COTSWOLDS
CONSERVATION BOARD
POSITION STATEMENT
THE
KEEPING OF HORSES & PONIES
_____________________________
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) are designated by the
Government for the purpose of ensuring that the special qualities of the finest
landscapes in
The Cotswolds Conservation Board is the body set up by Parliament to
conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the Cotswolds AONB and increase the
awareness and understanding of the special qualities of the AONB. The Board
also has a duty to have regard to the social and economic needs of those who
live and work in the Cotswolds.
This
position statement addresses the keeping of horses in the Cotswolds and in
particular how this can be reconciled with conserving landscape quality and
character. It is intended that it will
be made use of by a wide range of individuals and organisations, from horse owners
and equine businesses to parish councils and other local authorities.
The statement takes forward
elements covered in the Cotswolds AONB Management Plan 2008 - 2013, in
particular policy LP1 and key issue DTK6, and expands on issues identified in
the Board’s Landscape Strategy and Guidelines.[1]
Policy LP1: That the
unique character, tranquillity and special qualities of the Cotswolds Landscape
are conserved and enhanced
Key issues DTK6:
Equine related activities provide valuable farm diversification opportunities.
Impacts on landscape quality and character, through new buildings, damage to
ground flora, hedges and trees, means of enclosure such as post and rail
fencing and changes in appearance of areas of land must be sensitively
controlled.
DEFINITION
For
the purposes of this Position Statement, the definition of horse includes all
types of horses, ponies and donkeys
BACKGROUND
It is estimated that within the Cotswolds
AONB around 18,000 horses are being kept
for a wide range of recreational and business purposes as well as racing. These
include casual riding, hunting, pony trekking and polo. The value to the
Cotswold economy is at least £54 million based on feed, bedding, farriery and
livery charges and the total value could easily be double[2]. With rising prosperity the number of horses being kept has grown considerably. In some cases this is having an undesirable
impact on landscape character and quality, as well as on animal welfare.
Climate change predictions for the Cotswolds
are for milder, wetter winters and drier warmer summers. Soils will be more
prone to winter poaching and grassland more susceptible to desiccation in the
summer. Consequently, pasture for horses will
have to be managed more carefully, monitored and managed.
THE
AIMS OF THIS POSITION STATEMENT
The Board wishes to
raise awareness of the impacts, both positive and negative, of keeping horses
in the Cotswolds. It seeks to identify
and promote best practice in horse husbandry in order to achieve optimum standards
for the environment, the community and the horse. The Board has identified the following key
aims:
- For
the Cotswolds landscape and environment -
To manage the land in such a way that the quality and character of
valuable Cotswold landscapes are maintained and enhanced rather that degraded,
and that the species diversity of horse pasture
is retained.
- For
the local community - To enable the Cotswold equine
industry, which is of considerable economic significance, to thrive and
grow in a way that conserves and enhances the AONB.
- For
the horse - To meet horses’ need for space
and a healthy diet containing the necessary roughage and nutrients.
- For planning authorities - To make planning
authorities aware of their powers regarding the keeping of horses, to use
those powers and take a consistent approach across the AONB by adopting
Supplementary Planning Documents based on best practice.
NEGATIVE
IMPACTS
There are a number of potential problems
associated with the keeping of horses in
sensitive landscapes, many of which are exacerbated where equine activities are
over-concentrated.
Landscape degradation - The
physical structures and paraphernalia associated with horse keeping can have a
detrimental effect on the quality of the landscape. This horsiculture clutter may include
stabling, field shelters, manéges, fencing, extensive muck heaps, inappropriate
tree planting, parking for horse boxes, lighting, schooling rings and
jumps. In particular, the increased use
of white electric tape to divide paddocks is causing visual intrusion throughout
much of the AONB. Many of these physical
structures require planning permission and are therefore under the control of a
number of different local authorities.
Councils often lack the resources to develop coordinated cross-boundary
policies.
Environmental damage – Horses are selective feeders and will tend to choose the
finer grasses and herbs, creating pastures with some areas of closely-grazed
sward and others which are rough and tussocky and in more extreme cases,
problems with invasive weeds such as thistle and dock. Without appropriate management this may
result in the permanent loss of a number of important species. Damage to pasture may occur in other
ways. Some areas may be worn completely
bare by horses rolling, fence walking or standing in groups. In wet conditions, horses may damage the
sward by trampling or ‘poaching’ the ground.
Residual veterinary pharmaceuticals can also build up in soils where
horses regularly congregate, particularly in gateways. All of these problems
are likely to be exacerbated in paddocks which are too small for the number of
horses they contain.
Trees
can also be damaged and even killed by horses that can develop the habit of
‘Crib clutching’ resulting in bark being ripped off trees. Some horses can develop a taste for the bark with
devastating effects. Recent survey work has shown this to be a particular
problem in orchards.
Horse welfare - There is an increasing tendency for horses to be kept in
individual paddocks isolated from one another, with pastures split up by
electric tape or post and rail fencing.
Preventing horses from exhibiting natural social behaviour leads to a
reduction in their welfare standards and can result in behavioural problems
such as fence walking, where the horse, out of boredom or frustration,
continuously walks around the perimeter of the fence or back and forth along
the fence wearing a rut in the ground.
BEST PRACTICE
The Board has sought
to identify best practice by drawing on the experience of local planning
officers, the British Horse Society, horse owners and equine businesses. It will continue to develop best practice
guidance in collaboration with others.
The Board makes the following recommendations:
For the landscape
- Over-concentration of horse paddocks and associated
structures in any one area should be avoided to prevent a cumulative
harmful impact on landscape character.
- Where possible, existing buildings should be used and new
stables and other structures kept to a minimum and be able to cope with
paraphernalia to prevent items being left outside.
- New structures should be carefully sited and designed
to minimize their impact on the landscape.
Wherever possible they should be located close to existing
buildings. They should be
constructed from appropriate vernacular materials and should follow the
form of the landscape, avoiding prominent skyline sites and slopes.
- Any lighting should be designed to minimise light
pollution, e.g. low level and directed downwards.
- Landscape planting should complement any existing trees
and hedges. The use of non
indigenous tree and shrub species should be avoided.
- Historic field boundaries, such as hedges, walls and
fences should be maintained or extended, and new boundaries should match
the local vernacular wherever possible.
- In some instances, hedges and dry stone walls may need
protection by fencing to prevent damage
- Jumps, fences and other equipment should be well
maintained and removed if not needed.
- Existing gates and access points should be retained if
possible, and new gates should match the local vernacular.
- Ideally, pastures should not be subdivided into small
paddocks, but where this is necessary temporary electric fencing is better
than more permanent structures.
- Dark green or brown electric fencing tape is preferable
to white, since this is just as visible to the horse and far less
intrusive in the landscape. It
should be used in conjunction with dark green or brown plastic posts,
placed closely enough together to prevent the tape from sagging
excessively.
- Historic features, including ridge and furrow, stone
troughs and stiles, should be protected from damage by equestrian uses.
For the environment
- Pastures should be carefully managed and of sufficient
size to avoid over-grazing and the loss of species diversity. If necessary, a pasture management plan
should be produced by a knowledgeable person.
- Additional or follow up grazing with sheep can help
‘tidy up’ the pasture
- Trees must be guarded to prevent their bark from being
browsed by horses which otherwise may cause fatal damage to trees.
- Areas suffering from poaching, or worn bare by horses
need to be regularly rotated or rested to allow for pasture recovery.
- Invasive weeds such as creeping thistle, ragwort and
dock must be controlled in accordance with environmental legislation.
- Wildlife rich ponds should be fenced to prevent
trampling and poaching.
- Management and location of manure heaps must be in
accordance with waste management regulations and consideration given to
the risk of pollution.
For the community
- Equestrian businesses should be located where they do
not cause disruption or inconvenience to the community.
- Direct access to the bridleway network should be
provided where possible. Where this does not exist, safe, if possible
off-road access to the public rights of way network should be provided
from places with a concentration of equestrians, ideally by the creation
of new bridleways.
- Riding on busy roads should be discouraged on safety
grounds. Where riders do not have a safe alternative to using busy roads,
efforts should be made to create safe routes by statutory or common law
means.
- Horse riders should be encouraged to use some of the
many quiet roads and lanes in the Cotswolds, particularly the old drove
roads, which have wide verges. The verges should be made safe and
unobstructed. Verge cutting should be in line with the Board’s position
statement on the Management of Roadside Verges.
- Landowners should be encouraged to provide additional
off-road riding opportunities, such as toll rides.
- Local authorities should take into account the needs of
horse riders when updating their Rights of Way Improvement Plans and where
appropriate include specific proposals
for the creation of additional bridleways and restricted byways.
For the
horse
- The horse is a herd animal and should be kept in social
groups. Horses kept on their own can adopt undesirable
behaviour, such as walking up and down fence lines which results in damage
to the pasture as well as to their own well-being.
- Horses have evolved to live under extensive grazing
systems where low quality, high fibre forage is abundant. They are
‘trickle’ feeders, naturally grazing for up to 16 hours per day, providing
a fairly continuous flow of feed through the gut. To make best use of this
feed, horses have a digestive system designed to process small, frequent,
high fibre based meals, which pass relatively rapidly through the gastrointestinal
tract, allowing the throughput of large quantities of feed. Consequently,
ideal forage for horses is provided by unfertilised species-rich pasture,
containing a wide range of grasses and herb species rich both in fibre and
minerals.
- Adequate space for animals to feed and exercise should
be provided. A minimum area of 1
hectare per full sized horse (500kg) is highly desirable.
- Pastures should be kept clear of noxious plants such as
ragwort and yew.
- Most horses require rugging or shelter in extreme
weather conditions. Shelter can be either naturally occurring or purpose
built. Some hardy breeds, such as
native ponies, are capable of living outdoors all year round.
PLANNING
REGULATIONS
In most circumstances planning
permission will be required for the keeping of horses and for the provision of
associated stables and other necessary structures. The only exceptions are the keeping horses
for use in agriculture (working horses), for grazing land and in some cases
where the keeping of horses is incidental to farming use.
There
have been a number of court cases, including Sykes v the Department of the
Environment (1981), and appeal decisions
which have upheld the view that simply turning horses out to graze land is not
a change of use. However, if the horses receive supplementary feeding on the
land, i.e. their needs cannot be met by grazing alone, there has been a change
of use to the keeping of horses on the land and therefore planning permission
is required for this change of use. Whether the horses reside in permanent
stables on the land itself is not a material consideration as to whether they
are being “kept”.
National planning policy guidance
supports the use of land for horse riding and other equestrian activities as
popular forms of recreation that can fit well with farming activities and help
to diversify rural economies.
The Board encourages local planning authorities to provide
more detailed information about development involving horses by producing
Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs), and to use their powers regarding the
keeping of horses. The Board can offer
advice and guidance to councils in the preparation of SPDs.
The Board also encourages the local planning authorities to make
full use of their powers to control inappropriate development to prevent
negative impacts on landscape character and quality
SINGLE
With the introduction of the Single
Farm Payment (
FURTHER
INFORMATION
Planning Policy
Statement 7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas, 2004, DCLG
Managing Grass for
Horses: The Responsible Owner’s Guide.
Elizabeth O’Beirne Ranelagh, J.A Allen, Equestrian Publishers
British
Horse Society website
Strategy for the
Horse Industry in
Defra
website, for information on the Single Farm Payment and Cross Compliance
Horse
Pasture Management – Frances Clayton publication
Code
of Practice for Welfare of Equines (in preparation)
IGER
Innovations Publication 6, Health Foods for Horses, 2002.
Gloucestershire
Orchards Group www.gloucestershireorchardgroup.org.uk
Mid
Cotswold Tracks and Trails Group
NOTES
The Cotswolds
Conservation Board has the statutory duty to pursue the following two purposes:
a) to conserve and enhance the natural beauty
of the AONB; and
b) to increase the understanding and enjoyment
of the special qualities of the AONB.
In
fulfilling these roles, the Board sh
This is one of a series of position statements
published by the Board which help to expand on the Board’s policies within the
Cotswolds AONB Management Plan or explain the Board’s approach to new and
emerging issues such as renewable energy, affordable housing, tranquillity, and
energy crops. All position statements can be found on the Board’s website at: http://www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk/?page=positionstatements
The
Board is comprised of members appointed by the local authorities, elected
parish council representatives and individuals appointed by the Secretary of
State. The Board, formed in December 2004, is the only organisation that looks
after the AONB as a whole.
The
Cotswolds AONB was designated in 1966 and extended in area in 1990. It is one of 40Areas of Outstanding Natural
Beauty across
For further
information contact:
Land
Management Officer,
Cotswolds
Conservation Board
Tel:
01451 862006
Fax:
01451 862001
email: mark.conn
website: www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk.