Desperate for some horsey contact... WWYD?

shadeofshyness

shadeofshyness

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I have lived in Sale (Manchester/Cheshire) since May and don't have a car - me and OH don't need one to get to work and we don't have anywhere to park one if we did get one. I'm finding that relying on public transport here is increasingly hindering my horsey contact and it is getting me down :( In the past, wherever I've lived has always been within walking distance of where I ride so I've been really lucky. Here, it's £10 each way in a taxi to the stables I have my lessons at (Carrington, if anyone knows it!) and although there's a bus route, when you get off the bus it's a 20 min walk down a dark deserted lane and I just don't feel safe doing this in winter as it's pitch black. The taxis are less than reliable and I am often left waiting for 40 minutes- quietly seething!

From intensive googling there seem to be a few little livery yards within a 15 minute walk from my house - busy residential area so ideal for after-work wanderings. I'm thinking of turning up at them ike a nutcase offering help (after psyching myself up as I will be chronically shy and feel daft), or if the YO isn't around just leaving a note asking if any liveries want a sharer. (Yards on Fairy Lane in Sale if anyone knows the area!!) I've shared in the past and can ride fairly well, would like to pay and share properly if anyone wanted it but would be happy just helping out if that suited. I could walk down there tomorrow just to check the yards still exist and Google isn't lying to me! I've found a phone number for the owner of one and two others are mentioned online but no contact details so for them I'd have to turn up at those. Not sure if it's friendlier/less weird to turn up or to ring? And also thinking I may look like a pony mad little girl... Actually maybe I am, just trapped in a 26yo's body :D What would you do? And would you think it was rude to just turn up at the ones I can't find a phone number for?
 
I would ring the ones you have numbers for and see what they say, depending on how that goes I would turn up at the other ones saying you are in need of some horsey contact!! Im sure they wont mind- what's the worse that could happen?!
 
What's the worst that could happen - that's exactly what my OH said - I replied I could look really weird and rude and then die of embarrassment :p It is probably one of those things were I have to 'bite the bullet' and just bl**dy do it and then even if it goes wrong, at least I tried...
 
I used to live in Manchester and keep my horses on Fairy Lane! I also have friends who still keep their horses there now! The hacking is fabulous! Far better then where I live now (in a very rural area!) as it is miles of river banks, woodlands and nature reserves! I loved it and miss the hacking now!

There are quite a few livery yards, and 'small-holdings' (for want of a better word!) - people are generaly very friendly, I would just pop down and offer help if I were you!

If you want to PM me for any further advice I'm happy to help :)
 
You have nothing to lose by going to the yards and talking with the YO. You never know would be interested in having a sharer and you won't know unless you ask.

Would you consider in investing in a scooter? They are cheap to buy, run and insure and you and OH could use it for other things besides going to riding.

Finally, everyone who has a horse is a pony mad little girl/boy in an adult body. :)
 
Bite the bullet you can only ask and it might work out really well. You could also put up an add in your local tack shop or food store or in local paper/newsletter etc. Never hurts to ask :D

Wouldn't it be lovely though if someone was local to you and saw your post. Good luck
 
dollymix - I always thought the hacking would be lovely! We sometimes go for walks around the waterpark and you wouldn't think an urban area had so much beautiful space. Good to know someone on here has had horses there :) I'll PM you; maybe I might look less odd if I said that I heard there were yards there off someone on H&H rather than mild google-stalking:D

ZondaR- I've thought about a scooter but we barely have room for the bike in our 'garden'! And my OH's bike is currently on box rest after an unknown injury so can't even borrow that! If the horsey situation works out I think my own bike would be a worthy investment :) I definitely couldn't cycle to the riding centre I go to due to location (big busy road where I'd get splatted!) but could to the local livery yards.

horseloaner - I did draft a note for the tack shop at my riding centre but it turned into an essay when I specified that it had to be within walking distance of Sale due to no car and it looked way too long to give them haha :D Hopefully it will all work out ok and I shall meet a friendly face tomorrow if I pop over - that's if I don't go all red and cringey. Perhaps need a bit of Dutch courage haha!
 
I sold my old horse when I went to uni (money and time issues) and still wanted to ride. As my uni was away from home and I didn't know any horsy people I just went to local livery yards and asked around; there was always something around that needed exercising and I even paid for one lesson at a school and was asked to come back and help school (they mostly had beginners there). Others I found in tack shop ads and I guess nowadays with the advent of Facebook there must be local rider groups that you could post an ad on saying you'd like to help out/share somewhere more accessible to you? Good luck finding something!
 
Billabongchick said:
I sold my old horse when I went to uni (money and time issues) and still wanted to ride. As my uni was away from home and I didn't know any horsy people I just went to local livery yards and asked around; there was always something around that needed exercising and I even paid for one lesson at a school and was asked to come back and help school (they mostly had beginners there). Others I found in tack shop ads and I guess nowadays with the advent of Facebook there must be local rider groups that you could post an ad on saying you'd like to help out/share somewhere more accessible to you? Good luck finding something!
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Tack shop ads and Facebook were my first ideas :) but as I'm limited to literally one row of livery yards in walking distance of my house I have to be more specific and directly target them.


Fingers crossed tomorrow will go well :D
 
Why not prepare a little "advert" for the livery yard noticeboard, pop in and say you live in the area and are looking for horsey contact rather than just lessons and would they mind if you popped a note on their noticeboard offering yourself as a sharer or helper. If they seem approachable and nice it should be an opener to say that you would be willing to come down and do a bit of "helping out".

A lot will depend upon the type of yard, some assisted DIY yards don't like liveries getting in outside help, some private yards are wary of too many "strangers" coming and going and on some yards you could quickly find yourself being used as slave labour, but I'm sure that there are plenty of owners and yard owners who would love to have someone around willing to work for rides on a fairly informal basis.
 
I'd be more inclined to pop a hand written note, with your contact details in, through the door of one or two houses explaining roughly as you have on here they can then get in contact with you. As said on here there are one or two people who'd could do with someone like you so what's to lose. Good luck.
 
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