Busy or Quiet yard?

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Denzel

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I have a fairly lively tb gelding. He can be very tb at times! He hasnt been very well schooled up to now and on our current yard he lacks focus as there are often people in the school. He is often coming in from the field with bumps and scrapes from his turnout with lots of horses.

I am looking to move him closer to home. I have two options and could do with some external opinion!

Option 1.
Big livery yard with three outdoor schools and at least 30 horses. Lots of people out competing and nice hacking. Busy atmosphere with the horses out in big groups. Nice yard though with lots going to and people to talk to.

Option 2.
Small private yard with only 10 horses. Turnout with one other gelding, same one every day. One big outdoors school but rarely anyone else using it. One other person to compete with and within 3 miles hacking of patchetts for competitions (45mins ish at a walk).

I was all for the big yard but the more I think about it the more I think the smaller yard might chill him out and keep him happier. And is three miles too far to hack to a competition? (prelim dressage or novice sj)

Thoughts please!! Thank you!!
 
Sounds like your TB might be better suited to the second yard if he is lacking focus etc in your current yard.

I don't think 3 miles is that far to hack. If you boxed to a competition, you could spend 45 minutes warming up maybe? So the hack would get him warmed up, settled and you could be practicing some of the movements on the way.

That's my 2 pennies worth anyway.
 
My horse was constantly injured on my previous yard. He was turned out in a mixed herd of about 25 horses. I loved it there though, had great company, people to ride with but limited facilities.
I moved him to a small private yard, where he was turned out with 3 geldings, had great facilities and all was well although he did go very spooky, Im not sure if it is because its too quiet or the fact he has matured and this is the way he would have been regardless of where we were.
Things have recently changed, I have no one to ride with, I miss the company and am wondering if I would be better on a busier yard. I started having lessons and the instructor commented how quiet it was and my horse would be better if there was more going on. I dont know what to do either as I could move and the injuries could start again (very playful gelding) and there would be no going back.
 
The more I think about it the harder that one seems. In a big yard you could make some nice friends and it would be easy to avoid the people that do your head in. On a small yard that would be more difficult BUT... you would have space and your horse might find the atmoshere better. My sister has tried both and has settled in a small yard where everyone mucks in. She loves it there. I keep my horses at my parents house. i am now on my own, that can be good but also quite lonley, I have found myself hanging around tack shops just to talk horse to people. Since taking up dressage (walk and trot really) i have been out about more and have now several friends on diffrent yards I can visit. Horse riding does need a social aspect as you can sometimes need help no matter how good you are and no matter how much you know!
 
I would go for the busier yard as my horses (all different personalities) have preferred them.
On the few times I've been I've had to have them on a smaller yard, I've moved off within the year.
 
I'd go for the big busy yard. My horse is very easily distracted and a nosy so-and-so, so it always takes him longer to settle if we've got someone else in with us, but equally he needs to learn to focus on me no matter what else is going on around him - the second yard might be great when you're working at home, but it's more likely to fall apart at competitions, etc!

I also prefer turnout in groups, as long as it's only a few scrapes and nothing too serious, and from a selfish point of view I like busy yards with lots going on - it has to suit you as well as him!
 
Personally I would go for the smaller yard, however the only downside that I can see (as I know it would be a problem for my old boy) would be if the other horse was being ridden, would yours be OK on his own? Mine would fret even if surrounded by other horses :eek: My two are out together now, but if the younger one comes in for anything during the day, I have to leave a pile of haylage out for the veteran to keep him occupied.

3 miles definitely not too far to hack, would take about 45 mins and warms him up nicely :)
 
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