Livery Options

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Pallygirl

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Hi,
Looking for opinions - has an indoor school become an 'essential' when looking for livery, especially for those interested in Full Livery?
Thanks
 
I don't even know any livery yards within a half hour drive or so with an indoor school... well, one has a 15 x 20m surface in an existing shed but they don't have an outdoor. So I'd say no!

but I would really love one, if we have another snowy winter it would be a godsend to keep the horses in work.
 
Not essential, but convenient. I certainly wouldn't dismiss a yard if it ticked all the boxes and had an outdoor school.

The yard where I keep my share Horse has an indoor, it is very nice as it means not having to ride in gale force winds or rain.
 
Thats way too general a question - depends on what you want as rider? Are you are a fairweather rider?

Is that honestly the most important thing to you & your horse? I would more concerned about the level of care my horse gets & then obviously great facilities are amazing to have!
 
No!

Although it might depend where you live because if I wanted to keep competition horses in work in parts of Scotland then yes it might become essential.

It’s obviously a massive bonus and a market differentiator, but not at the expense of other things.

The quality of a surface would always come above a roof over it for example. Plus staff, turnout etc
 
Only for dressage riders :p ;)

Personally I really dislike indoors unless they have at least one side completely open. Find them claustrophobic and dusty even at top competition yards/venues.

So, to answer your question, no it's not a 'must have'. Surely those on full livery which includes exercise would usually only ride at the weekends anyway so an indoor would rarely be used by them?
 
Definitely not a must have. I prefer to ride outdoors, but an indoor would be handy in winter when it’s lashing it down as I’m a bit of a rain wimp and don’t do getting wet!
Fortunately we have several indoors within a twenty minute drive that we can hire if we want. I do longingly look at our old barn though and wonder how much it would cost to convert it!
 
I am currently at a yard with an indoor school and it's certainly a massive plus.

As there's probably only about three months of the year that I can ride in daylight after work - would say floodlight outdoor close to stables is an essential. Previously at yard with floodlit outdoor - but was about half a mile walk along unlit driveway. Wouldn't want to repeat this.
 
I know a few yards round me with indoor schools, but they're mostly riding schools/competition venues, so there are restrictions on when the liveries can use the facilities. Those that aren't rs/cv, the indoor schools are small, dusty and often just concrete under the surface so I'd be reluctant to do more than walk.

In winter, I'd certainly appreciate a spacious, airy indoor - or just a roofed-over school - with a good surface, but it's low down on my list of priorities.
 
There's an indoor at my share horses yard - I tend to ride quite early so in winter it's useful when the outdoor schools are frozen (which they do very easily- I suspect if they were harrowed a bit more frequently they might not freeze quite so much) beyond that, I tend to ride whatever the weather so it doesn't bother me. I think I've sought refuge in their once when the weather was truly horrendous (horizontal rain and a really bitter wind)
I also have to use it if I want to ride in the evening as the outdoors aren't floodlit and it's against yard rules to ride in them in the dark.
However there are liveries that will only ride in the indoor so for them it's vital, as well as the liveries tied to riding after work in winter.
So it would all depend on other options available and yard rules, but personally for me no.
 
If I remember correctly you are looking to run a small DIY yard.
You need to look at what local yards charge. You need to find out how much you'll need to pay in business rates for a basic yard (stables/tack room/WC), plus additional costs for outdoor school , plus additional costs indoor school.

If you are somewhere with great hacking/minimal roadwork then market at those who mainly hack. They probably will have less need of an indoor. If there not great hacking/busy roads then they'll want a school of some sorts. A well maintained, floodlit outdoor school will go a long way.
 
I want a space to work that is useable in all but the most exceptional weather conditions and light conditions, so a floodlit non flooding non freezing outdoor is fine but a good indoor would be better! Ideally I'd like both outdoors and indoors
 
For me it would depend on whether there was a floodlit outdoor, riding in wind or rain wouldn’t bother me too much but without anywhere well lit I’d only be able to ride on weekends for 6 months of the year
 
We moved from a yard with massive indoor to a yard with a equally large outdoor and a tiny indoor around last autumn. I miss the indoor as it meant you could ride regardless.of weather but there hasn't actually been many days that the weather has been too bad to ride. It felt like an essential at the time but it's actually fine. Floodlights are the real essential!
 
I have been on two yards with indoors, and they make a huge difference to be able to work in grim weather or winter. If you are allowed they are great for doing work without holding on, so despooking in a contained area as they can run away etc.

But i don't expect to find one unless lucky. In the future I will go out of my way to find another one with a useable indoor arena but other boxes has to be ticked first, and included in that is one good arena, whether outdoor or indoor, with floodlights. Size of stables, turnout type etc.

I suspect an indoor is not really financially viable unless on a relatively large yard.
 
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