how traumatic is changing yards?

D

daydreamer

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I need some words of advice!!

The large yard where i am has put up prices so my horse will cost me £210/month all year round just for stabling and forage. Also one of the girls i shared a field with has left so now there is just me and one other girl sharing - this means i sometimes have to wait for hers to be put out in the evening, have to do more poo picking and will have to pay for more services (previously the other girl and I helped each other out).

I have had a look and there is a local small yard about 5 min drive away from where i am now. It has an outdoor school and my horse would be able to go out with another (which i want). It is only £25/wk.

It does seem to make sense to move but I just find myself really reluctant to. This is my first horse (he is just on loan) and I have had him for about a year. It took him quite a long time to settle when i got him - he didn't do anything really nasty just a lot of calling and he was a bit jumpy. I have shared for about 4 years but always at the yard I am at now. I don't know how much of my reluctance is just not liking change and how much is rational!

Does anyone have any good/bad yard moving stories?

milkshake and biscuits for reading, ta!
 
I would be very tempted to move now, as things are not ideal at current yard, and I would try to get some lessons before and after the move so that you are concentrating on your riding, not worrying about the horse, if he has one move per year, I think he will cope.
 
it depends on the set up of the yard taz stressed for the first 6 or 7 months at our last yard and never completely settled because there was only 4 hours turn out a day and it was very busy lots of horses and people moving around all the time. we moved yards to a farm with just 2 other horses and he settled immediately into being out 24/7 there was no calling, no charging around just stuck him out and he put his head down which was nice and he is like a completely different horse here we have owned him for 8 years from when he was 3 years old so we know what hes like :)

what you have to remember is that when you first got him he didnt know you he didnt know where he was it was all completely different, he knows you now and trusts you so it wont be as traumatic for him :) good luck!
 
If the other yard has what you need, then move. If you are able to save money as well, then it has to be a bonus. Don't feel any loyalty to your current yard - at the end of the day it's a business like any other and if the business is charging too much and doesn't offer the service you need, then change it. It isn't really traumatic moving - just a hassle of having to get everything together. Once it's done you'll probably feel a sense of relief.
 
I think you just need to trust your relationship with and knowledge of your horse.

I have experienced good and bad moving experiences . . . and the bad were because I didn't take into account what does/doesn't make Kal feel happy and settled.

I know now, for instance, that Kal doesn't like to feel isolated from what's going on . . . likes to be able to see other horses, people, etc. to feel settled . . . so a small yard that's configured so that he can't see his field friends when on the yard (or in the school) doesn't suit him at all. Fields/turnouts - Kal hates feeling alone - so turnout with plenty of other horses and in a field where he can see other horses in other fields is best for him.

We have had one unhappy move and two spectacularly happy ones . . . as long as YOU are relaxed and happy when you move him, he will more than likely pick up your vibes and be happy too.

Good luck.

P
 
Your horse will cope so move. It will be good for both of you and I think you'll be surprised with how well he deals with it. I think it often takes new horses a long time to settle not just because of new surroundings but because of new people. By now your horse will know that you are his "Mum" (or Dad) so he will have consistency.
 
Horses often surprise you with how they cope. I've had my boy for 4 years and due to my oh job has moved 8 times. He settles in no time as he is secure in his relationship with me x
 
I moved my fella to a new yard just over two years ago and it was one of the best things I've ever done. I didn't like the direction things in my old yard were taking, and I happened on a small family run yard five minutes from my house. Resettling does take time and can move both of you out of your comfort zones, but that can be a positive thing. The place where I am now is hugely supportive and I'm really happy with the way the horse is cared for. It took time to get to know everyone and learn the new routine, and the horse took a few weeks to really relax and settle but it was well worth it, and it helped us bond even more in the end. If it works for you, go for it - £210 sound like a packet for a fairly minimal service. I'm paying €65 pw for a lovely big stable, turnout, feeding (amazing haylage), hard feed and the best pasture I've seen anywhere - I muck out myself (my preference), shavings included as well. Outdoor school, loads of fields, jumps, trips out schooling, transport to the occasional show. I've never looked back, and don't even miss the huge indoor at my old place. Positive change is good. :)
 
£45 pw for DIY seems a lot - I hope their facilities are pretty amazing!!! How much is hay at the new place? Is that included? As storage and sourcing of the hay/haylage might be quite important.

Have you been to visit the new yard & get a proper feel for it?

As for moving, I moved just before Xmas due to my circumstances changing and needing proper full livery! It was traumatic because I was worried my old yard owner (who is also my trainer) would hate me especially as my leaving triggered my friend to go elsewhere too (similar to you we shared a paddock & helped each other out)!!! It was all in my head though - my trainer is still my trainer and comes to the new yard to give me lessons. The horse all took it in his stride. The new yard is fabulous - lovely people, brilliant facilities and ticks all the boxes the other yard wasn't!!!

So long as you go on good terms and for the right reasons then you and your horse will be happy at the other end!!!
 
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