50 reasons not to have my horses at home

[coffeeandabagel]

We will shortly be moving and it looks as if we could afford land and stables - nothing grand and possibly not even a sand school. I am a bit worried I might be taking a romantic view of having them at home - I do love the ease of keeping them at a good yard even if it is DIY but the thought of seeing them in my fields and in my stables is soo tempting! Hubby is not at all handy or interested in horses, vehicles or fields. Give me 50 reasons to NOT have my own place.

 

[cobgoblin]

Nah!....I'll give you 50 reasons to have them at home if you like

 

[be positive]

I am no help, apart from being able to take a break without having to arrange a house/ horse/ dog sitter, I can't think of anything that is better than having them nearby, just about to go out to do late checks now, I am probably moving soon and top of the "must have" list is land so they stay at home, I have considered other options but after years of having them here I cannot compromise, everything else will be flexible.

 

[Spottyappy]

Another who can only give you positives of own place.
My yard is separate to where we live, though.
Going away is maybe the only down side, so do make sure you get to know a few local freelance grooms, and maybe use them once a week to "keep in" with them.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I can't think of 1 reason why you wouldn't keep them at home, I love having mine at home I never ever want to go back to having them at a livery yard.

 

[Cowpony]

You won't have any support. No holidays unless you pay somebody to look after them, and then you'll spend the whole holiday worrying about whether the person is doing things right. Ponies will get pair bonded and you'll have a nightmare taking one away. You'll have to pay somebody to repair fences, fix leaks, mend roofs......you'll have to put them on the lorry to take them to an instructor. BUT....no other liveries, no mad YOs, total freedom to do what you want when you want.

 

[Esmae]

At home everytime. Going away can be difficult unless you get organised well in advance. Do your yard and field jobs in bite sized pieces so that hubby doesn't feel abandoned. Enjoy it.

 

[yhanni]

I have one of mine in full livery now after having horses at home for years & years. I am incredibly lucky in that the livery yard I chose is wonderful and it's great not having to worry about maintaining fences, pulling ragwort, poo picking, organising hay/feed deliveries, being there for vets/farriers etc etc. I have someone to ride with, clinics to go to, folk to chat to but if the chips were down, I would still rather be able to wander out in my pyjamas and check them late at night/first thing in the morning. Not going to happen though so I make the most of it and am grateful for whatever I have.

 

[catkin]

Don't do it
a few reasons -
forget about having a nice garden - the little darlings WILL find a way in (small ponies will expand this to include the house)
they like to know everything that's going on - and if there's a chance that a human is going to use Bad Words you will practically hear the sniggers
however robust anything is they will break it - usually when you're in a hurry to catch the early train or it's pouring with rain at midnight
your social life will revolve around feeding times

we wouldn't be without ours at home..........

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Sourcing/storing your own hay/straw.
Removing the muck heap
Holidays, or lack thereof.
Need a companion, plus a companion for the companion when you want to ride.
Rotating fields.
Harrowing and fertilising fields.
Weeding/soil/grass testing.
No ménage.
No last minute call to a mate to help.
All repairs to be done by you.
No-one to ride with/share vet visit costs.

Saying that, I'm working towards this as an (eventual) goal, but the OH asked why I wouldn't just carry on using a yard. Made me think.

 

[blitznbobs]

I think my main reason would be once you've done it you can never go back - I tried and has them home again within a week I just couldn't bare the lack of control on someone else's yard

 

[asmp]

As others have said - not being able to go on holiday without a lot of organisation, plus what happens if (different if they live out) you go out for the day and may be late back? Who could you call on for an emergency to help out? Also not having experienced other liveries around for advice.

 

[Theocat]

As well as the above:

No one around to discuss things with - you may or may not be comfortable making your own decision about which rug to put on today but often if there's a "does it need a vet?" question it can be worth having an experienced voice of sanity around.

No easy access to horsey friends or hacking buddies.

It can be TREMENDOUSLY demotivating having no one else around who's riding

There will always,always be some sort of maintenance to do. That satisfaction of having the horses tucked up for the night and everything ready for the morning? It will be tempered by the "yes, but I still haven't fixed that fence / harrowed the fields / filled those potholes I keep falling into."

Security - tack rooms can be a draw to thieves, and having them at home could be at issue.

Cost - maintenance will be more than you bargain for.

What happens if you need help during the day? Assuming you wwork, vet, farrier, physio, saddler visits could all start to soak up an awful lot of annual leave. And what if you end up with a horse that needs some sort of rehab programme? Very difficult on your own.

I'd only do it if I won the lottery and could have exactly the yard and help I wanted!

 

[zaminda]

Having rented ground I would say maintenance takes a lot of time, and can be expensive. You won't find it as easy to call on help if needed. That said, you will get to know local horsey people, and we had friends who would pop to ours and check everyone, (they live out, and feeding them isn't urgent in the summer ) if we had a problem.
I have never got anyone else to cover vet or farrier visits anyway, so that isn't a problem for me.
Also consider the social side. My ex misses it now we aren't together, as he likes riding with people, although I think much of this is rose tinted as I prefer to ride alone anyway.
It can be nice to have someone else's opinion sometimes, but again, local horsey people can be helpful.

 

[Nudibranch]

Sorry, can't give you any. I manage perfectly well even with a young baby around. Farriers will fit in with you, and so will horses...and if the vet visit is a dire emergency I imagine you'd want to be there regardless of whether you're on a yard or not. Nothing better than horses at home. Nothing worse than a yard imo!

 

[Goldenstar]

It could be lonely if you use the yard for company .
You need to have a plan for if you're ill or away.
I love having my horses at home it's much much harder work than having them on a yard but it's so much better .

 

[Destario]

I've had horses at home and horses at a yard I rent a bit of.
It's lovely to have them at home, but lack of facilities, bad hacking due to mental drivers and too many horses using thn few bridleways we have which are poorly maintained. Meaes I'd have to box up and hire an arena (quite a lot aroued but ££s!) and I only have a small trailer so can only fit in one at a time. Not to mention I'd need one or two extras as friends. The maintenance is ok as long as you keep on top of it.
Cover is harder, but just use horsey friends or freelance grooms. Freelance grooms are generally good but worth tryeng them out a few times with you to see how they get on.

I'm happy to have mine home for little holidays whech takes the pressure off exercising them. Mine are both hopefully finding part livery homes soon so they're coming home until then which is a bit of a nightmare due to above problems with extra friends and exercising. But it will be nice to have them on livery. I'm super picky though so I end up basing my horses with pro riders as I know that tendon checks are second nature, they know how to feed, they aren't so precious about everything and they know what they are doing. I'd rather not base on a normal livery yard as the politics and leisure rider focus is a bit of a put off.

One big factor of having them at home is that it can be lonely. And if you have a problem like one getting away from you when leading in, it's down to you! Saying that, it is lovely having them at home. And if a very local friend gets an arena done, I might be much more tempted to keep them at home as facilities for fit competition horses is somewhat essential!

Retired ones I'd always keep at home, easier and much nicer and no need for facilities!

 

[meesha]

Don't have them at home but do have own yard, if i am late down, they get fed later, they access yard, arena and field shelter off fields so if weather turns no worry about them being cold/wet. I have no one to ride with but that has just forced me to box up more and meet friends and have more lessons. I love doing the yard chores, have own mower and Harrow and sprayer as trying to get someone at right time to do these jobs is pita as only small acerage so bottom of their list. Have lovely chap who delivers one haylage bale at time and nice horsey neighbours (they don't hack) who will check on them if i am away. Don't underestimate cost of maintaining land ESP if lots fencing......I would love to have them at home.....?.

 

[MagicMelon]

Im sure it IS easier in a way to have them at a livery so everything is sorted for you, but for me it would always be keeping them at home that wins hands down. I dont think Id have horses if i had to keep them on livery, cant be bothered with the drama or lack of control!

Yes, you will have to deal with maintaining your own land which includes fencing and the pasture obviously. My OH is also not at all mechanically or DIY minded so we do have to pay people. Make friends with your local farmers, they are your new best friends Honestly, ours are brilliant. I have one with a digger so he comes and removes our muck heap when necessary and scrapes mud off my hardcore yard at the end of the winter, he also deals with the horrible burying of horses - he doesn't even ask for money for this nasty job, I just pay him in whisky. Another one brings us bales of hay when needed. Im about to get our fields rolled and weedkilled and my fences need a bit of sorting. So yes, these things can be expensive. Obviously you also have the cost of stables if you dont have any at the new place. I had ours built, but IMO they add value to the house so its not money wasted. With regard to going on holiday, again I know local horsey people and even next door farmers daughter is able to pop some feed over the fence for them so I just pay people to come in as necessary. There's lots of professional house sitters around. Companion-wise, yes you'll need one but people saying you'll need 3 (to keep companion happy when you're out riding / competing) isn't true. It totally depends on the horse. I have 3 horses, but sometimes I take 2 of them out competing for the day so 1 is left. He's a stressy type yet I guess because he's older these days he couldn't care less! None of them even lift their heads when I pootle off down the road for a hack past them.

Otherwise, the only proper downsides are that it would be fun to have someone to hack out with and I dream daily of a menage... Honestly those of you who have them dont know how lucky you are! But the fact that my horses are on my doorstep, I can pop out to feed them in the morning in my PJ's and can see them whenever I like within seconds, I have full control over everything and don't have to deal with any yard politics or even having to stand about chatting when I just want to get on etc. is a total bonus for me.

 

[Sukistokes2]

I've always been at home , had spells at livery , much prefer being on my own yard. The only thing I can say is, it could be lonely if you don't get to know local people and build up a network of support. It's difficult if you want to go away but I have a freelance groom who does mine at reasonable cost. She has all the keys so that I can also call her in an emergency. Once you build up a network it's the best way to keep horses. I hack to and hire a local school. I box out to ride with people. I meet people to ride with. I help out at the dressage so I get to talk horse. So while it might appear I'm Billy no mates in fact I have as much support as if I'm on a livery


Ps I only have two at home. When I ride the other just has to get on with it. As I don't fuss neither to they.

 

[Britestar]

As well as the above:

No one around to discuss things with - you may or may not be comfortable making your own decision about which rug to put on today but often if there's a "does it need a vet?" question it can be worth having an experienced voice of sanity around.

No easy access to horsey friends or hacking buddies.

It can be TREMENDOUSLY demotivating having no one else around who's riding

That depends if you have neighbours. I have three neighbours who all have horses too, and we have a whatapp group for who's going out on what day. We can meet up, hack together, and them go home.

Also nothing stopping you having a friend keep their horse with you. I do this, and we share the work and ciover for each other when we go away. If we're away competing together, then we pay someone to come in.

 

[Lintel]

I have just moved from DIY to home.
So far all I have is....

Companion really needs a companion.
No shared vets travel.
No last minute phone calls to the lovely yard owner.... Eh could you pop his rug on?
100% maintenance is up to YOU.


But I could give you all the negatives but I tell you there will be NOTHING better than waking up and seeing them in your fields... And having NOBODY to answer to

 

[TelH]

forget about having a nice garden - the little darlings WILL find a way in (small ponies will expand this to include the house)

Yes to this

However, I have had my ponies at home for about 7 1/2 years now, nothing would make me want to go back to a livery yard.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

When we moved here 25 years ago, I decided it was time to "do" horses again........ and haven't regretted a moment of it.

Having had to kiss @rse with YO's prior to this, it was absolute bliss to be able to go downstairs in the morning, look outside, and there's your Pride & Joy looking over the gate waiting for you! There's nothing compares with that!

Also, here, because we had/have a bit of spare land, we are able to have a livery (just the one, which is ideal) which helps pay the bills and also means there's always company plus someone to ride with and/or share yard duties. Hint: if you do have room for a livery be VERY very fussy who you have, as you'll be living there as well and you need to get the right person. We have a super livery and that makes all the difference.

You will save a lot of money by having your horses at home, you will be able to add horses to your herd if you want to without having to pay extra (and believe me you WILL find that you collect horses........ oh dear!! - I started off with one and said that's all I'll ever have is one horse, have got THREE now LOL). The biggest plus is not having to run the gauntlett of all the yard politics etc, that is sheer bliss.

Sorry OP, just noticed that you want "50 reasons" not to do it, sorry!! LOL

 

[MDB]

Horses at home every time. Make a track which is much easier for grazing control and paddock management. Make a veggie garden. Use muck in veggie garden or offer it to keen gardeners. I have never in 3 years had to organise removal of muck. It is so lovely to have them at home. They really do become part of the family like big oversize puppies.

 

[gnubee]

I have them at home and wouldn't change it, but biggest downsides are:
No friends at yard to share chores, casually talk horses, share lifts to comps, rides etc.
No other horses to hack out with if you are training a new one or having issues
Very stable herd finds it hard to deal with change (what if one on box rest etc)
Holidays, weekends away etc you need to find cover. Without supportive OH impromptu staying out late and getting someone else to bring in/ drop nets in etc can't happen at all
Field maintenance will take up way more of your life than you want it to (particularly if you have been used to large fields on a good yard and are downsizing to get your own).
Facilities?
There is no one to watch you ride and spot if you are lying on the ground not moving.
You have to be around for get, farrier, deliveries of hay etc
You need to store your hay, gear, tack etc.
Shelling out for small bales or trying to move large ones without farm machinery.

 

[milliepops]

^^ wot gnubee said.. plus i was lonely. Change of circumstances means I'm back in livery and the only annoyance is having to share the school. It was lovely being able to see them out of the windows though, if it had worked out I'd still be there.

 

[case895]

Lay everything out exactly how you want (I designed the site, barns, school location, everything). Put whatever you want on the radio, or nothing at all. Muck out when and how you like. If got cannot be bothered to sweep for 3 days, nobody whines. No back chat or gossiping. Exclusive use of the school. Hay made as you want it, as you made it yourself. Instructors, etc. come to you and I work from home that day, so zero disruption. I have a lovely freelance groom nearby who can cover work trips, holidays, etc. Security (CCTV, alarms, electronic gates, concealed trailer and tack room).

 

[Orangehorse]

I have always kept mine at home. I think the biggest thing is being lonely, not having anyone else to talk to or go for a ride with, or go to a show with. Depends on what sort of social life you have, and whether you need to go from work to out without going home. Always being aware of having to get back to get horses before dark in the winter months.
Who is going to be there for vet, farrier, etc.

However, I found a most reliable and experienced local woman who will always come and look after if necessary, although if I am away for more than a week I would put my horse in livery.

The trouble with making your own hay is if it is a bad summer you have no winter feed! Paddock and grazing maintenance is important, so either you have to do it or pay someone to come, although there seem to be plenty of people advertising this sort of service.

If you go ahead plan the stables and grazing carefully. Some people say divide the grazing into 5 areas, and then one field is used for winter and given a long recovery time. Depends on how many horses and how much land.
I think having the stable with a sort of yard/corral area with an entrance to each paddock area, so you can rotate the grazing easily and you can just open the gate and let them come in by themselves! Have very secure external fencing and you can use electric to sub-divide the fields or use a track system.

 

[eventer and proud]

I keep mine at home which is perfect as it means i can easily check the through the night/ get up later (if you count 4;30) as late for eventing. I don't have a sand school just a flat field, dressage letters and a few show jumps!