Having no facilities, how is it?

Bear in mind that once you add a horse and section off enough space for schooling you may find you don't have enough grazing.

If the grazing situation is ok I would try it at least for the spring and summer. I would add some storage for rugs though
 
Sorry, I haven't read through all the replies, but could you not hack from the field to where you keep him now and hire their arena? It's only 4 miles so a nice warm up/cool down and schooling/jumping when you get there?
 
How many acrea do you have? If you want to school 6 times a week I'm afraid the mud is unlikely to allow that in winter (or for however long it is muddy...) However I have my horse living out and its great from a money saving point of view which is the most important thing right now! I spend about 100 a month inc field rent, annual vaccs etc and shoeing costs, minimal hay needed etc. Compare that to livery and all the extra hay and bedding and its a no brainer with me being a student!

One thing that would make it better is transport, I'm working on it :-)
 
WelshD said:
Bear in mind that once you add a horse and section off enough space for schooling you may find you don't have enough grazing.

If the grazing situation is ok I would try it at least for the spring and summer. I would add some storage for rugs though
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I wouldn't section off any area for schooling (triangular field anyway so would be a pain to do), and I'm aware that riding on a particular section is likely to hammer the ground, whereas working over a larger area is going to actually do less harm to the ground overall? We wont be 'hooning around' anyway. I'd probably store my rugs at home unless I add a shed just to dry the odd one, as the only one likely to be rugged at all is Dan, who might get a sheet on to keep him clean-ish, otherwise I fully intend to let him fuzz up & be a hoss!

BillyBob-Sleigh said:
Sorry, I haven't read through all the replies, but could you not hack from the field to where you keep him now and hire their arena? It's only 4 miles so a nice warm up/cool down and schooling/jumping when you get there?
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Noooo, well, maybe twice a year or so but I think I'd rather cut off my left arm :eek: I hate hacking, hacking isn't safe, hacking Dante isn't brilliantly safe, and the price to hire arenas adds up too much... plus I could only do it at weekends as there's no way I'd hack him far alone on the roads. There would be little point in booking a time slot either as we would have to set off hours in advance 'just in case' and get back before dark.

mandwhy said:
How many acrea do you have? If you want to school 6 times a week I'm afraid the mud is unlikely to allow that in winter (or for however long it is muddy...) However I have my horse living out and its great from a money saving point of view which is the most important thing right now! I spend about 100 a month inc field rent, annual vaccs etc and shoeing costs, minimal hay needed etc. Compare that to livery and all the extra hay and bedding and its a no brainer with me being a student!

One thing that would make it better is transport, I'm working on it :-)
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3 acres, but no mud. And I really do mean, no mud. Nothing! I find it amazing :eek: :D Dan is coughing again being stabled so I am thinking even if I ride a bit less (and I really don't think that the 'riding' is going to be a huge issue for the field, I tend to spend lots of time on walk lateral work/pole work & plan to increase what I do in-hand or on the long reins this year... just need some lessons!) it will be better for him. I just need to talk to people :/
 
We have 1 field for turnout/riding. In the summer horses have grazing and we'll ride once they've been brought in for the night or we'll just hack and go for a good canter/gallop.

In the winter we just hack and hack and hack. It started fine with being able to go into the woods but then it got far too boggy so for the last 2 months it's pretty much been road work all the time. I used to school etc. all the time, but now enjoy the hacking - I just school out. Jumping we can do when we go out and about with transport. We try not to leave in the dark but we'll often arrive home in the dark.
 
see usually (not this year!) our field is actually better for riding on in the winter (when we don't set an area either) than the summer as it just gets rock hard.
 
Have to say, you not liking hacking at all puts a different perspective on how well you will cope without facilities.

What will you do with your horses if you won't take them out of the field?
Would have thought they would go nuts with boredom only being ridden in the field.

I have never known anyone who has kept a horse at grass away from a yard, who doesn't use the roads for hacking, building fitness and general riding.
 
Aarrghimpossiblepony said:
Have to say, you not liking hacking at all puts a different perspective on how well you will cope without facilities.

What will you do with your horses if you won't take them out of the field?
Would have thought they would go nuts with boredom only being ridden in the field.

I have never known anyone who has kept a horse at grass away from a yard, who doesn't use the roads for hacking, building fitness and general riding.
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What do the ones who never go anywhere but an arena do? :rolleyes: Given that out hacking he's perfectly good at doing the most wonderful brake-up-spin-go manouver, I don't quite know how that is preferrable to the work he does that is 'schooling' (wherever it may be) where he doesn't prat about, isn't a risk to anyone and isn't scared? :confused:

I don't get how sand is more entertaining to a horse than grass....

I don't know many people who haven't been nearly hit by cars :eek: I don't like the idea of being hit by a car. Is that awful? I don't fancy the idea of my horse being hit by a car either. I've said I might ride on the airfield if I can catch someone & find out the 'rules' for that, but really, I don't think it is even safe to ride on the roads. I do, occasionally as 'needs must'. I will be showing my youngster roads because I think it's an important part of his education. Will I ever take up riding on roads daily? Not likely, until people can learn to drive safely, or roads have a specific horse walk section. It's one thing to tootle down the lane to cool out on a quiet morning/evening, but I'm past the days where I can disragard the danger of riding on the roads.
 
Have to say that I moved from livery yard with an arena, lunge pen etc to a little place with two stables, a tackroom & running water & mains electric and I love it there :D Fellow livery there has 2 ponies that share a stable & we get on really well & help each other out. I used to school but haven't set a hoof in an arena in nearly a year :eek: My vet came out end of last year & couldnt believe how fit & muscled my boy had become. We hack to all kinds of places & over motorway bridges/canals/ railway bridges & ended up down an A road last week all of which he takes in his stride now. We also school in the field. Personally I feel that this is more of an education & training than in an arena. I also work shifts so can ride in the day most days that helps. Yes at times it has been hard but even on livery in winter I would still have the same issues dealing with frozen taps/buckets & snow but at least I can turnout everyday & allowed to put hay in the field [unlike other places I have been :(] My place suits us well & me & my horse have never been happier.

Sorry to ramble on...:o Guess you need to way up the pros & cons for you personally. :)
 
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Sol said:
What do the ones who never go anywhere but an arena do? :rolleyes: Given that out hacking he's perfectly good at doing the most wonderful brake-up-spin-go manouver, I don't quite know how that is preferrable to the work he does that is 'schooling' (wherever it may be) where he doesn't prat about, isn't a risk to anyone and isn't scared? :confused:

I don't get how sand is more entertaining to a horse than grass....

I don't know many people who haven't been nearly hit by cars :eek: I don't like the idea of being hit by a car. Is that awful? I don't fancy the idea of my horse being hit by a car either. I've said I might ride on the airfield if I can catch someone & find out the 'rules' for that, but really, I don't think it is even safe to ride on the roads. I do, occasionally as 'needs must'. I will be showing my youngster roads because I think it's an important part of his education. Will I ever take up riding on roads daily? Not likely, until people can learn to drive safely, or roads have a specific horse walk section. It's one thing to tootle down the lane to cool out on a quiet morning/evening, but I'm past the days where I can disragard the danger of riding on the roads.
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Is there any hacking near the field, off road? Do you not think you might get bored, if you're used to other liveries about, then you might get fed up of riding on your own in your field?
 
horsesatemymoney said:
Is there any hacking near the field, off road? Do you not think you might get bored, if you're used to other liveries about, then you might get fed up of riding on your own in your field?
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As I said, there may or may not be the option of the air field. Until I spot someone hacking past again, I don't know. Not much off-road hacking anywhere these days... at least not where I live!

Nope, I never see the other liveries really, I go to the yard either alone or with my boyfriend. I ride alone & that's how I like it! :) Where we are, we're in a block of 3 stables seperate from the rest, the other lady who has the 2 stables by Dan's is rarely there. To be quite honest, I guess most people would call me antisocial - I'm happy enough not doing the 'small talk' thing on a daily basis. Not likely to change, I've always been like that! I just want to get on, work with my horse & do things as I like, no fuss, no nonsense.

To be honest, I think I'll just go for it. I've not much to lose, it's going to make things a lot easier at least in the short term, it will be easier for me & Rob, should be better for Dan's breathing, will mean I always have company for the pony that's left if I do happen to take one out somewhere, and it's cheaper. I can spend the 'spare' money where it will really make a difference :)
 
Sol said:
As I said, there may or may not be the option of the air field. Until I spot someone hacking past again, I don't know. Not much off-road hacking anywhere these days... at least not where I live!

Nope, I never see the other liveries really, I go to the yard either alone or with my boyfriend. I ride alone & that's how I like it! :) Where we are, we're in a block of 3 stables seperate from the rest, the other lady who has the 2 stables by Dan's is rarely there. To be quite honest, I guess most people would call me antisocial - I'm happy enough not doing the 'small talk' thing on a daily basis. Not likely to change, I've always been like that! I just want to get on, work with my horse & do things as I like, no fuss, no nonsense.

To be honest, I think I'll just go for it. I've not much to lose, it's going to make things a lot easier at least in the short term, it will be easier for me & Rob, should be better for Dan's breathing, will mean I always have company for the pony that's left if I do happen to take one out somewhere, and it's cheaper. I can spend the 'spare' money where it will really make a difference :)
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It's coming into the right time of year to try it, and if you leave on good terms you could always return to your yard. Give it a go and see how you find it.
 
I've had my horse at home for a year now. I had planned to ride in the fields and hack out when I had company. I can't hack out very far on my own because of my health and also one of my horses won't hack out alone at all. The ridig in the fields started off fine, I have 6 acres so could pick the good spots. With the rain it got very slippery and I quite quickly had to stop riding my TB as she became quite tentative about going forward after a few slips. The ID managed for a while longer but when the ground got harder she toed into a divot and from walk did the most spectacular fall, her knee didn't get down so she landed on her shoulde and flipped. She too became nervous about striding out in the field. So between the two of them and the uncooperative weather I gave up and stopped riding.
I'm now having an arena put in so I can start riding again. I don't really enjoy hacking but will go out in company so having an arena is really important to me. I found I just didn't enjoy riding in the field when I had to constantly watch the ground in front of me for unlevel or poached ground or riding in muddy or slippery going. One more week until my arena is completed and my horses will come back into work and the pony can be backed in a nice safe enclosed area.
 
we keep ours at home, yes we have stables and mains water on the yard, but tbh they live out as much as possible. we have no other facilities to speak of. One field has dressage markers out but it's such a wet field even in the driest summers that we rarely use it.

If we have schooling to do we either hack up the road and have a lesson, or we work on a 20m circle at one end of the school. We also do a lot of our 'lateral' stuff out hacking - use tracks to help give you a 'long side' to do shoulder-in along, or quarters-in, or we'll leg yield across the track and back again. All keeping the horses listening, and getting them stepping through and under with the hind legs, but without them getting stuffy about being in a school.
 
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