Wind turbines

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Bionic Boy

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Does anyone keep their horses near any or ride near some?

How do your horses react to them and do they get used to them like they do with everything else?
 
I ride near some (mega sized ones - make artic lorries look like mini matchbox toys) and the horses have honestly never given them a second look.
 
We've got some going up near us soon and next to a bridleway (though it's not one I use) I should imagine as it's such a gradual process installing them that horses wouldn't be bothered unless of course you move your horse to some that are already there.
I am speaking as someone whose horse nearly threw me today as a sparrow flew out the hedge..... So what would I know :)
 
There's a few we have to ride past, and my horse looked at the first one he saw and hasn't bothered since. One was lying on the floor for repair the other day - that didn't phase him either.
 
Thanks Stroppy Mare. That is good to know as we may be getting some near us.

I figured they are like everything else – small blade of grass out of place = very scary:eek:, giant wind turbine = just part of the scenery, I have a pretty level headed boy so I don’t think there will be a problem but am interested in other peoples experiences as some people have said they can be quite noisy.
 
When we came here there were no turbines. Then there was just one wind-turbine - a tiny one in someone's garden. The biggest problem with it is that it is on a corner by an awkward junction and casts a shadow on sunny days, it also seems to make a noise sometimes. That one has upset some of the horses but they soon get used to it, even the spooky Appaloosa passes it without worrying now. She still spooks at tiny windmills in garden though!
Other bigger ones have gone up and honestly not one of the horses has taken any notice of any of them. I rode past the tractor/trailer/artic combination that was delivering the one which belongs to a neighbour. I probably wouldn't have gone out that day, if I'd realised that was happening but I didn't and the mare took no notice.
Three much bigger ones are the most recent additions, we ride up the road towards them. The other day we thought that one of the horses was taking more notice than usual but then realised that what she'd seen was the stallion being driven round the field the turbine is in.

There are other turbines, slightly further away from home but on some of our hacks, no local horses take any notice that I've heard of.
 
carefreegirl said:
We've got some going up near us soon and next to a bridleway (though it's not one I use) I should imagine as it's such a gradual process installing them that horses wouldn't be bothered unless of course you move your horse to some that are already there.
I am speaking as someone whose horse nearly threw me today as a sparrow flew out the hedge..... So what would I know :)
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:) re the sparrow

We may get some near to us and I think the same about them going up gradually so they will get used to them as they are being installed.
 
There have been a few recently installed near us, the horses have not looked at them once, never mind twice! One of them is a very spooky creature and does not care about them at all.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
The other day we thought that one of the horses was taking more notice than usual but then realised that what she'd seen was the stallion being driven round the field the turbine is in.
Click to expand...

What a tart :D

Thanks all. I wasn't particularly worried but thought I would ask about - not worried about it at all now :)
 
Some horses don't worry about them but some do.
In bright sunlight the moving shadows caused by the rotating blades disturb some horses.
The low level noise can upset some horses.
In cold weather ice can form on the blades and when they rotate it is thrown off them.
During the installation and erection of them heavy machinery will use the local roads to access the site so be aware of this.
As far as riders are concerned it is of benefit to write to the planning department as soon as the planning application is put in and advise them of the routes you use so that this can be taken in to account with the conditions of the planning permission. i.e. the route will be made safe or an alternative route provided during the building process. You could ask for a new circular public right of way of bridleway/bywat status at a distance no less that 3 time the height of the wind tubines around the wind farm so that riders can be diverted well away from the wind turbines. This will give you the opportunity of a new bridleway/byway.
 
All three of mine just rode past, shadows early in morning caused one to think they were in a pole grid but nothing troublesome, esp as sun doesn't shine much in Yorkshire! Really only problems I've observed are all rider problems not horse ones. Perceive a problem and horses invariably oblige:cool:rolleyes:
 
We've just had 22 put up near us & tbh none of the horses have noticed or are bothered.


I actually like watching them & have only heard them on an extremely windy day xx
 
I rode past a large collection of huge ones a few weeks ago on the Wadebridge endurance ride (they actually use them as part of their logo). My girl had never seen one before, had to pass very close to them & never gave them a second look. They were actually a very welcome landmark as I knew I was only 5km from home when passing them. I could see them from miles away & it gave me a landmark to aim for.
 
Thanks everyone, totally convinced I have nothing to worry about now :)

PeterNatt – the plans do go near one bridleway but they have already proposed a new bridle way to compensate for it.

Azmar – ‘Really only problems I've observed are all rider problems not horse ones. Perceive a problem and horses invariably oblige’ – couldn’t agree more in so many cases.
 
We met a small one last week---but I had so much else to think about it that I don't think I even noticed it until we'd ridden past it twice. I don't think the Spooky Pony noticed it at all! :)
 
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