Keeping horses on seperate yards?

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chaps89

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Monday morning musings, so I warn you now, strange post.

I hope in the next year or two to be in the position to buy another horse, but at current I am sharing a rented yard with my mum, which has 3 stables- 1 acting as a tack room, the other for our 2 horses. Assuming I'm still in the same area, there's no room for horse number 3.
There's a livery yard down the road and others in the surrounding areas, but just wondered on peoples experiences on keeping 2 horses in separate yards, if it means you have no quality time with each animal, things take longer, if it's best to move to have them all in one place etc.
 
I can very much comment on this situation!

I did have my horses at 2 different yards that were only 5 minutes apart...thought this would be fine...and it was do-able, but i just found myself constantly going backwards and forwards, especially at the weekends...Would get up, go and turn one out, go to the other yard, turn the other out and muck out and poo pick, then go back to other yard muck out and poo pick, poss ride put to bed, then go back and ride/get other in....Doable but a bit of a pain..

HOWEVER now, my horses are 13 miles apart (had to leave one yard) and it's a friggin nightmare. I dont know about you but i work full time, so my day goes - turn horse out (other horse gets turned out) go to work, go to nearest horse, muck out, ride (when its not snowing!), put to bed, go to yard 13 miles away muck out, ride (if im not too exhausted) and put to bed, get home about 9pm.

THe things that got me was that you suddenly need two of everything and have to live out of your car (e.g. lunging stuff, hat, etc etc), mucking out tools etc. It's do-able especially if your mum can help out, but no means ideal, but ok for a short while.

On the upside - when one yard is p*ssing you off - you can jog off down the road to the other one!!
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I have done it for 3 years and it is a right royal pain in the neck - esp in this weather! My yards are only about 6 miles apart so you wouldn't think it would be that much of a pain, but it is (to me anyway). Sorry!
 
I had my two in different places for about 4 years and although both were on full livery the travelling between the two became tiresome, and also remembering what was where in terms of kit, clothing etc.

In an ideal world they'd be together IMO, but of course if its a short term thing its not so bad.
 
Our family at one point had 8 horses/ponies between us, we HAD to move yards, long and complicated story, but it is difficult to find so many empty stables together. So, OH took 5 to one yard, and i took the childrens to another, much closer to home. I did my lot fist every morning before kids went to school, then went to the other yard after the school run to ride mine. OH bless him would have already done morning stables. Unfortunatly then lost my mare and didnt replace due to lack of funds, but backed our homebred who has become mine.
We found this worked quite well for us, until our little boy was very ill for 3 mths last winter, which left OH running from yard to yard while trying to fit in his teaching around keeeping our horses worked. It was also quite inconvient having to run the lorry from yard to yard to pick up and drop off the horses/ponies we were competing.
Last Feb 3 stables became available at OH's yard, so we made the decision to move the 3 under my care over there, but also decided that we would have to sell one as this yard was much more expensive.
Separate yards can work, but I found when things went wrong at home it was stressful, life is much easier having them all together, but I really do miss the yard I was at, I made some really good friends there.
 
Cannot comment form experience but i imagine it is a nightmare, I only have time for one, cant imagine any more and at seperate yards...I'd be finding somewhere else for the tack
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I had mine a separate yards, they were in the same village, less than a mile apart. I did have them at the same yard however my younger horse kept jumping out the field (barbed wire fencing) and although she didn't hurt herself the first time I couldn't risk her doing it again, the other yard didn't have room for 2 and as I wasn't riding the young one yet it wasn't too difficult. I could also ask someone at either yard to feed or turnout in the morning whilst I did the other one. It did get rather tiresome though so moved them both to a completly different yard together and its so much easier and enjoyable and I have a menage
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I have done this in a variety of ways, initially two at separate DIY yards because no room at first yard. Yards were close, both horses were show jumpers and easy to do so not a problem. Then had both together, lovely. Yard went downhill so moved horse that was still jumping to another yard and kept old girl at first yard. That was more difficult but one was enroute to the other and people would help out on the getting in front. Had the two at different yards for years and did cope okay but probably because one was retired. Then until recently had a DIY at one yard and full livery at another which was fine. Again DIY was a retired horse and the full livery of course does not need me to see him every day so generally fine.
 
Yard I'd be looking at using is en-route to current yard and 2 minutes down the road with menage. Hunt meets nearby and local show ground is mid-way between the two, 10 minute hack. So no problems from that end of things.
Current horse is semi-retired (should imagine will be fully retired by time getting anotehr comes around) so in terms of riding that's fine.
No point clearing tack room out at current yard, tempting as it is, as no menage- one up the rode is still useable in this weather but can't get to it, if horse was stabled there tho, not such a problem. Tempting mind you!
But think I'd be exhausted. Little things like poo picking, fine doing 1 big lot, but 2 little lots, same with haynets and alsorts. Hmmm, not sure. A 3rd one would be enough works as it is me thinks, without adding to the fact of not being able to combine jobs.
Really need to see how my work situation pans out, can someone find me a nice well paying job please? Equally a well off eligible bachelor would do!

Thanks for the replies, definite food for thought!
 
Its a pain in the ar#e! I had my mare and foal at one yard and comp horse 2 miles up the road. I then moved foal at weaning to a diff yard and had to do the round robin! It drove me nuts! Have now since lost the mare but have the youngster with the other horse at livery. Better.
 
I did it for 1 month - both yards were within 1.5 miles of each other and my house is .5 of a mile to one and 1 mile to the other. Thought it would be EASY - and it is until one is injured or it is pouring down with rain - who do you go to first ?

I lasted the month and then moved the two horses to the same yard - i noticed the differance within a few days.

Cant you buy an old container or even hire one so you will have the 3 stables again? To be honest i would not leave tack at a yard anyhow so it would just be my rugs etc and you could buy a cheap garden shed for that
 
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