Grazing and Stabling Agreements
The documents here cater for various situations where horses use land for grazing or are kept in stables.
Depending on the circumstances, the landowner and horse owner may need to use a Grazing Licence, a Private Grazing Lease, a Farm Business Tenancy Agreement, a Business Lease or a Livery Agreement. Templates of all these agreements can be found here. The notes on each document page give examples of when it might be appropriate to use the document.
The documents comply with relevant statutory law including the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 and the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.
- Licence to use Land for Grazing Animals
- Grazing Lease for Private, Non-Commercial Use
- Grazing Farm Business Tenancy Agreement (Longer Term)
- Grazing Farm Business Tenancy Agreement (Term up to 2 Years)
- Landlord’s Notice to Farm Business Tenant under Section 1(4)
- Farm Business Tenant’s Notice to Landlord under Section 1(4)
- Business Lease for Livery Yard or Horse Riding School
- Guidance on Exclusion of Security of Tenure
- Landlord’s Notice for Exclusion of Security of Tenure
- Simple Declaration by Tenant Regarding Security of Tenure
- Statutory Declaration by Tenant Regarding Security of Tenure
- Livery Agreement between Livery Yard and Horse Owner
Grazing and Stabling Agreements is part of Property. Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Property for 1 year.
Frequently Asked Questions
I want to let someone graze horses on my field. What agreement do I use?
For a short, non-exclusive arrangement a grazing licence is usual: it gives permission to graze without handing over the land, so no tenancy arises. If the horse owner needs exclusive use for a period you are into a private grazing lease, a business lease or a farm business tenancy. This folder holds all of these so you can match the document to how much control you are giving up.
What is the difference between a grazing agreement and a livery agreement?
A grazing agreement is about the land: it lets the horse owner turn horses out to graze. A livery agreement is about a service: the yard keeps and cares for the horse, from simple grass livery to full livery with feeding and mucking out. Livery is normally a licence or contract for services rather than a lease, because the owner is buying care, not exclusive land.
Will a grazing agreement give the horse owner the right to stay on my land?
Not if it is set up correctly. A short grazing agreement, limited to grazing or mowing for a set period of less than a year, falls outside the security of tenure in the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986. Recreational horse grazing is usually not agricultural, so it also sits outside the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995. The main risk is granting exclusive possession for a term, which can create a tenancy. Use a clear licence, keep it short and avoid giving exclusive use.
Is land I let for horse grazing treated as an agricultural tenancy?
It depends on why the horses are there. Agriculture covers grazing by livestock kept as part of a farming or breeding business, which can fall under the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 as a farm business tenancy. Horses grazed for recreation, livery or a riding school are not agricultural, so that land sits outside both the 1995 Act and the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 and is governed by your contract. Confirm the use before choosing the template.