How far do you travel/what would you do?

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LJN

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Hi, I was wondering how far everyone travels to their livery yard?

I will be (hopefully) moving into my new house in a few months time which is all very exciting but means that I am a good 35 min drive either way to the stables. The Boy is on full livery so I only go up once a day, but it is still a long trip to fit in around work.

The new house has the space to have some stables built, and a sand school and nice size turnout, so I could keep him at home no problems.

The yard I keep him at currently has the most amazing facilities, and the people there are lovely but the bills are epic!

What should I do?! Would you travel the extra distance everyday to have top quality facilities, or would you save the livery fees and buy a horsebox to take him up there a couple of times a week for lessons?

Sorry for the essay, really looking forward to hearing peoples thoughts.
 
hmm, it's a tough one!!

TBH, i have travelled 35 mins to and from a yard before for the facilities. My current yard is 15 mins away.

I would love to have land at home and stables etc, but on the other hand I think of the really hard work that would be involved in keeping it... maintanence of fields etc, and time being an issue.

I look at my yard and see all of the farming equipment they have and the constant maintenance they do every day and think it'd be far too hard for me to do at home...

So I pay livery and let them do the hard work!!!

Have you considered moving to a yard closer to your new home??
 
Hmmm, I hadn't really thought of the upkeep issue...!!! Although OH loves that sort of thing so probably wouldn't be a massive issue.... it would give him a passable excuse to buy the mini tractor he has had his eye on!

All of the livery yards seem to be on the other side of the Island to me, the only ones I know of near the new house are pretty grotty unfortunately!
 
In which case I would weigh up time and costs of both scenario's...

You also need to bear in mind that if you stable at home you won't have the people to talk to and socialise with.

I know that I spend a good few hours at the yard every night, riding, chatting... having a brew and biscuits, competing etc!!

So think about if you'd miss the atmosphere at home as well.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do :D Congratulations on your new house!!!
 
Thank you! I think you are right - I would miss everyone and my horse would probably think it was the end of the world.

Decision made, that was easier than I thought it would be! :D
 
LJN said:
Hi, I was wondering how far everyone travels to their livery yard?

I will be (hopefully) moving into my new house in a few months time which is all very exciting but means that I am a good 35 min drive either way to the stables. The Boy is on full livery so I only go up once a day, but it is still a long trip to fit in around work.

The new house has the space to have some stables built, and a sand school and nice size turnout, so I could keep him at home no problems.

The yard I keep him at currently has the most amazing facilities, and the people there are lovely but the bills are epic!

What should I do?! Would you travel the extra distance everyday to have top quality facilities, or would you save the livery fees and buy a horsebox to take him up there a couple of times a week for lessons?

Sorry for the essay, really looking forward to hearing peoples thoughts.
Click to expand...

dear god, how i wish i had your dilemma!!!!
 
I know! As far as problems go, this one is a pretty nice one!

I do appreciate how lucky I am though, and I realise my first post must have sounded very brattish! Sorry :o
 
Its such an individual thing really. If I had my own land and stables I would keep at home in a shot as much as I like my yard and some of the people on it.
It is not for everyone though and really depends on what you do with your horse too, good luck either way :)
 
I had planned to do the "keeping them at home and transporting to comps/training etc" plan. However having been here a year I can say it's not quite as rosy and easy as I thought it would be.

Let me say first, it is nice that my daily checks take 10mins and if I want to check they are all ok during the day, I can just take a set of binoculars and have a look :D

My OH is a farmer born and bred, on top of his day time job which he took to fit in with the farm. He knows the land management here like the back of his hand but even now we're still problem solving because of having the horses. They cause damage you don't even contemplate they can! And when it's you doing it, after a long day at work, in the driving rain, it can get tiresome!

I'm dreadfully lonely most of the time, it doesn't help we're a farm apart from other farms, there isn't good hacking and horsey infrastructure here just doesn't seem to exist :( even though I could walk to the nearest venue!!!

This year I'll hope to get a proper yard built and next year put in second-hand walker etc but realistically, siting, planning, contracting it out etc will probably not be as easy as I think and when all is said and done i can quite feasibly see me just putting the horse in a local livery and let someone else do the worrying!! :D
 
LJN said:
I will be (hopefully) moving into my new house in a few months time which is all very exciting but means that I am a good 35 min drive either way to the stables. The Boy is on full livery so I only go up once a day, but it is still a long trip to fit in around work.
Click to expand...

You will spend a lot more than your current journey time, on managing your horse at home, and it won't be a once a day routine either.

If you already struggle to find the 40 minute return journey for a full livery horse, you will most certainly struggle finding the time for your horse at home... unless you can afford a groom?

You also need to look into Planning permission for stables/ arena, as well as change of use for keeping horses on the land. Just because there is space doesn't automatically mean planning will be granted.

There are pro's and con's to both options, and you can always change your mind :)
 
It is very lonely, HHO is like my livery yard! :)

Seriously though, if you could consider taking a livery (with relevant insurance) then I would. I'd love to, but it's not quite that simple with us atm!

I'm sure you're probably a most proficient horsewoman, but there are days when I certainly wish I had someone here who would scold/shake/give me a good talking to when I'm being wet and useless. Which is often!
 
I'd have mine at home in a shot - i rent a field for one of mine at the moment and genuinely have no problems being alone there, I'm really not into the social side of horses (tend to find horsy people a bit difficult anyway!) - even with my other horse (who is kept at livery) I only tend to say a polite hello and then do my own thing so it really wouldn't bother me having them at home alone. Worst comes to worst you could always rent one of your own stables out so you'd have company? I'd keep them at home, get the instructor to come to you for lessons and then just box them for shows.
 
I do like the idea of having him at home... but I worry that the reality will be very different. I guess we could bring him home for a while and see if it works.

I don't know about needing a groom, but I would probably need to employ a Bottom Kicker for when I am being a big frilly girls blouse!

I don't think we would have a problem planning wise, as we live in rural Spain and so the land usage regulations are a bit different.
 
I use to rent a yard but now have my own place.

There are many advantages of having them outside your own window. I will pop out and feed on a cold wet weekend and then go back to bed with a cup of coffee and the paper.

You can check them last thing and be happy they are fine.

If you hav the space th a couple of friends horses would help.
 
Although I love having mine at home the costs are also epic and I seriously underestimated the work that you have to do on upkeep and it's cost it is lonely sometimes as well when you have been used to other people about and if you have flu tough if you have to work late they are waiting when you get back etc etc but on balance I prefer home.
 
I'm not sure I would be confident having someone elses horses living at home with me, I think the responsibility would weigh on my mind!
 
I have had mine at home for a year now and love it. They are far happier and so am I. I am lucky that I have pals in the village I ride with most days. Couldn't stand the "world war 3" atmosphere of being on a livery yard again I don't think.
 
There arn't really any difficult people at the yard to be honest, some people need to be taken with a pinch of salt occasionally but no one is mean or nasty.

Maybe I should wait and see if I meet any horsey friends in our new village that I can ride with?

It is very interesting to hear from everyone - thank you for your input :)
 
I keep my horses at home but hack out with friends from the local livery yard. I go for lessons there and pop up to watch clinics and have tea. I've also met people nearby who keep their horses at home or on small private yards and have hacked out with them too. It is so nice to be able to pop out and when things go wrong, one of mine is on box rest atm with an abscess, it is so much easier to go out and check her and top up her hay etc.
I much prefer it to livery but have made the effort to stay in touch with friends at various yards nearby.
 
Yes I think it would be sensible to see if that horsey infrastructure is there first. Being as you're quite happy at your livery, it takes the pressure off you! In an ideal world you will have horsey friends on hand and then being at home would be much nicer (still hard work, but it's worth it if you're getting what you want from it!) :)
 
I used to be on livery yards but for last 7 years have had my own place (unfortunatey not by the house) loved being there on my own for a few years then neighbours moved into yard next door and actually it is best of both worlds - I can pop round to them for a moan or coffee but have my privacy too !

If I were you I would prob stay at livery short term until you know about neighbours, riding routes etc and then make the decision.
 
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