Another- which yard?

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smellsofhorse

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New Forest
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yard 1
American barn style stables.
All year turnout (in occasionally in winter)
24/7 approx may until september
Out door arena.
Good hacking.
pretty much left alone- owners not horsey.
have to buy shavings, hay/ haylage from them.
Large turnout groups (14 geldings)
optional assistance from another livery.
5.5 miles from home.

yard 2
mis matched stables but all fine, in traditional stone buildings.
all year turnout ( limited to about 6 hours in very wet weather.
24/7 approx match to when it gets too wet October/November.
out door arena
good hacking slightly further away (by a few minutes)
Small turnout groups
owner horsey and will help out.
can buy hay/straw etc from out side
located on the same lane as my house!
approx 1/2 mile away.

price works out the same

so which one?!
 
Yard 2, owner to help out rather than relying on another livery even if you never need it. Not tied into buying from them so may be cheaper if you can shop around, you can walk there saving money on fuel.
 
Another pro for yard 2, the smaller group turnout, large groups without knowledgeable people around can be a potential disaster if you get a bully out there no one will be around to do anything.
 
I am currently on yard 1!
Have been there for 12 years.
said good bye to 2 of my steeds there. :-(
So its a big thing to move.

But yes the walking/ cycling to the yard would be fab!
 
Going against the grain here - Yard 1. I prefer the yard to supply hay/haylege far less hassle than trying to get it order in bulk, delivered and safely stored. The money you save you lose in stress!
 
Both sound matched really, the deciding factor for me would be the kind of turnout your horse would prefer.......mine loves being out in a big herd, also depending on your work patterns having them in a small group where other people's turn out and bring in times may impact you (if yours is first out/ last in etc) might not be ideal, just my experience.

Good luck with your decision, it's so hard to decide on yards as you never know what issues you haven't considered until they crop up!
 
my horse likes the large turnout groups (although I can turn him out alone and he is fine) but he is always ripping his rugs and getting injured.
Last year he had a very nasty kick injury and the vet wasn't sure he would ever be sound again.
Thankfully he has, only recently, made a full recovery.
But every time he comes in with a cut or ripped rug I just think that could have been a broken bone or something else nasty.

I can buy hay/bedding direct from yard 2 but am allowed to get own if I wanted.
 
I would go for 2, but if you're not unhappy on yard 1 sometimes it's a case of better the devil you know? Smaller turnout groups will mean nothing if one of the group is a bully. If you and your horse are settled why bother going through the hassle?

At our yard there's two herds for the winter (a five and a seven as there are a few pair/group bonds that we don't want to break up) and they merge into one herd to go on the hay fields after the hay's been cut. None of them are really a problem as they're very settled and know thier place, but the dominant horse is no better when there's 5 of them than he is when there's 12.
 
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That's the thing I am happy. but the large herd does concern me.

After bring through injuries.
even now the bully of the herd bites my horse over the wall of the stable.
He's a nasty kicky horse who Im sure causes the injuries.

Think maybe I'm talking myself into moving?
 
It sounds like you have had problems where you are. The fact your horse has been injured, and continues to be bullied in his stable would worry me.
If you move, can you go back if you don't like it?
I loved having mine on the doorstep, so much easier!
 
Yes I'm sure I could go back.
but I currently have the two stables at the end of the block, so a little extra space. My rubber matting fits....
All silly things so even though I could go back it wouldn't be exactly the same!
 
Yard two.

I love large turnout groups and have mine as 15 and no problems at all. But when on a yard with other peoples horses making up this number I had all sorts of issues.

If the only issue is this horse is there another turnout option and is YO aware? If we had a horse like this on last yard the groups would be shuffled to make it work, if the horse was still an issue it would be out alone or requested to go.

If able to bite over stable wall I'd want that ability removed by blocking stable windows/bars if side by side and if when owner is walking I'd be thoroughly peed off.
 
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