Livery in Bristol, where and what to avoid?

[Shahazai]

I'm looking to relocate to Bristol in February, I'll be moving from the Netherlands, so it's quite the undertaking.
I'm now looking for a livery farm/yard where I can stable my horse. She's a 2,5yo 1.60m Frisian mare with quite the attitude. Best for me would be part DIY if you know what I mean. I would prefer my horse to be able to choose for herself whether she wants to be out or in a stable and I would prefer the yard not to be too big. Private yards are also an option for me. I have found this ' Yanley farm' which I'm very attracted to, but it's a 50 minute bus ride from my house to there. I will be located in the BS1 area.
Ofcourse it's not a necessity that my horse moves the same day I move.

Can anyone help me with this? I have found so many yards and so many places that I don' t know where to start.

I hope you can help me out!

 

[Kaida]

You could try www.apequestrian.com (SN14 8HG - phone 0117 937 2913) - they do DIY livery at £250/ month (which includes all hay/haylage/straw or one bale of shavings a week instead of straw and have automatic drinkers), they have full size (20x60) indoor and outdoor schools with brilliant surfaces, warm wash room, solarium, horse walker, and a lunge pen which would be good for starting your youngster (they are a professional dressage yard as well as doing livery so there are always really knowledgeable people around). They also offer tailor made part livery so you could do certain days a week etc. The downside is there is only turnout in summer, none in winter, the stables are a little smaller than other yards (although they have big horses there around 16.3 who seem very happy in them), and it's a little more expensive than the average (but not by much!). They are a little out the way but I'm sure a bus route does go through there...

There is also Beech Tree Farm in Marksbury (BA2 9HQ postcode I think - phone 01761 472305) - no website but they charge £195/month for DIY with all hay/straw included or you can buy your own and livery is a bit cheaper. They have a 25x40 arena with a good surface and some lights so you could use that for lunging/free schooling, and they do have all year turnout. Stables are huge there and in a barn so you don't get wet in winter, and although they are purely DIY when I visited there a while back some of the other liveries were happy to bring in/turn out in return for a few pounds here and there! I'm pretty sure that one is on a bus route.

Additionally, Hartley Wood Equestrian (http://www.hartleywoodequestriancentre.net/ postcode BS39 5QA - phone 07900 373605) do livery - they have two arenas but the surfaces are not good in winter as the drainage is poor. In drier months though they are great to use for lunging etc; they normally have one set up with jumps and the other without. Through summer they run dressage and show jumping unaffiliated competitions which can be a good vibe to get young horses used to the hustle and bustle! I think they are about £200 a month including hay and straw and the stables are a good size, also in a barn. No idea about buses past there though but it's just off a main road (but still loads of nice lane hacking for when she's grown up a bit!) so should be able to get there. Bad points - turnout paddocks are pretty small and I think some of the stables get rained on but I was last down there a while back and they may have fixed this by now.

There is also a bit further away Topline Livery (http://www.topline-livery.co.uk/ - BS21 7AF - phone 07800 875324) which is all lovely - very smart yard with indoor and outdoor school and horse walker, loads of turnout all year with really fantastic fencing (great for youngsters!) and the proprietor (Stevie) is fantastic with young horses and really helpful. They would be harder to get to but do part or full livery services. No idea what the price is but I'm pretty sure it's very competitive as I was looking at moving one of my horses up there - I only didn't because I found a yard where I could keep my crew together!

There will be loads more but those are the ones I know of. Of course, I was looking for yards with a specific idea of riding and therefore only know of the ones with arenas so there are probably loads more which would be suitable! However next month I will start looking for a yard to keep my two youngsters and a 'babysitter' horse at so if you are still struggling I'm sure I will have found more by then!!!