Livery near Basildon, Essex

[unbalanced]

Hi,
I just found out I will be moving to Essex for my new job in Basildon in September and I will be taking the pony with me. Has anyone got any suggestions for nice yards?
We are looking for DIY/assisted DIY and would ideally like:
- good hacking
- turnout - would need to be able to restrict grazing in summer as she is prone to laminitis, and prefer small group turnout as she is getting on and gets worried about going out in a large herd, and would like her to be able to get out in winter too
- all weather school - indoor would be nice but not really necessary
- NH friendly
I haven't really looked into accommodation for me yet and to some extent that can be determined by where the horse goes, as long as it's convenient for work. I will be working quite long hours so I will need floodlights to get things done and keep riding in winter.
Google has thrown up some suggestions (without websites) and my friends have promised to take me on a livery exploring day trip at the end of the month so do you have any recommendations on places to see or places to avoid?
Thank you

 

[unbalanced]

bump

 

[Ginger Bear]

Hi I'm in Wickford, which is about 10 mins maybe less from Basildon, i know there's Longwood Equestrian Centre & Greentrees in Basildon, not sure what either are like to be a livery there though, if you google it Longwood has a website. I know Greentrees is suppossed to have great hacking. I'm at a yard in Wickford, we have 2 outdoor schools, 1 small indoor, all year t/o (restricted if you like), lots of hacking, assisted diy or FL, but think we have a waiting list.. i know of a few more in the Wickfird/Billericay area so let me know if you want anymore details.

 

[roadnight]

Hi
I am just about to put an ad out for a livery but I am probably too far for you I'm based near Colchester

Hi,
I just found out I will be moving to Essex for my new job in Basildon in September and I will be taking the pony with me. Has anyone got any suggestions for nice yards?
We are looking for DIY/assisted DIY and would ideally like:
- good hacking
- turnout - would need to be able to restrict grazing in summer as she is prone to laminitis, and prefer small group turnout as she is getting on and gets worried about going out in a large herd, and would like her to be able to get out in winter too
- all weather school - indoor would be nice but not really necessary
- NH friendly
I haven't really looked into accommodation for me yet and to some extent that can be determined by where the horse goes, as long as it's convenient for work. I will be working quite long hours so I will need floodlights to get things done and keep riding in winter.
Google has thrown up some suggestions (without websites) and my friends have promised to take me on a livery exploring day trip at the end of the month so do you have any recommendations on places to see or places to avoid?
Thank you

 

[nona1]

Longwood is ok and has the school etc but I wouldn't say great hacking - although it's near a country park you are restricted to bridlepaths.

There's a few livery yards round Bas - Sadlers Farm and there's one near the Five bells pub but I can't think what it's called.

To be honest, I grew up riding round the Brentwood area and if I had a horse and lived in Bas, I'd make the 30mins drive to a stables round there instead as it's got to be the best location for hacking, what with thorndon park, south weald park, thriftwood, shenfield common (don't know why it's called that as its in Brentwood), childerditch common etc, then bridlepaths as well. There's no 'open access' riding areas that I can think of near Basildon.

Actually, having lived in Basildon as well - me and the horse would live in Brentwood and I'd commute to work!

 

[unbalanced]

Awesome thanks guys. That should be a good start for my recce trip in a couple of weeks to meet some yards. I will have to keep her quite close in to start with because I am going to be doing teacher training so working quite long hours and I will need to keep my commute down. Is there not much hacking in Basildon then? It looked so green on the map It looks like it's only about 12 miles from riding beaches though?
I can always move one or both of us a bit further out after the first year when my workload has calmed down a bit, but initially, and especially in the first winter what with the twice daily visits...
Oh, and I haven't had to move yard for ages. What do you think are good questions to ask, and is it better to show up or call ahead? Thanks so much for your help. Tea and cookies for all

 

[Ginger Bear]

Langdon Hills in Basildon is pretty green & has a country park & some hacking but Basildon itself is not a good place to hack.. Basildon is only literally a 10 min drive to yards in Ramsden & Wickford.. i would be inclines to do a 10 min drive for a nice yard with good hacking! It is about a 15-20 min drive to beach rides..no beaches in Basildon I'm afraid! I would ask everythin gyou can think of!! Write a list & take it with you!!

 

[Nats_uk]

Awesome thanks guys. That should be a good start for my recce trip in a couple of weeks to meet some yards. I will have to keep her quite close in to start with because I am going to be doing teacher training so working quite long hours and I will need to keep my commute down. Is there not much hacking in Basildon then? It looked so green on the map It looks like it's only about 12 miles from riding beaches though?
I can always move one or both of us a bit further out after the first year when my workload has calmed down a bit, but initially, and especially in the first winter what with the twice daily visits...
Oh, and I haven't had to move yard for ages. What do you think are good questions to ask, and is it better to show up or call ahead? Thanks so much for your help. Tea and cookies for all

Ditto Ginger Bear - if you can get a livery yard around Langdon Hills - it has a nice country park there and there is a purposebuilt bridleway track build round the edge of the houses as well (goes right by my flat!!)

I wouldn't touch Longwood with a bargepole - outdoor school is like a mud pit in the winter and the indoor is hard as anything.

Best thing to be is when you come down go to Ingatestone tack shop (google them for location). They have a massive noticeboard with livery vacancies and also sell Essex Rider (our local mag which has livery vacancies)

Wickford, Billericay and Ramsden are all very close drives to Basildon.

I suppose questions you need to ask are:
worming arrangements
field turnout - i.e. is it different summer/winter etc
storage for hay/straw/tack/feed (is it secure?)
check stables and water supply
is parking & yard generally secure
can you have your own farrier/vet/physio etc or is their a yard one
are their services offered for turnout/feeding etc
schools - any restrictions on use/booking/jumping facilities etc

 

[City Mare]

As Nona1 someone has already said - Brentwood would perhaps be preferable to Basildon. I live in Brentwood, and my share is stabled around stapleford and have great hacking but this would be too far from Basildon I would imagine.

So as well as Brentwood, there are other surrounding towns you could consider too - Burstead/Billericay/Dunton/Langdon Hills (with nature reserve) - all easily accessable from Basildon and close enough by to drop in on a lunch break if needed.
All of the above are accessed via A127 (one of two A roads into Basildon). You would probably want to do a drive down the A127, come off at each turn off and explore the areas.

Another area to consider is Thurrock, which is a borough next door to Basildon(going towards London, not further out), based off/around the A13 , which is the other A Road, and includes towns like Aveley, Orsett, Fobbing, Stanford etc etc. Again, not too far away and I would imagine some decent hacking. May be cheaper livery here than Brentwood too.

Hope this helps.

 

[Nats_uk]

Other areas to try are Herongate, Great Burstead and Little Burstead - all around Billericay/Laindon/Wickford area

 

[Ginger Bear]

I'd ask the following:
1. Grazing/Turnout situation - are mares/gelding seperate? how much winter turnout do you get? can they live out in summer? if your horse was picked on what are the options for t/o? if you need restricted grazing is this possible? how do the herds on the yard get on? Oh, and I would definately check the fields, fencing etc
2. What's the hacking like, where can you go?
3. Is there assisted DIY, prices, what services are available.
4. Use of menage, do you have to hire for single use etc
5. How late you're allowed on yard
6. Do you have to buy in your own hay/straw etc or do you have to buy of the yard

 

[unbalanced]

Okay, so I went on a little field trip to Basildon today, checked out where I will be working and saw some different yards, but I am struggling to find my perfect yard solution for my rather challenging pony! She has had laminitis and arthritis so I need her to be out as much as possible, ideally 24 hours in summer and every day in winter, but it has to be on not too much grass because otherwise she will get fat and laminitic. I am so used to having 24 hour summer turnout on poor grazing where I am at the moment that it is a bit of a shock that most yards offer day times only on good grass - does anyone know any yards that have poor grazing for 24 hours?
I am going to be a teacher so I will need to be at the yard early in the morning to muck out and sometimes late in the evening after parents' evening so I need a bit of flexibility timewise and somewhere with lights to school on winter evenings.
In exchange for all this I think I am a nice livery - I pay my bill on time every month, I sweep and poo pick, I say please and thank you
Yard 1 - Jotman's Farm - YO was really nice and friendly, great winter t/o but only daytime in summer, no indoor school
Yard 2 - Longwood - great hacking, nice facilities, anyone know if loose schooling is allowed? They said t/o is lush and no chance of restricting it for my pony because they can't bend the rules for one person. Either she goes out with the herd or she stays in.
Yard 3 - Hovells - again, lush grazing, liveries there told me not to go there when I said I had a laminitic as there would be no chance of restricted t/o
Yard 4 - Brooks - no winter t/o at all
Yard 5 - Greentrees - no winter t/o at all
Yard 6 - Runningwell - only full livery, which I can't afford
Yard 7 - Foxhounds - seems really nice, beautiful facilities though don't think they have night time t/o either. Also it is quite far from work (Basildon). How bad does the A13 get in rush hour?
Yard 8 - Wren Farm - no vacancies and closes early, great 24 hour t/o but YO doesn't think she would have t/o for a laminitic
Yard 9 - Malgroves - nice facilities but again no night time t/o and YO said too lush for a laminitic

Any thoughts or suggestions? Does anyone know anywhere that does 24 hour t/o in the area that would have poor grazing for a laminitic with arthritis that needs to move around? My poor complicated pony

Thanks guys

 

[missy2]

hi, ive just read your thread i have been to nearly all those yards mentioned and would not be suitable for your horse i am at a yard in wickford i have my own grazing and you can do what and when you like it is secure and you can go up there from early morning to late at night no restrictions my pony has just spent 9 months in with laminitis and at least when she goes back out i can strip graze her paddock so it suits me if you want to know more pm me.

 

[RoyalPolo]

I used to be at longwood many years ago but it was never great i was there as a kid and things used to go missing and all sorts other places like hovvels and green trees aren't brill either my friends in essex have been at both and i have in the last few years been to green trees and had two horses off the yard and wondered if people actually know what there doing with there horses there.

I kept my horses at birkett hall in south woodham ferrers and always found it quite a nice yard.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/place...m+Ferrers,+Chelmsford&cid=2837717348414261549

 

[elsiex]

Sorry to hijack, but my mare is being bullied something chronic (won't stand up for herself with dominant mare!) and I need somewhere in Wickford/billericay/Basildon area with individual turnout?

 

[elsiex]

P.S. My yard is two minutes from longwood, 4hr turnout in winter, and 8-6 summer on ok grass. Great facilities, but quite expensive!

 

[unbalanced]

Thanks so much for your responses and your PMs. I'm going to try and make another trip out to Basildon in the next couple of weeks and visit some more of the yards you have suggested. Our perfect yard is out there waiting for us, and with the help of you lovely folk of HHO we shall find it