Renting your own land

[Flamingomumma]

Hi land and yards etc are very rare in my next of the woods, let alone on our doorstep. We have the opportunity to rent a small pocket of land with stables about a 2 min car/10 min walk away from our home. The price is pretty reasonable and we would be able to use one of the outbuildings as a bit of a workshop for my OH. HOWEVER I have never had to maintain my own land before as always had DIY livery or assisted. I was just wondering how hard/stressful this is likely to be? It is in good condition and we don’t need to do any work, but it’s more the maintenance. It’s not something I’ve had to worry about before, other than moving the electrical fence 🙈

It’s not particularly onerous. Dealing with thistles, nettles and other weeds is probably the worst
You will probably need some sort of insurance though and for it to be clear what you are responsible for maintaining and what the owner is responsible for.
If there is piped water to the site on a trough connection direct from the mains there’ll be a water bill.

How big is it and how many horses will be on it

About 4 acres and two small ponies.

I think you’ll have too much grass but don’t let that put you off. Get someone to cut it and bale it for hay. Either use it yourself or sell it.

Do you know what the field is like in winter / heavy rain ?
If it gets waterlogged it could be a real pain - no turning out , no or poor grass next year, filthy ponies !
I agree with pp 4 acres is a lot could you share it with a couple more horses either all in one field or build a fence to split it.

Who will be responsible for repairs to the fence , stables and out buildings ?
What about electric and water bills ?

I actually think 4 acres is fine. Smaller electric fenced area for summer then standing hay for winter. You can never have too much in winter and it will save having a huge hay bill too.

I second the standing hay idea, in that hot summer of 2018 I did that with my sheep. The long grass shaded the bases and trapped what little dew there was, the sheep were never fatter!
Getting someone in to make hay on very small acreages is generally a nightmare and not really cost effective.
I'd go for it but run a track system in spring/summer with the middle as standing hay.
If there's no water on site though I would run a mile, carting it is an absolute nightmare. Check what freelance holiday cover people are around too, the emergency check/feed/bring in that most DIY livery people would do for each other in an emergency is sorely missed when you don't have it!

What kind of land? Clay? Does it drain well?

@Heyha I agree with you, I have no water but collect water off roofs - need to check these are clean and have efficient gutters and delivery system ideally into a trough. I also have a small bowser as a back up. Although I do get help at times when it's your land its all on you and no one else would be there and notice anything etc. Also check plan for muck - is there a heap and collection? Any fencing will be expensive and hardstanding so check what the expectations are there as to whose responsibility it is. How would one horse be on its own if needed- can they see others and be mindful of security. That said there is lots to enjoy and as long as owner is sane all yard politics gone. I prefer it but am happy to incur capital costs as own it which makes things easier. If need to get hedges cut etc then I would be looking around for contractors to help. If everything is genuinely without need for maintenance and not many hedges and all accessible that will hugely reduce costs. It does sound like a lovely option but in terms of obligations that is what I would consider

Thank you everyone for comments. We have spoken at length today and decided that it’s not for us. I love the idea of us having our own little sanctuary but then we felt that it could be quite isolating and as there aren’t any other yards nearby could be quite lonely with hacking etc. we also felt that us being on our own, rather than a yard, would be quite a lot of hassle if we ever had other responsibilities that day, whereas at livery we could help each other out.

It's a shame it won't work for you , is there no option to share it with someone else even if it means building another stable ?

Yes I'd go for it if i were you, as long as the conditions are right. I've got my own place here with my horses as home, but also long term rent an independent ten acre yard to a friend of mine that she does with as she wishes. She loves it

I have about 4 acres at home. Two horses. It's fine - it's two separate paddocks so I rest one and graze one a few times a year. We top, weedkill butter cups and poo pick.