Advice needed - move from NL to UK

[gemske]

Hi all!

I hope I can get some good advice here on the forums.
It is now 90% certain that I will move from The Netherlands to the UK at the end of summer. I am an astronomer I have applied for a job at the university of Manchester.

I have two shetland ponies and the plan is that they will move with me

so, apart from finding a place to live for myself (&boyfriend) I also have to arrange stable/yard for my ponies.

I am not so familiar with UK habits of livery yards and stables so I will describe what things I probably need and I hope people here can advice me what kind of yard would be best for me and the ponies, and how to find this!

First of all, I don't need a lot of luxury. I would really like to have a small stable for my ponies, which doesn't need to be very big and they can share a stable. Of course they need to spend time outside in a grassland, but it can't be too much as one of my ponies has a laminitis history.

Also, very important is that I need a place where I don't necessarily need to go every day. I travel quite a lot for work so it should be possible that once in a while I can leave for a week or two and have someone take care of the ponies. Apart from the travelling I don't mind sharing duties like feeding, cleaning stables etc but as I said it needs to be a bit flexible.

As I'm going to work in Manchester, the region I'm most interested in is Cheshire/Derbyshire, e.g. Wilmslow/Macclesfield area. However also other regions that are reachable from Manchester city in about 1 hour are fine.

It would be great if people here can help me with this, I am really keen on reading your opinions on what my possibilities are and how I should start my search for a nice place.
Also I really like to get to know more people with horses in that area, so also if you don't know a yard but are from the area, please reply or send a pm!

thanks a lot!

 

[MrsMozart]

Hi, and welcome to the UK

Livery yards are a varied bag over here, but the general gist is: grass livery (just a field); DIY livery, which is usually a stable per ned and use of grazing, either seperate strip grazing or out in a herd; Part or assisted livery, where the YO feeds and turns out/brings in (the service provided can vary); and Full livery where someone else looks after your horses and you go as and when you can.

There are all sorts of variations on a theme

. Some yards will be able to offer DIY and then provide care when you can't on an ad hoc basis, some won't. One woman I know has DIY but pays a groom to look after the horses during the week.

 

[spookypony]

I don't know about the Manchester area, but our area has several people offering horse-sitting services during holidays etc. I would guess that what you are looking for is either DIY (with referrals to a horse-sitter for when you need help) or assisted DIY (with the yard manager/yard grooms providing the assistance). Good luck!