Cheap unfertilized grazing wanted in East of England

Jo Corfield

New Member
Large acreage wanted for unique naturally kept herd of horses and ponies, working with the land, conservation and the environment. Preferably secured with fencing and with water. Suffolk, Norfolk, The East.
 

Jo Corfield

New Member
Thank you. I do know horses get a bad reputation when it comes to managing land. This is because too many are kept on small areas. With enough acreage, Horses/ponies work fantastically with the conservation of a well managed piece of land. A hillside, set aside conservation area or moorlands. Seeing Horses as a wild herd. So large is as big as is logistically possible. loosevin Thetford forest would be perfect.
 

Dry Rot

Member
Livestock Farmer
My understanding from a chat with the RPA a couple of years ago, was Horses = No BPS

Whenever a civil servant makes an emphatic statement like that, get him to put it in writing and state his references!;)

From Google: "The definition of agriculture makes clear that it includes "any creature kept for the production of food, wool, skins or fur or for the purpose of its use in the farming of land". So, horses kept for environmental management could indeed be argued as being agricultural rather than amenity, so shouldn't affect BPS (but it might do!:rolleyes:). Keeping horses for hire or reward, for breeding and for competition, riding schools and trekking centres, probably no BPS.

The lawyers would love this one!
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
Whenever a civil servant makes an emphatic statement like that, get him to put it in writing and state his references!;)

From Google: "The definition of agriculture makes clear that it includes "any creature kept for the production of food, wool, skins or fur or for the purpose of its use in the farming of land". So, horses kept for environmental management could indeed be argued as being agricultural rather than amenity, so shouldn't affect BPS (but it might do!:rolleyes:). Keeping horses for hire or reward, for breeding and for competition, riding schools and trekking centres, probably no BPS.

The lawyers would love this one!

Your final para. is why most farmers will walk away from anything equine when BPS is being mentioned!! :-D....

I was at a conference 2-3 years ago and the keynote speaker from the CLA had great fun describing when a horse enterprise was agricultural! A finishing unit was probably the only one with any real hope of being called agricultural in a "discussion" with an RPA inspector. As you could well imagine, that idea went down a storm with the horsey set at the meeting! :D

I would require confirmation along the lines you describe in your first para. before I was happy that "environmental management" was agriculture, and that BPS could be claimed....
 
Whenever a civil servant makes an emphatic statement like that, get him to put it in writing and state his references!;)

From Google: "The definition of agriculture makes clear that it includes "any creature kept for the production of food, wool, skins or fur or for the purpose of its use in the farming of land". So, horses kept for environmental management could indeed be argued as being agricultural rather than amenity, so shouldn't affect BPS (but it might do!:rolleyes:). Keeping horses for hire or reward, for breeding and for competition, riding schools and trekking centres, probably no BPS.

The lawyers would love this one!
It is simple if you ask them - if the horses are used for anything other than food , land management or draught then no subsidy. Ie riding or therapy etc is not an agricultural activity.
Fine line
 

Dry Rot

Member
Livestock Farmer
It is simple if you ask them - if the horses are used for anything other than food , land management or draught then no subsidy. Ie riding or therapy etc is not an agricultural activity.
Fine line

Yes, a fine line.

Traditionally, Shetlands, Highlands, and Clydesdale have been considered to be "livestock" (which in this context means agricultural livestock) in Scotland. There are even grants for providing stabling for them under crofting law!

I believe the test is whether feed has to be bought in, plus the "amenity" test which you mention. Amenity = trekking, riding schools, showing, racing, etc.

Whether the horses kept by the OP could be considered to be "improving the land" (stop laughing, you lot!:)) would be an interesting topic for an agricultural lawyer and how far the RPA would want to fight it!
 

curlietailz

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Sedgefield
According to the BSP 2018 guidance booklet.....
"For BPS, a ‘farmer’ is a person/group of people, or a business that does at least one of the following on their holding:

  • produces, rears or grows agricultural products – including harvesting, milking, breeding animals and keeping animals for farming purposes

  • keeps some land in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation by keeping it clear of any scrub that can’t be grazed (sometimes known as ‘dense scrub’)

    For BPS, these are known as an ‘agricultural activity’. "

 

curlietailz

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Sedgefield
Good idea that the OP has..... but it will be nigh on impossible to find "cheap" grazing, well fenced & watered anywhere , especially the "South" for a large group of horses.
There may be people wanting to let farms out, but they sure wont be "cheap".
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 77 43.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 62 35.0%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 28 15.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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