Livery/grazing for 4 in Fochabers area

[Merrick]

Hi everyone.
We are upping and moving from yorkshire to Scotland in the near ( very near!) future. We are looking to buy 5-10 acres of grazing and build our own yard and in the meantime need to find DIY livery for 4...two big mares (approx 17hh), one 13.2hh sec C and a 14.2hh sec D.
We are renting a cottage in the orton/Fochabers area so it will need to be within reasonable travelling distance (max 10 miles)
Grazing needn't be top quality but we need decent sized stables for the 2 big girls and would prefer schooling facilities as we do dressage and showing, although this isn't essential as we can do a lot out hacking without them actually realising they are working while being out on a jolly!
Any suggestions welcome- if you are on a yard with any spaces or can think of anywhere suitable please let me know! I have looked at cranloch on Internet as they are 5 mins away but despite it saying livery on some sites there is nothing on their own site to suggest this is the case!
Or if you know of any grazing land either on the market or coming on soon please let me know. We are prepared to spend up to £5K an acre and have funds available ( I think this is a fair price as we have just sold 14 acres in yorkshire with stables and a manège for less than this!) if it is land to purchase we can look slightly further afield ( 30 mile radius of Elgin)
Many thanks.

 

[LR2904]

Hiya,

Im looking for a cottage and a little bit of land in that area too finding it impossible

Is it an estate you are renting cottage from?

 

[Merrick]

No just through php lettings- we have been looking to move up there for 4 years and have finally plucked up the courage to go for it... Have sold our 14 acres and want less land up there but it seems really hard to come by. There seems to be more in the Aberdeenshire area which I would have thought would be more expensive.
I am seriously considering setting up a livery yard because there don't seem to be many around! Have you put a wanted ad in local papers? It's heartbreaking there are deserted crofts/cottages on fields everywhere!
The cottage we are renting has a small garden and we are lucky because we have dogs (outside in kennels and a run) and this was the one property out of hundreds that I enquiries about where the owner will allow us to have them there. ( my dogs are cleaner than most people lol)
Good luck- keep in touch and we can yard hunt together!

 

[LR2904]

Had a look on there isnt anything suitable where are you moving up from? I would be happy with 14 acres could get lots of ponies

Think there is more livery yards in Aberdeenshire than Moray but some are very pricey!! Plus I dont necessarily need shelter as I have a Welsh D, she can stay out as I just keep her rugged she's spoilt lol been putting ads everywhere but not getting any response yeh i agree there is plenty of derelict properties with land just being left...

Any room in the cottage for us and run for the dogs lol

 

[Merrick]

Hi again
We are moving up from East Yorkshire within the next month. (Before I forget I tried to accept you as a buddy but it doesn't work on phones but I will as soon as get the chance to get laptop out!)
I have a sec D too ( and a home bred sec C) ( and the two big girls but they are hubby's really )
Where abouts are you? Where do you keep your mare at the moment?

 

[LR2904]

No problem, that happens on my phone too
Mines a very temperamental Welsh D awww dont see many Welsh C's you will need to send me some pics!!
I stay out near Banchory for now, she was kept there near my house but the people who owned the field sold there house so ended up moving her out to my uncles near Portsoy, but would love to have her next to the house when we move to Fochabers!! x

 

[moon_drop]

Hi I've lived in the area all my Life Born and Breed Fochabers LOl lots of horses I the area but not a lot of good yards! Cranloch Do livery but I think its just grass they have an indoor and outdoor school. There is a good livery yard 5 mins up road from Cranloch. Also There is Garmouth Riding school viv graham she dose livery great dressage place! I did hear of grazing for sale today in the keith area but I think it was 40 odd acres.
I Have 6 of my own 4 big 1 small 1 very small! but have my own yard I rent from a local farmer land with stables. Great area for horses loads of hacking, 2 great riding clubs, Only big Problem up here Farriers!
Pm Me for more ideas X

 

[Merrick]

Hi-we were up at the weekend and looked as far afield as Inverurie but it was further out than we want to be. Hopefully we will be up in the next few weeks and can start knocking on doors. Have found livery for the 4 of them at least until winter about 7 miles from the cottage so handy. My daughter has her college applications in and I am now looking for jobs (I have to say there are a lot more up there than around here )
Can't accept buddies cos my phone won't do it but keep in touch it will be nice to meet a few people once we are there! Will add you as a buddy when I get laptop out if I can ( don't fancy my chances much to be honest I am not very IT savvy :/ )

 

[sprytzer]

I know someone in Glen of Newmill, used to have horses but sold all due to health probs, has stables and grazing there but not sure if she would let them, she can only say no lol.

 

[Merrick]

Hi how far is that away from orton? Could you pm me her details please? Would prefer not to pay £100 a week for too long lol! Thanks

 

[sprytzer]

Glen of Newmill is by Keith which is about 6miles from Fochabers, il pm you her details.

 

[sprytzer]

Just a thought, theres also Knock Farm...they do livery i believe, if you have facebook, look up Knock Farm Cross Country, it has their details there.

 

[LR2904]

Hi how far is that away from orton? Could you pm me her details please? Would prefer not to pay £100 a week for too long lol! Thanks

If you get in touch with her let me know as that might be of interest to me too have enquired about a house not far from keith area...x

 

[sprytzer]

Strathisla Riding club is the local one, maybe a message on their newsletter/facebook page may help, their members would know what is going about locally.

 

[northernnewfiediva]

There is loads of livery available around here - Andy Simpson, local farrier, has just opened livery facilities at Lhanbryde. You will get his phone number via the FRC, Kathleen Paterson has good facilities and is near Cranloch Riding School. There is also Burgie which has two yards, either Linda Davidson or Yvonne Murray ( which is a bit further away and through Elgin) as well as Les Thompson at Birnie. The other local Riding Club is Moray Riding Club based at Burgie but with members from Fraserburgh to the Western Isles (yes really). Good luck!

 

[Merrick]

Thanks, the problem has been finding somewhere with 4 vacancies as obviously we want them all together. Think we are sorted all being well now ( well horses are, the same can't be said for us though:/)
Thanks, do you know of a decent horse dentist up there too?

 

[gillianclaude]

Bit of a late reply, I'm from just outside Elgin. Glad you've possibly found somewhere. Was going to say there's Walkerdale at Arradoul as well.

I use Andy Watson for my boys dentist but quite a few people also highly recommend David Brown.

Have you got a farrier sorted? If not, I very highly recommend Jason Cunningham. Have used him for years and wouldn't use anyone else unless I really had to. He's fab!

 

[sprytzer]

Dentist wise i used our vet, Aberlour Vet Practice, they have a surgery in Fochabers, best vets around, with vast horsey knowledge and brilliant manners around horses.
Farrier wise David Cockill from Cornhill is brilliant.

 

[gillianclaude]

Second Aberlour vets! I would have my horse registered with them but they're quite a distance away for an emergency

 

[Merrick]

Hi everyone I thought I would update those of you who helped us in our hunt for accommodation for not only our horses but ourselves too!
We are very happily settled in a cottage and moved our horses onto a field we have bought ( with full planning for a house as an added bonus!) a week ago.
Unfortunately we did have to call the local vet when one of our girls impaled herself on broken fencing at the yard we had them on... Luckily she seems to be healing well.
Just one other thing....does anyone know what the hacking is like in Whiteash Forest? It is half a mile from our field
Certainly no regrets about making the big move up here- we love it!

 

[sprytzer]

Whiteash forest has excellent hacking, but mainly all stoney tracks, with the odd muddy one...beware, a lot of people walk their dogs there, me for one lol, so you may come across a few running off lead. That means you must be about the Mulben area?

 

[Merrick]

Other side of A96... Up the road signposted Braes Of Enzie about a mile. It's 17 acres in total, 15 acres of grazing and 2 acre house plot. It'll probably be about 20 years until we get the house built...first priority is fencing more paddocks for the gang and getting the barn up! Luckily they are used to Wintering out and we had plenty of snow in Yorkshire so they are a hardy bunch...as long as they have plenty to eat they are happy!
Stony tracks are ok. We can use the long side of our field for canter work (uphill which helps to stop too lol!)
We have 3 dogs too so will be walking them in the woods too, we will have to meet up!

 

[sprytzer]

Not far from Ryeriggs then, thats great you found somewhere at last, although if its a caravan you will be in i dont envy you lol. Gets very cold here, and with you being top of the hill on the exposed bit.....bbrrrr.
I am sure we will bump into each other at some point up there, some lovely wallks that take you right over onto Wynde Walks, and down into Fochabers.

 

[sprytzer]

A word of warning, the Braes road usually gets badly blocked when it snows, make sure you have plenty of essentials in stock!
You also have a good food store for livestock feed just about 2miles from you..sells most foods plus shavings, Heads Of Auchenderan(sp?) just a farm to the naked eye but good stockists.
Is that you thats got the frame of a barn going up just past Ryeriggs on the right?

 

[Merrick]

No that's our next door neighbours- just past them you can see the horses from the road , there are some trees in between the two plots and the horses are in 2 paddocks just away from the road. We have 2 four wheel drive cars, a tractor and a digger so should be able to fight our way through the snow but thanks for the warning!
Our barn is having to wait until we get some stone delivered and levelled on the yard area... 100 tonnes being delivered tomorrow at 8am lol!
No posh concrete base and steel framed barn for us- ours will be rubber matting on hardcore and the barn is timber framed and second hand! Not bothered though- come spring we will be moving a static on and starting the house and garage.... Ready by the time we retire in 20 years time with a bit if luck ha ha!
The horses are having a break from work while we get organised, in fact the boys are having their shoes off next week for the winter, but we will keep fronts on the girls.( wimpy part TBs not like my Welshies!)
Where abouts are you?

 

[sprytzer]

Ummm you may need more than a tractor, unless you have a snow plough for the front lol, when i say blocked, i mean as in a lot of snow and the council dont see it as a necessary road to plough until the rest are done, last winter it was blocked for days!
You are nearer to the Buckie road than the A96, and that's usually kept clear so would be a much better route in and out when the weathers bad.
I am in Fife Keith myself, up near the golf course.

 

[Merrick]

Thanks, the lorry driver delivering the stone today told hubby that too, hopefully by next Winter we will be living on site, until then we are getting big bales of hay in with them. I have to say they were as happy as Larry today, one of the big girls was playing like mad and was doing some very interesting airs above the ground lol!
Anything is better than the relentless rain and 2ft deep mud we had to contend with before we moved :/ it was up to their knees and hocks last Winter. Not good.
What horses do you have, and do you keep yours at home? ( nosey cow aren't i?!)

 

[sprytzer]

Unfortunately i have horses no longer , divorce and money needed for a house and all that, sold my last one about 3yrs ago, a wee sec c i bought for my daughter.
Thought many times about getting another but to be honest i couldn't afford to on my wages lol.