Anyone stabled on a very quiet yard?

M

MS123

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 September 2013
Messages
424
Visit site
Having to think about moving my mare as she's not settling at our current yard. I've found a lovely place down the road, but there's only another two liveries, so for most part I'd be on my own.

Thought I'd ask to see if anyone else is stabled on their own/ with very few people, and how you all cope? Do you enjoy it? Would you rather be on a busier yard?

:)
 
I recently came from a yard with 6 other horses, and am now on a yard with 7 other liveries plus the owners horses. All the owners ride but obviously timings meant that we don't always see each other, it was nice having people around but equally nice to be left to your own devices. I would much rather be on a smaller yard, although the last big yard I was on was great, but I was so busy chatting I was there for hours and didn't always ride!
 
I have mine at home and I love the peace and quiet. It can get a little lonely and finding someone to hack with can be a problem - but that is what this forum is for :)
 
MS123 said:
Having to think about moving my mare as she's not settling at our current yard. I've found a lovely place down the road, but there's only another two liveries, so for most part I'd be on my own.

Thought I'd ask to see if anyone else is stabled on their own/ with very few people, and how you all cope? Do you enjoy it? Would you rather be on a busier yard?

:)
Click to expand...

I used to be on a yard where my horse was one of four. We had tons of storage space, I got the school to myself 99% of the time, could always book the school for lessons whenever I wanted.

However horse was stressy, none of the other horses really clicked with him so he had no friends, he was upset whenever another horse left the barn and he was still inside, and riding by ourselves all the time left him a total nightmare to warm up at comps.

We moved to a yard of 40+ horses, and he settled right down and has been fab since. Personally, for him, despite the lack of storage and lack of say in field rotations etc that comes with being on a big yard, I would never go back to a small one.
 
Me, and I wouldn't have it any other way. In fact I would give up. Nine horses and 3 of us, we work like a well oiled team, no pettiness or arguing, all horses cared for properly regardless of who owns what. Utter bliss.
 
I'm on a small yard of just 6 liveries including myself. It is absolute Heaven and I love it. I would never ever go back to a bigger yard now as my boy is happy as larry and the owners are smashing people. The bonus is the views from the hillside too, which, after a busy working day, is so lovely to go to....it's like having a 'chill pill' as soon as you drive onto the yard and the stresses and strains of the day just melt away :). I don't think I've been back home before 8pm of an evening as I'm enjoying this lovely weather at the moment and being there is tant amount to going to an 'equine health farm' if that make sense! LOL

Everyone animals and humans alike are very content :) and it's absolute bliss.
 
khalswitz said:
I used to be on a yard where my horse was one of four. We had tons of storage space, I got the school to myself 99% of the time, could always book the school for lessons whenever I wanted.

However horse was stressy, none of the other horses really clicked with him so he had no friends, he was upset whenever another horse left the barn and he was still inside, and riding by ourselves all the time left him a total nightmare to warm up at comps.

We moved to a yard of 40+ horses, and he settled right down and has been fab since. Personally, for him, despite the lack of storage and lack of say in field rotations etc that comes with being on a big yard, I would never go back to a small one.
Click to expand...

I echo this.

The small yard was lovely, but he was the only gelding among 4 mares which was fine during winter but come season time he got split to his own with electric fence. I could get the arena when I wanted but it was a bit lonely going hacks. I too, found him a nightmare at shows with other horses warming up. I moved back to our first yard which has about 20 horses and he's turned out with geldings. It's nice to see him interact again. I also, enjoy the banter and chats.
 
Me, sole let of yard for my 4 horses and i love it, ive been on yards and alone over the past 20 yrs and id never go back to a livery yard if i could help it, i think id give up first, no politics, bitching or theiving just peace, quiet and your own mess and problems to contend with ......absolute horsey heaven !!
 
I'm on a very small yard where there is just us (my mum, sister & I) and a friend (someone we didn't know before she moved to the yard but is now practically family) with just 2 horses between us. We have had up to 5 horses on at once with 2 extra owners and I much prefer it just the 2 of us.

It's my quiet place. I like to go down and chill, faff about & do what I want with my boy. No interference, no bitching, just me & my boy.

It was a great yard when we first moved in 6 years ago but the yard owner doesn't really do upkeep so it's a bit of a mess now, we can't use the school, fences are basically non-existent but we stay because we like it being just us.
 
I rent a yard privately, so just me there. Personally, I love it! Genie has never been so settled, and we have been on yards ranging from 3 horses to about 45. She's quite an anti-social horse so hated having people walking past and looking in on her all the time (especially when she was at a riding school, although a sign saying she bites (which she definitely does not!) sorted that!!). For Fanfare it was perfect for introducing her to 'real' life - I don't think she would have coped on a busy yard when I first got her.
 
Me - sole yard - I have found myself going from one horse to now 4........ - which may not be a bad thing...! However having come from a livery yard, it is now bliss to be somewhere quieter. No one to tell me when to turn horses out or bring in, no one to interfere or tell me what to do. But, it its hard work. I have to fix and maintain everything from fencing/painting/ordering hay/feed - and working full time and fitting all that around the care of 4 horses isnt easy but its manageable and would rather this than be back on livery. My horses are extremely settled and I acquired a couple of small ones to keep the other one company when taking my main horse off the yard and it all works swimmingly. I dont mind hacking on my own but I do have friends to hack with nearby if I want the company - I can also quite easily box up and head somewhere local to have a ride if need be, it really doesnt bother me.
 
I am more of a small quiet yard person however I do like the social side of a big yard.

It can get lonely, I was on a yard a few years ago and the only livery there was me ! and the YO horse that was never ever ridden and didn't do anything. I was very lonely and it was horrible in the winter when I had to drag myself up there as well as ride on my own and actually it started getting depressing.

I now have 2 and have them at home, I am still always alone but atleast I can nip in and warm up, watch tv. turn out horse if I don't feel like riding, and admit that when the weathers horrible I just don't ride.
 
I recently moved yards from a yard with only 4 horses (including mine) to now a yard with around 16.
She absolutely loves it where she is now. In all honesty, she never really settled at the quiet yard, she was on edge a lot and the other horses didn't really pay her much attention so she was often left alone. At the new yard there is always someone there who can check on them and there are always horses near her and she's made some horse friends! It's lovely to see her nuzzling other horses and interacting with them as the horses at the old yard wouldn't let her do that.
 
Yes, just two liveries plus YO's two BSJA ponies in the barn, plus another six or seven or so horses/ponies who live out year round, including a three-month-old filly foal :). Kal has a permanent field companion and can touch/interact with other horses over at least one fence line when out. Because it's a family compound (five houses within sight of the fields) there is alays a pair of eyes to notice a problem and there are generally people about somewhere, but it's also very quiet and peaceful. This week, two of the families (including my YO) are away so I have the yard to myself in the mornings - but it doesn't feel lonely because I can see and hear other people out and about.

The ONLY downside is that Kal doesn't have other geldings to play with - his field companion is ancient and doesn't play and the only two other geldings are pretty much feral/far too playful for him.

Other than that, it's a lovely place to be . . . I would have to think really hard before I went back to a large yard again.

P
 
Me, I love it. When I first moved there it was YO and one full livery who never came up. I have always been on massive yards so was unsure how I'd like it but I loved it. It is busier now; 4 other liveries which is nice to have someone to chat to but I do sometimes miss being the only one there! I could never imagine going back to a big yard now - too much b1tching, too many people with opinions on what you're doing wrong (when your horse is the only one doing any work, their's just get patted and groomed because the owners are usually too scared to ride them!)!
 
I'm on a yard of 12 horses - 10 owners. However we very rarely see any of the other owners as only 2 are diy (me being one of them), the owner owns 2 & the rest are on full/part so either never see them or just on weekends. I love it, it's just right for us -usually someone (yo) about if you want a natter but not big enough to get bitchiness! x
 
rent my own yard so just my 4 and the occasional lodger, i love it, no one elses mess to get stressed over, no one borrowing my stuff, no one breaking my stuff! no problems with horses being left alone because everyone else has brought in before me and no having to share paddocks with others and i can choose what horse i put where and can swap and change them about as much as i like without upsetting anyone else. it's my little bit of heaven and i would never choose to go back on a livery yard. :)
 
My last horse was initially liveried on a small yard. And I loved it. Horse seemed very happy there too.

However when we moved back to my old yard of 40+ horses he thrived.
 
Me, I moved there last year, there were 2 other liveries there and then me, total of about 7 horses - it fluctuated a bit. It was lovely. Then a friend of one of the others moved on, still lovely. Then someone bought a pony in and things started to get a bit tense. People left, more arrived and it all went downhill when we were full - 10 horses and 4 families plus me. The worst trouble maker left a little while ago and we were back to 3 again (different 3 this time) and it was all good, we've just had 2 other horses come on in the last few weeks and the humans seem nice so hopefully we'll stay quiet, happy and peaceful.

It can be a bit lonely but the peace and stress free atmosphere is worth it !
 
I am on my own with my horses kept at home and absolutely love it. I have had my own place 11 years and would not have it any other way. I keep my yard immaculate and wouldn't be able to cope with someone else on even though I get asked a couple of times a month about livery but I think I am to OCD to after 20 years plus on livery myself, it is all done my way now. The weather doesn't bother me even though we live high up and it can get wild. The only incident that has ever happened was when I was thrown off and had to lay in the school quite a while as we are up a dirt track .Fortunately passing vet saw my horse all tacked up and me on the deck and came to my rescue, that shook my husband up but I'm more off the belief s**t happens.
 
I am at a small yard and yes I do find it lonely in so far as I am the only one who hacks and my mare is quite sharp to hack alone no matter how used to it she becomes. There are 4 horses including mine. One retired, one who is hardly ridden and one that is rarely hacked.

The YO is always around so there is someone to talk to but I would love to have someone else to hack with.
 
We've moved from a 10 horse yard where my horses were ok but not totally settled to a private yard with my 3 and 1 other horse and they absolutely love it, back to their usual selves and its so nice being able to spend one on one time with the horses without feeling like you have to make conversation or being watched all the time
 
I keep mine at home. With my previous horses I had 2, even if one was a Shetland, but with my current one he was on Pro yards all his life so busy, and was also extremely nappy and reared a LOT. Now, he lives alone, has us for company, and is settled, happy, content. He is no longer nappy, does not rear, is responsive, loves his mirror-friend, is good in collecting rings, will hack alone or in company.

It makes me angry when I read posts dictating horses MUST live like this that or the other. Horses are individual, and mine is happy on his own, if he was not we would buy a companion, as we had with the others. Some horses are happier on busier yards, as others have said on this thread.

OP, I hope your horse is happy whatever you decide.
 
Fides said:
I have mine at home and I love the peace and quiet. It can get a little lonely and finding someone to hack with can be a problem - but that is what this forum is for :)
Click to expand...

This is much like my situation, I have a few friends from the yard next door that I ride with, so I have riding friends when I want and peace and no yard politics when I want so best of both worlds:)
 
Initially we were on a yard with around 30 horses, we moved to a yard with 17 on it & 3 years ago we moved to a private house with a small yard & there are our 2 horses, the YO's horse & a retired horse. There was another horse there but they moved as we are diy & they needed full livery. We find it fantastic. The YO & hiusband are great & can't do enough to help. The school is looked after & we can use it whenever. The paddocks are well maintained, plenty of grass & winter graazing as well. The stables are big, we've loads of storage space, secure tackroom, CCTV & alarm & my lorry is stored in the barn. It's a slice of heaven. Best of all there's no bitching that you get on big yards!

We've been there over 3 years now, the time has flown by & we cannot see ourselves ever moving. :)
 
i love being on a quiet yard- i rent somewhere with 1 other lady- i have 2 horses, she has 2 horses and 2 ponies and we have 1 livery. means you have people to help out- i have broken my wrist and would have struggled without her. but not swamped with people when you just want peace with your horses after a busy day at work.
before i moved area i was at a livery yard with about 15-20 horses, but i was also very happy there and so were my horses, as there was a great YO and grooms and got on well with the other liveries- i do sometimes miss always having someone in the kitchen to have a cup of tea with!
i would just make sure the turn out arrangements so your horse is never left on there own and find out when they might join you for hacks.
 
Hi,

I'm glad I've came across this post as I was about to post a similar one. I hope you don't mind me posting under yours.

I have my new'ish horse on a small yard. There are 6 horses in total split into three fields. I have a youngster (14mths) who is in a field with one other gelding. They do get on great but I'm worried I've made the wrong decision for her socializing wise and she would be better/should have more company. However, the location is great, there are places I can take her out for walks in hand. All the people are great and we get on well. I let her meet the other horses over the gate whenever we're out and she does seem very settled and content, however I still worry about her socializing...

Anyone else with youngsters - what kind of turnout/company does yours have and would you move to somewhere so they could socialize with more horses?

Thanks :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top