For all of you who keep your horses at livery.

Fii

Fii

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 July 2009
Messages
5,735
Location
Dorset
Visit site
Sorry if this has been done before. After reading a lot of posts where people are unhappy at their currant yards, it made me wonder , what is it you look for in a yard , what is most important to you in order of merit. what are your priorities,being realistic.
smile.gif
 
Location...needs to be within 15 minutes from home
Grazing...Is it well maintained, fences, ragwort etc.
Condition of Stabling
Facilities, schools, hacking etc.
Friendliness of staff and other liveries. I have put this last, because I do DIY livery, so I keep myself to myself really.
 
For me turnout (and decent with other horses) this is most important but at the same time, wouldn't move somewhere that didn't have facilities either.

I am spoilt as I have always had indoor, outdoors lights, walkers etc on the yard so couldn't live without. I would say though that equally good hacking is must.

So they are my three things I wouldn't move to a yard if it didn't have those; turnout all year, school, hacking.

x
 
Uhm, trainer first of all, then turnout. Good surfaces. Indoor arena is also a necessity. I don't care about things like walker, lunging pen etc.
Everything else is just an added bonus.
 
Would have to be every day turnout, floodlit school, half decent hacking, nice people, and at the moment I need somewhere that will do part/full livery.

I don't think there is such a thing as a perfect yard. In one way or another there will be problems, be it the people, grazing, restrictions, facilities, hacking, price, it depends where you are prepared to compromise really. The most important is the care of my horse, and that she recieves daily turnout, and not just 1h per day. Will not compromise on that.
 
for me its grazing, stables, facilties hacking pref off road, and all round general appearance of yard and fencing.
I have been to one place that was slightly tattie and fencing was broken and YO wouldnt fix it...so I am weary of these things now.
 
[ QUOTE ]
QR..so far price has'nt come into this..

[/ QUOTE ]

Price... Who cares we have horses, we are all loaded!!!! lol

Well I am DIY so never going to be mega expensive.x
 
The main thing is does my pony like it as he has to live there and if he is not happy then he is a pain and stress as he is very opinionated and not one to give in protesting if he does not like his living conditions

He likes

24/7 all year turnout with shelter (I not too lush grazing in the summer so he does not get too lardy but he might disagree!)
Like-minded companions eg other ponies enough so he will never be left on his own but not too many of them that there is not enough space.
Nice staff and liveries who don't shout
Places to hack out as he does not like being in the school
Big airy stable in case he needs to come in but option to live out all year.

If all those are fulfilled then I like

friendly people and assistance if needed
school with jumps
not hard to get to or too far (but if there is assistance this is less of an issue)
competitions within hacking distance
hay and bedding to buy on site

Luckily I have found a yard which he loves.
 
I'm currently on part-livery - my musts are...

Daily turn-out in safely fenced fields min half a day preferably with some nice horsey friends. Don't need longer as my boy likes his stable and prefers to come in esp in winter although I would like for him to stay out longer if he were happy.

Flood-lit school with good surface is a must as I work full time and would hardly ride all winter if it didn't. I also quite like a fairly busy yard in the evening as this keeps me motivated to ride on wet and windy dark days.

Decent hacking but have a box so can travel.

Would like to know that if I can't be there that I can have absolute trust that he is checked over for injury when he is brought in and fed adequate feed and hay.

Not too far away no more than 10 - 15 minutes ideal.

A YO with good customer comunication skills would be a bonus - but I can't say that this is particularly common in the equestrian world lol
grin.gif
so this is something I generally have to compromise on.
 
In order of inportance.....
Value for money re: facilities, so yes, money does come into it. I left my last yard because pressure of work meant that I couldn't use the flood lit indoor school, and I could only ride at night, so couldn't use the unlit outdoor school during the dark nghts. also, only 6 months grazing a year.

All year turn out
Stabling
Safe hacking
Close to home
Nice people.
 
All year turn out - a big must, a horse needs to be a horse!
Stabling
Friendly yard
Safe hacking (we don't have much hacking near us
frown.gif
)
Knowledgable and reputable YO/YM
Floodlit Arena (not important if hacking is good!)

Hmm think that's about it!!
 
All year turnout in individual paddocks or small, well matched groups.
Friendly, sensible but easy going YO, YM and staff.
All weather arena with lights.
Flexible services for mornings and when away.
Price.
Location.
Lorry parking.
Good hacking.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top