Do any of us really have the 'perfect' yard?

I think my yard is pretty much perfect - what makes it for me is wonderful staff and fellow liveries. I can honestly say it's the best yard I've ever been on :)

Obviously if I won the lottery there are a few additions I'd make - all weather gallops, cross country course and I'd own most of the horses on the yard as well as my own!! ( I'd keep the owners too!)
 
The only negatives about my yard are the horses having to stay in if it rains (clay fields on the side of a hill so lethal in the wet!) and the fact that the entrance is on a dual carriageway so the journey home from the yard is 5 mins longer than the journey there.
The hacking is great, the school doesn't flood, it's close to home, my YO is awesome (and totally bonkers!) and a BHSAI as well and has done wonders for putting me and pony back on track in the 4 weeks we've been there. The other liveries are lovely and pony is becoming traffic proof now he's turned out next to the M25!
 
My yard is pretty good, it's a 10 minute walk from home, all year turnout on very good well draining land, it's all old pasture so good for natives, the owner lives on site and adjusts the fencing himself so never need to ask for more - he used to farm so knows how to manage his land. We can buy hay off him for cheap although haven't needed to yet as there's plenty of grass. Riding is fab, there's no school but friend has a school in the village, and the other 2 liveries are very laid back and happy to help out if needed, so it's a great atmosphere. It's only £15 a week per horse with no extras. Stables aren't great but then mine live out anyway and it's the cheapest by far in the area. My dream yard wouldn't be far off what's already there, except I would like to have a track system set up and free access to the outbuildings so the horses could come and go as they please, but hey you can't have everything.
 
Sometimes I think I am too fussy as I've been to quite a few yards now and still haven't found 'the one.' I'm currently at a small Equestrian Centre on Part Livery and whilst it's a bit rough round the edges and the facilities aren't great - we do have a small Indoor school which is a huge bonus especially in these awful weather conditions we have had lately. It's reasonably priced though at £55 per week with Haylage and bedding included and Monday - Friday muck out.
 
I love my livery yard

26 horse so not that big

Full size mirrored indoor school
Full size mirrored outdoor school

Outdoor jumping school

Very clean and tidy, horses well looked after, feet always cleaned, hooves picked out etc.

Stables all with rubber matting, walk ways rubber matting, hot showers. Decent turn out.

Perfecto :-)

The only down side is the hacking is not that great but in my area none of the good yards have hacking

That's the only change I'd make.
 
I moved yards about 3 weeks ago- I wish I'd done it months ago!!

It's a lovely small yard- it's has stabling / grazing for 10 but owners keep it to 5 or 6 so the fields are never over grazed or too muddy. Of the 5 horses currently there only 3 are ridden- so it's never a problem using the school ( which drains perfectly- even with all this rain!!)

The stables are in an American barn , with hay store, kitchen and toilet.

Parking for lorry etc...

And crazily cheap livery - as owner would rather have people she knows and trusts rather than just anyone.

It's my little slice of heaven...... The compromise is location tho- my old yard was in my village- 5 minute walk... New yard is 5 miles away... So 10 minute drive
 
I think as with everything perfection doesn't exist! I've been on a yard with fantastic facilities (3 arenas, instructor living on site, farrier up there weekly, vet weekly etc...) but faaaaaaaaar too many horses, a result of which being that the fields were often poached and it was a very hectic environment especially for my fizzy Thoroughbred. Another yard lovely school, nice and quiet, no instructor, poor fields and the only other livery was unbearable! Finally settled in a lovely little yard only 2 other liveries both of whom mind their own and let me do the same although we do check on each other's to make sure everyone is okay. Fields are lovely but no school and farrier/vet only come when called so you rarely get any bulk discounts. Overall the horses are much happier here and if they're happy I'm happy.
 
I have mine at home which is great but when we moved in the feilds had been over grazed for years and the grass was very poor. This is now starting to get better with careful management and I have just got planning permission for a menage so that is great. Stables look great but when you take a closer look we found that they are all rotton at the back, but all will be done over time. So I'm hoping to have the perfect yard in about 5 years. Loads of hacking as well.
 
I don't think my yard is too far from perfect. The school could do with an overhaul but I don't use it much so it doesn't bother me personally, the pros more than outweigh the cons.

The biggest challenge for me has usually been in maintaining peaceful relationships with other liveries. The first couple of years my part of the yard was quite empty and the people who were there were pretty unobtrusive and didn't really get too involved with whether it was swept immaculately or how/where stuff was stored and we all just bimbled along with minimal issues (not to say there weren't annoyances but it was generally quite laid back) but in the last year with the arrival of different liveries that has really changed and my happiness with the yard has been slightly diminished. Still, in the scheme of things it isn't that terrible...yet anyway
 
As close to perfect as it gets :) only change i would make would be to have it closer to home! Found a like-minded yard owner who looks after my girl like her own when im not there, is ocd tidy (a good thing as i can be too :p)
and its a small private yard, so quiet and no arguments :)
 
I don't know about perfect (and still new to it so may find things that aren't so great) but I love the yard I'm on now. Geoff can live out 24/7 with ad lib haylage, has an indoor, rubber outdoor, hot wash bay, canter track, jumping field and XC training jumps - hacking not as good as my previous yard, but actually I'm discovering it's better than I thought it was. Liveries are lovely, lack of storage is an issue, but if I take on a stable next time one comes up, I can rectify that by storing all my stuff in it (as Geoff won't use it!!). It's also a longer drive, and can get bad for traffic, but twenty minutes/half an hour if traffic is bad isn't exactly a long commute. So not PERFECT, but the closest I've been able to find to perfect within my price range. Plus liveries are lovely!
 
Honestly? My yard is pretty much perfect. I wouldn't change anything. Our yard owner is lovely, friendly, helpful and mends and improves things all the time even though he isn't horsey!

Our school is be-a-utiful and we have a new lunge pit and a new (heated) 'club house' with a kitchen and a loo and a fridge full of vino.

Our hacking in summer is brilliant, in winter it is a bit more limited but we have a tarmac off road hack we can do in the dark all winter so that is great. We don't have jumps but because I livery with lovely people they let me use theirs so I don't go without.

All in all I am really, truly happy. I love the yard. It rocks!
 
Any yard can be perfect if it meets your needs at the time.

If your needs change then the perception of perfection will also change.
 
We do!

Spacious airy stables. Storage for feed, haylage and bedding. Parking for lorry. Well secured tack room. All year round turnout (thank god for sandy soil). Arena that never freezes with lights. Hot and cold running water + electrics. Solarium with clipping and washing area. And lots of cats!!!!

The only thing I would want is a drain putting in front of the wash box! We cope by digging it out every so often but that is definitely one thing I would change!

We have a lovely livery who are fantastic and really help us out too :)
 
I have mine at home and sometimes think I wish I had x or y but I love my home and would not change it for anything .
But heres a question to those of you who keep your horses with other peoples how much does the atmosphere of the yard count towards you being content .
It's just at one point I used to visit lots of yards and it's always struck me that yards had a very different feel even from the moment you first got out of the car it always really It always terested me .
 
lincolnlady said:
my yard is perfect (sorry guys) has indoor and outdoor school (not that I use them as im a hacker only with a 22yr old semi retired) its £122 a month but that includes all hay and straw can use as much as we want and no moaning :) everyone helps each other out bring in or turn out hot wash box fantastic hacking and most importantly no bitching!! :)
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Sounds fantastic! And fab price! Room for one more? ;)
 
Mine is pretty close........

Year round turnout, 24/7 if wanted, indoor school and floodlit outdoor, lovely indoor stables, private off road hacking and nice quiet lanes, secure tack room, AND lovely people (who bring cake) to eat with our cuppa in our proper brew room (tea and coffee supplied) what more could I want?
 
I'm looking for a yard at present and realising Im going to have to compromise on something, at present we are at a small private yard but the grazing is rubbish so we were going to rent another field in the summer, nice school and amazing hacking.

All the yards I have looked at have crap grazing, no 24/7 summer turn out, rubbish hacking or are totally inflexable (why would I pay for am part livery when I ride and muck out every morning, if they had of changed to pm I would have gone there). I think Im going to settle for good grazing and rubbish hacking I have a horsebox so can box up to go hacking, more of a faf but possible!
 
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