Wind Turbines/ Wind Farms - your experiences/views appreciated

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Cobbytype

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I'm canvassing for your opinions please. We have 2 large scale applications for windfarms going through the planning process at the moment. Both wind farms are situated very close to bridleways - in particular, 2 turbines (126m high) will be less than 200m from the bridleways. If both applications are passed, we will have no bridleways locally that are free from turbines. This is of concern to the local equestrian community.

Do any of you have personal experience of how horses behave when very close to turbines?
 
I wouldnt worry too much, the Conservative government have pretty much put a stop to onshore wind developments in England so planning is bound not to go through, Apologies if you are in Scotland!
 
I've ridden past turbines in the past - they were probably a distance of a few hundred meters away, but they were BIG - after the first mooch/gawp going past, none of the horses flickered an eyelid at them, and they haven't had any issues with them since, as far as I'm aware. I'll add that this is in Scotland. They make a strangely comforting noise I find - almost sends me to sleep :redface3:
 
Spooky horse just ignored them. Personally I think there are better things to be worried about than some wind turbines being put up.
 
We have 3 on one route. You pass 5 metres from the bottom of them. Horses don't care one bit.
Potentially have another 12 going up, all 100m high!
 
Never had a problem with them and once the spookier horses have seen them they have all ignored them. if the rider treats them as if there is nothing to worry about the horses rarely react
 
No issues at all when we had the horses close to a big farm. Mares foaled, horses schooled, no problems at all. Don't worry about it.
 
Several turbines around here, although the windfarms are too far away to be within hacking distance. The only one that has ever caused a problem is the very small one which isn't much bigger than a child's toy, because it causes flickering shadows which have been known to worry the Appaloosa. The Draft horse was very interested when we passed one turbine being delivered in three pieces, on a huge vehicle with a tractor running up and down.

If the horses are worried it's because the riders are worried imo.
 
wench said:
Spooky horse just ignored them. Personally I think there are better things to be worried about than some wind turbines being put up.
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This.
Such as where our energy is going to come from once we run out of oil and gas, or when it becomes too expensive (or impossible) to import it from outside of the UK. Or such as the environmental impact of not switching to renewable energy. To me, that's more important to me than a bridleway. I'd give up every bridleway in the entire of England if it meant we switched to renewables!
 
Wood green animal shelter has had a medium sized one for 20+ years. When they used to have the horse shows you would be virtually stood underneath it and I have never seen one horse or pony react to it. The bigger ones are just so huge that I would imagine that they would only see the base which basically would look like a wall, I out of curiosity walked right up to one and didn't here a thing.
My opinion is excess CO2 will eventually to a virtually dead planet with no views to look at. Windmill with a box at the base will only spoil view( subjective I like them) for as long as they exist, like the mills, pit heads and slag heaps that went before them.
 
I have a particularly spooky horse and we ride past 2 turbines frequently. The first time I rode past them I was so surprised that he wasn't bothered in the slightest. He's not even bothered when it's really windy.
 
Ned took offence to them at first, and I'm almost convinced they're what made him bolt/tank off with me. But I stupidly cantered away from them, so I'm sure he thought they were chasing him! He still keeps an eye on them, but isn't scared any more :) I'm sure your horses will get used to them, even if they're a bit of an eye sore!
 
A couple of our organised rides pass right close to a local wind farm:
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We stick it on the risk assessment, but tbh the horses are far more likely to spook at the tractors and trailers that make heavy use of that bit of track.

I know some people have issues with the noise, but IME horses ain't too bothered.
 
There is evidence of some horses having problems with them and there are also dangers to horse riders during the construction stages if access to the site or the site itself is close to routes used by horse riders and carriage drivers.
I have been involved in the consultation stages of wind turbine planning applications so if you would like a copy of the letter that I use them E-mail me on peter.natt@btinternet.com. and I will send it to you (Do not p.m. me).
Also if you have any concerns also contact your local BHS access officer (again I can provide you with their details if you let me know where you are Town and County).
 
We have just had some turbines erected near us. My only worry was meeting a convoy of the parts coming in. Three very long lorries, police outriders, and their own escort vehicles, plus all the traffic coming through after being held up. Much too much for my pony to cope with. I contacted the constuction company and they were very helpful, they emailed me every time a convoy was due. I then knew which days/times I could go out. My house was on the route, and I could not avoid them by going another way. It only lasted a few weeks, most of the construction time was spent on getting the foundations done, that took many months.
 
I hack past a couple regularly and our hunt passes through a wind farm a few times a year, even having a port stop right by the turbines. They generally don't cause problems. If anything the small domestic one is worst as it can be very noisy on a windy day. The horses generally have a bit of a look the first couple of times and are then fine.
 
Never had a problem with them, we ride right by them whenever we hack. It is just a matter of getting the horses used to them like any other hazard :)
 
never had a problem with them-the only time my old horse balked at one (and he was 10 before he even saw one) was one very sunny day when it was going quite fast-the shadows it cast at speed made him a bit warier than usual but thats to be expected. Agreed that construction period is probably more of a worry.
 
TheSylv007 said:
We have one on a bridleway near us, its a big one and is causing issues. One rider who had a hat cam on had real problems (have a look at the link to the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHKT1aem2G4 we are having issues reported. The noise is the most surprising thing and I suspect it may be this which causes the problems on breezy days.
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Slightly off topic but interestingly enough the response of that horse is identical to how mare my behaves and we don't get very close to the turbines at all, they are four miles out at sea. She used to be fine on that track but from the day they started putting them up we have had this problem to the point I now cannot hack that route with her as she has not improved and just gets more and more fraught to the point of trying to bolt for home.
 
Never had a problem, in fact i have one in the field, not mine (i wish) but the landowners, the horses graze right up to it and fall asleep under it.

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Never had trouble with the industrial scale ones either and have hacked right up to them. Like anything new, a tiny percentage of horses will take exception, but that’s the same be it a new fencepost or a new turbine. I used to work in the renewable industry and it’s shocking the amount of hatred for wind turbines, people will choose far away coal and oil and nuclear over a wind turbine near them. I despair for us and our energy needs with that negative attitude. We will happily agree with so much funding and subsidies for EDF to build Hinkley and Sizewell but we’ll protest and scream and cry if someone wants to put a wind farm up near us. It’s madness. I would have one in every field and village if I could and i’d burn every copy of the damned telegraph or kick every anti-renewables ukip candidate and those bent on denying climate change. I love wind turbines and think it's utterly shameful that we have a government that hates them.

If you’re interested here’s a fab video of one ladies experiences living with horses and wind farms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enAGa4rnq-s
 
MissMoo said:
Slightly off topic but interestingly enough the response of that horse is identical to how mare my behaves and we don't get very close to the turbines at all, they are four miles out at sea. She used to be fine on that track but from the day they started putting them up we have had this problem to the point I now cannot hack that route with her as she has not improved and just gets more and more fraught to the point of trying to bolt for home.
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I think when you are right beneath them the noise is much less. Oddly it seems that there is an optimum distance and when you're in the right spot they are incredibly noisy. I was really surprised when I went to have a look. This one is quite threatening as it appears on the brow of the hill and horses don't seem to be able to process what it is. I think any horse would get used to them if they were living close to them all the time, I guess its the ones who don't who might struggle. The flicker and shadows from that one are quite bad as well. If they'd just shifted it a bit, I don't think there would have been a problem.
 
TheSylv007 said:
I think when you are right beneath them the noise is much less. Oddly it seems that there is an optimum distance and when you're in the right spot they are incredibly noisy. I was really surprised when I went to have a look. This one is quite threatening as it appears on the brow of the hill and horses don't seem to be able to process what it is. I think any horse would get used to them if they were living close to them all the time, I guess its the ones who don't who might struggle. The flicker and shadows from that one are quite bad as well. If they'd just shifted it a bit, I don't think there would have been a problem.
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it's interesting the language you choose to use, perhaps the rider viewing it as 'threatening' also transfers to the horse? Also I agree they can get used to anything but that would imply they had trouble in the beginning, I literally turned mine out in the field with one and they ignored it from day one. I never had a period of getting used to.

I'd love if someone did a proper peer reviewed study of riders perception/horse reaction and how much one can bias the other with regards to something like a turbine. It really does seem like the majority don't have an issue. but then that's horses isn't it, there's always exceptions with these silly animals :-)
 
Molasses said:
it's interesting the language you choose to use, perhaps the rider viewing it as 'threatening' also transfers to the horse? Also I agree they can get used to anything but that would imply they had trouble in the beginning, I literally turned mine out in the field with one and they ignored it from day one. I never had a period of getting used to.

I'd love if someone did a proper peer reviewed study of riders perception/horse reaction and how much one can bias the other with regards to something like a turbine. It really does seem like the majority don't have an issue. but then that's horses isn't it, there's always exceptions with these silly animals :-)
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Sorry, I meant that horses seem to find it threatening! There seems to be such a mixed bag of reactions, a good study would be great, it would some stats regarding accidents, problems etc.
 
We had 8 of the tallest turbines in England built in the fields behind my yard a couple of years ago. Caused no problems at all. Have hacked right by some on a sponsored ride too, really close to them and even my highly special pony didn't bother at all with them. I live really close to them and they don't worry me at all. So try not to worry too much.
 
TheSylv007 said:
I think when you are right beneath them the noise is much less. Oddly it seems that there is an optimum distance and when you're in the right spot they are incredibly noisy.
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I agree with you entirely re the noise as I do feel that is what causes the problem with my mare, she is incredibly sensitive to noise (more so when in season funnily enough), some days she will stand in the corner of the field staring in their direction and some days I am sure I can hear them too.

Molasses said:
it's interesting the language you choose to use, perhaps the rider viewing it as 'threatening' also transfers to the horse?
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To a large extend I agree with you, however I can ride my other mare on the same route with no issues at all. You are right, it would be lovely if a 'proper' study was carried out, I always wonder what effect the ones out at sea have on the sea bed/fish etc?
 
PeterNatt said:
There is evidence of some horses having problems with them and there are also dangers to horse riders during the construction stages if access to the site or the site itself is close to routes used by horse riders and carriage drivers.
I have been involved in the consultation stages of wind turbine planning applications so if you would like a copy of the letter that I use them E-mail me on peter.natt@btinternet.com. and I will send it to you (Do not p.m. me).
Also if you have any concerns also contact your local BHS access officer (again I can provide you with their details if you let me know where you are Town and County).
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Many thanks Peter. Alas, there was no consultation by the power company with the BHS/equestrian community at consultation stage. But we did contact our regional BHS access officer (once we became aware), who was excellent and put forward representations from the local Riding for the Disabled school, as well as general concerns regarding the construction stage and further beyond.

Also, thank you to everyone else who has taken the time to give their views/experiences - please keep them coming.
 
We have two in the planning stage at the moment, most concern is with the construction phase as the access routes are only wide enough for the wagons and there's nowhere for horse riders to escape to... being quoted as being one wagon every 5 minutes so its basically going to ruin all routes for the local riders.
 
Hi, mine has reacted twice, both times when we boxed to a venue and there they were, but after a few minutes watching them go round they were consigned to the "not interesting" bin and work commenced.

Out hacking I meet one very like the one in the video, again my horse needed time to stand and process, once he had he strolled on by and has not bothered to look again since then. If I had tried to push him past while he was processing he would have had a problem, but with time to process he just accepted it.

I also agree that they are only as scary as a plastic bag flapping in a hedge, a cyclist partially concealed behind a hedge, kids on noisy toys, lawnmowers etc etc etc! Again, given time to look and process he will walk past all of them too, and once he has seen them in a few places they are accepted anywhere.
 
Molasses said:
I used to work in the renewable industry and it’s shocking the amount of hatred for wind turbines, people will choose far away coal and oil and nuclear over a wind turbine near them. I despair for us and our energy needs with that negative attitude. We will happily agree with so much funding and subsidies for EDF to build Hinkley and Sizewell but we’ll protest and scream and cry if someone wants to put a wind farm up near us. It’s madness. I would have one in every field and village if I could and i’d burn every copy of the damned telegraph or kick every anti-renewables ukip candidate and those bent on denying climate change. I love wind turbines and think it's utterly shameful that we have a government that hates them.
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I like wind turbines, they don't bother me at all. Though it seems that Essex has gone down the solar panel route, with acres upon acres taken up with them. Sadly that means that a lot of arable and pasture land has been lost because, unlike wind turbines, you can't do a ruddy thing around the solar panels. It would be interesting to know which creates the most energy.
 
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