Stubble fields, bale jumping - tresspass

[Silvermiyazawa]

Not sure if it has been mentioned but jumping bales with strings intact is massively dangerous. I used to love harvest time when I lived at home (farm) and had permission to ride in the stubble, rarely galloped though (unless the horse had other ideas) the going was often a bit dodgy.

 

[skint1]

Yes, my observations lead me to think it wouldn't be that safe to gallop, it's quite stony in most of the stubble fields I have been in (this is my first year really riding in stubble fields). The edges seem to be the best place to be. We only ride in stubble fields belonging to our farmer and his neighbours.

 

[Orangehorse]

Well, as a farmer it might make you grind your teeth a bit, but if it is just a stubble field they can't really do any damage. They might damage their horse though. Ruts, uneven ground, holes, stones, soft/hard patches.
Not really a good idea to jump bales.

If I take my horse for a canter across a stubble field I am VERY careful of where I go, I certainly don't just let rip blindly.

 

[Sunshine]

IMO it is ignorant, self-centred and provokes resentment of horse riders to charge through some one else's property without permission. Locally we have a large livery yard whose clients seem to consider any, and every, unfenced field to be fair game for galloping through, no matter what time of year or stage of crop growth. Over summer we rollocked them for blasting through standing crops on several occasions.

Back in the day we were always allowed to use fields belonging to neighbouring farmers as it was a much closer community and the farmers and YO talked to each other regularly so we were told when a field was 'open' or 'closed'. Mind you, our YO also had sufficient acreage that we could use the 20 acre hayfield after it was cut and baled until the first frosts. A lot of livery yards don't have the facility now due to numbers of stock and smaller acreage.

 

[MileAMinute]

There are loads of fields around me to potentially ride in - however, I have no clue who the farmer is so no way of asking.

I do have a tricky situ though, there is a bridle path that leads down into one of the stubble fields. I have gone down it a couple of times, and just followed in the tractor's path. If I was stopped I'd apologise and explain about reaching the bridleway. The only access is through this field. I do make sure that I follow in the tractor path and not ride on any potential crops.

 

[skint1]

Sunshine That's pretty much how it is with our YO, I would be mortified if I rode in a field where I was not meant to be or if I caused damage to someone's livelihood through my carelessness.

 

[Ditchjumper2]

We have permission from our local famer to ride round his grass margins as long as we keep crop side. I would not dream of riding on them otherwise. We also ride on his stubble - which is not undersown. When it is wet I try to not ride the same area twice if I take out more than 1 horse out of respect to his land.

The tracks are so good for getting and maintaining fitness for hunting I would be lost without them. I do take round bottle/chocs at regular intervals to show my appreciation.

Run to Earth - agree about the round bales. Having known a horse who broke his neck when being jumped over one by a friend is something I will never forget...and I was not even there.

 

[tankgirl1]

I think I may just be a bit naive, but I would never dream of straying off the bridlepath unless I had consent! I did when I was a teenager, and it makes me cringe to think we galloped through hay fields

 

[dafthoss]

I guess I'm lucky that the only bridle way I have access to goes right through a crop field. Legitimately though, it's mown regularly to keep the path and signed. So I did blast up that the other day, along the path. Sadly I don't know the farmer or I'd ask if I could ride in the rest of it.

As for jumping bales, I'd love to but the unfixed portable thing just doesn't make it worth the risk for me.

 

[Spring Feather]

So a ploughed field is really obviously ploughed, a tilled field is pretty obviously tilled (both just look like mud to start with!) but a field which has been direct drilled will look mostly like a field of standing stubble so is a lot less obvious as a no-go

I'd say a no-till field that has been direct drilled is fairly obvious; it certainly is to all farming families and I don't think it would take a rocket scientist to work out that the field has been seed drilled as the stubble from the previous crop is scarred and flattened.

 

[twiggy2]

I'd say a no-till field that has been direct drilled is fairly obvious; it certainly is to all farming families and I don't think it would take a rocket scientist to work out that the field has been seed drilled as the stubble from the previous crop is scarred and flattened.

I agree

 

[Fii]

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.

I replied to the bale jumping thread on fb and also told the person the stubble could have been underplanted so in fact she COULD have been doing damage and she chose to ignore my comment!

 

[Fii]

Erm, I've had a look through this thread and I can't find anyone saying it's okay for them to ride around other peoples land. There's a couple saying they can't see the harm (but not saying the do it) and one saying they have a friend that does it (but she doesn't ride with the friend when they do), lots saying they have permission to do it and some Scottish bods saying something like England is so flipping backward about these things, some of us saying don't say people are moronic if they don't know or don't ask because they don't know about direct drilling, there's a few farmer types who say their farmer other halves would be really quite cross but I honestly can't find anyone saying "I gallop willy nilly across stubble fields because it's fun and why shouldn't I". I suppose I could have missed that.

The whole point of the post was that someone on fb was saying
that they gallop around stubble fields and jump bales without permission!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

How can they find out about it if its what Donald Rumsfield would call an unknown unkown? You need a frame of reference before you can reserch something. I'd just stick to bridleways so its not necessary to know about direct drilling, or which tracks farmers are actually getting massive subsidies for provided I dont canter along them.

My point is that is not moronic not to know about direct drilling or subsidies and set-aside, as Blurr said its a lack of knowladge. I'm not stupid because I know very little about, say, mineral wealth in Kazakstan, I'm just ignorant in that particuler area.

They don't need to know about direct drilling, or about anything else actually. All they need to know is that the land belongs to someone else and that they don't have permission to ride on it. If they ask the farmer he will tell them anything else that they need to know.

 

[Jesstickle]

I'd say a no-till field that has been direct drilled is fairly obvious; it certainly is to all farming families and I don't think it would take a rocket scientist to work out that the field has been seed drilled as the stubble from the previous crop is scarred and flattened.

You'd think wouldn't you? I can certainly tell the difference but I've had more than one person tell me it is stubble and fine to ride on :eek3:

And I live in the Angles so we have a lot of arable framing so plenty of chance to get you eye in too!

 

[Mince Pie]

Out of interest how do you go about finding your local farmer?

 

[Clava]

Out of interest how do you go about finding your local farmer?

Ask around at local houses, people often know who owns local land, I know I do or someone I could ask.

I also agree that drilled stubble is easy to spot, as we have permission to ride some stubble it is obvious once it has been drilled, but it doesn't affect us much as we can stick to the headlands which is better going anyway.

 

[Ibblebibble]

I am amazed at the number of people who feel that it is ok for them to ride on other peoples property How would these people feel if someone just came onto their property for a gallop round the horses field while the horses were in the stable? Or came and sat in your kitchen as it was raining outside and they didn't want to get wet? If the land is owned by someone then you have no right (in england and wales) to access it, unless it has a PROW across it. Some riders attitude to the rest of the world leaves me breathless tbh!

totally agree!!

 

[ChiffChaff]

They don't need to know about direct drilling, or about anything else actually. All they need to know is that the land belongs to someone else and that they don't have permission to ride on it. If they ask the farmer he will tell them anything else that they need to know.

I'd never heard of direct drilling until this thread, I couldn't tell you what the difference between tilling and ploughing is, and would have absolutely NO idea where to find the local farmer (there are arable fields near me, never seen a farmhouse though!!)

I'd never go on someone else's land though. That's just manners and common sense, you don't need to be a country bumpkin to know that! Plus tbh around here (Essex/East London border) you'd probably just get shot!! I'd be too worried about the ground as well, it doesn't exactly look like fun stuff to run about on...

 

[bonny]

Just having a trip down memory lane here.....When I was young I lived in a village in East Anglia, surrounded by arable fields....There was a bridle way next to my house that went through 100's of acres of crops and come this time of year most fields were stubble......we rode on them all, had races, jumped bales (they were all small in those days!) and within a couple of weeks they were all ploughed up and we went back to riding elsewhere......nobody ever said not to and it certainly didn't cross our minds not to......I appreciate what some are saying about direct drilling but that's a very small amount of land, the vast majority of it has combines, tractors and trailers driving all over it and is then ploughed up. We live on a small, overcrowded island where alot of riders have to mainly hack on roads, I think everyone for a couple of days/weeks should be free to ride on stubble .....live and let live !!

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

Just having a trip down memory lane here.....When I was young I lived in a village in East Anglia, surrounded by arable fields....There was a bridle way next to my house that went through 100's of acres of crops and come this time of year most fields were stubble......we rode on them all, had races, jumped bales (they were all small in those days!) and within a couple of weeks they were all ploughed up and we went back to riding elsewhere......nobody ever said not to and it certainly didn't cross our minds not to......I appreciate what some are saying about direct drilling but that's a very small amount of land, the vast majority of it has combines, tractors and trailers driving all over it and is then ploughed up. We live on a small, overcrowded island where alot of riders have to mainly hack on roads, I think everyone for a couple of days/weeks should be free to ride on stubble .....live and let live !!

I think this might be where the issue lies (aside from the general lack of respect now). There was probably a point in which many people rode across stubble fields, and even across headlands and the farmers didn't 'mind' because people were more aware of the farming diary, and generally had more respect for people and their land.

I am lucky that we have stubble fields to ride on - this year will be the shortest time we have had them because of the late harvest. We are also doubly lucky in that some of them are on very light soil so rarely hard. That said, even though I know these fields well, I try very hard not to hooley as you never know how busy the rabbits or foxes have been.

got to love a stubble field - this one I call the 9f as its not far off it all the way round:

And we ride on the potato fields

 

[jrp204]

..I appreciate what some are saying about direct drilling but that's a very small amount of land, the vast majority of it has combines, tractors and trailers driving all over it and is then ploughed up. We live on a small, overcrowded island where alot of riders have to mainly hack on roads, I think everyone for a couple of days/weeks should be free to ride on stubble .....live and let live !!

Live and let live? Having a horse is a luxury, you know when you buy a horse what land you own and where you can ride it. Farmers fields are their business and it is up to them if they allow access onto them. By all means ask to ride on stubble but if it is refused respect that and move on. It is not a farmers fault you have to ride on the road.

 

[twiggy2]

It was not long ago on here that a post was put on about staying of the roads during harvest as the farmers have a short window of opportunity to get the harvest in and earn their living.

I earn the majority of my living working with horses, I have to hack out on the roads, currently I have to lead one out on the roads after injury, I have set times during the day/year that I am required to do this, I do not expect everyone to stay off the roads during those times. I will and do always allow a tractor right of way when needed/possible, I will not and do not move a steady horse of the road for a tractor or trot away from one-I feel that both those things instil in a horse that a tractor/similar is something to be feared and fled from if it is done often enough.

So now we are saying stay of the roads for the farmers/stay of the stubble fields for the farmers, now I dont disagree with the later and feel asking permission is the best way forward but if farmers want us off the roads and out of the way when it suits their working conditions then maybe they can return the favour by allowing riders on their fields when they are stubble without having to search them out to ask permission-another point is that it is very hard to find a farmer whilst they are so busy-I know I married one they are never at home this time of year.

so I agree with a previous poster live and let live-most farmers I know appreciate riders that are respectful of the land, we are early warning systems of sick animals/pikies/loose animals/damaged crops/joy riding and hare coursing so as a rider I feel that I offer the farmers a good return for riding round the edge of a crop field, it is not all a one way gainfor me.

 

[Clodagh]

When I was a child I also rode on all the stubble, but my family knew everyone so I was lucky.
My OH has never said no to anyone who asks, the problem lies in them that don't ask and then decide that once it is ploughed to ride on the ELS strips instead. As I am not allowed to ride on them I get peed off when other people churn them up. Yes we get subsidies, but so does anyone who works in - for example - the vehicle manufacturing industry. Anyone who works for a council, or for government, is living on taxpayers money.

 

[webble]

I wouldnt want to ride on stubble. Its very uneven has occassional deep holes in and stones and sometimes small rocks too

 

[twiggy2]

When I was a child I also rode on all the stubble, but my family knew everyone so I was lucky.
My OH has never said no to anyone who asks, the problem lies in them that don't ask and then decide that once it is ploughed to ride on the ELS strips instead. As I am not allowed to ride on them I get peed off when other people churn them up. Yes we get subsidies, but so does anyone who works in - for example - the vehicle manufacturing industry. Anyone who works for a council, or for government, is living on taxpayers money.

I think it is crazy that in order to get their payment no-one can ride on the strips, i can understand not wanting constant traffic but the best way to get close to wildlife is on horse back as they create little disturbance, I suppose to a large extent the subsidies regulations have been responsible for creating a divide between horse riders and farmers.

 

[Clodagh]

Absolutely, it is mad, what harm will a horse do to wildlife, really! But it is a lot of money and their decision is final.

 

[twiggy2]

But it is a lot of money and their decision is final.

yes it is what keeps a lot of farmers a float but bummer though, a lot of the farmers I know are happy for me to ride round the fields as long as if I am asked if I have permission I say no!!!

 

[RunToEarth]

......I appreciate what some are saying about direct drilling but that's a very small amount of land, the vast majority of it has combines, tractors and trailers driving all over it and is then ploughed up. We live on a small, overcrowded island where alot of riders have to mainly hack on roads, I think everyone for a couple of days/weeks should be free to ride on stubble .....live and let live !!

I can appriciate that direct drilling used to be a fairly rare sight, but it isn't anymore, at least not around us, and I would hazard a guess that most rape this year is being direct drilled or disced in. I appriciate that not everyone can tell when it has been cultivated, but ignorance is no excuse.

I don't take the view of "live and let live" horses are a lifestyle you have chosen, and I believe if you want to stay off the roads and jolly on the fields you should buy/rent your own. Just because you have a horse should not give you god given right to tramp where you like.

 

[JoannaC]

Over our way some of the fields have notices on which say we can ride in them for this time only but not once the gates are shut and notices gone. This was a few years ago so not sure if they still do this but it was great. ~Wouldn't dream of going in the fields otherwise but thought it was a really nice idea.