Is social of livery worth putting up with bitchery vs own land

[Shysmum]

Ah BBH, THANK YOU !!!

No i think it's permanent damage. I put a little white board £2 up for messages, as all the paper notes were getting damp, and that has been covered in what I can only describe as " angry nail/ pen marks" ? when there is a little rubber next to the pen. And never written on since the blow up. This is from over 50's women, fgs.

I was at the yard tonight when one of these owners DROVE PAST the yard, looked at her horse that was still out (late for her) and drove on. She was presumably expecting the other livery to have brought her in all ready, and was checking up ? You have to laugh, it's just twilight zone

But my lad and I are very happy, and despite me suffering with MH problems, I think I am coping okay. I adore the YO, and my pony is fab.

 

[kerrieberry2]

being on my own is the best move ever

 

[Iced_coffee]

If money was no option I would be all alone. In the middle of nowhere. No friends. Just a bunch of dogs and a few horses. Bit like crazy cat lady but with dogs.

 

[Arizahn]

Private island, matter transportation unit for travelling to and from current yard Best of both worlds!

Oh, and a second island for the cats please!

 

[showpony]

I am at a very busy riding school/ livery yard and tbh enjoy the company, enjoy having people to ride out with... However my oh has been looking at a business two hrs from where we are and we took a trip down and visited an estate agent to get a feel for the area...and of course found my dream property, fab 5 bed house, stables, arena, lunging pen, 13 acres sectioned off into paddocks..., tack room with laundry room,...there is a chance the property may come on the market to rent with a view to buy...if it did i would jump at it and take in couple of liverys.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Own land, own land, own land, every single time.

I've got my own place and have a lovely livery; more like a friend than a livery TBH.

Plus I've got a super girl who comes and rides out with me and helps out when necessary. So always plenty of company and people around the place, but no obligation to ride with anyone either!

Personally in the dim and distant past I've had enough of yard bitching plus having to appease psycho yard-owners who'd quite cheerfully send you up to the grass verge up the road with nag on headcollar, mug & duvet! Been there, dunnit - and NOTHING compares to the freedom of having your own place. Now I'm the YO, but hopefully not a psycho one

 

[PStarfish]

I'm going to go against the grain. Have just moved mine from a small private yard (ok so not own land but had been there 10 years just me, yo and one other livery so nearly was) to a bigger 22 horse yard. Diy with services. I love it. I moved for the facilities but love having more company, chats over tea and people to bounce ideas off. I have no illusions that there will be no fall outs but everyone is very friendly. I do my horse, tidy up after myself and am polite to everyone and so far so good. I think if you find the right yard its priceless. I still have ponies at old yard so am blessed to have two perfect yards.

 

[Achinghips]

I'm going to go against the grain. Have just moved mine from a small private yard (ok so not own land but had been there 10 years just me, yo and one other livery so nearly was) to a bigger 22 horse yard. Diy with services. I love it. I moved for the facilities but love having more company, chats over tea and people to bounce ideas off. I have no illusions that there will be no fall outs but everyone is very friendly. I do my horse, tidy up after myself and am polite to everyone and so far so good. I think if you find the right yard its priceless. I still have ponies at old yard so am blessed to have two perfect yards.

You've only just moved there? ..... Brace yourself lol

Seriously though, thanks everyone, some interesting perspectives. I've been on three DIY yards and find there is usually one selfish mean person who spoils it for me. I've also been on full livery ... That was so luxurious but less Social.

I move into my own four acre property shortly !

 

[honetpot]

I have had horses for 30+ years and have only been on five livery yards, usually moving when we have moved house. On every yard there is someone that doesn't stack the much heap, feed their horse, muck them out and leaves them stood in most of the day, if you are really unlucky combined with a YO who will not make ground rules. The only thing I hate about having my own land is the farmer who was supposed to harrow and spray in spring never turned up despite assuring me he would come on five occasions.
Also the livery money you would have paid can go on improving things, and you never have to worry about someones horse being 'upset' by your colt/stallion. Bliss.

 

[marmalade76]

Would love my own yard (but I don't suppose it'll ever happen ) and I wouldn't have the chance to get lonely as I have family with me half the time.

I've been lucky to have only liveried on small yards on farms with only two or three other owners, but there's nothing like having your own space and being totally in control of it. Don't think I'd last five minuets on a proper livery yard..

 

[mightymammoth]

@ welshd Lol good thinking

 

[LynH]

I love having my horses at home but I live very close to where I liveried and have lots of friends in the area so I have people to hack with. We had looked into moving away as land in Surrey is so expensive but I'm glad we didn't as I would miss being close enough to meet up with friends or them box to mine or vice versa.
I love having the school to myself so it doesn't get a track around the edge or poo left in it but I forgot how nice it is to chat to someone whilst you are schooling until my friend came to use my school a few weeks ago.
Your own place can be as social as you want to make it. People pop in for tea several days a week and pop to their yards too or to watch them compete so I don't miss out socially at all.

 

[Moomin1]

If I had the money, I would have my own yard with no more than two other select liveries who I trusted and was good friends with. There would still be rules though.

To be fair, on the yard I am on, there are only three of us now, but over the years there have been numerous issues, some not so bad, some very serious. Some of those have just been down to bitchiness, some down to pure neglect of responsibility and care.

 

[Shutterbug]

I'm on a small private yard a mile from my house - there are my two horses (soon to be 3) and a married couple who are friends of mine, who also have 2 horses and the YO's daughter's horse. Its more of a rent stables and fields kinda set up than a livery. I started off on a huge yard with over 70 horses on it, fabulous facilities, lots of company, lessons on site, indoor and outdoor schools - all singing all dancing but came with major bitching and sometimes you were left feeling judged by a certain few. I moved to a small Assisted DIY yard which was lovely, not so great facilities just a large outdoor school and great hacking. The YO was very helpful and helped me make the transition from full to DIY, but eventually I moved to where I am now, full DIY, farmer takes nothing to do with us except to tend the fields. We have no school, same hacking as my previous assisted DIY yard and I can go a week without seeing my friends who keep their horses there, or the farmer or anyone for that matter. I can hack on my own or give them a call and hack with them - but I mostly ride in the day so mostly its just me and I love it. I have been here 6 months now and we have not had one cross word, one disagreement or one issue. I still hack round to my previous yard for lessons with the YO and I have friends on 3 different yards nearby I can go meet for a hack but I rarely do. I recently had the opportunity to move to one of those yards when some stables became available - they have a nice new school, its huge but I went round to visit my friend there and a bunch of women were huddled together whispering and I thought "nope, cant be bothered with that" and have chosen to remain where I am. I would not go back on to a livery yard now unless I had absolutely no choice and even at that it would be a small one. I am perfectly content where I am at the moment and hope to stay here for a good long while

 

[Sugarplum Furry]

I think there are advantages to both set ups.

When I had my own land I was forced to handle situations, on the ground and ridden, that I might have shied away from if there had been other people around. It did wonders for my confidence. It was nice too to just potter around, drink tea and watch the horses, I got into writing and sketching, created a little veg plot and grew herbs and stuff, and in the summer had friends over for BBQ's.

I'm now back on a big livery yard, as much as I miss my own place I'm enjoying the social side of it, I've always found the interaction between big groups of people fascinating, even the bitchiness, and of course there's a wealth of material for my writing! And with so many horses kept here there's always something new to be learnt, be veterinary, ridden or just herd dynamics. I think it helps that I've got the reputation of 'class clown', humour certainly helps to avoid getting pulled into yard politics.

 

[Vintage]

It's 'easier' to have liveries than to be a livery, with other liveries.

Have met some incredibly wonderful, genuine people in the horse world - liveries and yard owners alike. Those people are what I miss being at livery for. Some weren't all that experienced, but their dedication and attitude to horse ownership was amazing. Others were very knowledgeable and are people I regard so highly.

It only takes one or two to really get under your nose, especially the ones who like to pick or slate you or your horse - especially when they know nothing, but tragically, all the other inexperienced's (inc the yard owners at times) think the sun shines out of their behind.

Have had 3 yards to myself for liveries, this one is completely on my own and I adore it. I do miss having people to natter with but at least I get more done in a day, or I'd spend 5 hours talking!

 

[rema]

Own yard/land..I prefer being on my own..I like to know that when i put a broom somewhere i know it will still be there the next morning..I'm not much of a people person as tending to speak my mind and have the knack of upsetting people so best i am on my own..Segregated from the horsey society..

You could have the nicest and best facilities money can buy but if the people are horrible it will soon sour the experience for everyone unless you are in the 'in' crowd in which case you make life hell for everyone else..

 

[RunToEarth]

At home all the way. I don't get lonely as OH & family ride too - and it is mostly just bliss

 

[Bernster]

Makes me realise just how lucky I am with my current yard! Always been on livery yards, I like the facilities, the routine and the company. I couldn't combine livery with full time work and commute so I have no choice, but I have met some of my closest friends, have done far more things than I ever would and had so much helpful support and advice, I wouldn't be without it.

I was recently musing about not having an indoor school at my yard, but have realised that the above is WAY more important !

 

[Ibblebibble]

Own land or at least rented

If money was no object then own land plus a big moat, razor wire fence and a couple of gun turretts...

hehe sounds like heaven!

i've been very lucky, little DIY yard i was on was myself, 2 other liveries and YO, no real bitching but the long standing livery had got a bit ermmmm complacent/lazy which sometimes grated but not enough to be a problem. then i moved to the farm livery where i had my own field, plenty of other liveries but enough space to avoid them lol, real mix of people but it's gone really down hill in the last couple of years, some buttholes who don't know wtf they are doing but act like they know it all, a couple of right nasty bitches who are all nice to your face but vile behind your back, the usual i guess but i was glad to leave in the end. Now I rent my own little yard which almost has a moat after the council dug the ditches out last year!! just missing the gun turretts have a friends pony down there too which means i have company and sickness cover and i love it.

 

[OldNag]

I have often wondered about this... sometimes I get a yearning for my own private place.. but I've got to be honest, I would miss the social side too much. I'm lucky - my yard is a real community, with a lovely YO. THere's also the safety aspect... if you fall off there is always someone around (am paranoid in my old age!). I think, like others, if I won th lottery I'd get the perfect yard but I'd invite a few lovely liveries onto it so I wouldn't be on my own.

 

[castella]

I own my own yard a few miles from my house but have rented that out since july this year and moved my one pony onto livery, I love it, better facilities, great instructors, no maintenance, help when needed, enough people to chat to to be social but as I'm there late mornings most people have left for work by then so I hope to keep out of any trouble. I love it so much Ive decided to sell my yard next year as I wouldn't go back to being on my own and even if something awful happened on the yard Im at currently there are loads around this area to chose from instead.

 

[Frosty89]

I'd buy my own land in a heartbeat! I very much keep myself to myself anyway in the hope that if I don't bother anyone then they won't bother me

If I did however have my own land, I would probably like a select few liveries. If I didn't get on with them, at least I could kick them off

 

[ester]

At home if I could have the facilities. Been at home for the last 8 years with just a field/stables and just moved to a small DIY yard with a massive arena. Am quite enjoying it, plus having all the eleccy fencing set up for you - muck heap removed weekly- feed delivered etc etc (oh and as I live on site suppose am getting best of both worlds anyway!)

 

[Field04]

I moved my horse home at the beginning of the year, I then brought her a little pony as company. It is the best move I ever made, I hated the livery and bitchiness of it all. It is lonely sometimes, but I just love being able to go outside my house and they are there. I have a friend who brings her horse over from time to time and we go out for the day with the horses. Otherwise, as I don't have transport yet, I go over to a couple of my friends who have more than one horse and ride out with them. Also if I want to I can ride down to my local stables to use the school, generally when I know no one else is around. To be honest when I was on livery it felt even more isolating then being on my own at home, as I was either all alone there (as I tried to avoid the others) or felt really uncomfortable with the other liveries who are just awful, nasty people.

 

[Wagtail]

I own and run a livery yard, and before that, I was a livery client on three different yards. To be honest, I never experienced any real bitchiness. Maybe I was lucky, or maybe everyone was bitching behind my back and so I never saw it!? However, if money was no object, I would relocate to somewhere a bit smaller which had plenty of horsey neighbours that I could hopefully befriend, and keep my yard to myself. If I couldn't find any near by horsey friends, then I would have just one carefully selected livery.

 

[wench]

I have only been on a couple of livery yards, but have never come across bitches. I have heard stories from friends, and I think it seems to be more rife on DIY yards.

 

[claireandnadia]

I'd love my own place but would miss the social side although winter time I'll have to get used to being a bit lonely as everyone rushes in and out.

 

[Jango]

I'd hate to have my own place to be honest, unless I could have an amazing place with fab facilities and have my mates on there with me!! I'm on a huge DIY yard (70+ horses) and I love it. It's big enough to politely avoid anyone you don't like and I've got loads of friends there and we help each other out and support each other. Also I travel quite a bit with work and socially so I can pay another livery to look after my horse when I'm away and it's very reasonable as she's there anyway. I think having my own place would be very isolating, tying and dull! But each to their own!

 

[Caol Ila]

I've never experienced yard bitchiness and drama. I like being on yards. Sometimes it seems as if it would be easier to have my own place, like when I think a field shelter would solve a few problems but you can't do things like build new structures when you fancy it on yards. But then it probably isn't really easier to have your own place. Grass is always greener and all that.