Do facilities really matter that much?

Fuzznugget

Fuzznugget

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 October 2010
Messages
852
Location
Here & there
gloucestershirehorseriders.webs.com
I'm just wondering, since this is now the 2nd person to pull out of loaning me their horse due to me only having fields (fence down drive needs redoing but is fenced internally with mains powered electric) & stables. I live on a dairy farm so it's nothing fancy, there's areas for schooling & while it does get muddy in winter for turnout, there's plenty of space for it. There is also a big yard down the road that does Arena hire.
About ready to give up on horses altogether. So disappointed that I've once again lost out on the chance to be able to ride a fantastic horse.
Sorry about the Sunday morning self pity post! Coffee & biccies for all :)
 
It puzzles me, and I don't have the answer for you. If you had no stable and the horse owners were expecting it to be stabled you could see the point. Are they expecting their horse to be regularly schooled? Do you have decent hacking, if you have said thats what you would like to do?

It might be worth repairing the fences, rehanging any gates, removing debris properly and politely approaching those who have turned you down for this reason and asking them to explain which facilities they felt were lacking, so you can remedy that before you continue in your horse hunt :)

Have you had a horse at the property before and successfully schooled in the fields? As someone who has made do without my own school I know from experience that its not as easy as hou would think. The area which looks so inviting can turn out to be a)smaller than you thought, b) nice and flat, and therefore gets waterlogged and churned up too much in winter c) stony d) uneven e) on a slope you never noticed before... Spotting a potential schooling area on a dairy farm and actually being able to use it once you are on a horse are two different things :o
 
I have 8 liveries. Seems to be good enough for them? There is loads of hacking, I'd be doing mainly schooling though. Three of the people here jump, and have set up a small course that they pop over regularly and school in the same area. Unfortunately, the other person in line for the horse has the "proper" facilities (test & rail, arena, etc), and even though owner of horse said I'm the better rider, I guess facility wins. I understand that she's concerned for her horse & wants whats best for him, it's just really disappointing as I was very much looking forward to having him here. Oh and the fence is getting fixed, sorting out quotes at the moment.
 
I don't think the facilities as such are a big deal, but the fencing might be the deal breaker. I wouldn't let my horse go somewhere where the fencing was just electric - even if it was on the mains.

I'd get your fencing sorted ASAP then start looking again.
 
The fencing would bother me. Lack of facilities bothers me for me but prob not for a loan horse unless it was a top competition horse I wanted kept going, which I wouldn't be loaning anyway so...
 
Ah! Snobbery! That sucks, facilities are great and all but are really for human benefit not the horse. What horse goes 'oh heavens not that bit of mud again, where is my indoor menage?' Most people I know are a bit anti stabling and pro-rustic turnout set up, so one of us would happily loan to someone like you (not that we have any spare horses).
 
I would sort the fencing out, then try again. For me the fact that the property is yours would actually be a big plus! Also, if you have liveries managiing with what you have I can't really see the problem. However, I would look to buy, as the sort of horse it sounds like you are looking for, is probably going to be the one someone wants someone else to put the time into and then take back.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top