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.
should not - as long as the land is kept in good agricultural condition - though i do know a stables near me got fined their BPS due to keeping horses outwinter on clay so poached up and caused run off into a stream.How would horses affect BPS/subsidy? Assuming they are not agricultural animals.....
How would horses affect BPS/subsidy? Assuming they are not agricultural animals.....
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.
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!). 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.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!). 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