keeping a horse at home vs. livery

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Austen123

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i am now thinking about bringing my horse home .. facilities - 3 acare paddock , barn with hard standing and a field shelter/stable. natural shelter. off road hacking and road hacking . no school, noone to ride with,i have my own transport . my 16.1 mare would have two shetlands for company. i would have to buy my own hay and straw. there are places close by for school hire for £10 per hour

livery is 120 per month 5 mins away from house . hayledge and straw provided. field with 3 other horses . stables. school (which isnt that good) showjumps and small cross country course.
i have been here since i was 12 for 9 years as my parents are not horsey so they liked the idea of having knowledgeable people around me.
now i am completely self suficicent.

what are your thoughts?
 
move her home. We have just done this, and its been the best christmas present ever. Ok, i dont have an arena, but can hack, have local places to go to.

Its absolute bliss.
 
I keep mine at home, got lots of grazing and a school with a good surface but if I only had one horse I'd keep it at livery. Your livery seems very cheap, is close and has good facilities, also you have people around to help if you are ill or on holiday. I'm fortunate to have help on my doorstep and several people I can meet to hack out with but I do miss having someone around who shares my passion (non horsey OH) I doubt you will save much money and you are giving up some facilities which you'd have to pay for. Personally, if you are on a happy friendly yard, I'd stay put.
 
At home, this shouldn't even be a question :p There is nothing like going out at 1am to give your horse a cuddle cause you have just watched a sad movie with a horse in it lol
 
Having them at home is lovely and your setup sounds great.

Bear in mind that you need to find cover for lots of things - holidays, going out early etc. Also that even though there is a school nearby to hire you will find you won't school as much!
 
Hm .yes cover does worry me . But I would have to pay for cover even at the DIY yard . My dad and mum also know the basics . Also , they are close friends to head equine vet who used to live opposite and covers her anyway!

Company also worries me , OH rides my friends saint horse a couple of days a week with me .... Oh no .. May need to get him a horse ;) other than that I ride with friends on odd occasion , I ride alone
 
Agree with nightmare before christmas, I have mine at home and although you think its bliss....its hard work and lonely. If I only had 1 horse I would stay at livery. I am putting mine back to livery after 5 years at home.
 
I have my girlys at home, and wouldn't change it. I have no arena, and our field is a little pond like right now, but I still love it! Now that riding in an arena is a rarity for us, I use our hacks to school - so lots of bending, flexing, and lateral work. Largely canter work does have to wait until we do get to an arena, but we still manage to BD fairly successfully! :)
 
I'm having the same dilemma! do I bring him home with the 2 shetlands where there is no school/transport to shows but much cheaper with parents to help. Or do I stay on assisted livery 10 mins away for 270 per month? Such a decision!
 
Definitely keep at home. Sadly I would never now keep a horse at livery. Despite being a livery yard owner myself, and a livery client at three other yards because it is only since being a YO I have found out about all sorts of goings on at yards from not feeding properly or even filling water buckets to out and out mistreatment of horses.
 
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