Am i mental - stables at two yards -same horses ?

[Gingerwitch]

Well after looking at every livery yard within a 20 mile radius of where i currently keep mine, and loving some bits of some and hating bits on the same I have finally made a decision and have taken on stables at a competition yard and kept the stables at the yard local to me. My husband thinks its a grand idea (he races cars and motorbikes so just says - well i cant practice down the M6 can I ?) and just seams to understand my predicament.

I have to give up my twice weekly lessons - and have one a fortnight on each of them - but apart from that I now have a five acre field to myself - full livery - huge stables - good quality hay and straw, free horse box parking - and a beautiful floodlight 20x60 wax arena, horsewalker, solarium, track round a field and a horse wash area....... and all for the price of some top end full livery yards with only some of the benefits

I just cant belive my hubby agreed with me !

Just working out a routine now - so excited !

GW

x

 

[jeeve]

lucky you, sounds like it will work

 

[LeannePip]

ohh this sounds interesting so do you have one horse at each yard or just the one that you plan to move around sounds like your covered on the facilities front!!

 

[Gingerwitch]

I am going to move them around so current plan - starts on a Friday for some bizzare reason

Fri am turn out at home yard - catch in afternoon, and take them to comp yard - ride both of them - leave them over night.

Comp yard - ride both on Sat - or do a comp - go on horse walker and bed down on Sat night

Sun - ride both on a surface or do a comp bring to home yard - take them home for lunchtime and to.

Mon - to at home yard - mon night hack at home yard

Tue - to at home yard - bring in on night - transport to comp yard - ride both - leave overnight

Wed - use horse walker am - take to an evening comp or ride in the school - bring home on the night

Thur - turn out at home - thur night - maybe hack them, or night off

~I do have individual turn out at the comp yard.... but will see how that goes - as i dont want to get caught up in two worming programes - so may not use at comp yard.

If the weather is to be as bad as they say - they could end up for 3 or 4 weeks at the comp yard as they will be able to be excercised both am and pm - home yard means they could be stuck in for weeks as the yard is treacherous

No idea if it will work - but it cant hurt to try - do you think i will get an bad feeling off the comp yard folks?

 

[CalllyH]

Why don't you just leave them on the comp yard. It seems a lot to cope with for both you and the horses constantly moving them.

 

[be positive]

I can see you have it worked out but why all the moving around,I dont have concerns about the horses settling to it but more the risk of picking up viruses,I know going to comps exposes them also but feel that their immune systems may be compromised,something to think about,also changing hay every few days,unless you have the same supply,is something to consider.
Are the yards happy with this arrangement,I am not sure I would be,although financially it could be good,a livery paying for services that are not having to be provided.
I hope it works out.

 

[Gingerwitch]

The comp yard only has postage size turn out - and hard standing in the winter months.

My home yard has brilliant turn out 24/7 if you want - its just an issue with getting the horses accross the farm yard to the field which is down quite a long track.

Home yard has no school and we are not allowed to ride the fields from the end of Sept till April - ground dependant.

So I spent last winter from Oct to April riding once or twice a week and having to box off at a weekend anyhow - It was also a pain paying for lessons and not being able to practice.

The comp yard knows exactly what I am doing - I have been up front and honest - it suits them better as it gives them more flexibility, my home yard is fine with the arrangement - and tbh both yards are within easy travelling distance for me.

I just cannot find a yard that will give reasonably large turn out in pairs and have a good surface to practice on.

 

[aintgotnohay]

good luck OP i think you know your horses and you obviously planned it very well.

 

[FairyLights]

sounds good to me.

 

[**Vanner**]

Crikey - seems very complicated but if it works then good on you.

 

[Honey08]

It sounds a really strange routine for the horses. Couldn't you just keep them at the competition yard and box/ride/lead them down to the other yard daily to turn out?

 

[nuttynugget]

I think you are a nutter.. Sounds like a lot of moving around!!

 

[paddi22]

sounds like a massive amount of work and travelling. My lad loves his routine and would get very fussed at that much change every day. He likes his solid herd, and also is fussy about food or hay changes. But you know your own horses well so that mustn't be an issue.

If i was you i'd be more tempted to spend half the year in one yard, and half in the other!

 

[Twinkle Twinkle]

Sounds like a lot of work but hope it works for you

 

[Syrah]

Seems alot of work, but if you've got the time and it suits you.......

 

[Mince Pie]

If i was you i'd be more tempted to spend half the year in one yard, and half in the other!

This! Summer at the home yard and winter at the comp yard.

 

[Dancing Queen]

i do think you are mental.

I wouldnt move them about so much personally - travelling can be fairly stressful to the horses. It could upset their temperaments and you could end up with lots of issues. To me its too much.

your horses = your choice

 

[horzes]

I don't think you're crazy, these days it's hard to find exactly what you want (especially with regards to turn out) so if you are lucky enough to have the means to work out something to get the best of both worlds then good for you!

 

[Gingerwitch]

Dancing Queen - there is not think about it

My main issue is that Mr Schoolmaster is getting rather long in the tooth so to speak - so he will be up for retirement soon - maybe this week, maybe next summer, maybe the year after. This last year I have spent more time wasting him than enough - ground too hard, ground too boggy etc and the other day I realised that each day I am faffing around I am wasting him.

I dont want to leave the home yard as when he retires it is a fantastic place for him to be at - and if I did give up this set up I know I will never get an opportunity like it again.

I will be honest how folks keep horses how they do at the comp yard is beyond me - I was riding there today and all the horses were out in the sun, no shade, no tail swishing friends they could actually touch - although they can see them, and to a one they all looked like they wanted to be in to stand in there imaculate boxes. It was half 11 and I was the only person (meaning horse owner) on the yard - not that i am complaining about that - but it made me realise that to move here permanantly would be a move for me and would not be in the best interest of the horses.

Add to this that my little lad is a suicide monster and out with more than one other sedate horse he is an accident looking for a venue - if someone can tell me where I can get a 5 acre field that I can turn out 24/7 all year if I want - with only mine in it and a fantastic
arena then I would happily move lock stock and barrell there.

 

[tickety_boo]

Can you not just keep them at the home yard (because of the turnout), and rent use of the arena of the competition yard, say 3 times per week. So at least the horses still have somewhere as 'home'. Before we had an arena we used to box to one down the road a few times a week and it was fine.

 

[Gingerwitch]

Tickety - thanks - it works out cheaper to have the stables as the one lad wont stand on his own on a lorry and you can only hire for an hour at a time - so its not worth working them for 20 mins each.

It may be that I do bring home every day.... I dont know yet its a work in progress - all i know is i need to have an arena and turnout and as yet all the yards i have been too can offer only one of these - which is a shame

 

[tickety_boo]

I was going to say, how about taking each one to the c.yard, individually for an hours schooling, on alternate evenings. But that sounds like a pain in the bum for you to have to do, you'd end up shattered. I can't think of any bright ideas.

 

[mystiandsunny]

I personally would box them to the school to ride (using the stables to leave the one not being ridden in) and 'keep' them at the home yard. That way they know where home is and feel settled, and you still have unrestricted access to the school.

 

[blitznbobs]

Yes you're mad... U own horses so that's a given... The 2 yard thing sounds complicated but I'm a great believer in 'suck it and see ' if it works fab and if it doesn't at least u gave it a go..,

 

[Dancing Queen]

Dancing Queen - there is not think about it

this makes no sense!

 

[MrsMozart]

I personally would box them to the school to ride (using the stables to leave the one not being ridden in) and 'keep' them at the home yard. That way they know where home is and feel settled, and you still have unrestricted access to the school.

This sounds like a plan. You have the stables if the weather is bad and you get stuck, you're not restricted to the hour (I presume), and the horses get continuity in where they live.

Hope it all goes well for you and your neds m'duck

 

[jeeve]

re the issue re horses being settled, they are remakably adaptible, mine do not mind where they are, and more so when they are used to going out for comps. and so on.

re the change in hay/feed, I am assuming that their actual feed will not alter that much, but variance in hay/supplier really is not an issue. I buy my hay monthly, but it varies quite a bit from month to month, all still lucerne hay. Horses out grazing do not necesarily get consistency in their grazing from day to day, these small variances are not an issue

i think the main issue will be you coping with it, but basically you seem to have it set up so you can adapt as ypu go along, having had to keep horses at two different places in the past, with much further distances to travel, and no where near the facilities you have available, I think you will be fine.