Choosing a yard...

[BlondeAmbition]

Due to a change in circumstances, I am looking at moving my two horses to a new yard... One is an in foal mare (nearly 8 months), and the other is a recently backed mare.

Yard One (where I am at the moment)
Pros:
Horses are settled there
They both have big stables (14ft plus)
Hacking is fabulous
School is nice and floodlit (soon to be resurfaced)
The foal can be born there
The field the mare and foal will be in is already set out ready
I have been there for over 3 years

Cons:
Turnout in the winter is limited to a few hours every other day
There is no one on the yard to offer livery etc, so often struggle when working
Horses have to go to a 'holiday livery' when I go away which takes a lot of time


Yard Two
Pros:
There are several fields for winter turnout for 15 horses
There is a Yard Manager who does all the livery and turnout if required
The horses will not have to go to 'holiday livery', they can stay at home
The summer turnout is also very good
The school is 60x20m (will be floodlit in next few weeks) and I compete at Dressage
My mare and foal can have their own field
Haylage is adlib and just £10 a week and they also supply hay
Shavings are cheaper

Cons:
The stables are only 12x12 so my mare will have to go back to stud to foal down (but then come back asap)
The herd is a 'mixed herd' but split into groups
The hacking is not as good as where I am (I do have a trailer) but is off road
It is a little further from my house than Yard One
I don't know anyone on the yard at all

So, which one would you choose, if any???

Thank you.

 

[BlondeAmbition]

Thanks for the votes so far... I was wondering whether you could give a reason if you put 'I would keep looking...'

Just so I know what aspects people think are not suitable.

Thank you

 

[samp]

Well out of the 2 I prefer the sound of yard 1 although turn out was not great.
However maybe best to keep looking, not sure how many yards will accomodate mare and foals though TBF?

 

[Chex]

For me, winter turnout is the most important thing, so I put yard 2. It would be better if it had good hacking though.

 

[Pasha]

Out of the two options, yard two is the clear winner - all year turnout, and very importantly a field for your mare and foal is much more important than fantastic hacking on your doorstep and an extra 2ft of stable in my opinion!

 

[jj_87]

personally i'd keep looking

something even more ideal might turn up, if it doesnt im sure you can chose either yard

 

[JoBo]

I put Yard Two, just because of the turn out issue. I like my horses to be out as much as possible.

 

[Accy]

Yard one from me the pros on this one would make me want to stay, i would suggest to keep looking something better maybe just around the corner

 

[AmyMay]

I would say definately yard 2. Your pregnant mare has got to have as much turnout as possible.

 

[Tempi]

hacking isnt important - imo the most important thing is looking after your infoal mare, and it sounds like she will be better looked after in yard 2 with her own field than yard 1. Both the mares at my yard foaled in 12x12 boxes this year and they were both fine - one of the foals was huge, and both mares were 16'2ish.

 

[serena2005]

i said keep looking,when i look for a yard i look for all the things i already have and then any improvments on that is a bonus. fields are so important my horses would go crazy if they could only go out for a few hours every other day.

not having quite a good hacking would be a shame,but there are ways of getting round it!

good luck in what ever you choose to do!

 

[burtie]

Either you have an exact twin or is there a particular reason for the new ID?

Anyway neither yard sound right, keep looking, no point moving them to somewhere then wanting to move again. Especially with the mare getting closer to foaling date.

 

[johnsongreyhorse]

I put yard two because of the turnout, although you could keep looking if you're not 100% happy with it

 

[Maesfen]

Of the two, I chose No.2 simply because of the turnout issue/having YM on site, particularly with the in foal mare, so important both of those.
Is she going to be covered again next year cos if so, you could take her to the stud she will be going to at least a fortnight before foaling then she would only need be moved back home once she's been covered again if that makes sense. When they're back home they really will need their own field, at least at first, but ideally you should be somewhere where there are other mares and foals so they can play and be a gang together; oldies sometimes don't like to play with foals and they really do need similar company IMO.

 

[mandy4727]

I said keep looking. There are plus and minus points on each one as you have mentioned. I was looking the middle of this year. And I put a list down and gave everything points out of 10. so winter turnout as this was important gave the one with full turnout. The one with every other day 5. Large stables got a 10, small ish but well built a 5, ones that were a bit rough a 0. Hacking if that's important then a 10 if good, 5 if you can get to it but by trailer. I gave everything a mark including the distance to from my house, lighting in sand school, surface of sand school, proximity to local show (I don't have a box or trailer), automatic waterers, fencing type, horse walker, amount of rent paid etc etc. I ended up staying where I was. Good luck in your search it is very nerve wracking.

 

[metalmare]

I put yard two - I believe in horses being out as much as poss (mine lived out 24/7 except for 6 weeks training!)

 

[BlondeAmbition]

Thanks to everyone so far... the mare and foal would have their own field at both yards, that has already been organised.

There is hacking at Yard Two, and it is all off road, but just not as varied as Yard One... although I do have a trailer so it is quite easy for me to get to the hacking areas of Yard One and meet friends I know.

Mandy, that is a good idea, thank you... I will do that. Do you have a list of all the things you rated out of 10?

 

[BlondeAmbition]

Thank you for all your votes, and all the information is really helping.

 

[Vicki1986]

how important is t/o to your horse though? yes its ideal but not all livery yards offer good winter t/o. but some horse prefer to be in in winter (albeit not many)
if your horse will be stressed or unhappy being stabled a lot over winter id move...but look for a yard with bigger stables than yard 2

 

[Chambon]

[ QUOTE ]
Either you have an exact twin or is there a particular reason for the new ID?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I'd figured this one out too! Why the secrecy?

 

[BlondeAmbition]

I am still no nearer to deciding to be honest...

Yard One is lovely, and I have really enjoyed being there. But because there is no longer someone to do livery on the yard, I am really struggling with the turnout situation as it is every other day for 2-3 hours.

Yard Two is not as near to my house, but has a Yard Manager there who can do livery for you while you are away etc. Also has turnout every single day in three fields for 15 horses as opposed to one field for 21 horses at Yard One!

I don't like change at all, but at the moment I am miserable because I am really struggling with the turnout situation for my two horses.

Thanks everyone, keep the opinions coming!

 

[Skhosu]

YArd two me thinks, you've said your miserable!