anyone have two horses in separate livery yards?

exracehorse

exracehorse

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 December 2011
Messages
2,159
Visit site
I am looking to get a second horse and am thinking about sensible grazing. Am having to semi retire mine. There is another yard very near to me but no school. So would have to hack to mine to school. Not sure how easy it would be to split myself down the middle between the two.
 
Don't do it, I this this for several years as I had a horse with 'special' needs who had to be on a professionally run yard rather than the DIY yard where my other two were as he would have mauled every numpty in site, it was massively hard work and you have to double everything (first aid kit etc or keep it in the car) too.
 
I have done it before and it's a right pain in the arse! And that was only doing one of them a couple of times a week. Might consider it if they were next door to each other but even having them 10 mins apart is difficult. Then you have to buy two lots of everything - i.e mucking out stuff, etc. Wouldn't do it again unless I absolutely had to!
 
We've 2 ponies live out at home no facilities and one horse on livery 15 mins away. It's OK as I don't ride daughter does so I can muck out etc while she rides but I'd prefer all at home, you won't ever leave anything at home that way!.
 
exracehorse said:
I am looking to get a second horse and am thinking about sensible grazing. Am having to semi retire mine. There is another yard very near to me but no school. So would have to hack to mine to school. Not sure how easy it would be to split myself down the middle between the two.
Click to expand...

I kind of did this last winter for 5 months!! We have our horses at home but when my lad had to be on box rest for 6 months it became evident after 1 month home just didn't suit his needs, its an inclosed yard so he couldn't see anyone else all day when on box rest and walking up the road for 10 minutes plus was becoming dangerous! He put a window in the back on his box on day one of box rest! So i moved him to a local livery yard which had restricted turnout meaning he would always have someone stabled next to him plus they had a walker which was a godsend!!! At the same time i had a horse on loan which stayed at home.

It meant getting up at 5am driving up to do number 1, finishing him by 6ish (hlf an hr on the walker plus muck out hay, feed etc) home to start number 2! turnout then muck out hay feed etc in by hlf 7 at the latest to get ready to be at work for 8am!! finished work at 4 straight to 1, hlf hr on the walker muck out feed hay etc then home to ride number 2 didnt get in for tea till gone 7 most evenings, made worse some nights by vet/farrier visits!! its doable but nearly killed me! thankfully number 1 is home for good and back in work now and number 2 returned to his owner shortly after number 1 came home!
 
I think it is doable if you are motivated and dedicated, and the yards are a reasonably close distance from each other. It would help massively if at least one was on full livery.

I ride horses at two different yards and so far haven't found it too difficult even though they're about 30 miles apart, but one is on full livery and I see them on different days during the week, with the odd same day travelling between them at the weekend. That's a bit of a different situation though.
 
I have had two horses on separate yards. I would never, ever do it again. Its just appalling. These yards were only four miles apart, but it was sooooo depressing, particularly in the winter months.
 
I didn't think about two wheel barrows etc! The other yard is probably 2 miles from my yard if that. But I can see where your coming from. I would mean rushing from one yard to the next in the winter months trying to get them in. Plus my yard is 24/7 turnout if you want whereas the other is restricted from November to easter. My worry is grazing. My field is probably an acre split in half for summer/winter grazing. I would have a horse on each side which would be half an acre each to last all year. Although I do bring in during summer during day and don't turn out in winter if weather is really wet, he has a duvet day. Would this be enough grazing and its fab grass for two 15.2?
 
I do it. I have one mare turned away with a friend's mare down on a farm, it has good grazing, stables etc but no hacking or other facilities anymore as it is slowly being swallowed by up by housing. We have had horses there in one form or another for about 12 years so had amassed all the tools and lotions and potions. We have 2 horses at diy livery about 12 miles away, these are (or were) our ridden horses. They've been there about 4-5 years now. I keep some things in the car so they're available to me at both yards but have full sets of grooming/yard stuff at both places.

To be honest, I could not do it without the goodwill of my friend at the farm and also by job swapping with fellow liveries at the diy yard. I would never choose to do it, it's hard, very hard, but it just kind of happened that way.
 
I'm with Skint1-it's very hard & it kind of worked out that way for me too. I have a mini yearling on a farm a minute from home,then my mare on livery ten minutes away (plus daughter's share pony but only do her on my days off/weekends).I can't move my mare to the farm and the little one is in the ideal place for him (youngsters for company plus older nanny). Summer has been hard enough but am dreading winter; not so bad being up at 5.30am and out an hour later in the light and warmth,but in the dark & cold....
 
I used to but all are together now I didn't find i hard then but I am looking after my friends and I find it hard to fit all the poo picking into daylight as to do hers twice a day and mine twice a day means I am out and about all the time mind you tis a long time since I had seven horses to look after too
 
exracehorse said:
My field is probably an acre split in half for summer/winter grazing. I would have a horse on each side which would be half an acre each to last all year.

Would this be enough grazing and its fab grass for two 15.2?
Click to expand...

No.

It could be turnout, but you'll really struggle to have grazing for two 15.2hh's with only 1 acre. I imagine that unless you have incredibly well draining sandy soil, that it will be a bog after any long period of wet weather.
 
I did it for a while, about 3 miles apart and it killed me doing both on DIY-neither yard had decent services. I moved them to the same yard pretty quickly.
 
I do it, and it works for me as they have very different needs. However, neither are on DIY livery - I don't think that would be doable (certainly not in the winter!). And both yards are close to my home, so travel isn't an issue. I do it as it means that both horses get exactly what they need.
 
I had to do it for a year. I had one on assisted livery which meant i only had to go up once a day and 3 on a diy yard near home, it was en route to my kids school and the other yard so i would take kids to school then do my 3 rebels, after i got kids from school i would go up and see to my one further away and get some feed for the 3 on diy and then on way home go and fetch in and feed etc. It worked fine for me but it's getting into a routine that works but also allowing for any problems etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top