Horse Grazing Paddocks

The Parks Trust’s property portfolio includes 45 permanent paddocks and five temporary paddocks throughout the city. 40 of these paddocks are used to graze horses and/or ponies only. License agreements are charged per space (1 space = one horse or pony).

Our paddocks vary in size, where there are multiple paddocks in one area, these are typically leased under one license as pairs or groups where the overall size or ground conditions throughout the year require rotational grazing to manage the land effectively. Most paddocks are within easy riding distance of the bridleway network.

Our paddocks are usually at full capacity. If you wish to express an interest in becoming a tenant, please email ops.support@theparkstrust.com or phone 01908 233600.

We use the remaining paddocks that we care for to host dog training sessions. For further information about horse paddocks, please refer to our FAQs below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are your paddocks located?

Our paddocks are located predominantly throughout the Ouzel Valley and Loughton Valley Park linear parks, Great Linford and Caldecotte Brook.
I’m new to owning horses, can I rent a paddock?

As our paddocks are managed differently from a traditional livery experience, we do request that individuals have a minimum of 6 months at a livery and/or equivalent experience before taking on one of our paddocks, to ensure our tenants are comfortable managing a paddock independently.
Can I ride my horse in the paddock?

No - paddocks are for grazing purposes only and should not be used for riding.

There are plenty of bridleways across Milton Keynes which can be found on our horseriding page if you intend on riding your horse.
My pony is only small, can I have a reduced rate?

Our prices are per grazing pony/horse. We do not give discounts for smaller ponies.
Can I share a paddock?

Unfortunately, we have now made the decision to not allow new tenants to share paddocks and understand this is going to be disappointing for some. We are honouring agreements that are already in place for current tenants.
Can I put signs up in the paddock?

We understand you may wish to put signs up to discourage feeding by members of the public or promote any social media pages. We ask that you seek approval from us prior to erecting any signs so we can ensure wording is appropriate.

As a reminder, any electric fencing used within the paddock must have appropriate and sufficient warning signs put up, in accordance with any guidelines issued by the Health and Safety Executive or other relevant organisations.
Can I have a Donkey in the paddock?

We do not accept Donkeys into our paddocks as they bray and are known to be noisier, which may cause disturbances to neighbours. Our paddocks are generally close to neighbouring properties.
Can I have hay bales in the paddock?

We do not permit hay bales to be used as this encourages poaching. The use of hay nets however is welcomed. Straw and hay is not to be stored in the paddock or field shelter.
Do we offer topping / harrowing services?

Yes - to help our tenants manage the grazing areas more effectively, we offer the additional perk of having applicable paddocks harrowed in early Spring. Topping of the paddocks is important as it encourages new growth, promotes a thicker turf and helps keep weeds at bay.

Furthermore, we offer to top the paddocks twice a year around June and September. We do not remove cut grass after topping and recommend that tenants keep horses off the topped areas until the cuttings have dried out completely. After this point, the cut area is safe to graze.
What happens with manure?

Field shelters should be mucked out daily and manure would need to be removed from the licensed area at least once a week as this controls parasitic worms that can affect horses and ponies. It is the tenants’ responsibility to regularly remove the manure from the paddock and dispose of appropriately. Manure should not be left on adjoining land.

Some tenants have contacts at allotments that come and collect the manure. Some post on gardening groups to let them know there is manure available to collect, and others have made arrangements with private landowners.
Can I put woodchip in the gateways?

We do not allow the use of woodchip as when this decomposes, it adds to the accumulation of mud, resulting in worsening ground conditions around gateways and shelters.