Following on from my selling / not selling thread

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Field04

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I have been to visit another yard today. It is slightly further away, between 15 and 20 mins to get there instead of 5.

I can put him on working livery, but with extra petrol will probably work out the same price. However, lessons are included (as long as they are in the planned group lessons in the evenings), there is an indoor arena (which I don't have now), and 2 outside arenas. Plus a forest within hacking distance and my friend keeps her horse nearby so we can go out together.

Sounds good, but I am nervous about the change!!! Telling a YO is never easy when you are leaving.

One other benefit is that during school holidays or when my kids are sick I will not have to worry myself sick about getting to the yard to let horse out or exercise him.

So fors and against please, or is it a nobrainer???
 
OK, I;m really sorry but I've had to bump this!! I need to make a decision by tomorrow, which should I choose??

Thanks
 
OK I will attempt a reply but I didnt see your other thread so at worst this is a BUMP!

It sounds like you have made your mind up but are just nervous about making the change and telling current yard owner. With the right spin the conversation does not have to be difficult (:rolleyes:).

Working livery - is there an agreement as to how many hours/times your horse will do? What happens if your horse is ill/unable to work? What about insurance/vets bills? What happens if they permanently injure your horse? This is probably all in your working livery contract but I would want answers before I made any move.

Can you afford the new place if the working livery does not work out?
 
I am nervous, yes. It is what I want but at the same time it will be weird as I won't be able to just pop and see him everyday as I do now.

When I spoke to them they told me they would do a plan each week of his lesson schedule for me to look at and agree. Its not that busy the club so he could not be overworked there.

Good point as to what happens if they injure him, I never thought to ask so will do that tomorrow. If he does not work out, or I find its too much for him or he goes lame etc. I will bring him home, I have a field here so worst case scenario he can come straight back. Although I would like to leave it at my yard now that I could go back if it doesn't work out.

Thanks for the bump!!
 
Working liveries don't always work out for the horses benifit, if he's nice and quiet they will use him and not tell, if he's a little bolshey, you get shown the door. I had this happen to me and he wasn't even on a working livery, my OH and me couldn't understand why he was always tired and grumpy when we went to ride(as I was working part time there towards his keep, stabled, evenings and weekends) Until a young girl said, that he'd been naughty in her lesson and had a good hiding. SOO I moved him and a good thing for him and me. Working liveries are a God send to Riding schools, as the owners don't have much say, until the horse goes sour and guess who picks up the pieces.
 
From your other thread, it sounds like the new yard might be exactly what you need if it gets you a friend to hack out with (plus possibly new friends at the new yard) and use of arenas etc so you can work on something new. How well do you know the new yard though? I have ridden places I would trust with my horse, and places I wouldnt.
- is your horse a type who could easily loose confidence or learn bad habits from beginners (and do you trust the stable to make sure those people arent riding him)
- Are you ok with him being ridden by a range of riders who may be a bit more yank and kick or stick happy than you would be (hopefully not to the level of abuse, but different people have different opinions about riding, and I would be very suprised if he only ends up with gentle/subtle riders)
- does your definition of too lame to work coincide with theirs? Where you might box rest for mild lameness rather than calling a vet, are they going to require a vet opinion before they take him out of work? Do you trust them not to continue a lesson on him if he goes lame half way through and you arent there to intervene?
- will you be able to ride him independently in the arenas very often, or will they always be full with lessons so you have to ride at whatever level there is a lesson at at the time you want to ride?
- can you cope with the knowledge that other students (including possibly children or people you are not fond of) there might be able to get on and ride your horse better than you do (I have no idea at all how well you ride, but I think I would find it a big kick to my ego to see other students getting things out of my horse that I couldnt).

If you are comfortable with the answers to all those questions then I would definitely go for it. If not, I would continue your hunt for a sharer or other solution, particularly if you think you would be burning bridges by leaving your current yard.
 
gnubee said:
From your other thread, it sounds like the new yard might be exactly what you need if it gets you a friend to hack out with (plus possibly new friends at the new yard) and use of arenas etc so you can work on something new. How well do you know the new yard though? I have ridden places I would trust with my horse, and places I wouldnt.
- is your horse a type who could easily loose confidence or learn bad habits from beginners (and do you trust the stable to make sure those people arent riding him)
- Are you ok with him being ridden by a range of riders who may be a bit more yank and kick or stick happy than you would be (hopefully not to the level of abuse, but different people have different opinions about riding, and I would be very suprised if he only ends up with gentle/subtle riders)
- does your definition of too lame to work coincide with theirs? Where you might box rest for mild lameness rather than calling a vet, are they going to require a vet opinion before they take him out of work? Do you trust them not to continue a lesson on him if he goes lame half way through and you arent there to intervene?
- will you be able to ride him independently in the arenas very often, or will they always be full with lessons so you have to ride at whatever level there is a lesson at at the time you want to ride?
- can you cope with the knowledge that other students (including possibly children or people you are not fond of) there might be able to get on and ride your horse better than you do (I have no idea at all how well you ride, but I think I would find it a big kick to my ego to see other students getting things out of my horse that I couldnt).

If you are comfortable with the answers to all those questions then I would definitely go for it. If not, I would continue your hunt for a sharer or other solution, particularly if you think you would be burning bridges by leaving your current yard.
Click to expand...

Theres a lot to think about with all the points you have made. With regards to being able to ride when I want, I have discussed that and as they have few to no lessons during the day that will not be a problem a s this is when I need to ride anyway. I have also specified what level rider he needs, as he is not a beginners horse and I have been very honest about that.

I have had this yard recommended by someone else, who knows other working liveries there who are happy. But as for will I be happy with others riding him etc, I can't answer that yet I guess. I did let girls who worked at my current yard ride him, but I knew them well and knew I liked the way they ride.

If I heard someone had hurt him or hit him I would hit the roof!!!!! He would be out of there in a second.

I can do a months trial with them, so can see if he seems happy or not. Am going to my yard tomorrow to talk it through honestly with YO and see what she thinks about it. I know her quite well as take her daughter to gym wiht mine and we go running together. Fingers crossed it goes ok.
 
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