Livery dilema.

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Dizzydancer

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Ok so trying to decide if i should move my boy I think i should because i miss schooling him.

Current set up-
> 3 miles away, quiet roads straight of yard for hacking.
> Lives out 24/7 with 2 others loads of land but no flat land which does bother me as feel he must be straining something all time.
> YO is horsey and will feed him if i cant get up. If he is in for any reason she will fetch in/turn out skip out if required.
> YO limits amount of hay being put out in winter (she does put it out for us tho)
> YO buys in straw (can only have this) and hay made on land and buy off her.
> Not automatic water YO tends to fill up on tractor, and sometimes we have to push water up to the fields which is hard work and hurts my back.
> No arena- was meant to be able to ride in field but due to YO having extra sheep that she spreads around not possible to do and with weather.
> Only 2 other liveries and 5 horses total only mine and one other is rideable.
> Tack etc kept onsite. YO not overly keen on fixing things!
> school to hire 10mins ride away, costs £8/half hr
> Cost £20/wk livery, no restrictions on visiting.

Potential new yard-
> 5mins walk from house, 30mph fairly busy road at rush hour but quietish in the day 5 mins walking to get to quiet lanes.
> Live out 24/7 in summer, have to come in overnight during winter (nov/dec-march time) weather and grass dependant but not been forced to stay in 24/7 ever. Flat good draining land, will be out with at leats 1 other horse.
> YO has an employee who runs his garden centre who will feed, change rugs, turn out, for £4. Fetch in is also £4 so could get costly if was ill and parents/OH unable to sort him. Hoping other livery i will share field with would maybe chip in with alternating.
> Can feed hay in field as much as want and also in stable feed as req.
> Can have any bedding and hay/haylage, YO buys in bulk for himself can buy for us if he wishes or can supply own.
> automatic water in fields,
> Has large arena good surface and due to be topped up this summer again.
can be used for riding/lunging/turn out if weather awful.
> 2 other liveries, 1 has 4 horses 1 has 2 both do ride a bit but not loads. YO child (14) also rides her pony.
> everything except tack can be stored there. YO seems happy to oblige to most things and is actually building me a bigger stable for my boy, as well as a new barn ready for hay store next winter.
> Cost £25/wk, no restrictions on visiting.

I am keen on 2nd place, although will prob have to do more visits in winter unless can oblige with person i share field with to alternate who turns out/fetches in. But even then its a walking distance so no petrol cost, and also more horses to keep my boy company in general. I am desperate to start schooling again as thats what i love and feel my boy is missing out.

What would you choose?? Any questions please ask
 
If the new YO is already building a bigger stable for you, doesn't that mean you've already decided/told them?

ps. Both sound nice! £5/wk isn't much more, so worth giving it a go.

Also - I know lots of horses that live on hills (we're in the Pennines) and their legs have survivied!
 
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Think you have answered your own question to be honest.
The close to home, school and accommodating owner would settle it for me. You would get a great deal for that extra £5 a week. There is no perfect yard and there will almost always be something that your old yard can offer that a new one can't.
 
I'd go for number 2. The money you save on petrol would cover the care costs if you're I'll surely? (assuming you aren't constantly ill).

Also provided your horse is safe in heavy traffic. I worked for a while in a yard in Bracknell which only had hacking on busy roads, whilst not enjoyable, on a safe horse its doable and if its just a short distance to quiet roads, no big deal really?

At the end of the day, you have a horse to enjoy and you need appropriate facilities.
 
Honey08- No he hasnt started doing it yet, the barn is up with a couple stables but i want a bigger one as my boy is 17hh he already he has frames but just needs to put in place to build the last one, I wont be moving until they all go out 24/7 as dont want to move to keep in for a few weeks and disrupting his routine so much. So not in need of stable being built yet.

Oncewaslost- no not always ill haha only not been up when had glandular fever or sickness for obv reasons so twice in past year!!

Ahrena- he is safe in traffic ex racer from ireland who hacked loads over there, he is very occassionally a bit fresh but at least now can school first if fresh.

Thanks just needed reassurance i think
 
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Its a no brainer for me - yard two all the way! Somewhere decent to work your horse even through the worst of winter is an essential. Stable a bonus and freedom to pretty much do as you wish.
 
Since you want better schooling possibilities, I think you should move, however, in general I would not think that horses needed flat land to feel comfortable.


But if you don't move, even though I don't know which discipline you prefer, I just want to mention that Ulla Håkansson have competed in 6 Olympic games, won 2 Olympic bronze medals in Dressage Team, 2 World Championship bronze medals in Dressage Team and 2 European Championship bronze medals in Dressage Team. I have read somewhere, that for the majority of her horse career, she has not had any proper schooling facilities available on a daily basis. So basically she has trained a lot of her dressage when out hacking!

 
Since you want better schooling possibilities, I think you should move, however, in general I would not think that horses needed flat land to feel comfortable.
Click to expand...

I agree with both points. The move sounds like it's the correct thing for you and that sloping fields are fine (mine live on a hillside and are nimble like mountain goats now :p all previously lived on flat land).
 
Thanks all! I think its just with him being ex racer and rarely coming i worry about his legs!
I will be telling YO tomorrow that i will be leaving its for the best for me and horse i think. I will enjoy him more.
 
Yard 2...Ive just moved from hacking yard to a yard with schooling facilities and im loving it my boy has settled great we cant be happier...
 
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