The Tethering of Horses on Anlaby Common

The fields in certain areas are a natural wetland and the area as a whole acts as a flood plain for the local area. The wet open spaces provide ideal breeding grounds for the multitude of house martins that build their nests using the mud from the fields in spring. Frogs, toads and newts also breed in the dykes and wetlands that intersect the fields, deer and fawn have also been sighted in the last few years and foxes are regularly seen strolling across the fields too.

One of the most endearing features of the common are the horses and ponies that graze the fields; the foals born each year are a delight to children and adults that can be seen feeding carrots and apples along the fence on Hull Road. An active and successful natural and semi-wild breeding programme is in place with stallions that are changed yearly to prevent interbreeding and therefore creating a healthy livestock. The advantage of the naturel ‘harem’ model of breeding is that the mares may ‘settle’ (achieve pregnancy) more easily and readily. As part of the husbandry of the livestock the stallions can at times be seen tethered in the fields to graze. This is done to both maintain the health of the stallions and to prevent them from trying to subdivide the herd of mares into their own individual harems. Tethering allows for the natural herd hierarchy to be established and maintained.

The owners regularly check the horses and foals for health and injuries, that food and water is available and provided additionally if necessary and that the boundaries are intact and safe. They also check for numbers of horses and foals and also so that the tethered stallions can be moved to fresh grazing.

Both the natural features of the Common and the horses provide rare examples of outstanding natural beauty throughout all the seasons in the landscape of Anlaby and Anlaby Common.