Is hunting livery a good idea for a good doer in winter?

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Artax

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I could do with your thoughts kind HHOers... a bit of background... (I hate to get right in there. Might give the wrong impression).

My grazing/yard is fantastic. Rolling hills as far as the eye can see, cows grazing, sheep in the distance, wild horses....... ok scratch that last bit. Anyway, it really is fab if you have thin, lanky, poor doer types that get thin if they so much as sneeze. With this in mind, I set out to buy a poor doer. (Have done the whole fatty thing, can't be arsed).

I wasn't forward enough in my thinking when I bought from this lanky stock... clearly I have a throwback from a generation where thriftiness was more the raisin detre (really? Autocorrect won't do even that for me? Ffs). Hope you get my drift. He is now of the age where I can no longer trust the fat will turn into an extra 1/4inch up on the bum/wither... as there's more than that growing outwards on either side.

I'm so stuck up my own arse that I haven't so far considered some sort of training livery by some jumped up tart/idiot thinking she/he is CdJ or WFP. Yet, here I am, absolutely drowning in work, so much so, that I can't ride at all due to time being wasted on some bloodsucking company while I watch my darling morph into some giant beast with sticks for legs. I'm in pain here dear reader, have sympathy I beg you. Still. I have to pay the mortgage blah blah blah... I know, your heart bleeds for me.

Should I? Could I? Send the he-beast away as a hireling for some rumbunxious fun out in the countryside? How about for some pinging over grids over winter?

Money may or may not be an object depending on if husband knows or not. Honest opinions only need apply. Be as witchy as you like.
 
I don't think your idea of hunter livery is the same as mine, I would not consider letting any horse go to livery where it would be hired out to someone for a day hunting, if he has not previously been well educated in the hunting field he will potentially be a liability and the risk to him would be too high for my liking, I don't think at this point in the season any yards that do hire would consider him anyway it is far too late to get him fit and established.

Why not just find someone to exercise him where he is or put him on exercise livery somewhere so he gets plenty of work and some schooling, even getting a sharer would be a safer option than sending him off hunting.
 
be positive said:
I don't think your idea of hunter livery is the same as mine, I would not consider letting any horse go to livery where it would be hired out to someone for a day hunting, if he has not previously been well educated in the hunting field he will potentially be a liability and the risk to him would be too high for my liking, I don't think at this point in the season any yards that do hire would consider him anyway it is far too late to get him fit and established.

Why not just find someone to exercise him where he is or put him on exercise livery somewhere so he gets plenty of work and some schooling, even getting a sharer would be a safer option than sending him off hunting.
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Thank you for your reply. Ok, perhaps this could be for next year.. I will need to plan this well in advance it seems. Have you got any advice on timelines on that?

I'd rather see him go to schooling livery then for next few months by your suggestion.
 
Artax said:
Thank you for your reply. Ok, perhaps this could be for next year.. I will need to plan this well in advance it seems. Have you got any advice on timelines on that?

I'd rather see him go to schooling livery then for next few months by your suggestion.
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If you want him to learn the hunting job properly then send him in plenty of time for autumn hunting so the yard can get him out several times each week to help him settle, learn the ropes and be educated rather than chucked in the deep end which can blow their brains, August/ Sept depending on your area and the yard you choose.

A couple of months schooling now would be a good option, maybe they will get him out for a few hours on a quiet day to see how he is.
 
be positive said:
If you want him to learn the hunting job properly then send him in plenty of time for autumn hunting so the yard can get him out several times each week to help him settle, learn the ropes and be educated rather than chucked in the deep end which can blow their brains, August/ Sept depending on your area and the yard you choose.

A couple of months schooling now would be a good option, maybe they will get him out for a few hours on a quiet day to see how he is.
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This is the sort of advice I need! Thank you very much indeed be positive. He has jumped very well with me in the summer so perhaps sending him away to do more would be ideal.

I guess it's best to approach the hunt yards in the new year, given its busy now? I've never done this before. How's best to approach it?
 
Regandal said:
I wouldn't send one of my horses off to be a hireling. Chances are he will get hammered round.
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Well yes, I guess that's the risk. It's either he comes back fit as a fiddle gent or fit as a fiddle monster. Some people around here seem to think it's better he's put to work than balloon all winter trying to be prime beef. Food for thought there, thank you.
 
Artax said:
This is the sort of advice I need! Thank you very much indeed be positive. He has jumped very well with me in the summer so perhaps sending him away to do more would be ideal.

I guess it's best to approach the hunt yards in the new year, given its busy now? I've never done this before. How's best to approach it?
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I think you would really need to do some research, get personal recommendations and double check everything before sending him, if you do let him go as a hireling you must inform your insurance company and expect a price rise as their risk will be increased, you may find it best to look for an individual who needs an extra horse so he is hunted exclusively by someone competent, it is a high risk sport so be prepared for injuries.
If he were mine I would rather send him to an event yard so he can still do something useful, get miles under his belt with less risk of him being hammered all winter and needing the summer off to recover.
 
I would not send him as a hireling, I have seen too many out that have riders who have paid their money and want their sport, to the detriment of the horse. There is no guarantee as to how knowledgeable they are, how balanced they are, how caring they are.

I do know a schooling yard who will go out and hunt schooling liveries, as well as take them SJ. That is not cheap, however, but the care and attention is fantastic.

If the term you will be unable to ride is a long one, then I would consider schooling this year, and offering horse to a hunting home for winter. That way you could have some measure of control as to who has the reins so to speak.
 
If you had ever seen how hirelings can often be ridden, you almost certainly would not contemplate this idea.

A hireling is expensive, people who pay it want their money's worth and their pound of flesh, sometimes literally. No-one cares how hard their hands are or how bad their seat is.

Why don't you sell him and buy another when you are better placed?
 
Pay someone to ride him it will be cheaper than paying the vet to try and fix him when you get him back in bits .
Fatty loves hunting but I would rather slit his throat with a rusty knife myself than send him to be a hireling .
 
Another voice against offering your horse as a hireling. I have worked in hunting yards and spent all week patching the poor s.ds up for them to go out again the following Saturday. Torn mouths, bashed legs the size of tree trunks, very sore backs, no way.
 
Regandal said:
I wouldn't send one of my horses off to be a hireling. Chances are he will get hammered round.
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This!!
My gorgeous horse is now 18. A true hunter type and apparently a mannerly ride out hunting in his day.
He's now retired after being plagued by lameness/stiffness and various other issues.
His old owners kept him on a working livery type arrangement and he was apparently used as I hireling. My vet (who was his old owners vet also) says it's down to him being hammered with no respect and is just pretty knackered from it all. His problems started at 10 so not just because he's older.

I'd be looking more at just regular full livery that included exercise so he's getting varied regular work and you may have the option to pay for him to hunt or compete from there?
 
Thank you all so much for your thoughts. It does seem as if this was a barbaric idea!! The place I had in mind was a schooling livery that took youngsters out hunting with experienced staff. Some were hirelings and that was a cheaper option - now I know why... :(

OK, I think I know what to do for next year. I can save for a decent schooling livery over this year and prepare for next winter.

I had thought about selling and getting a poor doer, and I will carry on contemplating this idea too.

Much appreciated all :)
 
There is no way I would send my horse off to a hunt yard to be a hireling .... are you mad? Have you seen some of the people who hire them? I wouldn't trust them walking on there own legs let alone sitting on top of my horse and taking it hunting!

Why not look for a sharer or pay someone to ride him during the day and set a plan of so many days schooling/ hacking/ jumping ect Even if you get someone for 3-4 days a week its better than nothing and could keep him ticking over nicely for when you are ready to pick up the reins again :)
 
Artax said:
Thank you all so much for your thoughts. It does seem as if this was a barbaric idea!! The place I had in mind was a schooling livery that took youngsters out hunting with experienced staff. Some were hirelings and that was a cheaper option - now I know why... :(

OK, I think I know what to do for next year. I can save for a decent schooling livery over this year and prepare for next winter.

I had thought about selling and getting a poor doer, and I will carry on contemplating this idea too.

Much appreciated all :)
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Good plan :)
 
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