A which yard thread

[chaps89]

Need to move yards fairly promptly and have the following 2 choices, as always pros and cons to both so hoping some outside thoughts might help!

Yard 1
Just under 5 miles from home, 10/15 mins.
£320 pcm for 2 ponies and lorry storage
Approx £175 pcm assistance - and I need to find a freelancer, which isn't necessarily easy
Large floodlit school, good surface
Limited hacking
Temporarily ponies will be sharing part of a cow barn and will move into 2 wooden 12 x 12 stables in a couple of months.
Field for now is about 3 acres, nice and sheltered.
Summer fields are a bit more open
No poo picking in winter, but done daily in summer
I've known them for about 6 months (is my hay man's yard) they seem a nice couple and have been very happy to accommodate us needing to move in a hurry (hence the sharing part of a cow barn)
Bit worried about them getting pair bonded as they will literally be sharing field and stable and with her not in work it's not like I'm taking her away as I would normally

Yard 2
25 miles, about 40/45 mins away
One pony would live out 24/7, the other would be part stabled, also a 12 x 12 wooden stable
£360 pcm for both ponies and lorry
£300 pcm for assistance (due to distance would need freelancer daily - luckily I know a fantastic lady already and she's happy to do it)
Poo pick all year round but they're not fussy and just want the worst up
Large school with good surface
Amazing hacking on and off site
Fields are really quite exposed
Yard politics and YM inclined to give unsolicitated advice! I've known her for years and we get along well but obviously it may be different if I'm stabled there

If yard 1 had better hacking there would be no contest. But I love hacking and I know the hacking at yard 2 well and it's great for what I need.
Horse is currently turned away with the aim of bringing back in late March to see if we can get her sound and in work.
Yard 1 would work better for short term but yard 2 for longer term, but I can't move them (not fair on the ponies or the yards!)
So, what do we reckon?!

 

[DirectorFury]

Yard 1 and box out to hack when you need to. Mine is 45 mins/1 hr away and the commute gets old very quickly, particularly when it’s cold and dark.

 

[Upthecreek]

How limited is the limited hacking at yard 1? For me the distance & time wasted travelling to yard 2 would really put me off.

 

[milliepops]

Yard 1 and box out to hack when you need to. Mine is 45 mins/1 hr away and the commute gets old very quickly, particularly when it’s cold and dark.

yeah i have to agree with this. plus knowing about yard politics in advance is a bit of a turn off to me.

 

[holeymoley]

Yard 1 and trailer out to hacks.

 

[chaps89]

See, I was 5 minutes down the road until we moved to disaster yard and I had to box out 2 or 3 times as week which meant 5am starts and it was killing me.

I was previously at a yard around the corner from yard 2 and didn't mind the travelling so much, though I definitley couldn't do it twice a day and wouldn't do it if I didn't totally trust the freelancer

 

[milliepops]

See, I was 5 minutes down the road until we moved to disaster yard and I had to box out 2 or 3 times as week which meant 5am starts and it was killing me.

I was previously at a yard around the corner from yard 2 and didn't mind the travelling so much, though I definitley couldn't do it twice a day and wouldn't do it if I didn't totally trust the freelancer

that's the benefit of chewing it over with randoms, sometimes it clarifies things for you in your own mind

 

[DirectorFury]

See, I was 5 minutes down the road until we moved to disaster yard and I had to box out 2 or 3 times as week which meant 5am starts and it was killing me.

I was previously at a yard around the corner from yard 2 and didn't mind the travelling so much, though I definitley couldn't do it twice a day and wouldn't do it if I didn't totally trust the freelancer

What back up is there to the freelancer? She could get a new job/get ill/be injured/move yards/fall out with difficult YM and no longer be allowed on yard 2. It does sound like you’ve sort of decided on yard 2, can you keep yard 1 as a back up in case it dosent work out?

 

[MuddyMonster]

If hacking is your thing, then I think yard 2 would win for me.

I sometimes think knowing about yard politics is a help - I moved to a yard with the warning it had a reputation for politics - and was there for years quite happily as I knew to just say hello, smile and crack on with your own thing.

I'm assuming yard 2 is in the 'right' direction? I've been on Assisted DIY (same yard as above actually) about 15 miles away and it worked as I trusted the person doing the assistance and I could drive past on my way to work which helped Monday-Friday as I was much closer. But driving that distance in the other direction would have been grim ...

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Oh cripes! If you could secure a freelancer then I'd go yard 1 and box out when time permits on days off etc.
I'd find it easier to do the shorter distance as could always cycle if car problems arose.
Also, yard 1 would save you a lot of time/expense in commuting 25 miles each way.

I'd only go yard 2 if I returned companion pony (sorry, just my 5p worth of thoughts without considering overnight)

 

[ester]

probably 1 freelancer dependent. and I'd hack locally in the week and box to somewhere more interesting at the weekend.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Yard 1, it sounds as if YO is very accommodating, that goes a long way in my book. Everything else can be worked round ime

 

[Sail_away]

Yard 1 sounds like a much nicer place to be, and if you have your own transport it would be relatively easy to box up. Yard 2 sounds like it could end up being a nightmare with yard politics/YM - also good to consider how would you manage the distance if the horse is injured/on box rest/needs medication? My sick note of a horse was on box rest for a month and then later on in the year needed medication through a delicate piece of equipment twice a day - going up twice a day, every day dragged. He was about 35 minutes away.

 

[Andalucian]

Yard 1, Yard 2 distance and politics are just too much.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

I had my horse on part-livery 20 miles away and even that was a killer. After an episode of colic and a useless yard owner I vowed never to keep my horses that far away from me ever again. I have mine 5 miles away, it takes 10 minutes.

The lack of hacking wouldn’t appeal either. Are they your only choices?

 

[Honey08]

Neither sound great. I definitely wouldn’t want to have to travel my horse to hack. But the journey to the other yard is far too far unless you’re on full livery. Is there really nothing else around?

 

[chaps89]

I really love yard 1. The set up will suit the ponies, the people seem nice and always lovely to have them close to home.
But I live to hack and I hated having no hacking last year. And the trouble is, it's about a half an hour drive minimum to box up to hack elsewhere, it's not like going 5 minutes down the road makes the difference, in which case boxing out wouldn't be such a problem.

Ironically I usually box to yard 2 at least once, if not twice a week to ride anyway.
I think the only thing putting me off there is just how exposed their fields are, it was raw this morning and in summer it's relentless.

I don't mind about being reliant on freelancer, it's back in Surrey so I feel I know enough people I could call if I was desperate and it's not so far away I couldn't do it if needsbe. I know she is happy to do extras like cold hose or whatever too.
When I went on holiday in summer 2019 I didn't know shed been in hospital for kidney stones until I got back - bless her she didn't want me worrying so she just got her family to do mine along with hers. She is an absolute gem!

It has the advantage of being near vet, chiro and saddler (I box over to yard 2 for these things currently anyway)

Downside is I no longer have a good farrier I can rely on that way, I've just managed to find a trimmer who seems good over towards yard 1.

I wish there were other options - she isn't an easy mare to accommodate as she has EMS and separation anxiety (fence jumps)
I'm also in a really weird area near Heathrow which has loads of yards but very limited hacking, so for hacking I have to be at least half an hour away anyway.
I also have to move by next weekend!!!

 

[Gloi]

25 miles would be too much for me. I keep mine 14 miles away for the good hacking and that has got enough of a bind to travel that I've moved to full livery so I don't feel as tied.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I wish she didn't have that one particular foible as I'd have you like a shot (says the person who doesn't 'do' liveries) x

 

[PSD]

Yard one would be my choice. I could travel so far to a yard, I like to be local. But saying that, hacking is a must for me so I guess you’re in a tough spot to choose. Could you maybe move to yard 2, see how it goes and if it’s not working, re-consider yard one?

 

[ester]

But if you're not having to travel as far to the yard boxing out for half an hour would soon even out?

I do get it, was very used to rubbish hacking and we did used to box to beach/quantocks/mendips quite a lot. Moving to wilts and having off road riding on the doorstep, for miles and miles was amazing and totally worth not then having a box to do any competey type stuff. But I don't think I could do a long commute to it (albeit I've been spoiled in always living close or on site!)

 

[Merry neddy man]

Yard1 =£495 yard 2 =£660 +£5 more in fuel for EACH journey. That's £2,000 a year more livery cost + extra fuel, plus all the extra travelling time, might help you make a decision.

 

[SO1]

I am on a yard about 15 minutes from heathrow, I like hacking and we have nice hacking in the summer not so great in the winter when everywhere is wet as the bridleways can get too muddy to go up. It does assisted DIY as well as part livery but it is a fairly pricey yard compared to others in the area. They can cater for EMS ponies, I am on part livery and my native pony is on soaked hay and muzzled for weight control.

I really love yard 1. The set up will suit the ponies, the people seem nice and always lovely to have them close to home.
But I live to hack and I hated having no hacking last year. And the trouble is, it's about a half an hour drive minimum to box up to hack elsewhere, it's not like going 5 minutes down the road makes the difference, in which case boxing out wouldn't be such a problem.

Ironically I usually box to yard 2 at least once, if not twice a week to ride anyway.
I think the only thing putting me off there is just how exposed their fields are, it was raw this morning and in summer it's relentless.

I don't mind about being reliant on freelancer, it's back in Surrey so I feel I know enough people I could call if I was desperate and it's not so far away I couldn't do it if needsbe. I know she is happy to do extras like cold hose or whatever too.
When I went on holiday in summer 2019 I didn't know shed been in hospital for kidney stones until I got back - bless her she didn't want me worrying so she just got her family to do mine along with hers. She is an absolute gem!

It has the advantage of being near vet, chiro and saddler (I box over to yard 2 for these things currently anyway)

Downside is I no longer have a good farrier I can rely on that way, I've just managed to find a trimmer who seems good over towards yard 1.

I wish there were other options - she isn't an easy mare to accommodate as she has EMS and separation anxiety (fence jumps)
I'm also in a really weird area near Heathrow which has loads of yards but very limited hacking, so for hacking I have to be at least half an hour away anyway.
I also have to move by next weekend!!!

 

[Lintel]

A definite number one from me!

 

[millikins]

Can't you just be totally up front with yard 1, say it's likely only short term as you prefer hacking and keep looking for other options?

 

[AUB]

What is the third option?

 

[chaps89]

I wish she didn't have that one particular foible as I'd have you like a shot (says the person who doesn't 'do' liveries) x

Gosh, thankyou.

I would very much prefer to go to yard 1 but I know that's because right now whilst she's not in work it would be an awful lot easier.
But I know bringing her back into work with such limited hacking will be difficult. And as I'm not expecting her to see the summer out the whole point is to enjoy her more.
I can do that better at yard 2, my instructor can ride her and teach me there and no faffing boxing unless I fancy a change in scenery as opposed to having to.

3rd option is PTS, she's annoyingly bright and perky and whilst I know that's likely this year, if I don't have to do it now I won't. I know neither of the above yards are perfect, and in an ideal world I'd keep looking and not go to either but I have to leave where I am ASAP.

 

[chaps89]

Yard1 =£495 yard 2 =£660 +£5 more in fuel for EACH journey. That's £2,000 a year more livery cost + extra fuel, plus all the extra travelling time, might help you make a decision.

I was very fortunate to land a job last year which covers that. Clearly it's nicer to save money/spend less if you can but I am fortunate to be in the position that I can afford it. Until April last year I was doing the same mileage so my insurance is already set for covering me at 25k miles a year and I'm used to having my car serviced every 6 months (my mechanic nearly fell over backwards when he saw I'd only done 10k this last year!)

I am on a yard about 15 minutes from heathrow, I like hacking and we have nice hacking in the summer not so great in the winter when everywhere is wet as the bridleways can get too muddy to go up. It does assisted DIY as well as part livery but it is a fairly pricey yard compared to others in the area. They can cater for EMS ponies, I am on part livery and my native pony is on soaked hay and muzzled for weight control.

I know the yard, unfortunately the lack of full day turnout just doesn't really work with me. I've also been very spoilt with hacking in the past and effectively have similar/same hacking to you currently (the other side of the park) and it's nice but just not quite what I'd like. But thankyou.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Chaps, if going yard 2, do you need companion pony?

 

[chaps89]

I think so - normally I would definitley need him there as it's individual turnout. However YO has just got a Welsh c 2 year old, so the hope is companion will live out with him, and M will join them both when she's out.
Which means I don't need him really, but given the disaster I've just had, I wouldn't want to be sending him back before we're settled and know it's working.
Tbh, he is quite easy and although it's an extra cost, I quite want to hang onto him so as and when M goes, I still have something to get up for which isn't work ?