Putting A Stable In Your Garden

If you have the land available, putting a stable or paddock in your back garden can be an excellent option for horse ownership and many a horse lovers dream scenario. With your pet onsite, it means no early morning visits to the livery yard, no third-party stable servicing costs and no sharing of facilities with other people. You can design the perfect environment for your horse with as much customisation as you want.

However, before you put up your own stable or block in the back of your garden or private field, there are a number of considerations to take into account.

Applying For Planning Permission

Before you erect a new stable, you need to check with your local planning department whether your proposed building fits within the permitted development criteria. This set of requirements usually relates to the height, size and position of the new building in relation to other existing buildings on the land and any nearby public highways.

Normally, planning departments view the placement of home-built stables as less of a planning issue than commercial livery yards, so application is usually quite straightforward. However, you must always check with the authorities first and explain exactly what it is you propose to do, before forking out on any expense or materials for the build.

For more information, you can contact your local planning authority through the following website: Planning Portal

Easy Access To Bridleways

Unless you have a large paddock space to exercise your horse in, it is worth checking whether there are any decent bridle ways in your area. A bridleway, or bridle path, is a trail that is suitable for people riding on horses. They are free for public use and motor vehicles cannot go on them, making them a calm and safe place to ride. Cyclists are permitted to use bridle ways as well, however, they are obliged to give way to horse riders.

Having some good bridleways close by is important for varying your horse’s exercise and also giving you some interesting places to ride to. Making your horse walk long distances on public roads is not pleasant and can be frustrating to other road users, so check out whether there is somewhere you can go only a short ride away. A map of the country’s public bridleways can be found on this website – Bridleway Map.

For more information about bridleways, where to submit new routes and where to find riding partners check out the following website – Bridleways

Choosing Your Stable

Once you have determined whether building a stable on your own property is a viable option, you need to decide what and how you are going to build it. There are a number of questions to ask, but this is a fun process!

Do you eventually plan on keeping more than one horse? If so, do you have the space available to expand your stable block? Do you want to build the stables yourself, or have a third-party company do it for you? Are going to create separate units to keep tack, feed and hay, or is there another facility on site to store equipment? Do you need to lay concrete foundations to put the new building on? If so, have you calculated that into your costs?

The process of building a stable yard on your own land is an extremely enjoyable and rewarding experience. Why not use Colt’s stable design feature to create a ground plan for your ideal setup. We have the experience to help with any questions you might have and provide guidance relating to questions about planning permission.