and took it knowing I could just about afford the lease and my current livery - £30 per week DIY not inc hay or bedding. At the time the intention was to take a hay crop in June (weather permitting) and then graze it for the rest of the summer, 2 of my friends on livery were also interested in the summer grazing to supplement that of what we get on livery.

However now I am toying with the idea of leaving the yard and moving my boy onto the field all year (the standards on the yard have been going downhill and with the wet weather I am worried there will be very restricted winter turnout) – if I did this I would save myself A LOT of money. Of course the flip side is I would need to provide him with a shelter and would be without my luxuries – arena / electricity etc. If I buy a ready made shelter as advertised then the total cost will be approx that of what I pay per year on livery. I have been offered 2 stables (one only pony sized) for free if I can dismantle and remove them quickly. Obviously I would need to rebuild these onto metal skids to make them mobile (something my dad has offered to help me with.)

Another friend has asked for winter grazing there – would build her own mobile shelter for her cob and a shetland pony. However I think I would miss my friends on the livery yard (only 10 mins hack down the road) and this persons mares will not be friends with my boy and won't share a shelter with him– (we have tried) they too into each other!

I know several of you keep your horses out all year round – I admit I am very scared of change hence reluctance to leave livery yard – I also know a lot of people would like to have a 7 acre field to do with as they wish!

Any advice on what to do? Both for financial benefit in terms of field management or leaving livery and horse / human happiness!
 
I think you had best check with your local planning authority too - some will need planning permission for shelter/stables even if on skids - PP takes 6-8 weeks to come back and was about £250 I think
 
I can't help you on the social side because I love being alone. However the field, your horse will be absolutely fine living out so long as he is well rugged and fed. Horses almost always choose natural shelter over fabricated ones, however it is always nice to have a purpose built shelter .... you will likely need planning permission for this ... along with permission from the owners of the land.

7 acres is an awful lot of grass for one horse, so sharing would be good (if you are allowed to) or fencing the field into smaller paddocks.
 
Yes definitely approach planning department for advice. I have a 2 acre field and was told I'd need PP for stables or mobile shelters. I applied for PP (£300) for stables and was allowed 3 so it worked out OK. Ours are now out 24/7 from May-Oct then just out in the day. I pay £200 per year on the rent so its saving me a fortune in livery!! I love having my own place and would never go back to a yard - can't stand the stable politics!
7 acres would be a dream for me!
 
I have permission from the landowners to put up a field shelter, have other horses on it and basically do as I want as long as I don't break any council regs or upset anyone.

I would only share with the 3 owners mentioned as I trust them completely and 100% know there would be no "yard politics". If I need to apply for PP for a mobile shelter then this will be become too expensive - esp there is no guarantee I will be able to renew the lease next year.

Should have said if I leave livery and turn out all year I will still try to save half for hay, but obviously grazing comes first. Also my boy is 17 (welsh x TB type) and we have horrible clay soil so was a bit worried about his ageing leggies when it's muddy.
 
I would def try and have some sort of shelter for your horse for the winter even if it's just to use to get them tacked up for riding when it' raining, grooming feeding etc etc.

If you haven't got electric, plan ahead for winter in regard to lighting ie get a head torch or something similar. I know my friend doesn't have lighting at her stables and it's a nightmare in the winter when it gets dark early.

Also think about some shelter for yourself. I don't know anything about planning permission but an old caravan is excellent to be able to make a cup of tea, heat water etc. And poss a shed or something similar to store feed, hay, grooming kit, tack. They can be fenced off with electric fencing.
 
Very brave of you. Best wishes with your venture. Only share your field with horses/ponies/people that you get on with, otherwise what's the point. I've considered buying a field in the past but have been put off by 'going it alone'.

It' a good idea to fence off the gardens area. My boy became desperately ill a number of years ago at a different yard ( -he's never ill) and it was over a week before he looked like definitely pulling through. I've always suspected poisoning from garden cuttings inadvertantly thrown into the field by a gardener who didn't realise that many common garden plants can be poisonous to animals.
 
I rent a 3 acre field for my horse...similar set up...access to road and hedged in but that is about it! No water or stables or lighting!
I got permission from the farmer to put up a double mobile field stable so I have one for my horse to come in and out of as he pleases and the other stores my hay for the year! It is the best investment I ever made and my horse loves his freedom and spends a lot of time in his stable dozing of his own free will. I put rubber mats down in the stable and a normal bed of shavings. I have 2 water butts attached to my guttering and collect water for him to drink...this does me most of the year but in dry spells I have to bring water over from my house.
 
I've just done the same as you and haven't moved in yet as bit scared! I think the social side I will miss but I plan to box up for lessons at my old yard and the farmer we rent frmo has an actual livery yard too so hopefully there will be new people. We're going to put up a field shelter in the next two weeks. We also plan to get a small generator that can 'live' in the back of the landrover and be plugged in for light etc. The field has water and as I have two neds all I'm thinking about is whether to get a sharer for my youngster so I have someone to hack with easily.

If you use electric fencing as we plan to you can keep them off the mud. I'd go for it - as far as I know you can use the test case redmire stables have on their web site (think it's theirs) to refute the need for PP but perhaps speak to them. They were v helpful when we talked to them about PP.
 
I would be suprised if you need pp for genuinly mobile field shelter if you are in a rural area and the feil has been used for horses for some time. Agricultural buildings dont normaly need it if they are a certain distance fromt the highway, with 7 acres you would probably fall into this category, but check just to be on the safe side. I am sure your horse will love it, mine love to be out.
 
You do need planning permission for field shelters (whatever anyone tells you). Some local authorities turn a blind eye to it but if anyone reports it then they will take action. Recreational horses in planning law are not classified as agricultural so don't let anyone tell you any different. If you decide to go for field shelters appoint a surveyor to do it for you as they know the local planning officers.

One thing you need to do is to ensure that your horses are secure and can not be stolen. Get them freezemarked. Make sure that the gates and gate posts are solid and that the gate hinges are reversed to prevent the gate being lifted off the hinges. Check all fencing thoroughly.

Get to know the people in the adjacent houses as they could keep an eye on your horses for you when you are not there. Give them your telephone numbers.

What are you going to do about the horse manure? Your best bet is to buy a second hand agricultural trailer and get a local farmer to remove it.

Make sure that you have third party/public liability insurance cover up to £10,000,000 as it is your responsibility for any famage caused by your horses if they escape even if it is not your fault.
 
I brought a field last year only a 2 min walk from my house "brill" i thought...
The field had nothing, no water or elic and i had to get the farmer to cut the field 3 times before i could have a horse on it as the field had been left for 3/4yrs. it has cost me LOADS of MONEY so far and there is still loads to do, I brought 3 moblie 12x12 towable stables at £1200 each (very well made and would be easy to sell!!) and i had to get permission from the council (get a letter too) I also put in a BIG hay barn tack room/feed room (but no tack stored there) and just about to finish the men'ege 40x20 I also put up brand new wood fencing (where needed And quite alot of it) and brought elic fence too so far i really could not tell you HOW much money i have spent on that field, oh and also found out last year the field can get quite muddy (as fields do) so i order loads of wood chippings to go down by the entrance of each padock and brought tons and tons of hard core and road plannings to go down to raise the stables up and made an enclosure around the stables and hay barn. looks lovely but it has cost me an arm and a leg and still not finished. I now have water on tap (more money) and do not have elic yet, we have a generator for a cup on tea and the winter months as have put up lots of lights, When i phoned the elic people they quoted me £2500 to install elic.... and don't forget you need to feed your grass, harrow, roll, remove of muck ect ect, it's never endingI do love going down my yard and seeing what i have achieved, but i could not have done most of the field without peoples help especially the nice farmer with his handy tractor..And i get so bored on my own at times so would like some company, so if i were you think twice... and make every thing you do mobile and portable as the field is not yours.... if I can be of any help P.M me, where are you ? beacuse I may be able to give you some telephone numbers.. Good luck
 
Trust me, YOU DO NEED PLANNING, been there and done it (so to say)... and even for hard core. If you don't tell the planning people some other nice person will.. and they will come down on you.
 
I would split the field using electric fencing first of all. Shelters are great but tbh if horse is well rugged it wont need it in the winter but will possibly in the summer so you could delay this. You need to check on planning regs.

Personally the biggest issue I had when renting a field behind a housing estate was the garden rubbish, including grass cuttings, that were chucked over the fence so make sure you leave a big space. Oh, and the kids who I found riding my yearling one day!!!
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You lucky devil! You should be able to use a mobile shelter but some years ago saw a plan in a really old horsemag on how to build a shelter with straw bales.

Seriously, they just shoved telegraph poles in the ground for support and used the bales like 'bricks' with corrugated sheets for a roof, lashed in place.

The end job looked very professional, seriously snug, cheap to do and at the time needed no PP as easily taken down when no longer needed.
 
Sorry to cause arguements about the need for PP - I tried posting before most of them but my computer crashed on me mid post.

I called the council yesterday who advised I do not need PP for a mobile field shelter. They did advise I write in and therefore get something back in writing just to cover myself. I didn't know about the hardcore and will call them back on Tuesday about that - thanks for the heads up.

Peternatt - my horse and friends cob mare are both freezemarked - the shetland is a loan pony from the RSPCA & is chipped. The gateway will be fenced off with electric tape to keep the horses away and prevent them making it too muddy so I am planning on putting barbed wire on the top of the gate to prevent people climbing over - I will obviously make sure the hidges are reversed etc. I had planned on making friends with the neighbours and passing out contact details as they will be eyes and ears when I am not about. With the muck we are thinking of only poo picking the winter grazing which if not too much I am hoping can be put in the hedgeline - not near people's houses - to rot away. For the summer when there will be 4 horses and the shetland on most of the 7 acres I am thinking of harrowing (depending on how dirty the pasture becomes). If not then I have a medium sized trailer I can fill with muck and take to the farmer who will use it on his fields.

Custardsmum - I had thought about making a shelter out of straw - was thinking about those giant rectangular bales - but I can get good small bales for 50p each.

I'm still undecided on what to do!!! I realise to move my boy on all year it will cost a fair bit for shelter / temp lights etc. I am signing the contract next week (have already put down deposit to secure) and if the owners can 90% say I'll be able to lease for the next year 2008-2009 then this is money I'll spend. Don't intend on it being anything fancy just enough for the horse & I to be comfortable & most importantly happy!!
 
Good Luck, it looks as if you are thinking about everything, the only thing that would put me off this is the fact that you only have a one year lease.
Is this an on-going renewable lease or, at the end of your year, are you going to have to get out and find somewhere else to go? That would be the greatest nuisance, just as you will have got things as you wanted and have got to know the land.

I couldn't imagine not having my own place now, I love being able to do what I want, when I want without people watching my every move. No yard squabbles or pettiness. Best of Luck.
 
Glad you phoned the council, make sure you get a letter as most times the left arm does'nt no what the right arm is doing at the council....LOL
You can put concrete or hard core down so many square meters (so check how many). you will prob need to harrow and roll after the winter months as all the wet can make the field very "hilly" lumpy and bumpy so to say, then you need to feed the grass (fertilise) for the spring/summer months. let us know how you get on... x
 
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