How far would you travel for a good yard? Advice please!

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jimbojones

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This is the question I'm trying to consider just now!

Current yard - about 7 miles from me.

Possible new yard - 13.6 miles away although I've found a route that is only 11 miles but needs investigating as it's all back roads.

I hate moving but I seem to have done a fair bit of it in the last 3 years - I've moved on average once per year although I tend to last a year a a yard before I move.

The new yard seems to have better field management/turn out and a better general level of care than my current yard but is further away from my home/work and I have a big diesel car that is pretty thirsty on fuel!

I also doesn't have such easy access to motorway links and is not as close to the big competition centres - it would also mean giving up lesson with my current RI as she wouldn't travel out to the new place!

There are so many things I like about my yard but so many other things I don't! So I wrote a pro's and con's list!

Current yard - pros

Close to home
large outdoor arena
Excellent hacking
Large outdoor stables
Flexible livery
Close to Motorway links for comps
Good relationship with YO

Current yard - cons

Poor field management/fencing management
Turn out can be unpredictable - a little bit of rain and their in!
You have to buy hay through Y/O and supply can be a bit hit or miss
Limited storage
No Jumps
Generally a bit rough around the edges
Water provision on fields is iffy -
Nobody on site during the day

Potential yard - pros

Well managed and maintained
Good storage
Excellent hacking
Flexible livery
Large stables
More bespoke and attentive livery service
Qualified RI on site


Potential yard - cons

Distance from home
smaller arena
Further away from motorway links for comps
Would have to change instructor -this is a really good instructor too! :(

Off course it's hard to build a proper con's list unless you've been on the yard for a while so that's another concern - the unknown!

I have viewed the yard before - was going to move 2 years ago then chickened out - then changed my mind again but there were no spaces so I moved elsewhere.

This is probably the 5th or 6th time I've talked about moving so that's a sure sign that I'm unhappy but I just really hate making that decision!
 
The new yard does sound good but personally I think the distance would become a problem for you once you start going there everyday especiaally if you go twice a day? Can you go and sped a bit of time at the other yard and talk to the liveries to see how you feel there? drive over a few days in a week at the times you would usually go to the yard and see how you feel about the distance.
Im alot like you with yards and have gonee back to a yard I was at 9 years ago and love it! The difference is however after 9 years of different yards experiences ive learnt that none will tick all the boxes and there will be days you hate it, days you hate the other liveries and theres always someone that thinks your hay is for their free use!!! :-) Id write a list of whats most important to you that a yard youre on has to have and then look at what you wouldnt mind not having, weigh it up that way bearing in mind that none are 'perfect'.
 
I am changing yards tomorrow, after a lot of careful pros/cons stuff on all the local yards. My only "con" with my new yard is that it's one mile further away, not much at all, but still extra fuel.......BUT I know I am going to enjoy being there so much more, and enjoy being with my pony stress free. BLISS !!!

Good luck, it's no easy one. sm x
 
This is the exact situation I was in back in December - my horse was at a nice little yard that was a little rough around the edges but they had no stable for my next horse at that time.

I found a yard that is 14 miles away from home - had the same dilema as you but went for it and have never looked back. Yes sometimes the travelling is a nightmare but better management means that they are so much happier now. Move - 14 miles is nothing for a better service.
 
Thanks for your responses! It is a difficult situation and I totally agree that the perfect yard just does not exist - there will always be things that you're not 100% happy with however there are certaing things that are a must for me - such as well managed grazing which I think my current yard may struggle with just because of how the land was maintained in the past.

I'm fortunate that I only have to go to the yard once a day as I've always been on assisted DIY so Y/O changes rug, feeds and turns out and I go up in the evening.

I also like the fact that this new yard is run as a full time job - that's a another issue I have - I think it's difficult to run a yard when you also have a full time job and I'm constantly being told "oh we'll get that fixed at the weekend" which is not ideal.

I'm going to arrange to visit this yard tomorrow and will make the drive tonight - there are 2 routes I've round - one might only be 10 1/2 miles which is perfectly managable - it's also more driving along motorway/national speed limit roads where at the moment I have to drive through the town centre which takes up to 30 minutes.

Will go and investigate!
 
For me, good, safe and plenty of turnout is a priority so I would be very tempted to travel that bit further and move, particularly as you only make the journey once a day... I'd really notice the distance as I go up both ends of the day, however if I did move further away, I'd be tempted with assisted DIY... There is a lot to be said for a good, proffessionally run yard... I'm on a workng farm and it can be a bit of a headache checking fencing daily and arranging for it to be fixed etc - all adds time to the day...

Go have a look... more than once if you like and try and talk to some of the liveries while you're there too!
 
I have just had to make a similar decision.

About a year ago I moved yards as the place I was at was about 9 miles from home and the journey was grotty. I moved to a yard 2 mins from work and 5 mins from home and that part is great, but next weekend I am moving back to the old yard, as yes the journey will still be horrible and will drive me mad, but the place offers us everything we need and that just doesn't exist locally to me.

So I wouldn't discount moving if the only concern is the travelling, sometimes the positives can outway that negative.

Good luck with whatever you decide, I hate moving and can't wait for next weekend to be over with!
 
Thank you!

Yes distance is pretty much the only concern although I just remembered that for the last year due to roadworks (which are continuing to the end of this year) I probably travell 7 1/2 miles to my current yard - if I can take the shorter route and get to this new yard in 10 1/2 miles then the difference is minimal.

Yes it might cost a bit more but the fact that I'm on back roads rather than busy town centre roads mean it might not be much of a difference. An extra 6 miles a day probably means an extra £10 a week which is reasonable considering I used to pay £40 per week for DIY livery!
 
if distance is the main concern i would move- i have had my horses over 15 miles from home, in the opposite direction from work, because i couldn't find the yard i wanted any closer to home.

i have recently moved yards from one which was 100yards up a lane off my commute to work to new yard which is another 20 minutes further as it has much better facilities and i can actually enjoy my horses!

there were plenty of yards closer which i discounted due to fencing, stabling, hacking etc etc.
 
The yard im at is a 20min drive but it has an indoor and outdoor and you can turn ur horse out anytime ... But i must say i do h8 it most the time because the arenas are used for riding lessons so we have to ride before 3.30 Mon-Thur and you can only use the arenas after 5pm on a sat ... I was considering moving to a more bespoke yard 10 mins from mi house but u were only allowed to turn ur horse out in good wheather even in the summer!!! which put me completely off that idea
 
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