Dilemma...WWYD??? Advice/opinions please...!!!

SatansLittleHelper

SatansLittleHelper

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My friend and I rent two fields that are literally down the road for both of us as we live in the same village. These cost £150 a month for both fields so we pay half each. The horses live out 24/7 and there are no facilities except automatic water troughs. We have the chance of a self contained barn containing 5 stables and grazing but no school ( although there is an outdoor school to hire within hacking distance). This is on a private farm. £400 per month.Its 4.5 miles away.
We have been sick of the weather etc and thought it would ve nice to have stables but Im getting cold feet. We have fab hacking where we are and the fact that the horses are so close to home is a big advantage. Also them living out offers more freedom to us as I have a disabled child. Neither of us could afford livery prices and Im worried that the extra cost of bedding etc on top of an increase in "housing" might be a crippler. I have young horses and no transport but desperately want to do more with them. Would it be better to sit out the crappy weather and put the money towards getting a cheap trailer or lorry..??? I just dont know that to do. Im scared to lose the fields and then be stuck if we struggle to afford the stables :(
Any input would be very much appreciated x
 
IMO and with your situation I would stay where you are!! Affordable and very convenient!! It's also much better for the ponies to be out 24/7!! Any extra money you might be able to save could go towards more ameneties - lorry, field shelter or something else to make your life a bit easier!!
 
Any chance of you putting the money you save by staying towards a mobile field shelter? (mobile so no issues with planning)

And a bit of hardcore or those mats that sit under the grass?

It's a big difference in price plus the petrol you will use getting to the new place.
 
Stay put, for all the reasons given above. You are in a situation many would kill for, and the money you are saving in petrol and rent can be put towards making it even better.
 
I'm with the others - stay put and save for transport and a mobile shelter - if you can get your hands on an old railway carriage or something (do they still have them knocking about anywhere??!!) it might well be big enough to make a stable each for you at either end for emergencies? (Never done it myself, and only seen it years ago so probably remembering them far too big!!)
The cost of having horses in doesn't need to be astronomical, and if you have more land then it may well pay a chunk for itself by saving you on some hay costs, but I doubt it would save you £250 a months worth to make up for the extra....
Toughie though, it is loveley having somewhere to hide when it's pouring....
 
It seems a big jump up in cost and time travelling for not a lot more in reality.

I was very glad I could walk to my horses in all the snow we had this winter.

If your horses can live out and the fields can take it I would not be stabling. Much healthier for them.
I have spent a fortune in bedding too !

When they are in you are much more tied down to timing too which is harder when you have a busy family life.
 
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I would stay put and save for transport. Could you invest in a field shelter (this is what I have) and it doubles as a stable/tacking up area.

The only thing that would make me move is if your current set up was on boggy ground and the new place would be sandy soil. That said, I am on sand and the water was running off it in rivers yesterday :(
 
I would stay put too and get a trailer and maybe mobile field/ stables. I have mine out 24/7 but rarely use our stables however it is nice to have some where to put them for vet / farrier/ to keep clean for a short while.
 
How much grazing are you getting with the stables? Is it enough to keep the horses out most of the time?

My point is that just because you will have stables, the horses don't have to spend lots of time in them.

Is it a possibility to move to the new place and the horses still live out he majority of the time? This would keep extra hay and beddings costs to a minimum, but with he option of a bit of luxury when you need it.

I don't think you said how many horses you have. Is there a spare stable and if so could you get a third person involved to share the extra costs?

I'm not sure how many horses you have or what area you are in, but my livery bill for stable and grazing is £140 a month for one horse which is on a lovely yard with lots of facilities. Maybe it's worth having a look at yards in the area as you may be able to afford more than you think if you are not happy in your current field.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
I'd stay put. £400 a month is a lot even split between 2, although not sure how many horses you have.

I only pay £120 a month for livery for stable, grazing, use of arena, hay & straw, water etc, that's for 1 though xx
 
Stay put.
This winter has been long and hard for most of us, and that maybe contributing to how you feel.
How long have you rented the current land for, and is the first time you have considered giving it up?
I think it is a really good idea to consider getting transport with the money you save, from the higher rent maybe? You will be mobile and many more options will open to you.
I own my place but a few years ago had no transport after my last trailer was stolen. I managed fine without as we just hired, but as my daughter got older and wanted to enter more shows, I was faced with the option of installing a manage, or buying a horsebox.
I chose the latter, and am so glad I did, although there is no doubt that a manage would be lovely, too. W have the freedom to come and go,now, as we wish whether to shows, or to hack in a different area.
Good luck whatever you decide.
 
Ooops should have said...we have 5 big horses between us. The new place doesnt have huge amounts of grazing, 3-4 acres, so turnout would have to be manged carefully and we were told they would be on restricted turnout during winter. I guess my gut feeling is that we should stay where we are and try to save money to improve our current situation...
 
I agree. Stay put.

With having a disabled child you really do need to be within easy reach I would think.


The pros and cons of moving

Pro: Having stables

Cons: Less grazing which is also restricted in the Winter which would lead to the added cost of feed, bedding etc. Further away so added travel costs on top of the extra rental costs.
 
This winter has been the worst for horse/ livestock ownership in several decades - many many people are questioning whether they can carry on as they have done.

BUT -it is an exceptional year, I personally really wouldn't pay more than double for less turn out. I have stables at home but last winter they were in maybe 20 nights all year! Yes, this year has been different but we'd be really unlucy to end up in that situation again.
Spring is (finally) on it's way! So your current field will be perfect again until next winter, if you really wanted to you could try saving the extra cost (£125 a month - being the £200 you would pay for the stables less the £75 your paying for the field), if you saved this in a separate account from now until December you'd have £1000. If next winter is terrible £750 could buy you a few months at a DIY yard with stables to get you buy and you'd be no worse off, if next winter isn't as bad you have £1000 to spend on a trailer!!
 
I would not move.

5 horses on only 3 - 4 acres, plus extra travelling (twice a day) and it costs more to rent in the first place. You will be buying bedding, more hay and the extra time mucking out.

How many acres do you have now?
 
We have 3 fields effectively that we rotate...so generally use 1 or 2 at a time. The two big fields are approx 3-4 acres each and the smaller one 2-3 acres. I dont know exactly so thats an educated estimate. The horses are all big horses...3 sports horse types, a heavyweight Breton and a Drum Horse foal who will be huge.
 
Going from 8-12 acres to 3-4 acres will cost you a fortune in hay, bedding, and field maintenance (harrowing, reseeding, fertiliser etc.) especially for 5 big horses.

Definitely wouldn't move, save the extra cash and utilise another DIY yard for a couple of months in the worst of winter next year if you have to - this will still be cheaper in the long run!
 
So you have 8 - 11 acres now and it's close to your home (makes a huge difference). I personally, would always put the extra land above stables and schools.

Do you have a hardcore area to put a hay feeder on? This would be a better thing to spend your money on if the land owner would let you.
 
No we dont have any hardstanding at all which can be a pain. The fields do get wet and muddy but are nowhere near as bad as some we have seen. Its just been so depressing with the weather this year and it seems never ending. I really want to work my youngsters as they are wasted at present so I think maybe transport would be the most important thing to put the money towards.
 
I would definitely want a stable-what happens if one gets injured? Additionally if you cannot afford bedding for increased housing you probably need to cut down on your number of horses-what happens if one is injured or needs more feed or stabling?
 
I've successfully rehabbed a horse with a tendon injury without putting her in a stable. I just made a small area for her with electric tape. Worked a treat and the Vet was fully supportive.
 
I'd definitely stay put. By the time you add up extra rent, bedding, hay, more land management, and petrol twice a day you're going to be paying hundreds of pounds more a month. That would very quickly pay for travel, and if the landowner is willing you could also very easily and quickly cover the costs of a patch of hardstanding.

If a move is going to cost you a great deal more time, money and hassle, it's really got to be worth it - access to stables is not a big enough plus IMO for all the drawbacks of the new place!
 
Hi thanks to all that replied. I would like to add that we CAN afford to keep our horses snd see no reason to down size..??? What I said was that we could not afford to keep so many at livery. The horses all have hay and hard feed. They all are wormed, have regular farrier/dentist visits and are up to date with vaccinations and are also insured with PetPlan.
 
SatansLittleHelper said:
Ooops should have said...we have 5 big horses between us. The new place doesnt have huge amounts of grazing, 3-4 acres, so turnout would have to be manged carefully and we were told they would be on restricted turnout during winter. I guess my gut feeling is that we should stay where we are and try to save money to improve our current situation...
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In that case, definitely stay put. Our neighbours had theirs on livery just 5 mins walk away and then moved them about a year ago to a yard about 5 mins away by car. We had horrendous snow the week before Easter and they had to walk to the horses, because of the hills and the drifts it took them 3 hours. I certainly wouldn't want to risk that!:eek:
I would save the extra money to put towards a mobile field shelter and transport eventually.
I think everybody is absolutely fed up of the seemingly endless winter. Ours are at home but in the height of the snow (and I use the word advisedly) I was muttering that full livery sounds good!:eek::D
 
Alyth said:
IMO and with your situation I would stay where you are!! Affordable and very convenient!! It's also much better for the ponies to be out 24/7!! Any extra money you might be able to save could go towards more ameneties - lorry, field shelter or something else to make your life a bit easier!!
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Agree
 
Where I am its just grass livery. BUT its within walking distance for me if the weather is as foul as it has been at times this winter. We have a section electric fenced off for schooling and a field shelter that can be used as a stable if necessary.

There are 2 more yards in the village but they are the opposite side of the village to where I am now so harder to get to in bad weather
 
I'd personally say £400 a month is quite steep... Basing this on our DIY prices in this area (ad/lib turnout, stable and bedding included, indoor and outdoor schools ect) it would cost you less to have the above than just a field with 5 stables. As others have said you'll have bedding, forage, feed ect to pay on top.
 
Agree with the general view - stay where you are and try and save some money towards transport/improved facilities (I don't think old railway carriages are a goer these days but a shipping container maybe?)
 
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