Any Other Broke Horse Owners Out There? (merged)

nadnad

hey ho horse lovers.
i haven't ridden for a while but i am about to start building my own house which is set on 2 acres of lovely land surrounded by other fields. i know that it is recommended to have an acre per horse plus an acre. when i move i shall holefully be buying my first horse, and i intend to rent 3-4 acreas. i have been told by the farmer who owns the land that it is £75 per acre per year so £300 per year, i thought this was excellant (i dont know what anyone else pays but i assume thats good). i also intend to build a stable at the back of our house, and we have room to have a small arena. i intend to either buy a donkey for company possibly a shetland - does anyone have real experience of how they get on?

Debt_Free_Chick

Re all suggestions about renting a field, buying land etc etc ....

Remember, that the land MUST have the appropriate "use" - check with the planning authority. Agricultural land cannot generally be used for equestrian purposes and requires an application for change of use.

Similarly, construction of stables/shelters will almost certainly need planning permission and, possibly, compliance with drainage restrictions to ensure that waste water does not flow into the main water course.

It really is not as simple as "renting field" and sticking a horse in it - check the designated use for the field and talk to the local planning authority.

HTH

Debt_Free_Chick

nadnad wrote:

i also intend to build a stable at the back of our house, and we have room to have a small arena. i intend to either buy a donkey for company possibly a shetland - does anyone have real experience of how they get on?

Before you make any plans, you should check with the local planning authority. You will almost certainly need planning permission to build a stable and you may also need to apply for change of use for the land. Land that is to be used for residential purposes will not automatically be approved for keeping/housing animals of any description. And if you live in a rural area, you might find that any land approved for residential use also has an agricultural tie (and agricultural is not the same as equestrian).

So .... a call to the local planning authority before you make any expensive plans

HTH

cornerclose

I fully agree with Debt_Free_Chick on this one, and this along with the problems of field maintenance is one of the main things that makes me stick to livery yards. Remember you can get DIY livery fairly cheaply if you have the time to look after your horse.
With regard to donkeys and shetlands, I have some experience of both.
Donkeys can be very strong and wilful, they can be extremely noisy and some horses (my mare included) are terrified of them. They can live happily with horses but many horse owners don't like them because they can carry lungworm.
Shetland ponies look very sweet but they are intelligent and can easily get the better of you. They are also surprisingly strong and great escape artists. On the plus side, they are very hardy and don't need much to eat.
If you are planning on keeping one horse and one pony, give some thought as to what you will do with the pony while you are riding his companion.

nadnad

i live in northern ireland and so the planning laws are slightly different. I am aware that i will need planning permission for a stable - as i am building my own house - this isn't a problem - i can get that with no difficulty. as for change of use for the land - well this i have never heard of - indeed neither has anyone i have asked - most people up there are farmers and have horses and there has been no distinction as to which exact fields are used for the horses and which for the cattle or sheep. the farmer i would be leasing off has let to other horse owners before and certainly never mentioned any problem in this regard. perhaps its something that exists but is not adhered to - or maybe it doesnt exist in NI at all - i've looked about on various internet sites and haven't come up with anything. also the land that I am building on is set in a 15 acre field of which I will own 2 acres there are no houses within sight to the back or left and right, so the land around me is not "residential" nor never will be - the farmer couldn't get planning permission. it is highly unlikely i will have any problems being allowed to house animals. so all that said i will hopefully be carrying on with my ambition to have my own horse, i have since been told that goats make excellant companions for horses - although i'm not sure about this!

nadnad

i just found this website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/horses/topics/planning.htm which states the following:
Need for planning permission
Planning permission is not needed for the use of land for the purposes of 'agriculture'. The definition of agriculture in section 336 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 includes the breeding and keeping of livestock and the use of land as grazing land. Livestock has been held to relate only to livestock bred or kept for agricultural purposes. Land can be said to be used for grazing if horses are turned onto it with a view to feeding them from it, but not if they are kept on it for some other purpose (such as exercise or recreation), when grazing is seen as completely incidental and inevitable. Planning permission is normally required for the use of land for keeping horses and for equestrian activities, unless they are kept as livestock or the land is used for grazing.

so surely that means you can graze a horse without planning permission - they only seem to require planning permision if you are using the land for exercise or recreation. (Which i will be as well - but I'll worry about that later) as long as I can graze the horse without a problem then I'm happy.

Jay-Jay_4

The best companion for a horse is..... another horse. Unfortunately that means leaving one behind when you go out and that's why so many of us end up with three :rolleyes:

Obviously it's extra expense but it makes for a much happier animal. Is there someone who would be willing to keep their horse on your land? or someone who maybe has outgrown their pony but doesn't want to sell it?

We advertised for a field companion/childrens pony and were offered one for nothing on permanent loan (we didn't accept as we wanted to buy something and own it outright).

They are a herd animal and they do get very lonely on their own. There's a pony in a field near us that is alone 24/7 and just stands at his gate all day

iwanttosave_2

Dont start all this I'm getting one soon and trying to convince OH there not expecive (i will have same set up as jay-jay)

nadnad

my mates sister has three horses and would like to keep them closer to home - she mentioned going in with me - it would mean getting a lot more land - but maybe it would be worth it.

Debt_Free_Chick

nadnad wrote:

so surely that means you can graze a horse without planning permission - they only seem to require planning permision if you are using the land for exercise or recreation. (Which i will be as well - but I'll worry about that later) as long as I can graze the horse without a problem then I'm happy.

But you may need planning permission for a stable or shelter. Best simply to call your local planning authority.