Help - advice really needed...

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marion95

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My two horses (11 yr old TB mare + 4 yr old WB) are on DIY livery with 20 horses on yard. 24 hour turn out in summer, day time turn out in winter (when not too wet), good hacking, only 5-10 mins drive from my house. BUT small school which is always very busy. Kids kicking/hitting ponies and getting in way! Very poor barbed wire fencing (my TB already had one nasty injury), very muddy fields, no hay allowed in fields, horses in groups of 9-10, so often fighting amongst selves. usual yard politics and no yard manager, so left to sort out probs between ourselves- very poor security.

Got the chance to move - facilities great - my own block of two stables with outdoor pens attached (about twice the size of stables) and divided by big hay trough for horses to share so no chance to fight, but still interact. huge stables with rubber matting, own tack room with washing machine, fridge, rug racks etc. Only other person on site would be YO with her two horses in separate block on other side of arena. Really good arena practically to myself (YO rides during day). Individual post and rail turn out paddocks with field shelters.

BUT - no turn out when fields are wet (so most of winter). Horses go out in their pens by day and can be turned out in big gravel car park area with grass verges for hour or two a day to stretch their legs and then would be ridden/lunged every day too. They can go out 24 hours as soon as fields are dry enough (and can have ad lib hay in fields if needed). Also option to pay for extras and holiday cover etc. Price similar, but 15 mins drive so a bit further. Closer to local competition centres.

The second place is perfect in every way apart from the winter turn out. I just can't decide what to do for the best.

My horses seem to cope well with being kept in when too wet at the moment, but haven't tried for longer periods.

Thanks for reading and opinions very much appreciated.
 
For me it would be yard two. Turnout isnt great but it sounds as though there is a yard and pen that you can use instead of proper turnout. Georgie is quite happy to stay in all day every day through the winter so it would suit us. Personally I dont see the point in having all day turnout in winter if all it is is mud anyway, they only end up standing round the gate waiting to come in.
 
i would move, i choose not to put my horses out when its really wet as they mess the field up and generally dont like being out in mud, all they do is stand at the gate. Also i hate kids! go on, move! you wont regret it!
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I'd say move. You won't have to face winter now until next winter so you can benefit from the better facilities over the summer and face the issue when you have to.

I personally hated having restricted winter turnout, but weighing up the lesser of two evils in your case I'd go for yard 2
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I'm sorry but i'm going to have to disagree - turnout for me is the no.1 priority. I firmly believe horses should be out as much as possible, not just for excersise but for their mental well being. I would stay put and look for a yard with the turnout and a school
 
its a tricky one as i want my horses out as much as possible, but yard 1 doesn't do anything for me. hate barbed wire fencing and hate having to ride when the little children are riding.
at least you can get some turnout when it is too wet to turn out even if it is only for a couple of hours a day.
are there any other yards in the area you could try?
sorry am not much use
 
Would move, I think the fencing issues and kids riding would annoy me most about your current yard. The new yard doesn't have much turnout during winter, but if you'll have more oppurtunity to ride in the school, be less stressed and 24/7 turnout in the summer, I don't think it's a big problem. Would check about the hacking though, as if your two are in during the day with limited turnout a change of scenery might just give them something to think about every now and again.
Good luck whatever happens
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I would be going to yard 2 without a doubt. Livery may be the same, your costs will be slightly higher in terms of travelling and supplementary hay, and extra bedding...but for me the facilities would more than make up for it.

But I am speaking as a person who hates crowded yards and lots of children at yards.
 
I would move, i would rather my horse stay in than get kicked to sh*t out in a field full of fighting horses or end up getting taggled in a barbed wire fence running away from another horse.
 
I would go for the new place - sounds like the arrangements for winter are well sorted and with plenty of hay and able to wander in and out of attached yards and talk to each other your horses will be fine - and holiday cover is very worthwhile thing to get offered.
 
I would move..........The new place sounds really nice and your horses can still wander around and interact with each other, also less chance of injury...... Lots more positive points to new place than your old place from reading your post, KIDS for starters are a no go with me..........
 
Yard 2, definately.

Many horses can cope with being in, much better than some might think. Besides, you have a pen for each box with the chance for horses to be outside and groom/talk to each other and the gravelled area too.
Yeah, we should all be turning our horses out as much as possible but in this country this isn't the reality - lack of grazing and crap winter weather mean that most of us have limited grazing in the winter.

It used to worry me keeping my horse in during the winter but she has managed absolutely fine. She had twice daily exercise and ad-lib hay plus lots of companions. I just remind myself about all the army and police horses in London and how well they cope being stabled all the time (none of the army horses at Larkhill ever windsucked or weaved). My current yard has all year turnout (in at night) for all horses but I have never seen so many cribbers and windsuckers in one place which suggests that even AYTO is'nt necessarily the answer.

I am about to move to a private yard which has a an extremely muddy paddock for turnout until June when the big field will be cut for hay but I am happy that my girl will cope fine as long as she has plenty to munch on!

Go for it - sounds like a great opportunity
 
Thank you, that makes me feel much better. And it is so true that plenty of people keep their horses in all the time - particularly competition horses and they can't be too unhappy or they wouldn't perform at their best.
 
MOVE MOVE MOVE !!!!

Your horses will adapt quickly and as long as they have the change of scenery during the day will be fine!!

My 3 horses go out in tiny corrals in the day for about 2 hours- not at all if wet and sometimes even in sumemr stay in. They are ok with it.
 
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Thank you, that makes me feel much better. And it is so true that plenty of people keep their horses in all the time - particularly competition horses and they can't be too unhappy or they wouldn't perform at their best.

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Exactly!

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There'd be no question for me, and I'm a real fan of turnout as I have a weaver who hates being in!

BUT, I would never, ever turn my horses out near barbed wire, or with other horses. They go out in individual paddocks, but next to each other.

Very muddy fields with no hay would also be a 'no no'. They're better off in their stables than standing in mud all day with nothing to eat. I also have an 11 yr old Tb and a 4 yr old WB, and they would be like hat racks if I kept them like that.

I think the pen situation and the gravel turnout sounds ideal, I'd be more than happy with that, and wish I had it on my current yard! They sound like good people who know what they're doing.
 
Well I'd be different and say there's no way I'd move to a yard with no turnout in the winter. Being turned out in groups of 9 is pretty natural so don't see the problem there, providing the field is 10 acres or bigger. If the fencing is so and why not club together and get some electric to run on the inside of barbed wire. But then I have a horse that goes crazy if he's not out before 8 in the morning, being clearly distressed and anxious (and thats with being in for less than 12 hours, and in a massive pen). The facilities in yard 2 sound great, but turnout is the number one priority for me.

I'd go for option 3 - find a nice quiet yard with plenty turnout
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