Livery Yards Around Edinburgh

[Mithras]

Are there no good livery yards with good facilities offering full livery around Edinburgh at all? Preferably on the south side. There seem a multitude of DIY yards but I need full livery up to £90 per week, with a big school, not necessarily indoor, a smart stable, good grazing and some jumps. There seems to be a proliferation of yards with good grazing but small, flooded schools, or not grazing and a decent school but miles from anywhere. (I compete a lot and don't want to add another 40 minutes driving to the journeys). Where I last lived there were loads of such yards offering full livery but seem to be none down here.

 

[eriskaypony]

Tower Farm might be worth a try. Our kids had lessons there, they have an indoor and outdoor school, fields and are adjacent to the Braids for hacking.

No idea of livery fees.

 

[Pep12]

I would second Tower farm, don't know what it is like now-a-days, use to be good. Not sure what turn out would be like however. Other place is meadow-head, which is just up road form Tower-farm, again used to be good. No indoor school but only 5 minute hack from Tower-Farm.

 

[gillianfleming]

Have you tried Swanston, Kirkettle, Pentland House or Braidwood? Not sure of facilities at them but i know they are round about us.
Where exactly are you based? We're in Penicuik but the yard we are at is very basic.
I would avoid Tower Farm, from experience they have very little turnout.

 

[Mithras]

Thanks, but couldn't keep a horse at Tower Farm. Theres no grazing and a couple of horses died from grass sickness there over the summer. Its also a riding school and might drive me slightly mad. I do BSJA so need a decent school to jump in.

Swanston and Meadowhead are DIY. Kirkettle had a nice atmosphere but was very muddy (not just the fields, but just all around the yard) and hard to get to with a horsebox, also the school seemed quite small and wet. Pentland House is the sort of yard I am looking for but ridiculously over-priced - £110 a week when I enquired a year ago. And seemed very snooty. Thats for full livery - everything except exercise. And poor hacking, but that I could live with.

I've never heard of Braidwood? Looked at Mountskip and that place nearby next to the A68, which were nice but you have to do this thing of paying the yard for your livery, then someone else to do your full livery, then someone else again to poo pick. And tbh the schools weren't good enough (indoor on top off concrete and too small respectively). Lasswade (very close to me) is unfortunately also a busy riding school, with an awful access road in winter, and hardly offers any turnout for full liveries, just an hour in the indoor or a horsewalker. Also a pretty run down - the outdoors small and the indoors seems to be made of rough bits of corrugated iron stuck together? though I could cope with that if the other elements were ok.

I would like to be at one of these yards like advertised in other parts of Scotland with fab facilities, and have moved from such a yard just outside Aberdeen, but it seems Edinburgh just doesn't have any. My current yard is nice but the schools so small you can only get one jump up in it and the turnout is a mudbath.

 

[nicnag]

I'd ditto Braidwood although they are often quite full. I can give you a contact number if you want one

 

[JenniferB]

Edinburgh and Lasswade? Know it's RS as well but the family run SJers off the yard very successfully?

 

[geronimostilton]

This probably isn't much help at all, but a friend in Edinburgh says there might be a place near Loanhead/Bilston, she used to pass it on the bus and thinks she knows someone who kept a horse there, she will try to find out more info.

 

[gillianfleming]

Geronimo that would be Lisa Hiddlestons, she used to do a lot of teaching but don't think she does much now.
There is not a lot of grazing at all and the school is very wet.

 

[Mithras]

Thanks all for your help. I would be interested in finding out more about Braidwood, have never heard of it so don't know where it is. I know I sound really fussy but I am willing to pay a reasonable amount for full livery! Nice, airy stables with no draughts or leaks would be nice, as would a school big and dry enough to build a jumping course in, good grazing or at least _some_ grass in summer, and reasonable hacking (my horses are bombproof but its nicer to hack away from the roads now and then).

I'm in Lasswade but am beginning to think I might have to travel to West Lothian as there might be better yards there. Does anyone know if Westmuir is still in business?

 

[gillianfleming]

Braidwood is just outside Penicuik towards the A701, owned by Irene Allen, struggling to find a contact number for her, other possible would be Iver McLeish, not sure what his place is called but its just over the back from Braidwood.
Will try and edit when i find the numbers

 

[Mithras]

Oh that might be a possibility then. Have never seen them advertised though. Are they perhaps those yards near Howgate?

 

[gillianfleming]

Think Westmuir land might still be in business as i've just found them in the phone book.
What about Cousland? Or Temple Farm, they used to be fairly basic but i know they now have an indoor school.
Sandra Morrison, Pencaitland, Tranent?
Will try and drive by Braidwood on Saturday, its just up the road but can't find it in the phone book.

 

[Mithras]

Temple Farm is gorgeous! But have steered clear as think its a bit far out. Perhaps not. It does have a waiting list though and the indoor is quite small and not many jumps. Cousland Park is very far out and awkward to get to, the school is good but it seemed sort of draughty and I thought quite expensive for the facilities you got. Also grazing is poor. Pencaitland etc too far out east - all the BSJA shows are to the west (they are another thing Edinburgh lacks) and I compete most weekends so the diesel adds up. Thanks again. I might look again at Lasswade, but I like my horses to be out during daylight hours.

*sigh* in my yard in Aberdeen we had 2 outdoors schools, a jumping course laid out in the grass field in summer, in the winter a man would put jumps up for you if you asked in the indoor school, excellent grazing, lovely fields, helpful permanent staff, good hacking, we could even change to part livery in the summer. All for £75 a week. Also two similar yards offering much the same within 10 mins drive!

 

[Chex]

There is a serious lack of nice yards in Edinburgh

. I can't even think of one that doesn't either have a rubbish reputation or is just always full. I'm pretty sure you won't get full livery at Braidwood, worth asking though.

 

[Beechlawn]

More to west side edinburgh,

http://www.newhouseliveryyard.co.uk

http://cameg.webs.com/

http://www.midkinleith.com/

http://kirklandsequestrian.com/default.aspx

there's another near snec but cannot remember name, from broxburn side past snec entrance, then next left, along on rhs in view of snec

No One has mentioned edinburgh equestrian centre at dalkeith park - do they offer full livery?

 

[nicnag]

Having reread the OP I'd agree with Ctoanid - unlikely Irene will give you full livery, I'll PM her number so you can ask as she might be able to come up with something. Ivor McLeish has been reducing his horses recently, can't see him doing anything but his neighbour had been advertising her yard for rent although I think she is back into horses herself now. How far out of Edinburgh would you be willing to go? Would Dolphinton be too far as there are a few nice yards round that way.

 

[nicnag]

Oh! Another thought! John McLuskey at Roslyn? Not sure what exactly he has in facilities but might be a decent yard, it was quite nice the last time I went in to collect bales.
http://www.rosslyn.com/html/haylage.html

Edinburgh Equestrian
http://www.edinburgh-equestrian.co.uk/MainPages/EEClivery.htm

 

[Mithras]

Edinburgh Equestrian would be perfect for me! Its about a mile away. Perfect except for the person who runs it! And tbh for the location, the flatness of the land and the space it has, the schools are pretty poor (usually part flooded in winter). So many rules and restrictions there...

John McLuskey sadly no full livery.

I've heard of the name Ivor McLeish - is he a showjumper? I'd love to be on a yard with other showjumpers. If I was in Fife or the west, there would be lots of yards of the type I'm looking for, but I agree there is a serious lack of decent full livery yards round Edinburgh. Most of them have schools built about 20 years ago with nothing done since then!

 

[gillianfleming]

Yes Iver used to showjump and his son now does, haven't seen him for years but my dad used to know him really well, might be worth an ask as his OH is very horsey.
Its just behind Braidwood.

 

[jcriyadh]

Hi H.H.

Apologies for slightly hijacking your post but I'm interested in your comment that if you lived in Fife there would be a good choice of yards. I've recently returned from overseas and i haven't found many/ any that offer the full package - any advice gratefully received to the location of these elusive yards,

J

 

[Mithras]

Theres one called Wester Denhead I think, a few miles to the north of Dunfermline. And theres Ron Brady's. I think theres a big one near Dollar, not sure what its called and several round Kinross. Further east theres a few again, inc Sandra Low-Mitchell's at Balcormo and a few neighbouring ones. And several around St Andrews too! Don't have contact details though sorry as never needed for that area.

 

[nicnag]

Murray Mcleish is his son, I could find out this weekend - will keep you updated if I get anything!

 

[pauley]

i have been hearing lately that there is plans to build a major livery yard near to edinburgh cant say to much as i work in a deparment that deals with this but what i can say is this is that it is going to be huge.cant say exactly where it is going to be as i may lose my job.but can say it is going to house 40 horses it will have both a large outdoor and indoor school a recovery/excercise pool, covered horse walker,all year round turnout, and wont be a riding school purely for liverys only. Dont know anything about the prices yet but from what i ahve heard and seen it looks like an amazing place to keep your horse.will keeps you all upto date as and when i here more.

 

[Jnhuk]

Not sure if this information is too late for you but I would recommend looking at Whitfield Farm Livery on the outskirts of West Linton. It is a about 15 mins drive from the ski slope/bypass but it well worth a serious look. It is a fairly new custom built livery yard with new facilities so not that well known yet. It has an indoor 20x40 and outdoor 40x50 with individual turn out paddocks. Good folks there too!

 

[rinn]

Have you looked at Cousland? Indoor and outdoor schools and turnout and reasonable hacking - I coach dressage there one evening a week and they seem to have a decent standard of care.

 

[adamntitch]

what about vogrie equestian it has a web site and nice ownered

 

[Kallibear]

Jo Barry's yard is probably too far for you?

It's got fab facilities, the horses are VERY well cared for, jo is an excellent teacher and I would move my two there tommorow if I could afford it. My friend has her horse there on part livery and loves it.

 

[lynspop]

what about vogrie equestian it has a web site and nice ownered

Yeah, I would second Vogrie. Nice, big old fashioned boxes. 3 outdoor schools- all with good surfaces and the biggest has a full set of SJ's including fillers etc. Also XC fences and hacking around the farm. Turnout used to be in pairs or small groups and grazing is not bad at all.
Website is- www.vogrie.co.uk

 

[Mable 1]

I would steer well clear of Vorgie.

Rspca has been in many times. It is run as an unlicensed riding school. Horse are left in 24 hours. Her stallion has not left it stable in months prob years. and they do not get mucked out from one month to the next!!!

You have been warned!!!