Livery yards, do you expect your own field ?

meesha

meesha

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just a quicky carrying on from my other thread about poss taking on a livery yard which has one big 8 acre field (and 12 acres on hill but it isnt as easily accessible). Would you be happy to go to a yard where there might be up to 8 people all with horses in one field and possibly a mixed herd - if not would you be happy to put up your own electric fence to section field off ? Realistically it would be easy to section into 3 due to position of gate and still leave the bottom section as a walkway to bring horses in and out of gate.

I am actually hoping that if I take it on there will be 3 or 4 people with a couple of horses each but potentially it could be 8 different people ! If anyone did want to turn out all year on the hill I wouldnt see that being a problem and it might suit someone with youngsters or non-ridden (bit of a walk to get back to yard to bring in to ride each day).
 
One eight acre field for that many horses sounds a bit much...you are going to need rotation to avoid the pasture getting horse sick! How accessible is the 12 acres because I would think you are going to need it
 
I wouldn't want my own field.

You have enough acres for around 4 horses only, and that's a lovely group size.
 
really I only want max 6 if horses but factoring in tiny pony people too ! the land is very good, sloping - drains well etc - there is also another acre paddock and the 12 acres on the hill which is accessed up side of 8 acre field through a gate up through wooded area !
 
I wouldn't want my own field, but as others have said I'd split it for rotation, resting etc. We have our own five acre field, and to start with we chucked our then three horses out onto the lot of it - big mistake. It's now split into three, and we rent another two acres. We don't poo pick, we harrow and top the roughs when the horses move fields, and those seven acres are more than enough.
 
I used to field share on a DIY yard (rent my own place now) and of the five sharing, I was the only one poo picking regularly, and pulling rag. Was a total PITA!
Then the daughter of one woman brought two ponies out of the field and didn't pull the gate shut properly. That did it for me! Used to then have to go back late after everyone went home, as I didn't trust this kid to shut the gate. Bloody nightmare!
I now have three liveries but they have all been carefully vetted by me :D and we all get on great and help each other.
 
I wouldn't expect my own field and I'm not that bothered by mixed fields.

The only time I'd look for my own my field would be if I needed a small paddock for injury recovery under vet instructions. I'm lucky that my YO has always been very helpful and accomodating when this has been necessary :)
 
wouldn't want my own field, but wouldn't want a herd bigger than 4/5. You have to split in anyway otherwise how are you going to rest and rotate??
 
would defo want my own paddock or would share with 1 other if horse was alone as been on a livery yard where a herd of 12 were in 15acres and still many injuries use to happen due to heavy playing or bullying going on:mad:
 
At my yard it is a bit of both - some people have their own (smaller) field and the rest are in bigger fields in small groups. My two have a field which they share which is nice. I wouldn't want them turned out on their own as my Appy doesn't like being on his own and I feel it's important that horses should be allowed to socialise with other horses wherever possible.
 
meesha said:
just a quicky carrying on from my other thread about poss taking on a livery yard which has one big 8 acre field (and 12 acres on hill but it isnt as easily accessible). Would you be happy to go to a yard where there might be up to 8 people all with horses in one field and possibly a mixed herd - if not would you be happy to put up your own electric fence to section field off ? Realistically it would be easy to section into 3 due to position of gate and still leave the bottom section as a walkway to bring horses in and out of gate.

I am actually hoping that if I take it on there will be 3 or 4 people with a couple of horses each but potentially it could be 8 different people ! If anyone did want to turn out all year on the hill I wouldnt see that being a problem and it might suit someone with youngsters or non-ridden (bit of a walk to get back to yard to bring in to ride each day).
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Actually, as long as the horses all get along and the field is big enough, I'd love for GreyDonk to be in a large, mixed herd. Our share mares were kept on this basis and it worked out fine. If, however, there are dominant mares or geldings in the field to the point that it becomes difficult to take other horses out of the field or horses are being bullied, then it wouldn't work (kinda stating the obvious here).

P
 
In a word NO (I wouldn't want to share!)! By that I means Yes! I would expect my own field!!

At my DIY yard we all have one summer field and one winter field per horse. If we wish to share with a friend then that's fine and up to the owners. However, my 2 horses are kept side by side but separate as one has long term injury but I know that he would be a prat in with my other gelding who is a field acrobat too. The thought of having to share a field with others fills me with horror! And before you say anything about socialising etc - mine are more than happy and pal up together, but next to each other.
 
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Thanks guys just want to get different opinions - I would probably state the field would be split into 3 with one bit rested as suggested and other 2 used for 2 or 3 horses in each (2 if big or 3 pony people) then rotate every so often (unless they all agreed wanted to just split field in 2 so all nags in together and other bit rested) - Might think about offering reduced grass livery with use of stable for emergency for anyone who wants to just turnout on hill - maybe £15 per week per horse or £12 per pony !
 
charmeroo said:
. The thought of having to share a field with others fills me with horror! And before you say anything about socialising etc - mine are more than happy and pal up together, but next to each other.
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And the thought of my poor horses living by themselves breaks my heart. They groom and play and just spend time standing beside each other. They would be so bored and lonely with only a friend over the fence (which isn't really a 'friend' as all).

OP- I would expect company for my horse. As i have three, I would be fine with my own field, but I'd expect horesy company to be provided by the yard if not. That one reason many people use a livery yard, rather than their own little patch of land!
 
I think the option to do things to suit each horse is the important thing. Mine can be bullied in a large group so if that was the only option then yes I would want an individual field for him but he likes being out in nice company so I would much prefer that if the option was avalible with suitable friends. At our yard we have groups of 1-5, big groups split mares and geldings and suitably matched pairs and the odd individual to suit the horses.

ETA as it happens mine is out with in the group of 5 boys
 
I keep my pony on a yard where his field in on a hill and it takes half an hour to collect him. He is on grass livery and the YO never has any problems in finding people who want don't mind being in the field on the hill and often has a waiting list and only one horse in the group is retired. We currently have 9 in the hilly far field mixed sex herd living out. We do have our own stables even those living out and a floodlit school and pay £140 in the summer a bit more in the winter if the YO has to put hay out in the field.

The horses that come in every night are in fields nearer to the yard, about 4 per field. There are a couple of single turnout fields for those horses that are injured or ill and need short term individual turnout.
 
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I have my own with my horse and my mums shetland in. No arguments about who poo picks more, no worries about gate not being shut, no-one left on their own. They have 3 horses next door so there is no problem there if I want to leave one of mine up in the field.
I've been in big herds before and hated it. Trying to get your horse who is at the bottom of the pecking order out of the gate when there is 15+ horses already waiting at the gate is not fun.
 
I don't mind having my own small field - I didn't expect it though as I'm on full livery.
I prefer my three being out together so that if there are any injuries, it's our responsibility and there are no ill-feelings caused.
I can section it as I want too as long as I provide my own fencing and battery pack.
sometimes my boys share it with another livery but they all get on well so I'm not bothered.
 
Personally I'd be put off by a mixed herd of 8. I'd, as a minimum, expect it to be split into mares and geldings.

Where we have had one large field at a yard in the past we have, between ourselves, bought our own electric fencing to enable us to rest parts of the field, split the herd into 2 to stop fighting etc etc. To reduce politics we each bought certain parts - I bought the posts so when I left the yard I gave them notice that I'd be taking my posts so the other girls could get more. Although there is always politics when someone else's horse keeps breaking things.

I personally don't like solitary grazing unless they need it for good reason - my 2 have never been happy that way.

Also how will you manage fatties and skinnies? Just needs thinking through.

If i was running a yard I'd split it into 3 you describe with electric fence maybe having a few wooden posts knocked in to keep it tight.
 
Also how will you manage fatties and skinnies? Just needs thinking through.
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That is for the owner to manage, not the YO. Although a starvation paddock is always a useful thing to have on offer.
 
No I wouldn't want my own field.

I've kept my mare at a yard where she was out with one other horse who for 6 months of the years was fenced off in to a small section so my mare was on her own. She was happy enough with this but she is so much happier out in a herd of 8 at the new yard.

Best way to manage fatties - don't turn them out 24/7 on lush grass and exercise them!!
 
amymay said:
That is for the owner to manage, not the YO. Although a starvation paddock is always a useful thing to have on offer.
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Totally agree Amymay but you know it will happen so as the YO you just need to know which part of the field you'd offer as a starvation paddock. If you just want to leave your liveries to sort it amongst yourselves then fine but if I were running a yard I'd want some control over it.

Other problem I've found at livery yard with big paddocks is the poo picking / ragwort pulling arguments.
 
amymay said:
I would decide what you want to offer. The minute you give choice, you get problems.
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The minute you let the liveries start running the show, you will lose control, there was a thread recently where the liveries tries to take over the yard, it ended with the YO kicking them all out and shutting down the yard.

Work out how you want to divide and offer a small starvation paddock, then they either come to your yard or go elsewhere.
 
be positive said:
The minute you let the liveries start running the show, you will lose control, there was a thread recently where the liveries tries to take over the yard, it ended with the YO kicking them all out and shutting down the yard.

Work out how you want to divide and offer a small starvation paddock, then they either come to your yard or go elsewhere.
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Exactly. If the yard does not offer what you want in turn of turn out then don't go there, simples. There must be nothing more annoying for YOs than liveries who turn up knowing how the yard is set up and then demanding different things for their horses.
 
Becki1802 said:
Other problem I've found at livery yard with big paddocks is the poo picking / ragwort pulling arguments.
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Have never had that experience. Land is managed and maintained by the yard owner, harrowing, rolling, fertilising, spot weeding. Obviously if you walk past a piece of ragwort, you pull it.

But again - maintenance is the YO's responsibility.
 
I would not move anywhere that didn't have individual turnout, having said that I would be happy with a section within the main field so they could say hello to each other.
 
amymay said:
Have never had that experience. Land is managed and maintained by the yard owner, harrowing, rolling, fertilising, spot weeding. Obviously if you walk past a piece of ragwort, you pull it.

But again - maintenance is the YO's responsibility.
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I think I just had a bad experience once Amymay - the YO had no interest beyond receiving our money so basically strong personalities on the yard ran the show!! I basically 'ran' the geldings field and I pulled all the ragwort, paddocked my boys separately as I was sick of picking up others poo, divided it for fatties and skinnies etc etc. I was friends with the other liveries and it was all very amicable and we were all happy there (most the time) but it could have been a different story with more / different personalities & it would have been nice if they'd shared some of the work.

I just think if I am ever lucky enough to have land and run a yard, I will manage it and have proper contracts and I will, within reason, control things like paddocks ensuring it is rested etc etc. My current yard is run very well albeit I wish my boys weren't individually paddocked as I don't count touching noses as proper horsey time!!!

I'm just reading all our posts and thinking what a nightmare it must be for all our yard owners!! Horsey people are so strong willed!!!!
 
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