Livery or home

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live-love-laugh

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Mr Vet has offered to put stables in at home so I can bring the horses home instead of being at livery. We have a large barn that would fit six 12x14 internal stables, plus a feed room and hay storage.

Land isn't an issue. Lack of school would be a problem long term but I have a lorry so boxing out to school is ok. A school would be put in at a later date, we'd convert another barn into an indoor.

Do I give the go ahead for work to begin at home? Silly question I know, but just needed to ask.
 
yeah sounds great. im doing something similar at home, but ended up putting one on livery as got sick of having to box to use arena, and cost of hiring arena and xc facilities was working out too dear - when i factored in feed, bedding, diesel to yards, arena hire etc was cheaper to put on full livery.
 
Depends what you do with the horses and what your priorities are. I love having mine at home, but I am very much a happy hacker at the moment, and usually hacked alone anyway due to squeezing in around childcare etc. I also have young daughters pony, which means she can be desperate to ride, pop on for 10 mins and then have had enough without it being a big deal. I like mine to mostly live out and love having the flexibility to manage them how I like, and they are low maintenance so its not a problem to leave in the care of a neighbouring farmer for a few days in summer.

Consider the "background" benefits you get from livery when making the decision (hacking company, yard instructor etc), plus what backup you would have if you were ill (Mr Vet?) and for holidays
 
I'd get married off to him as soon as. He sounds fab :D

I keep mine at home. As long as you've got the box you won't be isolated. Transport is key to keeping them at home.

An indoor is the key to a long happy relationship ;)
 
I event mainly. I box out quiet often for different things from XC schooling, going to the gallops, I generally box to my instructors for lessons anyway. I hack alone and if I'm ever Ill mr vet takes over the horses, if I go away I have someone that has looked after my horses for years that would cover their care.

I don't rely on my yard for anything. It's a great yard but I keep to myself and don't socialise, I go to do my horses and that's all (god I must sound like a right anti social moo).

Think I'll let work start and move them home.
 
Love it, I said I'd be happy with an outdoor with flood lights. But no I'm told if we put a school in it will be an indoor so who am I to complain.
 
live-love-laugh said:
Love it, I said I'd be happy with an outdoor with flood lights. But no I'm told if we put a school in it will be an indoor so who am I to complain.
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No brainer really :D Lucky you to have the bones of the yard there. Mr Vet sounds very obliging :)

Personally I wouldn't have horses if they weren't directly outside my window.
 
Not only do you need them outside your window, but they need to be able to see you inside so they can let you know when they want attention, oh and they like a clear view to be able to watch the TV when it is on.

Go for it, it is so nice giving them at home, pleasing yourself and not having to rush off to a yard away from home.
 
It's lovely having them at home, if you know you can get a school in the future then it's well worth it, sounds like you will have a lovely setup. I moved from a livery yard to home and have no regrets.
 
It's home everytime , but...
It's more work than you think in terms of looking after a place , and it costs more .
It's a pain when your ill or something goes wrong in your non horsey life and I would advise to build a relationship with a local freelancer straight away even if you don't really need to .
It can be lonely when your used to have people doing the same of you.
 
Wow, does Mr. Vet have any single brothers?!
Bet you will love having them at home. I love the livery yard where I keep my horse, but am also slightly envious of friends who keep theirs at home. Although it's a great deal more work, they don't have the travelling time and I do think there's a dimension to their relationships with their horses that I don't have with mine. Just being able to "pop" for two minutes to give an extra haynet, check a rug etc. rather than drive an hour round trip to the yard must be amazing.
 
It's a pain having no school if you also have nowhere to ride. We always kept daughter's 2 ponies at home which wasn't an issue as there was a small flat area which was fine for schooling ponies, we also had a pony sized stable if required, as well as a field shelter & they lived out. We survived living in a rather busy urban traffic area because we could get out and about easily to hire a school, or PC/RC events.

However when we got her horse, although we tried a very wet winter at home with no stable combined with the schooling area really being too small and slippy for a big horse, plus having to take the horse the long way round (through very wet muddy field) to box up to go anywhere as horse wouldn't fit under the car port past the vehicles (short cut through back garden), it all got too difficult once the horse learned they could use their weight to tow the person leading through the mud and then refuse to load in the dark and rain. If you rode out that was OK but a bit of a liability given the heavy urban traffic plus you couldn't ride in the dark on the roads (the ponies were a bit safer & saner ridden and you could stick cycle lights on). We gave up and put the horse on livery, which is a pain trekking there daily as the livery is 4 or 5 miles away.

So I say yes at home if you have somewhere to ride, or you can load easily. So much easier to nip out in your Pjs for early morning feed or to do a late night check. So nice that snuffle when they come to greet you in the dead of night. One day we'll re-arrange everything and build a school. Or move.
 
I don't see how not having a school is an issue in the short or long run! My YO qualifies for and competes at HOYS most years and she has never had a school. 99% of the schooling is done at home on the lane or in the paddocks when dry, she probably only goes out to clinics once or twice a month.

It takes more effort, yes, but it's not hard work imo :)

I like not having a school, i find schooling much better without a fence to 'lean' on and i can change direction whenever i fancy it in a paddock :D


I would have my horses at home in a heart beat, but that's never going to be an option for me!
 
I think it'll go ahead.

We have properly spoken about it and plan to put in five 12x14 internal stables, fully rubber matted including walls. A 12x12 wash down box with hot and cold water, and a box for clipping/farrier and vet stuff with heat lamps.

Will have a large feed room with small kitchen in. And then the hay barn.

We have a barn that will then be converted into a 60 x 40 indoor with mirrors.

Just to find companies now to do the work. Very exciting 😀
 
No question having them at home Is wonderful. Today for example I turned out with no rug and it's raining but I can bring in later as usual pop a thermatex on and rug him up before I go to bed dry. On a yard this used to be a problem! So much is easier at home.
Personally I do really miss the company though. I don't do anything other than hack and there was always someone to ride with at my old yard now I barely ride really.
 
I have only ever kept at livery but we will be looking to buy a house with land/stables/potential for school in the next couple of years. I have one horse at the minute, but in the future when she retires I cannot justify paying increasing additional livery for an extra horse. Would much rather have the freedom to see to my horses in my own time (not as directed by livery opening times) also means when we have children I will not have to cart them back and forth to the stables, so will also be a nice upbringing for a family :)

The only thing I'd miss is hacking with friends, however I do enjoy hacking alone also and my partner rides occasionally. We have transport so being alone will probably encourage me to go out more, even just to meet friends for a hack :)

Best of luck to you, and enjoy- keep us posted as to how you get on :)
 
Make sure the ******* can't see through the kitchen window! I have to creep about with the lights off if I want a coffee before I feed them. If they spot me, they line up and glare at me until I go out there!

Wouldn't have it any other way though!
 
Auslander said:
Make sure the ******* can't see through the kitchen window! I have to creep about with the lights off if I want a coffee before I feed them. If they spot me, they line up and glare at me until I go out there!

Wouldn't have it any other way though!
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haha that's so funny- the thought has crossed my mind before as my horse is the biggest 'mooch' ever! cant eat anything infront of her or she wants it! :D
 
Auslander said:
Make sure the ******* can't see through the kitchen window! I have to creep about with the lights off if I want a coffee before I feed them. If they spot me, they line up and glare at me until I go out there!

Wouldn't have it any other way though!
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Haha love it. Thankfully the buildings our away from the house so no chance of horses seeing me. Although I'll be able to see them in the fields from indoors.

I'm very excited. Mr Vet must think I'm a keeper if his willing to pay out and have this done for my horses at his home!
 
I moved my 2 home mid Jan after being at livery with them and their predecessors for around 25 years. We only moved here ourselves in early Dec. On balance (so far!), the benefits outweigh the negatives, but I'm only just starting to relax. I think I can look after them better at home than at any yard and can adapt my property to suit their needs, as well as inevitable hay nets while wearing pjs!

I've got a sort of sharer for one of them and she'll provide cover on long work days, days out and holidays.

I've had the other one for 17 years and I can now just mooch around with him in a way I never felt able to do at a yard, so that will irritate him, I expect!

It's a no-brainier OP.
 
I can't go for bigger stables as wouldn't fit everything in. My horses are used to 12x12 so 12x14 will be more then adequate for them.

I cannot wait, is all very exciting to think I a few months time my horses will be at home.

Just realise it means I'll of course have to move into Mr Vets permantly, altho I live here pretty much full time anyway haha!
 
I would think if you can have everything "pre-built" and ready for them to arrive, that should help keep maintenance time and cost low at least to start with.

I could only do without a school if I didn't work and had suitable horses and areas to hack out.
 
I'm just moving mine back to livery after 18minths at home. I don't have my own transport though which may have helped but I just feel isolated now and have had a awful winter which makes me wonder if I am moving her to livery to get her fit and sell up.

I had to pee in the dark. As soon as my bedroom light is on boom boom neigh neigh until I go to feed.

Your circumstances and facilities sound a million times better than mine though!
 
It'll be nice for Mr Vet too, when he does the horses he won't get stalked by liveries who just want him to answer this question or just have a quick look at that all the time!

We've found our contractors we want to do the work so next step is to contact them after Easter bank holiday and get the ball rolling, I cannot wait.

Horses won't be able to see the house from their stables so I'm safe there haha!
 
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