A 'which yard' thread...

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pixie27

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When I first started looking to buy, I had a particular yard in mind (Yard B), but as I found a horse sooner than I expected, Yard B didn't have a space. Instructor (based at Yard B) suggested Yard A, so we're there at the moment. Now a space is likely to come up at Yard B in the next month or so, and she's said it's mine if I want. I'm a bit torn though... Help!

Yard A

Pros
- part livery (full Mon-Fri and DIY at weekend): pro as it means I only go up once a day during the week (20 min drive from home), but con as I'd like to be looking after him full time
- YO able to do weekend cover
- includes all hay/straw/feed
- turnout in a huge field with two other geldings and a mare
- big canter track and nice, well maintained school
- horse very settled
- don't have to poo pick
- lots of storage

Cons
- can't change/control what is fed (mine is just on chaff, have choice of that or chaff and pasture mix)
- YO doesn't care much for 'high maintenance' i.e. boots on for t/o, supplements, or fly masks etc
- big stable but dark
- other liveries (two of them) don't really ride much (I'm always alone in the evenings)
- bit tricky to get to
- school not floodlit so will be an issue in winter
- don't really have anyone to ask questions/ease my worries with!
- dealer has moved in for the summer and has taken over half the yard and the canter track
- hacking not as good as Yard B
- the mosquitos are awful (horse and I are very sensitive :P)


Yard B

Pros
- Instructor on site
- Lots of clinics on site (but during weekdays so school free in evenings/weekends)
- Nice people on the yard (used to share a horse there so know them fairly well)
- People get out and do things (which I want to!) and are always hacking together etc.
- Lovely school, floodlights, lots of jumps, surface never freezes
- On site hacking, and good hacking with little road work
- More control over horse (feed, rugs, fly mask, amount of hay etc etc)
- Wouldn't have to be on part livery (have to at Yard A as YO's routine doesn't fit in with my work time)
- OH is off and about quite a lot travelling, so would be nice being somewhere with more people/more things to do to fill my time with!

Cons
- Individual turnout (can touch over fences though)
- Mainly mares (mine's a gelding - he's out with a mare and is a bit of a lady's man... i'm not sure if this is a con really)
- No assistance on site (freelance groom available though, others use her too)
- Possibly smaller stable
- Would have to poo pick, and no automatic waterers etc. (gosh I sound lazy!)


I'm really stuck! Horse is happy at Yard A (minus the flies), but I think I'd be happier at Yard B... I'm sure he'd settle but I worry about individual t/o and not having the on-site assistance.

Price-wise, Yard B is cheaper as I'd be on DIY, but would need to pay for assistance every now and again, and more in diesel.
 
The dealer moving in would put me off yard A unless they are strict about bio security your horse will be at risk of picking up every bug going not to mention they will probably take over in other ways so the yard may well change for the worse if the YO does not keep a tight rein on them.
I don't like individual turnout so would look to share with a like minded livery if moving to yard B, using a freelancer may cost more than the YO doing services but will give you full control, otherwise I would look for yard C.
 
Move to yard B! I think having N there would be really beneficial for you both. Poo-picking 1x a week in winter and 2/3x in summer doesn't take up too much time and I wouldn't worry about individual turnout at all!
 
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yard b as more control and i am a control freak where my horse is concerned....individual t/o is not ideal but ok if he can interact over the fence, also no chance of being kicked by other horses....if you are only poo picking your field that should be quick and easy..i would also be swayed by the fact that there are things going on at yard b and sounds like a nice bunch of people...you need to be happy as well as him...
 
Thanks all! My poo picking comment really made me sound like a lazy brat - I normally quite enjoy it, it's normally the only time I ever tan :D :D

Had to abandon a ride this evening as flies were so bad, that alone has made my decision! Yard B it is!
 
Just for the sake of balance...

Yard A, becasue of the company over individual turnout unless the horse has unmanageable sweet-itch.

The bio security risks won't be significantly different with a dealer in separate areas of same yard compared to lots of ppl coming and going for clinics etc in the same areas of the other yard.
 
Yard B.
Flies and no mask for turnout will become a real headache in the next few months
 
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