Is this move a no brainier???

[atlantis]

My Connemara mare is currently on part livery on a large yard with about 50 horses. We moved there as it has good hacking on a country lane that leads to the common and great facilities with 3 school, regular clinics etc.

It's good value for what you get I think, and part livery has been really helpful while DD was small. However the grazing is rubbish, over grazed stressed grass which for my mare is not great as she almost definitely has EMS. Not diagnosed but vet stated that it was pretty definite looking at her fat pads etc when I got her.

I personally would rather look after my mare myself (I always have before) and now my dd is older (5) it is much much easier to do so. The part livery includes DIY at the weekends and she comes to help me now. Admittedly it's the summer but she is enthusiastic and rides a friends pony as well as my mare too.

I have arranged to go and look round a private yard. It is much closer to home and on my way to work. No facilities just stables and a field but they look really lovely from pictures I've been sent. It's the other side of the common along the country lane that leads to the car park so hacking the same and about 30 mins hack from current yard. There are two stables available and owner would like 1 person with 2 horses ideally. The owner would be able to offer some assistance and I'm presuming they would like a nice livery that will fit in, but it would just be me and them.

The money I'd save would mean that I could have 2 there for the same price as 1 is costing me now. So I'd look to get a pony for her next spring.

Any words of advice when I go to look around? What do I need to look out for? Any considerations about moving to a tiny private yard? It's a very different kettle of fish from the yard we're at now. There aren't many DIY yards found us they're mostly bigger yards so I don't have much choice really.

Sorry mega long post. Eggs on toast for those who have got this far.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

If there is just one other person there, you need to get on with them (I am talking from experience). It doesn't matter how idyllic or cheap it is if you spend your time trying to avoid the other person.

Make sure you are both clear on whats expected of you for everything, from field maintenance through to which farrier you use and of course payment etc. I would also try and suss out how they feel about how to keep horses-if you are on the same wavelength fine. If it didn't work out, could you afford two elsewhere?

 

[ROMANY 1959]

Make a list of pro and cons....
How much you will save, cost of two and time constraints for 2
And enquirering about the services yo will do... Small yards can be nice, but sometimes can be lonely, but it will be better for your horses, and if you can get ind turnout you can manage your area yourself I e poo pick, weed pick..only you can work out which will be best, but to me the small yard would suit, as I don't like big yards, too much going on...also large yards,,,well stuff goes missing and can get bitchy..

 

[Equi]

The only issue I see is that your kid may not have anywhere to ride properly other than a lead around the lanes

 

[atlantis]

If there is just one other person there, you need to get on with them (I am talking from experience). It doesn't matter how idyllic or cheap it is if you spend your time trying to avoid the other person.

Make sure you are both clear on whats expected of you for everything, from field maintenance through to which farrier you use and of course payment etc. I would also try and suss out how they feel about how to keep horses-if you are on the same wavelength fine. If it didn't work out, could you afford two elsewhere?

Yes very very good point. So I need to check out how they look after their horses and their attitude towards horse care. We would def need to be at least from the same book, although not necessarily on exactly the same page. If it didn't work out then two spaces DIY elsewhere might be hard to find, but I wouldn't start looking for a pony until the spring so I'd have a few months of just one to move if needs be.

Payment for stuff like livery, sourcing hay or use theirs? Or share? Storage for bedding?
Field maintenance / poo picking / is turnout restricted in winter. Can I soak hay (I need to). Tack storage.

The list goes on. I'll make a list!!!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Yes very very good point. So I need to check out how they look after their horses and their attitude towards horse care. We would def need to be at least from the same book, although not necessarily on exactly the same page. If it didn't work out then two spaces DIY elsewhere might be hard to find, but I wouldn't start looking for a pony until the spring so I'd have a few months of just one to move if needs be.

Payment for stuff like livery, sourcing hay or use theirs? Or share? Storage for bedding?
Field maintenance / poo picking / is turnout restricted in winter. Can I soak hay (I need to). Tack storage.

The list goes on. I'll make a list!!!

yep, hay storage is a big one, its a pain not having any space. Also, how much they would want to help you out with care-I thought I was quite clear when I took on a livery that I would occasionally turn out or bring in for them. They seemed to think that meant full livery when they went on holiday (for three large, stabled, neurotic horses). Still, they paid up eventually

 

[GirlFriday]

You'll need to have a think about if it will still be fun for your daughter with no other kids around /if a private yard would be OK with her and her friends coming up together/as above: safe places for her to ride/ what you'd do worth the pony to keep it fit because one six year old in unlikely enough exercise given that you may end up with something needing restricted grazing next summer which will therefore move around less on its own (assuming stabling or little paddock to restrict rather than track or muzzle) / what you'll do with pony if she loses interest / when she outgrows it.

Having said that I think my family would love that set up, except for the no arena part. Wd never be able to afford but in principle it would be amazing.

 

[atlantis]

Make a list of pro and cons....
How much you will save, cost of two and time constraints for 2
And enquirering about the services yo will do... Small yards can be nice, but sometimes can be lonely, but it will be better for your horses, and if you can get ind turnout you can manage your area yourself I e poo pick, weed pick..only you can work out which will be best, but to me the small yard would suit, as I don't like big yards, too much going on...also large yards,,,well stuff goes missing and can get bitchy..

Yes do need to list jobs and time and money. I've done rough sums in my head but need to do a spreadsheet lol!!

I get the feeling a small yard would suit us too. I agree it could be lonely but dd will continue riding friends pony over the winter and I have a lot of friends in the area. I'd make an effort to hack to the old yard at the weekends I think and I'd like to ride and lead and the lanes are nice a squirt to be able to do that, with lots of places to pull over if you do meet a car etc. Large yard isn't bitchy at all really. There is a lovely atmosphere there it's great!!

The only issue I see is that your kid may not have anywhere to ride properly other than a lead around the lanes

This could be a problem. She did say there is a field set aside for riding so ok apart from winter. I would aim to join pony club with her so hoping this would counter balance the loneliness a bit and the place to ride. I have to say I learnt to ride on the lead ride and lead for quite a while when I was little. Didn't have any facilities just a flat field to learn to jump in lol.

I do quite a bit in of in hand work so the field would need to be suitable for that.

I do need to think about this carefully and not get too over excited!!!

 

[atlantis]

yep, hay storage is a big one, its a pain not having any space. Also, how much they would want to help you out with care-I thought I was quite clear when I took on a livery that I would occasionally turn out or bring in for them. They seemed to think that meant full livery when they went on holiday (for three large, stabled, neurotic horses). Still, they paid up eventually

Yes very good point. I had planned on mentioning that too. We don't go away for long holidays much due to oh's business but we do have weekends away in a family holiday home to compensate. I also would like to go to see my brothers new baby in the USA next year. I would need help available but would pay for that. I would also be happy to help out with their ponies at times but obviously don't want to be taken for a ride on that account either. The advert says turnout / bring in so I would need to ask about going away.

It needs a lot of things to fall into place but I'm open minded that they might.

 

[atlantis]

You'll need to have a think about if it will still be fun for your daughter with no other kids around /if a private yard would be OK with her and her friends coming up together/as above: safe places for her to ride/ what you'd do worth the pony to keep it fit because one six year old in unlikely enough exercise given that you may end up with something needing restricted grazing next summer which will therefore move around less on its own (assuming stabling or little paddock to restrict rather than track or muzzle) / what you'll do with pony if she loses interest / when she outgrows it.

Having said that I think my family would love that set up, except for the no arena part. Wd never be able to afford but in principle it would be amazing.

Yes the principle is amazing.

As for the pony I would ride and lead around the common without dd on during the week. The lane is straight into the common with no gates etc. I would also do in hand work with it too as I get a lot of fun out of that.

My mare is muzzled during the summer and has similar requirements to what you mentioned so that is something I need to ask about anyway.

Yes need to ask about friends coming up etc. Not sure if yo has children or not. One of her ponies is def hers, not sure about the other.

 

[WelshD]

The only issue I see is that your kid may not have anywhere to ride properly other than a lead around the lanes

This is something to seriously consider. My 11.2 is ridden by two six year old girls. I have a separate area for riding and a set of jumps but pony works better with less grassy distractions in a school and my place is quite dull for kids so I am currently boxing him to the local riding school to be ridden and an actually considering moving him from my privately rented yard to a livery stable thus doubling my costs

You didn't make this move all that long ago and from a smaller set up if I remember correctly, please don't let the summer rose tint your thoughts too much

 

[atlantis]

This is something to seriously consider. My 11.2 is ridden by two six year old girls. I have a separate area for riding and a set of jumps but pony works better with less grassy distractions in a school and my place is quite dull for kids so I am currently boxing him to the local riding school to be ridden and an actually considering moving him from my privately rented yard to a livery stable thus doubling my costs

You didn't make this move all that long ago and from a smaller set up if I remember correctly, please don't let the summer rose tint your thoughts too much

This is a really good point about the pony and grass. I'll bear it in mind. However I have been at current yard about 20 months. Only had Lottie not quite 2 years and was at a fairly bigger yard at first too so not sure if you're confusing me with someone else.

I take your point about winter too.

 

[9tails]

Personally, I would want bigger and some facilities. Winter isn't much fun without a school though I rarely set foot in it during summer. Also, horses can become awfully clingy if their herd is too small. Although mine is sharing a field with two others, there are horses all around. Take them away and she would be hell to manage.

 

[atlantis]

Ok so this might not be the no brainier I originally thought. After some more talking with the yo today it's not quite in the place I thought, but 200 yards down the main road from the country lane turning that leads to the common. I really don't want to ride or take my dd down that busy road, so it's a no go I think. If it had facilities then maybe but it doesn't.

I'll keep an eye out for something else. In the mean time thank you all so much for your advice.