If you could keep your horse at home, would you?

Ranyhyn

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Ok so you have one horse, if you could keep it at home - would you choose to? Or would you prefer for it to be kept at livery? Am I missing a trick here?! I'm in a quandary about yards at the moment and wondering whether I should just take missy "home".
However home is just grazing and a stable, in the fullness of time I could have a school put in - but for now its very basic and I'd likely be alone...
BUT that means my livery bill £100+ could be spent on lessons...

Thoughts please?
 

Shysmum

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I've always kept my horses at private houses, but if I had the chance to have Shy at home, I'd jump at it !!! Now we have a trailer (albeit an incubator atm ;)) I could travel out to meet friends.....but at my age, I'm just too long in the tooth to go back to livery yards if I needed too.

In fact, we are looking atm.
 

TrakehnerFilly

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Do you have more than one?

Never one horse alone or even two tbh. I have mine at home but wouldn't if I had only one or two as the horse would need company and then when you want to ride one it is ideal that there are then two left to keep eachother company. I would go for livery over keeping a horse alone but the money you save on livery could finance a companion to have both at home. I know some people only have two at home and some horses would cope ok with being alone for short periods of time so it could work out ok. If you have just one could you offer to have a friends horse at home or take on a companion?
 
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jenki13

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All my horses have been kept at home (parent's house) so no livery bills wahey! I didn't have a school till this year (well its my cousins) & the hacking was very restricted as my horse doesn't really do gates .. but the choice of saving money & being able to see my horse out of the window for most the year or having the facilities but having to pay for livery... I'd choose home everyday :D
 

NicoleS_007

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Yeap id have mine at home. She doesnt mind being turned out alone etc so it wouldnt bother either of us. Tbh it would be alot friendlier to ... and no crazy horse people :p
 

Shysmum

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exactly, the crazy horse people ! And my starw/feed/ hay being stolen, my things being "borrowed", and put back not as they were, the mad YO's, you name it. The backstabbing, the lack of welfare for the other horses :(

I was at a livery yard for six months last year (only time ever), and let's just say I had to get the police involved cos the YO was trying to get money out of us I didn't owe, and then blocked us in with a tractor. And he was the HEAD of the local Farmwatch too. Could not believe it.

NEVER again....
 

trendybraincell

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I actually wouldn't.

I'm lucky to be on a fantastic yard, I really love it, we have great people and good facilities. It works perfectly for me and The Welsh Cob and I'd miss the social aspect. We organise little in house clinic, and one girl set up a jumping paddock which I would never do if I had mine at home.
 

GingerCat

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I actually wouldn't.

I'm lucky to be on a fantastic yard, I really love it, we have great people and good facilities. It works perfectly for me and The Welsh Cob and I'd miss the social aspect

Same here!

We have a fantastic bunch on our yard and I've made some great friends from there. :)
 

gonebananas

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Home no question about it! I have my own yard now but have to travel, having them on my doorstep would be heaven! Also I wouldn't have to worry about companions as there's 4 :S
 

Holly Hocks

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I am on a great yard, but if opportunity arose (ie if I won the lottery!), then yes I would keep my two at home and get another one for company when I took one of them out. I would quite happily forfeit a school for just a field and a few stables.....
 

Ranyhyn

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I'd get a pair of companion ponies for her obviously, I wouldn't be happy keeping the horse alone.

I suppose I could always ask someone to join me on the yard and just charge them to cover insurance...
 

Elsbells

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No I wouldn't.

I am on a nice yard with good facilities and great hacking. Nice people who help out and will also share chores and cover the holidays for each other. We share vet call outs when possible and there is always a farrier/dentist/back person etc due, that can do a job lot for us, and usually do.

Ok it costs ££ for livery, but I think I would find everything a chore alone. A busy yard can provide a lot of insentive for a lazy so and so like me:rolleyes:
 

Ranyhyn

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Thats the thing, because of my shifts, its hardly EVER busy on the yard - because everyone else is in work. I'm always alone on livery generally, bar a handful of times!
 

SO1

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I think it would depend on if i had friends near by to ride out with. I could not keep my pony on his own as he would go mad I think and hurt himself and be very unhappy. I would need a companion but one that would not mind being left on its own.

I did keep ponies at home when I was a child as my parents had a house with land then but I had several friends to hack out with who lived near by and who also had ponies at home and I went to pony club. If I had this sort of set up available to me now then yes I would keep them at home.
 

Fii

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Define "at home"
Mine are not at livery, but then nether do i have them at home.
Field and common grazing a short walk up the road, and (very) small yard two &half miles away, with, per week grazing.
If you buy a couple of ponies to keep yours company, you wont save any money on livery.
 

Swift08

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I am on the fence with this one! It would be nice not having to deal with other people or pay out livery costs and I could work round me rather than a yard but I don't think I would like to do the maintenance side of things (moving electric fencing is so annoying!) and it is always nice to have the backup of someone else.
 

Ranyhyn

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It's a difficult one isn't it? One part of me says no, the other part of me says if I'm going to compromise...why pay for it...?
 

blood_magik

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I would love to have mine at home but it's just not practical at the moment.
If I get stuck at work, there would be no-one to make sure he gets fed on time so I'd rather have him on livery.
I also work silly hours :(
 

juliette

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Yes, I would definately have it at home! I would offer a friend a space so horse had company and it would be someone to holiday / illness cover and would of course work for the other person in that respect too. Would also be someone to hack out with.

Can't think of anything better than being able to wander down to see my horse on a whim, rather than having to drive down to the yard in freezing temperatures in the winter to defrost water buckets before i go to bed. Imagine being able to just wander out and do it from home - without the need to defrost the car, have a multitude of thermos flasks etc etc!!!!

Having said that I don't have a garden big enough to accommodate my beasty!!
 

skychick

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I actually wouldn't.

I'm lucky to be on a fantastic yard, I really love it, we have great people and good facilities. It works perfectly for me and The Welsh Cob and I'd miss the social aspect. We organise little in house clinic, and one girl set up a jumping paddock which I would never do if I had mine at home.

Totally agree with this....have had horses at home and in livery. 100% livery all the way, not only for the facilities...but for the peace of mind, the banter and fun and laughter and support.
I have the best yard in the world and i wouldnt want to leave ever.
 

Fii

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What makes you say that Fii? (about having ponies not saving livery money)

What does your £100 (a week? a Month?) get you, turn out, a stable, feed, hay, straw, water, electric, use of a school. Someone who manages the fields, topping, does repairs on fenceing, stables, reseads the grass, replaces worn concrete, supplies electric fencing, etc, etc. delete or add as apropriate.
If you have to buy two ponies, money! then add evrything you currently pay for three times.
Will you have somewere to store forage, hay and bedding, will you have to buy in bulk?
Do you have a tame Oh to do repairs or do it yourself, or pay someone?

If my dinner was'nt about to come out of the oven i am sure i could think of a lot more. :D
If you would be happier out of livery, then i say go for it!
Don't let me put you off :D
 

Ranyhyn

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What does your £100 (a week? a Month?) get you, turn out, a stable, feed, hay, straw, water, electric, use of a school. Someone who manages the fields, topping, does repairs on fenceing, stables, reseads the grass, replaces worn concrete, supplies electric fencing, etc, etc. delete or add as apropriate.
If you have to buy two ponies, money! then add evrything you currently pay for three times.
Will you have somewere to store forage, hay and bedding, will you have to buy in bulk?
Do you have a tame Oh to do repairs or do it yourself, or pay someone?

If my dinner was'nt about to come out of the oven i am sure i could think of a lot more. :D
If you would be happier out of livery, then i say go for it!
Don't let me put you off :D

Ok thanks for this Fii- lets break it down :)

My actual livery is £140 thats hay and straw inc.

C's "home" would actually be my OH's farm. So yes, all management duties would be taken care of. There would be storage for feed/bedding.

Companion pony wise, I'm thinking some poor mite from the sales, (£5! I heard recently) nice hardy type to be kept out - feet trimming and worming wont cost me more than £20 every 6 weeks..6 monthly dental checks £30.. I still can't see me spending more than £1680 a year on him (which is my livery for the year)

Suppose we could just get a livery in to serve that purpose though which might be easier, dependant on insurance prices...
 

Wolfie

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Before I worked in the city I kept my nags on our farm. It's nice having that freedom, but I found it was a bit lonely, and sometimes I felt a bit lost. Not to mention, it was a nuisance when I was sick/on holidays etc. I am pretty happy at my yard - I get a lot of support and the craic is good. Also, I know he is always fed and checked on, and the farrier is along regularly, vet is arranged, worming scheduled. There is a lot to be said for it! I have to say though, I wish my bill was only 1680 for the year!!!
 

Teddybully

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To be honest I think it depends on individual circumstances. I've done both at home and livery and can't wait to get back to livery! I think if you have a family who are all horsey and can help out if you need to go away for the weekend etc then it can work out, otherwise it's all on you and it can be difficult.

I also find my horses were more settled on a bigger yard on a set routine with a lot of other horses, having people to hack out with, having to source hay and shavings just for your use can be expensive too. It all depends on the set up.

I seem to spend all my time now poo picking, putting up and taking down electric fencing, waiting around for farriers and vets and collecting shavings..oh, and worrying about the price of hay!

I think the only way to find out is to do it, if you find you prefer livery - just go back!
 

Paddy Irish

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I'd get a pair of companion ponies for her obviously, I wouldn't be happy keeping the horse alone.

I suppose I could always ask someone to join me on the yard and just charge them to cover insurance...

This is exactly what I do , we have two rescue shetlands - so two less at a sanctuary and then I have one livery , a girl that used to keep her horse at a yard not far away , and although I didn't know her very well at the time , she kindly trailered one of the shets from the sanctuary to my home and when things got a bit unhappy at her old yard , i suggested she move to mine..she's been here over two years now and i trust her entirely , it's great if i want to go on holiday or vice versa and she's as dedicated to my lot as much as i am , we can ride together or seperately as theres always the ponies for company and she pays £10 a week for grazing / stable ( although our gang are out 24/7 ) so it's brilliant.

I should add to this that we built our own school for under £2000 and it's perfect - no puddles or drainage probs and instant access - not having to wait in turn for the use thereof..
 
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