Can't make up my mind - yards

Jingleballs

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What is it about the middle of winter that gives me itchy feet?

I'm really lucky to keep my horse at a yard with excellent turn out (he lives out 24/7), a fab yard owner and decent hacking. Facilities are pretty much non existent at the moment although due to improve at some point in the future.

I moved him here during the summer as I'd decided to turn him away for a bit due to lack of time - working full time, young family and I'd lost my horsey mojo a bit.

Good news is, my mojo is coming back. Bad news is with no facilities, no transport, bad weather and no riding in daylight hours during the week, I'm struggling a bit to keep my mojo going.

The yard I moved from in the summer was also ace - cheap, good level of care albeit a very rigid routine you had to adhere too. Y/O was good but could blow a bit hot and cold sometimes and there was definitely preferential treatment for some of the liveries she was closer too but I never felt hard done to although know others who have left after she made their life difficult.

Hacking is amazing but limited company to hack with and while everyone was nice, it was generally an older crowd who I didn't feel I fitted in with - I actually think this contributed to me losing my mojo in the first place. Turn out is also good - rain or shine they are out all daylight hours and 24/7 in summer. Oh and it's also 3 miles from home rather than the 10 miles of my current yard but the road isn't great and if it's icy I have no chance of getting up there. Don't get me wrong, it had its downsides - horses limited to 1 large net a night which isn't ideal if you have a poor doer - luckily i have a good doer and use trickle nets.

With all the crappy weather and my desire to get back riding, part of me is yearning to go back there. It wouldn't be much more expensive per week to keep him there on full livery than what I pay now, I'd have a good school, good hacking, closer to home. My worry would be that she started to become difficult with me also and made my life difficult which with my other committments, I don't know if I can handle. Or that I lost my mojo again and was paying full livery for a horse who'd happily live out in a field (and probably prefer it).

I'm lucky that my current yard owner is one of the few who don't take it personally when people leave and welcomes old liveries back with open arms so if I did move I could always go back there if it didn't work. I'm also sure, my old yard would have me back as I left on good terms and still keep in touch with the Y/O.

Argh - what to do?? If my current yard would just get their finger out and sort the facilities it would all be solved but I get the feeling they are going to keep promising things and not delivering!!!
 

Damnation

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Could you ask current YO when facilities are being addressed?

If it is an arena you are talking about, lets face it, this is not the time of year to be faffing on with trying to sort drainage out or build an arena etc!!
 

AmyMay

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I'd stay where you are and just pick up riding at the weekends, and after work once the evenings start drawing out. I pretty much stopped riding after Christmas and would just amble around at the weekends - despite habing a school.
 

Jingleballs

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Thanks both.

We have a sort of arena - I can just about manage to lunge in it and do some walk and trot but it gets wet very easily and given the amount of rain we've had, there have been plenty of days when it's been un useable.

Plan is to sort it when the weather improves - fo the reasons you mention above damnation.

I think my frustration is that because I have a young child, I have a limited window of child free time at weekends and in the evenings and it's frustrating when you can't make the most of it - as soon as the evenings get lighter it's a different story!
 

crabbymare

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I would stay where you are and enjoy having the horse to ride between spring and the beginning of winter and turn the horse away to give yourself a holiday through the worse of the winter so that you do not have the pressure of having to ride in the foul weather.
 

M4X

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Just to be different... I would go back to your old yard. Horses are an expensive hobby and you've got to maximise every opportunity to ride. Especially if you can't free up all weekend to do it. I've only just moved Max from grass livery to a massive yard that has 2 indoor and 1 outdoor arena. It is awesome! It makes such a difference being able to ride at night in winter
 

Jingleballs

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JulesRules - I think you're spot on - its easy to forget how you felt when you are out of the situation. No one was ever nasty to me or anything like that but the yard lacked that sort of buzz that i'm used to and that I get at my current yard.

I think I do just need to accept that during the winter we'll not be doing much and if I can fit in the odd hack then great - it would almost be easier to do this if we didn't have any facilities as I wouldn't have the choice whereas I'm able to do some work with him and that makes me want to do more which I cant.

M4X - totally get your point - that was my thinking - should I not be making the most of it while I can!
 

Annagain

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Stay put and try to find out more about when to expect the improved facilities. If they don't materialise when promised, start to think about moving then.

A lot of my riding mojo depends on hacking buddies so don't under-estimate how much not fitting in can affect you.

Is he on full grass livery or do you have to make a 20 mile round trip every day? That might be the only thing that would make me consider going back.
 

Jingleballs

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Stay put and try to find out more about when to expect the improved facilities. If they don't materialise when promised, start to think about moving then.

A lot of my riding mojo depends on hacking buddies so don't under-estimate how much not fitting in can affect you.

Is he on full grass livery or do you have to make a 20 mile round trip every day? That might be the only thing that would make me consider going back.

Full grass livery :) I go up 3 or 4 times a week. Luckily it's pretty much all motorway so a quick journey.
 
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