Livery yard dilemma – what would you do?

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jimbojones

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I’ve been on my current yard for around 2 years.

I moved there because it was small and had good turnout compared to my previous yard.

There are only 7 stables which is good because I don’t like big, busy yards – I find it quite intimidating and find that there can be more bitching on those yards.

When the yard was quiet i.e. only me, Y/O and maybe one or two other liveries things are fine. There is enough grass/turn out for everyone and the fields don’t get trashed.

What I’ve noticed is that whenever the yard finally fills to capacity, within a few weeks people start to complain and then leave. For such a small yard I’ve counted 11 people leaving in the last year and a half– some moved for personal reasons but 7 people have moved because they are unhappy with the fields and the way the yard is run. This mainly seems to happen when we move into winter.

Firstly, just to make it clear, I don’t think the yard is unsafe or extremely badly run but it just takes a very long time for things to get done – the owner also works full time and has limited time to do things on the yard and you need to keep asking and asking before anything is fixed. Improvements are often talked about but never delivered. The fields are great in the summer but very wet, muddy and slippy in the winter, it’s electric fencing some of which hasn’t been erected in the best manner and often the battery is left to go flat and sometimes horses come through the fence although they can’t actually go anywhere as there is an outer fence.

My horse seems happy, he has plenty of turn out – 24/7 March til October this year and then 9 – 10 hours a day in the winter. Yes the field is muddy but then most people’s are at this time of year.

We have a flood lit arena, excellent hacking and I have a huge stable. Storage is limited and my hay is kept outside wrapped in tarp which is a pain but again not a major issue.

However the high amount of turn over makes me think that I’m settling for some lower standard of livery and should look elsewhere. I also am a bit fed up of making friends only to have them leave the yard meaning I have no company for hacking etc. There are also rumblings of possibly expanding the yard which again is an issue for me – not because it will necessarily become too busy but because I don’t think the grazing can support any more horses – not in the winter anyway!

A girl that I am good friends with is leaving shortly – I’m a bit gutted as we get on really well. When I spoke to her she was of the opinion that this was one of the poorer yards she’d ever been on whereas compared so some of my previous yards I find this one much better so I suppose it’s a difference in experience and expectations.

I’m now wondering if the grass is greener and if I should be looking elsewhere? There is a yard nearby that my friend used to keep her horse at which she raves about – really well managed grazing and fields, excellent facilites, a small number of other liveries who compete and hack out. It is more expensive which is a downside.

In addition I’ve been told about a potential space at the yard my friend is moving to – it’s less than 10 minutes from my house but is a proper DIY yard i.e. need to feed and turn out in the morning and then I’d be back up again in the evening – I’m on assisted DIY just now so only go up once day but my current yard is further away.

So be honest – is this just a knee jerk reaction to others leaving or should I consider the other possibilities even though they will require either more money or more time?
 
The grass is always greener! If you and your horse are happy then I would be inclined to stay put. Different people are after different things, if the set up suits you then I wouldn't worry about what others do! Often people can be swayed by swanky looking new yards - but it doesn't mean they are better yards!
 
I personally think you should forget what others are doing and just look at yourself.

Ask yourself are you happy there, is your horse safe there.
If the answer to both questions is yes, then what others are doing really doesn't matter.

There will always be other yards with better facilities, but as you say they are more expensive.
Do you think what you pay for what you have is a fair price?

As for expansion, if your yard owner struggles to maintain, I doubt they have time to expand and also it wouldn't make good business sense to invest if they can't keep a hold of the liveries they currently have. Probably just a pipe dream, but if they do in the future, then you can reassess then.

I think in your shoes the thing that would bother me the most is the friends I made always leaving, riding is so much more fun in company.
It wouldn't hurt to look around, but the grass isn't always greener even if it initially appears that way!! x
 
If you are happy and contented at the yard then what other people come and go shouldnt affect you.

But if you are feeling like this then maybe its time to have a look around, really think about how the changed would affect you.

It can be hard to make a change when you are so used to something but sometimes a change is good!
 
Thanks for all your advice - it's good to get an outside perspective!

I think you're right, I should stay put for now and then see how things go - if they do expand I can always reconsider things!

I'll just have to put up with hacking on my own for now!
 
personally i would stay where you are. it sounds as if i suits you and your horses and what others think is of no consequence. just enjoy your horses and the peace you normally find there, its very rare on a livery yard.
 
As a YO, if people are unhappy/leaving etc on a regular basis I'd like to know why that is, so if you're feeling big and bold it might be good to go to him/her and just have a private chat in as non-confrontational way as possible. I know what its like to be working full time AND trying to manage not only one's own horse plus half a dozen others too!!

What is the arrangement re. electric fencing at your yard? I say this because I offer DIY and it states in the livery agreement that putting up electric fencing is the responsibility of the owner NOT me the YO!!! This is because (1) I don't want to be responsible for putting up electric fencing that isn't suitable for the owner/horse; plus (2) the fact that its far better for the livery to be responsible for replacing their own battery so everyone knows where they stand; (3) put bluntly, if an owner puts up her own fencing for her own horse and it gets tangled up in it or escapes, then IME its much better for the owner to take responsibility for fenciing their own.

Here, we rent out one field to one person for livery and they have sole use of that land, so don't have the problem of others sharing, so much more clear cut and thus easier.

We also rent out grazing for sheep here and its the same; the farmer is quite happy, and in fact def prefers, to erect fencing for his own stock and take total responsibility for that.

So I am just wondering what the situation re. leccy fence is at your yard.

Basically, you gets what you pays for, and if the grass looks greener somewhere else, it might not be. Any livery yard will have to restrict grazing during the winter months so that's not anything unusual.

On the other hand, as a YO I wouldn't want someone on the yard who doesn't want to be there!!!

I'd try having a chat with your YO first and see if this helps, if not then there's no harm in looking at other places but be aware that there may be other things about the new place which you might not like either!!!
 
The only plus I can see of moving is if your friend would be happy to do both yours and hers in the morning and you do hers and yours in the afternoon (or vice versa) at the DIY yard, to give you some semblance of the arrangement you have now.

Otherwise stay put.
 
The grass might look greener and for a couple of months it might seem great butif your happy where you have been for 2years and get on well with the yard owner i'd stay put. you've got a flood lit menage which is rare for a samll yard and great hacking sounds good. the winter grazing might not be brilliant but at least you have got some, and your not on a rota for days in and out.
As for stuff not getting done thats normal in my experiance, but you learn to live with it. Also it might seem a good idea to ask your friend to help with your horse in winter if youmove with her, and shemay say yes, but what happens if she gets fed up with it eventually then your stuck again. I've moved to be on the same yards as friends and lived to regret it wish i'd stayed on my own and just stayed riding friends.
 
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