Appropriate livery for yearling

[Englishcowgirl91]

Yearlings, do they still need to stay with their age or can they join different ages?

My foal is currently coming up 10 months and he’s out with two other who are about the same age and then two older horses.

I’m happy that he has two foals his age but I’m not 100% happy with the set up he’s in.

I have done the “put him with other foals and have been let down twice now” I’ve followed all of the “what you should dos”
He was at a temp livery yard in between finding our current place which was really not in his favour and now he’s at this place with these ones.

I’m paying £400 a month for a field, with a shelter and hay.

I feed him myself, worm him myself and sort my own farrier/routine vet checks.

Before I put him there I wanted to be able to go there every day and see him and obviously do the basic handling. He’s such a loving and easy boy.
I don’t have to leave him in a head halter and he will walk up to me to be lead out for his feed. Good with all his check overs and will have all feet picked up. He’s just a very very good boy.

At the beginning I was told that they were checked twice a day and fed ext ext. and they do all of the care
however I prefer to go their twice a day myself and check and they are not. I went there the other day and he was lame

In their shelter they are stood in mud, wet through constantly, the mud isn’t exactly clean and they don’t get a break from it.

I can never get hold of the lady who runs the place. She replies eventually but it takes a while and then the communication stops!

I haven’t heard anything from the lady since my boy was lame which I find pretty odd..

I don’t quite understand what I am paying £400 for?

I love my boy and he really is one of a kind.
I have tried to follow the right thing and put him with foals his age and I just haven’t found trustworthy people who have been really honest about their set up!

So I’ve got some decisions to make!

As yearlings can it be a little more relaxed with ages?
Would it be worth me buying another yearling and rent a place where they can be a pair?
Or maybe younger shetlands.
A very good vet who breeds his own and works in a referral hospital said ponies are quite good for foals.

I’m just worried about the set up and the welfare and I’m out of studs at this point.

He is literally the best youngster.

Any advice?

Thanks all

 

[ihatework]

Sounds pretty shoddy for the price!
As for company, I don’t necessarily think it *has* to be other yearlings, but it does need to be young horses well matched size wise. I have to say I quite like a mixed age you stock group if the introduction and management is right.

What general region are you in, perhaps we can give suggestions of studs to look at. As long as you can get there regularly, I don’t think daily intervention is needed though from you.

 

[Bobthecob15]

I moved a yearling to a regular livery yard and she was out at grass with several other mares of different ages/sizes etc. She was absolutely fine x

 

[Englishcowgirl91]

Sounds pretty shoddy for the price!
As for company, I don’t necessarily think it *has* to be other yearlings, but it does need to be young horses well matched size wise. I have to say I quite like a mixed age you stock group if the introduction and management is right.

What general region are you in, perhaps we can give suggestions of studs to look at. As long as you can get there regularly, I don’t think daily intervention is needed though from you.

Thank you for your reply
I don’t do a lot with him. The main reason I’m up there daily is because I check on him and the others as no one else will. And also I feed him and can’t feed him in with the others as they don’t let him have his food

 

[Englishcowgirl91]

I moved a yearling to a regular livery yard and she was out at grass with several other mares of different ages/sizes etc. She was absolutely fine x

Thank you for your reply I think a lot of pressure is put on people to find the right setup but I’ve found that most of the “right” setup is actually not that great!
I’ll see my options more near the time!
Thanks x

 

[Gloi]

I think a mixed age herd is okay provided there is no bullying going on so it depends on the companions. Where you are it does sound rather slipshod for the amount you are paying so I'd be looking around for a place with higher standards of care.

 

[Asha]

To be fair this winter has been the hardest and wettest I’ve ever seen . So please do consider that , as grass isn’t always greener so to speak .
However him being lame and not being picked up isn’t good . I’d be looking to move on that basis .
The ideal for youngsters IMO is in a mixed age group with other youngsters as well . They need to play and not all adult horses will do that. If they harass the older ones to find someone to play with thy can get told off and hurt . Out as much as possible too , but with the weather as it’s been isn’t easy .
My two yearlings are out with a 2yo and a 3yo at the minute . All get on and the 3yo is like a nanny to the younger ones . The 2yo gelding who is huge is an absolute poppet with the young ones even sharing his feed . As soon as the mares have foaled and foals old enough they will go back in with them . The mares them keep on top of all behaviour.
I’m starting to realise that good Youngstock livery is very very hard to come by and if I manage to get my hands on the neighbouring field I will be offering this service .

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Mine stayed with his male siblings until 1.5 years old (siblings were all his age, and one 2 year old). After that he was in a large mixed herd and the age range was 4 to 30, with everything in between, and he did quite well.

He's 3 now and is with a 22 year old, 10 year old, and a yearling, and that works fine for everyone too.

I do like the mixed ages because I think he can learn quite a bit in such a herd. I wouldn't necessarily stick a yearling with a bunch of only older horses though, if I could help it.

 

[Jenko109]

We have a donkey jack turned out with an elderly welsh cob.

They play like a pair of colts.

They say donkeys need donkeys and they say youngsters need youngsters. Although this may be the ideal, it does not mean that other set ups cannot work.

The trouble is finding the right herd. Not always easy in a livery situation.