Stable in the garden...

[Baby_Belle]

I live in a semi-detatched house, with a long garden (around 30meters long, 7m wide) and which backs onto fields at the back - which I can access to walk through and access the back of my property by kind permission of a local farmer. I would like to put a stable / field shelter up at the bottom of the garden to use for general storage and occasionally put my pony in, when the weathers bad or at weekends, as he is kept at grass livery just down the road. I know its not ideal, with people living either side but its a very quiet and a rural area, and at the bottom of the garden is quite secluded due to trees mid-garden.

Has anyone put up a stable in back garden / have images / any advice?
Thankyou in advance

 

[tiahatti]

I once viewed a horse who lived in a garden. First thought putting aside everything else is whether he would have companionship?

 

[Baby_Belle]

No companionship at the stable but he wouldn't be there permanently, just occasionally in bad weather during winter and at weekends. I have no land so he would stay at the livery he is at the moment.

 

[D66]

The farmer might be less happy for you to be walking through his field with a horse - have you asked him? You'll also need to investigate whether planning permission is required, if for instance you are in a conservation area, muck heap disposal, the security of your fences and general happiness of neighbours regarding the arrangement.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Would your horse mind being alone on occasion? I have a pony who would be perfectly happy tucked up in a garden stable by himself!
I imagine a stable on skids or even not is just a shed in your garden isn’t it? (Pp wise?)
I’d do it if I were you and the two above matters were ok!
If nothing else it’s peace of mind in an emergency or somewhere dry to tack up (if it’s close enough!)

 

[Theocat]

It sounds like an expensive solution, especially as it won't add value - you'd be better paying a "B and B" fee at a local stable for those few nights you need it.

 

[Evie91]

I once used a rug repairer who had stables in his garden, used to walk the horses through the garage around the corner to their field! That house was a semi I think. He said it saved a fortune but they were there the whole time.
Personally not sure I would- would worry too much about pony being on its own, muck removal could be a palaver, the finances may not add up as to how much it would cost and how much you’d use it! Plus assuming you’d still pay at wherever the pony usually lives, so you may double the cost?
Last horse was on livery five mins away - hacking distance. I said a few times I wanted to bring her home for a week or so but the faff of actually doing it outweighed the novelty factor!

 

[Red-1]

If the farmer is agreeable, why not?

As far as I am aware you don't need permission for a stable in the garden. You would have to think about muck removal, drainage etc.

I would not personally pay a lot for a posh version, as the farmer could remove permission, or pony could be anxious, or neighbours could complain, but if one could be purchased cheaply than kick on!

 

[Meredith]

30 years ago I had a stable with a pen round it in the middle of our large garden. I led the pony through a narrow path beside the garage. I rented a field 15 minutes walk away. We had to get building regs for the stable not planning. I don’t know if the rules have changed though. Muck removing wasn’t a problem. Neighbours came and barrowed it away!

 

[DD]

Yes we have done it in the Peak district Natinal Park ! planning permission is not needed for a stable " in the curtilage of the house" ie the garden. they would give us pp in the field so this is how we got around it. Buildings regs didn't aply as it was a distance ( cant remember how far something like 3 meters) from the side of the house. friend who built in their garden needed to comply with building regs due to proximity). Also I bought a couple of arabs once from a breeder who had the stables in her back garden. souns horrendous but it wasn't, it was a lovely set up a few stables very small turn out area and then the house. horse was led through the front garden and little hand gate onto the road for me to try. the seller complained to me that as soon as there was any decent grass on the grass verges to graze the council came and mowed them! she rented fields nearby for her mares with foals at foot and youngstock. Anyway manure disposal was via a very large trailer parked in the front of the house under the dining room window. local farmer took it away and emptied it when it was full. I loved that place it was my dream home. Large property in the middle of North Ferriby. Gorgeous.

 

[rabatsa]

I once delivered hay to a place where we went in the front door and out the back with each bale. They said that the muck did the route in reverse.

 

[MissTyc]

I had an outbuilding attached to a house that we converted into a beautiful stable. My pony often came to spend weekends at home in the summer. He didn't seem to mind being alone for a few days, though we did have a pet goat who normally lived in the stable who would stay with him when he was home. It was a big garden, so manure wasn't really an issue as we spread it around the bushes and roses. He was never home long to build up a muck heap and was a clean boy in the stable.

 

[Widgeon]

I once delivered hay to a place where we went in the front door and out the back with each bale. They said that the muck did the route in reverse.

Oh my word...I have rabbits in that set up (i.e. no side gate, everything has to go through the house) and lugging bales of hay through and trugs of waste bedding back out is a PITA. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like with a horse. After about a week I think I would have to tether it on the grass verge at the front!!

 

[teddypops]

I once delivered hay to a place where we went in the front door and out the back with each bale. They said that the muck did the route in reverse.

How did they get the horses in & out? Through the house as well?

 

[The Trooper]

How did they get the horses in & out? Through the house as well?

Unless it was only stored in the back garden?

 

[PapaverFollis]

As long as they meet certain requirements, distance from house, distance from boundaries related to height of the building, no special restrictions in the area/by laws etc you don't need planning permission for a stable. You can keep a horse/horses "for the enjoyment of the dwelling house". I've known several people with stables in the garden and fields nearby. At the most suburban one of those muck was bagged in one colour bag and wet bedding in another. They were tied up and stored in a closed trailer until they were taken away. She used top quality rubber mats and apsolute minimum bedding. They were the cleanest stables ever and basically in a garage! The other places were more rural and the muck heap was in open trailers which were regularly removed.

 

[Hallo2012]

ive got 2 stables and a hay shed in my garden, albeit there is vehicle access through some double gates and field access is other side of garden so not too faffy. House is semi detached.

to get big bale hay to the shed my hay man tips them off the flat bed on to a wheeled frame in the drive and wheels them along the pedestrian path or if they are small bales we reverse through the gate and carry across the lawn (and then i sweep the lawn because i am THAT OCD!)

i think it very much depends on your pony, one of mine would be happy alone, would squeeze down a tight path, would settle on the lawn and would be perfectly happy playing my little pony. The other would not and it would be a nightmare.

again if the pony is neat and tidy and you could muck out in to a trug and tip that in to a builders bag for disposal it would work fine-so it wouldn't work with a big messy wet horse, only smaller neater ponies i should think.

 

[Baby_Belle]

Thank you so much for all your reply - lots of points I hadn't thought of great to hear its worked in practice for some of you.