Livery: Re-Evaluating!

Whoopit

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4 May 2009
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Oldham, Manchester. For my sins!
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My horse is currently stabled in Bradford and I live in Morley, Leeds. Fair do's the yard is only 20 minute drive away so that's not an issue but I don't want to be going much further afield. However, I am not happy with the livery yard. There are 18 geldings in one field that's probably smaller than Elland Road football ground (no joke, I honestly don't think it is). So when horses are hungry because there's no grass, some seriously vicious fighting goes on and we are forbidden by the Yard Owner to put hay out for them :mad: Plus, the arena is the size of a postage stamp - I bet you can't get ten canter stride down the long side :(

See where i'm going this?!!!

Does anyone know of anywhere that I could move to? I feel bad because I share morning duty and holiday cover with a friend but it's a poor reason to want to stay at a yard and she lives the opposite direction to me in Oakenshaw and doesn't want to come closer my way even for better facilites. I pay £15 DIY which is cheap I know and a reason why people stay there - cos it's so cheap! They charge for use of the school in the winter because ppl leave the floodlights on and the homemade haylage (£25 for a round bale that gets smaller every week and at one point was actually green) is not of good quality. A private yard would do if anybody knows anyone with a handful of stables and would like a bit of extra income, so long as someone could just throw horse out a couple of mornings a week and offer holiday cover. There is a hhuuggee house up Churwell Hill that has a horsebox (and built a big new house behind the current huge house) and I have seen a horse hacking on the main road but i've no idea where they keep them!!!! Hugely frustrating!

How far does you all travel to your horses? If it's a hike, do you only go up on an evening or still do mornings too, especially now petrol is 121.9!!! Robbing barstewards!!

Any ideas pppllleeeaaasssee?!!!! :)

PS: I only work 2 miles from home so it's not like i trekking miles out of my way to work and yard!
 
I don't kno the area so can't help out there! It sounds like u will be better off finding somewhere else even if u have to travel a bit further and pay a little bit more if u and your horse are happier and get a better service! A yard with services are good as they can put out and u only have to go up once daily!
Try the local tack shop to search for a new yard? Or if u see people out hacking stop and ask where they keep their horse?
I'm only 10 minutes from yard and sometimes I'm up once daily and sometimes twice depending on my shifts!
Good luck with your search! :)
 
I do often think i'll stop people and ask where their stable but never quite do - would you not mind someone asking or would you think I was a bit dodgy?!! Mind, my car looks a stable yard so I would imagine one glance in the window from atop a horse and you'd twig I might have one!!
 
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I would definitely stop and asked a rider - if they can't help, they at least might know of an alternative yard nearby. Might also be a good idea to contact your local riding club? They'll have loads of contacts. Just an idea for you.
 
if someone stopped me and asked where i kept my horses there is no way i would tell them!

Have a ring around, go into a few tack/feed shops and see what they know
 
I can't help with somewhere, but it sounds like you've definitely made your mind up. It might be worth asking the vet surgery as they visit everywhere and know of places which are good and those to avoid....
 
Sorry. although we're not too far away from you in the great scheme of things, we're not close enough to be of help. When we were at livery and desperate to move (after 6 weeks) we drove round the area we wanted to be in and just asked at likely looking places. We were lucky and stayed at the first place we tried for 10 years, eventually with 4 horses. If you can't find anywhere that way,I agree with asking any-one you see out hacking, I'm sure if you explain, they won't think you're dodgy. Otherwise try local tackshops and riding clubs. I'm sure there'll be someone who knows somewhere. Good luck!
 
at the end of the day you usually get what you pay for! for £15/week to get a stable, turnout (tho way too many for one field) and a small school is good value. (i personally wouldnt be happy either with that amount of horses out and no grass and no hay) contact your vets and see if they can recommend any yard nearby. go to the tack/feed shop/RC and go visit other yards in the vicinity and make your choice.
 
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