Im Moving To Cardiff - Info on Livery Please

[djlynwood]

Hi all,

im planning on moving from Cheshire to Cardiff in the New Year ( maybe sooner!)

I have made a search of livery yards around Cardiff but there does not seem to be that many.

Can anyone recommend any yards?

Wish list - Im looking for assisted DIY with year round turnout. Can live out in summer. Schooling facilities. Somewhere with good hacking.

Also, how much is DIY livery there. WOuld also like an idea on full livery if possible.


What is South Wales like in terms of competition venues and horsey events?

Many thanks

 

[Annagain]

Croeso i Gymru!

Right! Where do I start? Let's go with competitions as they're a bit simpler.
Venues:
Alps Court (tends to aim more at the lower end of the market with events to encourage the more novice rider) Nice indoor school, small warm up outdoors, can get boggy if it's wet. XC course not bad up to about 90cm. Parking in winter is very limited when they can't use the field.
Sunnybank - something on every weekend. As a result it's never busy (as in painfully quiet for ordinary SJ or dressage). Good if you want a quiet pop round a course but little atmosphere unless it's one of their bigger shows (often showing) with lots of classes. Big indoor school with viewing gallery, warm up not great. They've got a decent XC course but I've not noticed any XC events there for some time. SJ is always indoors. They go up to fairly decent heights - 1.05/1.10 - or did. I've not been for a while. They did do affiliated dressage but not sure if they still do.
Talygarn - again aimed at lower end and kids, mostly arena stuff, mostly SJ.
Pencoed College - does a lot of affiliated stuff and hires out to clubs so wide range of events.
Lower Stocklands - range of their own events, both affiliated (dressage) and unaffiliated and hiring out to clubs so a decent range.
AJT equestrian - fairly new as a competition and pretty low key at the moment.

Alps, Sunnybank and Stocklands have websites (and also do livery). Don't think the others do.

Affiliated dressage not too badly served - Pencoed College, Stocklands and possibly Sunnybank do it. BS is pretty much just Pencoed College other than the summer county shows.

Which area will you be living in? It's probably better to focus on livery yards closest to where you'll be rather than going for the scattergun approach! I know more about places to the west of Cardiff but know some of the bigger places North and East too.

Good hacking in Rudry / Caerphilly mountain / The Wenallt area to the north and further west in the Vale of Glamorgan (around jct 34 of M4). A bit further still around Bridgend (Ogmore/Southerndown area) you've got lovely sand dunes and beach riding too. Closer to Cardiff but still in the Vale you've got Wenvoe / Dinas Powys area which is pretty easy to get to from the city centre. Hacking here is ok but busy roads.

The 'big' Facebook group is "Horses for sale or swap in Cardiff" everything gets put on there and if you asked about livery yards on there I'm sure you'd be inundated with suggestions.

Hope you like it here!

 

[GlamourDol]

You've missed Beacons off the competition list.


Lots of good info above but if you need any more info let us know, I teach quite a lot around the area so usually hear about yards etc.

 

[AmyMay]

Bob Porter at Porters. Lovely yard. Year round turn out - 24/7 in summer. Assistance on site. School and decent hacking. 02920 890652. I liveried there for many happy years. Good quality haylage supplied.

Stocklands. Indoor and outdoor schools. Not sure about assistance. But several friends livery there and seem happy. Big yard, which I think has comps throughout the year. Decent hacking, including around the farm.

Stocklands and Porters are a few miles from each other on the outskirts of cardiff along the A4111 Radyr/Capel Llaniltern.

 

[djlynwood]

Thats excellent advice, many thanks everyone.

Im going to be moving to Heath.

Whats the hunting scene like around Cardiff?

 

[Annagain]

If you're in The Heath (always known as The Heath even though it's just Heath really!) North Cardiff is probably closest, around the Rhiwbina and Lisvane sort of areas or out towards Caerphilly. There are quite a few yards round there. Ty Mawr Farm and Wenallt Farm are names that spring to mind although it's not my area so I don't know anything about them. I think Briwnant Riding school closed down as a riding school recently but is still a livery yard.

I'm not into hunting so couldn't tell you which are the best but there are a few hunts not too far from Cardiff. Glamorgan are probably the biggest. They're based in the Vale of Glamorgan just to the west of Cardiff around the Cowbridge. Llangeinor are slightly further west around Bridgend (I think they may have merged fairly recently with Pentyrch, but if not there's Pentyrch as well). There's also Caerphilly and District and slightly further afield you have Tredegar Farmers and Curre and Llangibby.

 

[djlynwood]

Thanks annagain, Im going to have a weekend looking around at yards soon.

 

[emilylou]

I am living in Cardiff studying at uni, planning on bringing my horse down here in the coming year and have been hunting for livery for the past few months, so far only online but planning on visiting a few places in January. I've been looking predominantly in the Caerphilly/Rudry/Lisvane direction as I live near Heath too.
A few more names to add to your list are Cwm Farm Livery, Graig Fawr, Greenyard and Park Farm. Though I don't have contacts or know what services they offer so not super helpful!
I would be interested to know what you find

 

[neddy man]

try www.*******,co,uk or www.*******.co.uk and facebook pages,e-mail the saddlers and feed suppliers near your destination for recomendations.