HHo need help with choosing which yard.

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PingPongPony

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Thinking of moving yards, but i'm so indecisive and i've always found it hard to make any decisions, and usually i change my mind 50 times so its just easier to ask someone else to make decision for me.
It is between two yards, one i'm on already and other one is a possibility of moving to it. I rely on lifts from parents and other people as i'm still at school and don't drive yet, i also pay for horse myself from my part time work and pocket money and additional jobs i can get.

Yard 1 (i'm on it atm)
DIY
£25 pw
3 miles from home (no buses)
Indoor stonebuilt stables, private tack room.
Enough storage space for anything i can possibly fit in there.
Indoor storage for straw, hay, and feed.
Huge floodlit school, 30x70, use of jumps but horrible surface, woodchip that has degraded so much that is pretty much mud, cannot ride in there atm as in some parts you sink and in some parts the hardcore comes through
Very good hacking
Huge field with lots of grass, 10hours turn out in winter regardless of weather, 24/7 in summer, turned out in mixed herd, but can split it up if we want, whatever we want really
Pretty much do as you please as long as it doesn't put you, the horses or anyone else in danger
Love the YO
Love the people
Not allowed my own instructor onsite as YO is an instructor
All stables are rented out for 2-3 big eventing shows in the area so our horses HAVE to go out regardless of weather, and our stables, bedding and buckets are used, sometimes competitiors may even use our hay.
Atm have friend who helps out with lifts and horse if i'm working but she's moving to yard 2 so no help with horse which means im a bit stuck on work nights.

Yard 2
DIY
£25pw
7miles from home (bus to nearest village with a 1mile walk from there to yard)
Outdoor, wooden stable
Tack room shared with YO and 2 other liveries, in the main barn about 300yards from the stable
Big container for storage so enough space this would be feedroom too
Field shelter for hay and straw storage, its just behind the stables
20x40 floodlit arena with very good drainage and a rubber and fibre mix surface, have ridden on it and its very good, use of jumps
Good hacking
4acre field to be shared with the friends horses, so would be 4 horses on it, can split it up and do as we please with it , 24/7 in summer, about 8-10hours in winter if weather good enough, otherwise they have to stay in
Like YO
Don't like YO's daughter much, and not sure about the other livery thats there, she brings her kids up and im not a children person but she is in the main barn and i'd be outside. The other livery is my best friend
Allowed my own instructor
Stables never rented out
During week i can take the bus from school to nearest village and walk remaining 1mile, but weekends and evenings will have to rely on parents for lifts.
Best friend moving from yard 1 to this one, so would be able to help out with horse in mornings and work nights still.

Friend only moving because she lives next door to the yard so it makes sense. I'm just not entirely sure which one i should choose.
Please help?
 
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At least its not just me who thinks that its tricky! I'm not sure what my gut tells me :/ my head and heart pop in at the same time and i just get a bit jumble feeling :/ it doesn't help that i may slightly fancy one of the liveries at my current yard :o but i'm trying to stay practical and look at the facts!
 
The grass is not very often greener, I would stay put. What happens if your friend moves/you fall out and she can't help you out any more?
 
is there a 3rd option? i would definitely not be happy with losing my stable for a whole host of potential disease carrying other horses to come and use on a regular basis but 7miles and a 1mile walk is a decent enough distance!
 
Sprig said:
The grass is not very often greener, I would stay put. What happens if your friend moves/you fall out and she can't help you out any more?
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unlikely that she moves, its right over the fence from her house, literally. and i've been keeping horses with her for 5 years now and haven't fallen out yet :)

no 3rd option as of yet unfortunately, i'm looking around but its very hard to find nice yard with free spaces around here :(
 
I would move I don't think it's acceptable to be chucked out your stable due to competitors imagine your horse was on box rest at the time! If you don't mind me asking how old are you as in how long until you will have your own wheels?! Also doesn't sound good that due to bad conditions you are basically without a sandschool?
 
I'm 17 nearly 18, but i have to pay for driving lessons myself which won't be possible untill horse is out 24/7 as i'm spending all the driving lessons money on feed, hay, bedding. So realistically won't have my own wheels for ages still :(
 
I would move for two reasons -useless school and being moved out for visiting horses.

BUT I don't think I would move further away but instead would look for grass livery closer to home.
 
Oh ok so you should be able to be driving by the end of the summer then! I would move if I was you! I've just had to make the decision to move yards it's hard but I think it's for the best
 
I would let your friend test the water for a month for you - find out what its really like before you move.

Things standing out about your post -
WHERE YOU AREYou like your YO.
You have good hacking.
You get on with other liveries.
You have great turnout.

WHERE YOU ARE GOING
You are worried you may not get on with the daughter.

The above things are things that people complain about most on HHO regarding yards - turnout and bitchiness on yards..

The school doesn't sound great where you are. And while being chucked out for events is annoying, I trust you knew about that bit before you went on the place?
Twice a year is annoying but bearable for me, but I would insist on your hay and straw etc being stored somewhere safely.
 
Honey08 said:
I would let your friend test the water for a month for you - find out what its really like before you move.

Things standing out about your post -
WHERE YOU AREYou like your YO.
You have good hacking.
You get on with other liveries.
You have great turnout.

WHERE YOU ARE GOING
You are worried you may not get on with the daughter.

The above things are things that people complain about most on HHO regarding yards - turnout and bitchiness on yards..

The school doesn't sound great where you are. And while being chucked out for events is annoying, I trust you knew about that bit before you went on the place?
Twice a year is annoying but bearable for me, but I would insist on your hay and straw etc being stored somewhere safely.
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i KNOW that i don't get on with the daughter because i've known her for about 2years now and quite frankly she's a bit of a spoilt brat.
Yes i knew about events etc, i've dealt with it for the last two years.
 
mynutmeg said:
Have you talked to your parents about it?

I have to say, to me, the second seems better
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yes i have, they're not horsey so don't really care either way, if i move i'll need less lifts off them as i can get there by bus, but if i dont move, i will need lifts there and back every day in evenings and weekends as theres no buses so fuel cost wise, it works out about the same even though its further, but at least its not as many times
 
I'd stay.

7 miles and using buses plus a 1 mile walk at your age is not so good. Thinking school/A levels coming up?
You won't want to catch the bus, you won't want the walk.

Only way for one of my children at your age would be an arrangement with your friend that you could stay with her every now and then, go up one day by bus come back the next.
 
Aarrghimpossiblepony said:
I'd stay.

7 miles and using buses plus a 1 mile walk at your age is not so good. Thinking school/A levels coming up?
You won't want to catch the bus, you won't want the walk.

Only way for one of my children at your age would be an arrangement with your friend that you could stay with her every now and then, go up one day by bus come back the next.
Click to expand...

I catch bus to and from school every day, its about 1mile walk to my bus stop anyway, so if i'm getting off in a different village and walking same distance or getting off where i live and walking same distance, its not going to make a difference. Can't stay at her house because i have a mini zoo of my own at home to take care off too so can't leave them :) I'm doing my first year of A levels atm, got through the winter ok, with studying, working, horse etc etc. so summer should be easier. The distance doesn't really bother me to be fair.
But something is not right hence im doubting it and i can't put my finger on what it is :confused:
 
You said in your original post that you find it hard to make a decision, change is hard especially when you have to rely on other people and can not be totally independent.

Have you tried writing down a list of for and against each yard, then sleep on it and go back and see if you have missed anything.

Take your time, try to think how you will feel without the friend you have had for 5years at the yard with you, you will miss her, how much of a difference will it make for you?

When you are not sure, it is important not to rush a decision, but look at it from as many different points as you can, and only when you are sure then settle for what you feel most drawn to.
 
I agree tricky choice! Would having your own transport make the choice easier? If so I would seriously consider doing your CBT (one day training and essentially competency test) and getting a moped- far cheaper than a car and will get you around. If you decide to move I agree with other poster let your friend test the water for a month for you :). Though disliking the YOs daughter would put me off as its horrid feeling uncomfortable when doing something thats meant to be fun/ an escape. Good luck whatever you choose :).
 
I had a moped, hated it, felt really unsafe so sold the moped, but to be honest, the distance doesn't bother me as much because i can get there by bus, so its ok.
I will have to do a pro's and cons list and keep thinking, i've got about 1 week to make the decision. Its just so hard to make one. :(
 
At the present yard you have a large floodlit school that is unusable due to surface break down. Additionally you have to move out of stables you are renting so the YO can re rent them out to other people for events? and the competitors also use the liveries buckets etc?
You are also reliant on your parents to get you to the yard every day?

The new yard your friend will be at, the school is floodlit & is ridable, it's further away but you can get there on the bus most of the time?

I think I would move, there is no point in a yard having an arena that cannot be used, it may as well not have one. So the YO's daughter can be a pain, does it really matter you will have your best friend there with you. You will also have your stable 100% of the time & won't have to move pout when there's an event on.
 
I'm also awful at making decisions even small ones. With something like this I would just make a decision on what feels best now (for me it would be yard 2 as you'd have help, a school and could get there independently) and then don't tell anyone for 24hrs and then see if you are still happy with that decision. Often just forcing yourself to make a decision makes you feel whether it's the right one or not.
After the year we've had I'd be putting the school as a higher priority than normal as if turnout is restricted because this rain continues at least you can still exercise.
 
Thanks everyone! I've made a pro's and con's list like suggested, and it clearly comes out as yard 2, the cons for it are a lot less significant than the cons for yard 1. I'll still sleep on it and see wether i still feel the same way tomorrow but from practical point of view it makes more sense to move. :)
 
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