[TracyC]

Hi all
Does anyone know how the single farm payment scheme works relating to this: a farmer has told us he has 4 acres of unused land that we'd be able to graze our horses on. We've offered to rent or buy the land off him and he's said he's going to check the land useage restrictions for the single farm payment scheme. Does anyone know what these may be? I'm trying not to get too excited about it all only to be told it's not an option. Although we haven't talked prices yet .. so that may put a stop to it anyway.
Thank you all

[greenbeast]

grazing is agricultural not equine, so might not affect anything adversely

[juliem]

He probably has an agent who sorts out the farm payments for him and it will be their advice he would refer to.
There are complications about grazing pasture namely controling weeds/paperwork/......the single farm payment is compensation for grazing in a environmentally responsible manner.Is the field suitable to be grazed through the winter by horses?

[Buttermilk]

Just grazing is an agricultural occupation, however if you put so much as a pole down in the field then its use stops being agricultural and becomes recreational.

[greenbeast]

Just grazing is an agricultural occupation, however if you put so much as a pole down in the field then its use stops being agricultural and becomes recreational.

a pole? is this some horsey term i'm not familiar with

[Womble]

So grazing horses can count as agricultural?  I'm surprised.

I'm also surprised that it would pass the test for the land being 'actively farmed'.  Shoot me down by all means, but doesn't it go against the spirit of the regs somewhat?

[greenbeast]

So grazing horses can count as agricultural?  I'm surprised.

Yes they can, but you can't take hard food out to them, and probably other such stipulations

[harmony]

Just grazing is an agricultural occupation, however if you put so much as a pole down in the field then its use stops being agricultural and becomes recreational.

You can put up jumps but for no more than 28 days.

[greenbeast]

Just grazing is an agricultural occupation, however if you put so much as a pole down in the field then its use stops being agricultural and becomes recreational.

You can put up jumps but for no more than 28 days.

Presumably that means you can ride them as well then?
That's handy for us, looking to get our cobs broken next year

[juliem]

A grazing licence would be required.....the farmer must have the land at his disposal.

[Buttermilk]

We were told no jumps ever and no riding in the grazing fields, but we could ride the headlands of the arable crops as long as it was not down as set aside.

[pharnorth]

We run some sheep with our horses and the SFP people didn't seem fussed by that. But we never got a payment as they took the area of for everything they could to say it was below the required size. I didn't think SFP was the same as the weird ambiguous planning status of horses. I.e. Grazing is grazing for SFP. Some of the responses above seem to relate to the very variable planning approaches across the country and as far as I know aren't SFP requirements? 

[greenbeast]

We run some sheep with our horses and the SFP people didn't seem fussed by that. But we never got a payment as they took the area of for everything they could to say it was below the required size. I didn't think SFP was the same as the weird ambiguous planning status of horses. I.e. Grazing is grazing for SFP. Some of the responses above seem to relate to the very variable planning approaches across the country and as far as I know aren't SFP requirements?

Good point, i'm coming at this from a planning POV

[harmony]

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/562030/BPS_2016_scheme_rules_v2.pdf

[juliem]

I use to rent out some land to horses and claim single farm payment...but did it with a grazing licence from April to Sept and wouldn't rent out during the winter as they  caused too much damage to the fields . The single farm payment is only £90 per year and what a farmer can claim in renting out grazing for horses far exceeds the single farm payment....but farmers want a quiet life..
Personally I wouldn't have horses on my fields...they do too much damage .I once rented out to a couple who split up and started a dispute about who owned the 2 horses .It was a complete nightmare to sort out No matter how much money you can make the hassle renting out grazing for horses ...is not worth it. Sheep are a lot less complicated. I've had horses that have killed large trees but eating all the bark round the trunk...heartbreaking.