Any East Dorset people who can give me some advice please?

[Crazydancer]

I did post about a year ago about possibly splitting up with my OH, and having to move back to Wimborne area in Dorset, near my parents.

So having limped through nearly another year, we've both agreed this time it is finished, so we are making plans to sell the house. My Dad has become quite ill, so I do want to move closer to them so I can give Mum a hand.

As I can be home-based for work, although our office is in Berkshire, I can pretty much live where I want.

So what recommendations would you give for places to look? I made a short-list of Wimborne, Ferndown, Ringwood and Verwood..... any comments about horsy places, good hacking country, etc?

Any info on specific yards would be very useful. I have 2 horses, and both live out, so looking for grass livery, with decent hacking, an arena would be useful but not a deal-breaker. Cost will also be an issue, I'm currently paying £40 a month each horse.

It will be a while before I can move, so I can take my time and pick a good area, and hopefully then can buy a house near to the horses!

Thanks

 

[Crazydancer]

Bump! Any comments anyone, I'm more interested in general area, rather than specific yards......?

 

[Silverbrooke]

I keep my horse on a yard near Haskins. He is on grass livery an I am currently paying £60 a month. There is a common directly behind the yard which (if you don't mind road work)you can get to the Uddens plantation from I think, I have never ridden to it because my horse isn't great on roads. I also ride a horse over towards canford magna on canford Heath and there is loads of different routes/ official bridle ways, it's amazing. If I could move my horse closer to there I would!

 

[Wobblywibble]

Three Legged Cross is great for livery yards, there are several very close to each other (close to Verwood, Ferndown and Ringwood) and the best hacking imaginable - straight onto the forest, miles and miles with no roads!

 

[Crazydancer]

Thanks guys, useful info. Does anyone know if you can ride in the Moors Valley country park? Is that the forest you meant wobblywibble? (great name btw!!)
And Canford Magna is very close to my parents, so that will be worth looking at, thanks Silverbrooke.

 

[Wobblywibble]

Yes you can ride in Moors Valley but you need a Forestry Commission permit. They really look after the ground there so it's well worth it and you can go through MV across the Verwood Road and into Ringwood Forest which goes on for ever, lovely riding ground with a mixture of stony tracks, winding narrow tracks through the trees and great big wide grass rides for blasting along!

 

[Crazydancer]

Yes you can ride in Moors Valley but you need a Forestry Commission permit. They really look after the ground there so it's well worth it and you can go through MV across the Verwood Road and into Ringwood Forest which goes on for ever, lovely riding ground with a mixture of stony tracks, winding narrow tracks through the trees and great big wide grass rides for blasting along!

SOLD!!!

Sounds exactly what I'd like.... thanks. I'll do some research in that area. Going to be a while, as we have a house to sell up here first, but I like to have a plan, however fragile, and it's what's keeping me going right now!