The family are the owners of Grasscroft Farm on Babbington Lane in Kimberley where the lease is owned by 90-year-old Terry Anthony.
His horses and those of his granddaughters are currently kept in fields around the farm.
But the family says it has been told by Broxtowe Council that, while Mr Anthony’s three horses can be kept in the fields because he is the designated owner of the land, his grandaughters and great-granddaughters’ horses can’t.
The family says they have now been given six weeks to move the horses off the land.
Chloe Anthony, one of Mr Anthony’s granddaughters, said: “We moved up here two years ago from our old place at Brinsley where we’d had horses for more than 40 years and we bought Grasscroft to perhaps run it as a livery yard as well as farming.
"That was the original plan but we found out last year that we had an enforcement action served on us because of the horses because we didn’t have planning permission for the fields to be used for horses and the business with it.
"We applied for planning permission for stables, a menage and livery over 26 acres but it got rejected so that plan stopped and we only had our own personal horses here.
"But now we’ve been told that, even though our Grandpa owns the farm, me and my sister can’t keep our horses here because it’s not got planning permission for equestrian use.
"But it’s our family’s land but we’ve been told we can’t keep our own horses on our own family’s land and we’ve been told not to bother applying again because it won’t pass.
"So now we’ve got several horses and nowhere to take them and four of mine are old horses, in their 20s and they would have to be put to sleep as it stands because I can’t sell them.
"It’s just devastating, I’ve got eight horses including my son’s and daughters’ ponies and they’ll be heartbroken if I have to get rid of them too.”
Chloe said the council have told her the land is designated for agricultural use rather than for keeping livestock on and they had not got the planning permission to change that.
She continued: “They (the council) when we first started doing this, suggested getting some cattle to comply with the regulations and we’ve tried to keep our side of the bargain but the council have done nothing in return and I’m just so stressed about what I’m going to do with these animals."
A council spokesperson said: "The lawful use of the land is agricultural not equestrian.
"There is no permission for horses to be kept on the land.
"This is an ongoing enforcement case so we are unable to comment any further."