Stubble fields, bale jumping - tresspass

[Enfys]

I was reading a thread yesterday on a FB group from someone who was admitting that she snuck on to stubble fields for a bit of a hooley and to jump bales and that if she had been caught she'd just have played dumb.

I am talking South of the Border here, not Scotland where I know things are different.

So, is it OK to just sneak into fields for a gallop?

Should farmers have to lock up their land to stop horse riders?

Opinions, as landowners and/or riders...

 

[ihatework]

As a rider, oh so tempting
As I landowner I suspect oh so rage-inducing!!

What is wrong with a rider popping over to a farm, bottle in hand, and asking for temporary access before the field is re-sown?

 

[pansymouse]

It's not OK to ride on someone's land without permission and if I was a farmer I would lock riders out. If you take the trouble to ask, lots of farmers will let you have blatt on their stubble but if they say no or you haven't asked, stay off. In my view it's that black and white.

 

[Enfys]

Visions of a stubble field owning farmer with shelves laden with whisky bottles

 

[kathantoinette]

Courtesy to ask always. Also they in some areas they do sow the next crop directly into stubble and you might not realise its already sown as it still looks like stubble (obvs. if the bales are still in the field this is not the case). I live with a farmer and ride on our bit of land - would never ride on the neighbors land even if it was just alongside the road.

 

[bonny]

I think people get too worked up over this issue, when I lived in England, many years ago I never thought twice about riding on stubble fields. They are only around for a couple of weeks or so and I can't remember anyone ever thinking why we shouldn't. Now I live in Scotland and it's all much more sensible and farmers still farm, still get their subsidies and no one I have ever heard of has fallen in a drain......live and let live !

 

[Annagain]

I long for a stubble field to 'have a blatt' in - with permission of course! They don't grow many crops round my way, so no chance unfortunately. It's all cattle and sheep.

 

[DJ]

It's not OK to ride on someone's land without permission and if I was a farmer I would lock riders out. If you take the trouble to ask, lots of farmers will let you have blatt on their stubble but if they say no or you haven't asked, stay off. In my view it's that black and white.

^^^ This, i always ask permission first. Most farmers are lovely and will say yes. If you don`t ask then it`s downright disrespectful IMHO.

 

[LeannePip]

I can imagine it is very annoying for the land owners and i know alot near us get it an awful lot where people trespass but i think in my area we are past the point of popping round with a bottle :/ i moved to a new area and follwed instuctions to get to a bridle way through a crop field when i got there there was just a sign on the gate that said 'bridle way' i went through the gate an turned right up a track round the outside of the field this track was no different to the track that lead straight ahead and there was no sign with arroqws or anything it was a very wide grassy verge around the field so im just wandering round get to a small incline pop into a sedate canter, a fittening sort of canter not a full blown hooly to then be screamed at by who i can only guess to be the farmers wife about thes not beinh the bl**dy bridle way ect ect if she catches me on her fields again i'll have more than her to answer to it upset me a bit, but she didnt know i didnt know where i was going there was no signs and it wasnt as if i was galloping across the actual crop bit. i appologised and turned around at a walk and followed the other track, but from teh reaction i got i wouldnt like to go round and ask to ride which is a shame

 

[Capriole]

I wouldn't go on someones land without asking, as I know it would **** me off if it was my land people were galloping about and trespassing on. I think it's rude for a start, but can also be damaging if there are direct drilled crops already in.

Stubble fields don't appeal to me anyway, so it's a moot point, but I just wouldn't.

 

[Clava]

I have permission to ride several stubble fields, but they are often stubble for only a day or so, so they are a rare treat (and we have to take great care of shooting birds which are now released)

 

[Jesstickle]

What is wrong with a rider popping over to a farm, bottle in hand, and asking for temporary access before the field is re-sown?

Quite!

I wouldn't ever ride on anything unless I knew I had permission. After all it is someone else's livelihood we are talking about.

Not relevant in this case I know as bales still down but lots of stubble (or what moronic horse riders think is stubble) is actually direct drill!

 

[twiggy2]

i dont get the fuss, i am married into a family of farm workers that have lived in the area for generations and there is only one single farmer i know of round here that would expect to be asked-but you would be lucky to get the words out before he shot you.

the rest of them dont see it as a problem as long as you are polite, give way to the tractors and stay off the fields once they are back in use

i do however know what stage the fields are at so am aware if they have been sown

 

[Shysmum]

I'm so lucky at my new yard - the farmer lets us ride over miles of his stubble fields as he knows the YO. I saw him yesterday, and approached to tell him where we are from, and is it ok, and he said he was so grateful I had.

 

[Jesstickle]

i dont get the fuss, i am married into a family of farm workers that have lived in the area for generations and there is only one single farmer i know of round here that would expect to be asked-but you would be lucky to get the words out before he shot you.

the rest of them dont see it as a problem as long as you are polite, give way to the tractors and stay off the fields once they are back in use

So they don't mind you riding on direct drill then?

I also know plenty of farmers and all of them would LIKE to be asked. Some would actually be pissed off if you didn't, some would let it slide but all prefer if you seek permission.

 

[JillA]

i dont get the fuss, i am married into a family of farm workers that have lived in the area for generations and there is only one single farmer i know of round here that would expect to be asked-but you would be lucky to get the words out before he shot you.

the rest of them dont see it as a problem as long as you are polite, give way to the tractors and stay off the fields once they are back in use

i do however know what stage the fields are at so am aware if they have been sown

Echo this - but it is incumbent on everyone who proposes riding on stubble to know and understand farming operations. If you don't cause any bother, damage any crop or get in the way there is normally no problem - it is part of the countryside community, if it is in a really rural area. Where it adjoins an urban area I suppose it is different, there is too much pressure and too many people who honestly believe fields area a big park for them to use.

 

[Blurr]

Quite!

(or what moronic horse riders think is stubble) is actually direct drill!

Bit harsh don't you think? Lack of knowledge doesn't mean you're stupid,just uninformed. Not every horse rider comes from farming stock.

 

[Nudibranch]

I wouldn't ride anywhere without permission, stubble fields or not. I don't quite understand why a small number of people seem to think it's just ok. Would they ride around a field of growing potatoes then? Or sheep and lambs? Stubble doesn't mean an automatic right of way for riders. A bit like thanking cars - it's just good manners if nothing else.

 

[Jesstickle]

Bit harsh don't you think? Lack of knowledge doesn't mean you're stupid,just uninformed. Not every horse rider comes from farming stock.

Then they should ask. Just assuming 'o it's stubble' and riding on it is pretty moronic. Stop and think for 20 seconds and realise you don't actually know for sure that all stubble is the same and then go and find out rather than charging about all over it and asking questions later.

 

[skint1]

We have a lot of stubble fields that we can ride through. I haven't been riding very long so the stubble field experience is new to me, but when I saw one up close the other day (we walked through it) I thought the stubble seemed very sharp and there were stones on the ground, big, sharp, ones. Tbh, I would rather stick to the well beaten paths round the edge of the fields where I know the ground but at the same time I don't want to miss out on the fun, Is there a correct/safe way to do it?

 

[SuperCoblet]

My dad knows most of the farmers round here, they let us in and have a gallop and a jump over some bales

 

[MotherOfChickens]

used to do it all the time as a teen in East Angular in the 80s-stubble seemed to be around for weeks back then and also on fire for some of that. wouldn't have manhandled bales though.
probably wouldn't do it now, if still in Englandshire

 

[undergroundoli]

Then they should ask. Just assuming 'o it's stubble' and riding on it is pretty moronic. Stop and think for 20 seconds and realise you don't actually know for sure that all stubble is the same and then go and find out rather than charging about all over it and asking questions later.

I disagree. People don't know it could be anything other than stubble unless they know about direct drilling. I ride with consideration for sheep, but if they aren't in the usual field I gallop up the bridalway not wondering if the is in fact a type of sheep I've never heard of and cant see on it. It wouldn't occure to most non farmering types that the could be crops hiding under something known for not being a crop. Doesn't make em stupid, anymore than it makes trespass ok.

 

[pippixox]

i keep my horses on a farm, and therefore have permission to ride around the farm, we keep to the tracks on the edges, except a few fields got flooded so have nothing on them so we go over them. however, recently i got stopped by some guys who happened to drive past at the same time as me cantering up a hay field to say did i have permission (they aren't the owner, but are paid to cut it) i explained i did, but turns out the livery yard across the road, rather than using the bridle way almost parallel to it, were also going up the field. they don't mind us using it, only about once or twice a week with a couple of horses, but a large livery yard end up causing damage and could get us banned they presume because it is such a nice field with no gate they can just use it.

 

[martlin]

I wouldn't ride anywhere without permission, stubble fields or not. I don't quite understand why a small number of people seem to think it's just ok. Would they ride around a field of growing potatoes then? Or sheep and lambs? Stubble doesn't mean an automatic right of way for riders. A bit like thanking cars - it's just good manners if nothing else.

Funny you should say that, I had somebody very offended because I wouldn't let them school in a field full of ewes and lambs...

 

[MileyMouse]

Being a farmers wife (my husband is of the same view) I would think it very rude if people just thought it was ok to go into one our fields for a gallop without asking...after all i'm sure they wouldn't like it if we rocked up to their house and let ourselves into their garden!

 

[ester]

I disagree. People don't know it could be anything other than stubble unless they know about direct drilling. I ride with consideration for sheep, but if they aren't in the usual field I gallop up the bridalway not wondering if the is in fact a type of sheep I've never heard of and cant see on it. It wouldn't occure to most non farmering types that the could be crops hiding under something known for not being a crop. Doesn't make em stupid, anymore than it makes trespass ok.

Perhaps they should take the time to find out about direct drilling if they intend on riding all over it!

 

[Quadro]

I am lucky in the fact that I am friendly with the farmer next door, who sends me a message telling me what fields are done so I can ride on them. Even though I know I can ride every where I still like to ask. It's courtesy!
Q

 

[skint1]

Perhaps they should take the time to find out about direct drilling if they intend on riding all over it!

What is direct drilling?

 

[Jesstickle]

Perhaps they should take the time to find out about direct drilling if they intend on riding all over it!

Thanks e

What I was trying to say is this-

Not knowing something is fine, but if you realise you don't know (or even worse if you just assume you do know) and you make no effort to find out and just carry on regardless, that is pretty damn stoopid.

I'm sorry, if you have a horse and you plan to ride said horse around the countryside, on fields which are not yours, and you don't come from a background where you could be reasonably expected to know such things the onus is surely on you to find out what you need to know before proceeding?!

Many horse owners seem to think they have some God given right to just go along doing their own thing and not worrying about anything or anyone else. I have no idea why but I see it all the time.