Those with electricity pylons in their field.. cautionary tale

[ester]

We have three pylons in the field, 2 within the post and rail boundary which we fence of from the horses with leccy tape. Last time we saw the electricity company was in the summer when they duly squashed some of our hay and played about with pretty coloured smoke bombs trying to find the fault.

Yesterday they turned up to tell us they had been testing and the pylon in the middle of the field was live (I can't get how a wooden post is live so I assume they perhaps meant the metal tensioner/support maybe?) and commented that it was a good job we had the ponies fenced off of it .

We then had 6 vehicles (!) driving across to the middle of the field, we are hoping that they haven't made too much of a mess as the field was partly frozen (though soft enough for me to have ridden) but it was dark when they finished so we won't be able to look until later and apparently they might compensate if they have wrecked it and we need to reseed (its the hay field again!) don't know if anyone has any experience of this?

Anyway at least none of us were electrocuted but it might be advisable to fence them off if you have them and don't already.

 

[MissChaos]

Er, eek! Glad nothing worse came of it. We've got metal tensioners (the metal braids helping hold it in the ground - is that right?! ) in our field fenced off already bc mine kept trying to rub on them. Hope you get compensation for any loss or mess - at least the company are making the right noises themselves so far...

 

[Mare Stare]

We've got a pylon in our field.

Last year it was faulty and blew up! There was a flash of light, a shower of sparks and a massive BOOM!

Beau was right underneath it at the time. Silly pony. He spooks at benches and drains but when there's an explosion that could harm him he just stands there and looks at it!

The company have been out and fixed it since, and they put a fence up around it.

 

[Shazzababs]

Not a pylon, but my mum has a mobile phone Ariel in her field.

She is on heavy clay, and she wrote to the company via her solicitors to inform them that they could only have vehicular access between the months of November and May if they laid down a hardcore road & turning area.

She now has a lovely road going up her field, which conveniently goes right past her stables which are halfway up the hill on the way to the Ariel (access is from the bottom).

I realise you won't want a permanent road across your hay field, but it shows you can get them to do things\compensate you.

 

[scarymare]

I live in rural Aberdeenshire and have a pylon. You can only imagine my pure horror when a helicopter hovered to inspect it (at about 30 feet). Well I think that's what they were doing. As there were horses in the field I immediately rang the airport to report the low flying incident. Didn't get anywhere and I'm still not sure that was it but suspect so. Horses bovered? No

 

[Jesstickle]

we have a big metal pylon in one of our fields (aptly named the pylon field!) To the best of my knowledge no one checks it ever!

It hums alot when it is damp

 

[Rowreach]

We have a massive power line that runs across the corner of the farm and I've found the electric people to be really polite, really sensible, and very ready to compensate or do anything to make access better all round. They come out every year to trim trees and always clear up their mess/leave us with firewood ready chopped We get the helicopters flying the line as well, and it never seems to bother the cattle or the horses. The sheep do tend to scatter though

 

[Fahrenheit]

When we moved in here one of my horses ran into one of the stays and cut their leg to the bone, we rang the compnay and they have been and fenced all the stays and pylons at their expense and they come and repair the fencing when we ring up and say they are damaged, even tho its my horses that have damaged them.

 

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

Do you own your land, and do you charge the company who owns the pylons rental?

Most people aren't aware that landowners are entitled to charge rental for pylons on their land. Also, if their engineers cause damage to your property, during their maintenance, which leaves you out of pocket, ie ground repair, you can send them a bill -We do

 

[Kaylum]

When they made a mess of our field our YO got compensation for the damage.

 

[kerilli]

Er, eek! Glad nothing worse came of it. We've got metal tensioners (the metal braids helping hold it in the ground - is that right?! ) in our field fenced off already bc mine kept trying to rub on them. Hope you get compensation for any loss or mess - at least the company are making the right noises themselves so far...

re: the metal 'braid' ropes - please please fence these off.

many years ago a friend lost a youngster when it rubbed its face on the braid, got its headcollar caught on the bit where the braid is braided back in and ends, and hanged itself...

OP, sounds like a lucky escape!

 

[MissChaos]

May not have been clear enough (nightmare morning) - they were indeed fenced off pretty sharpish. Your poor friend

 

[kerilli]

May not have been clear enough (nightmare morning) - they were indeed fenced off pretty sharpish. Your poor friend

Sorry, my comment wasn't aimed at you, it was just general.

 

[MissChaos]

No worries. They are pretty vile.

 

[ester]

Yes land is family owned and we do get rent for them afaik. Shazz no, as you have seen field isn't really big enough to fit a road in too! We never really thought about it when we post and railed the field initially, as I would have preferred to have fenced them off properly but we just didn't think it through/know exactly how we would use the field then. As it is our two are very respectful of the leccy fence. My concern has always been injuries with the braid ropes which we only have on one (not the one effected this time) as I guessed they would slice quite nicely .

 

[Fahrenheit]

Do you own your land, and do you charge the company who owns the pylons rental?

Most people aren't aware that landowners are entitled to charge rental for pylons on their land. Also, if their engineers cause damage to your property, during their maintenance, which leaves you out of pocket, ie ground repair, you can send them a bill -We do

Wasn't sure if you were asking me, but we own our land, get paid rental for the pylons and they fence them with post and rail at their expense, i think everyone with pylons should look into getting them fenced the damage the stays can cause is horrendous.

 

[ossy]

I know of this situation all to well, I had a horse killed by a live pylon in the field my horse was in. It was a mare will foal at foot, the foal survived but as the mare had metal shoes they helped conduct the electricity more. The horse was on livery and I was a teenager having a frist foal (unplanned) and sent my mare to what I though was a reputable stud. Always always have these fenced off by at least 1.5m all the way round as depending on the serverity of the problem the pylon doesn;t just become live but the ground surrounding it as well.

 

[OWLIE185]

There are a number of different pylons from the wooden ones to the metal ones (several different sizes and shapes).
The electricity suppliers will regularly check the wooden posts and lines to ensure that they are o.k. and that no trees or bushes are growing anywheer near them in which case they will get their contractors to trim them back.
The metal pylons and cables are normally checked by a helicopter at least once a year. Sometimes the pylons will be serviced and repainted and also the cables may be replaced about every 15 years. When this is done the contractors will require access to them.
If the land supporting the wooden poles or pylons was not sold to the electricity supply companies then the landowner will receive an annual payment.

It is best practice to enure that poles, supports and pylons are fenced off with wooden post and rail fencing rather than metal fencing just in case their is a fault.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

at old yard the electricity company wanted to renew the lines so YO managed to get them to agree to put them underground instead. I would def fence off - just not worth the risk and it doesnt take too much money/materials.

 

[Tinsel Trouble]

You are able to claim compensation for loss or damage to your field. They will have caused this damage driving over to the pylon. Send them a letter and ask for £50...

 

[Mince Pie]

We've got a pylon in our field.

Last year it was faulty and blew up! There was a flash of light, a shower of sparks and a massive BOOM!

Beau was right underneath it at the time. Silly pony. He spooks at benches and drains but when there's an explosion that could harm him he just stands there and looks at it!

The company have been out and fixed it since, and they put a fence up around it.

LOL, sounds like something my cob would do

When we moved in here one of my horses ran into one of the stays and cut their leg to the bone, we rang the compnay and they have been and fenced all the stays and pylons at their expense and they come and repair the fencing when we ring up and say they are damaged, even tho its my horses that have damaged them.

Sorry but IMO that isn't on. Fair play to the company for installing the fence in the first place but I think you should be responsible for the repairs if your horses damage the fence.

 

[Merlin11]

I don't have a pylon in our fields but we have the cables over a corner of one field. Pylons are in neighbouring fields. We had to have some trees cut back that were getting too close to the cables. I make it clear to Scottish power that they need to let us know in advance if they are coming to do anything so as not to scare the horses. So far they have stuck by this. It is our land after all although sometimes I think they think they have rights beyond what they really have. They claimed this at one point but were unable to produce anything in writing.

 

[Fahrenheit]

LOL, sounds like something my cob would do



Sorry but IMO that isn't on. Fair play to the company for installing the fence in the first place but I think you should be responsible for the repairs if your horses damage the fence.

Not really, if they are installing fencing to make their pylons safe, then its their responsibilty to keep the fencing stock proof, just the same as I have to make sure my boundary fencing is stock proof. That being said I often do the running repairs, as I know they come round roughly the same time every year to do the maintenance and we get on really well.

Tho I do think more people with pylons on their land should make sure the companies are fencing and maintaining them as they should be, at the end of the day its the companies responsibilty to keep them as safe as possible and thats for humans and animals sake!

 

[Fahrenheit]

I don't have a pylon in our fields but we have the cables over a corner of one field. Pylons are in neighbouring fields. We had to have some trees cut back that were getting too close to the cables. I make it clear to Scottish power that they need to let us know in advance if they are coming to do anything so as not to scare the horses. So far they have stuck by this. It is our land after all although sometimes I think they think they have rights beyond what they really have. They claimed this at one point but were unable to produce anything in writing.

We had this but with the drainage people, they appeared in a field of foals one day without any warning with massive equipment to clear the brook of debis and weeds, they then dumped it onto our land... they now ring us the week before so we know when to expect them and keep that field empty and have a tractor and trailer waiting so the cr*p doesn't get put on the fields for the animals to eat.