Do you think this is the right thing....

SatansLittleHelper

SatansLittleHelper

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My young ID/Sports horse is 4 rising 5 and has been "broken in/started (or whatever term you like to use). He lives out 24/7 at present and Im seriously considering putting him on DIY livery at a local yard. I have lost alot of confidence etc and need to do alot of work with my boy but have no facilities at home, just a muddy field where my other two are also happily paddling in mud :rolleyes: (My Clydesdale is a happy hacker and the other boy is a youngster)
The local livery is a very good price per week (£25-30) and has a floodlit indoor school, regular turnout all year, a cross country horse that can be hired, miles of brillaint hacking and fantastic dressage/showjumping/cross country trainers several times a week that I could pay for lessons with.
I suppose what Im asking is....would this be a good move to do if I can afford it (need to look veryyyyy carefully at money first)..?? It would only cost 80 a month to continue renting the field for the others.
I have worked out that to take my boy for lessons at the local school will cast me £65 a fortnight as I would have to pay for transport etc so I think I would be better off doing this and really being able to get on with his schooling etc. Im nervous as have never had a horse at livery before and you hear so many horror stories lol. Though I do know two people at the yard (not well but enough to chat to, get advice etc) and they both say its fab.
 
I think that if finances allow then it would definitely be worth thinking about - if you want to bring your youngster on a school would be very useful indeed. It sounds like you want to compete him eventually as well, so it would help for you to have a stable and more facilities in general. The only thing you don't mention is how you will be able to continue looking after your other two horses as well - is the new yard near enough to your existing field so that it wouldn't be too much hassle in the morning to visit both places?
 
Yes I have considered it for my youngster but the best option here is full livery and I am a bit precious about her now, I wouldn't have time to do her on a DIY yard (they are all at home). I may still do it for a month or so if we get a prolonged icy period where I can't ride.
 
Would it be possible to arrange a trial for a couple of months? I can understand the issue of not having any facilities (we have none either), but I would be wary of keeping horses in two different places. I have known friends try this and it is very difficult to do. I wonder if your horse would be better got going again in spring (when hopefully it will be drier!). Sister and I were saying earlier today that we could not go back to a livery yard, sister reminded me of a woman who had the dirtiest beds in the world, telling my then OH that he was throwing out too much clean staw! The place was entirely DIY, we all bought our own fodder and bedding, so why this woman believed that it her was place to inform some-one else how much to use was beyond me. Could you cope with people doing that sort of thing?
 
If u can afford it and have the time to go between field and yard then yes! My livery yard is fab, the people are ALL lovely, the YO is supportive and knowledgeable and is such a lovely person. You'll get more out of your youngster by the sound of it if ur able to move him :)
 
Having a 4/5 year old in a muddy field with no facilities is a lot more depressing than having to put up with the odd unwanted opinion - if the two current liveries there that you know say its fab then I am betting that you will have a fantastic time - having lights/facilities/instruction will see you and your boy come on in leaps and bounds. You can always go back to your field once the weather and the ground improve in the spring but I wouldn't be surprised if you don't want to leave the yard by then - it sounds great :-)
 
Thanks guys for all the advice. To add to my first post:
The two I would keep at the field are literally down the bottom of my road so easy enough to do, and the yard is 5 miles away. The one is only hacked out a couple of times a week in the nice weather (he is a big pet really :o) and the baby youngster is only 2.5 years so nothing will be done with him for another 12 months or so. They would really just require feeding and loving once a day (they would be on forage only diet), I could do them on the way to the yard. Plus my friend keeps her cob in with mine so she helps when needed anyway.

Im not a very self confident person :o So I do worry how I would fit into a yard environment, but then I guess I will never know unless I try..?? I so desperately want to work with my boy to fulfill his potential (he has a fabulous natural ability for jumping) and feel he may get wasted if we try to carry on as we are..???
 
You sound exactly like me OP. I did this last year with a mare I had that needed constant work due to recovering from injury. I had 5 at home and moved her to part livery down the road. It worked really well and since the rest of mine lived out and were either retired or too young to ride, it didn't cause me much extra work. I'd say go for it. Even if it just helps you to get going and get some confidence back. It worked for me then and when my youngster comes back into work at the end of january, I'll probably do the same with him. x
 
Thanks to all that replied, went to the yard today to have a nosey around and it seems really nice and friendly. Well laid out, all year turnout though obviously more limited in the winter. Its actually an outdoor floodlit school they have but thats fine for me. Does £25 a week sound reasonable..?
Soooo now just having a think before taking the plunge..!!!
 
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