Livery yards - Glasgow/Falkirk area - anyone know these?

J

jimbojones

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Hi,

Looking to find out if anyone knows any of there yards and any good/bad info on them?

Blackfaulds farm in Gartcosh
Meadowside livery, Kilsyth
Babbithill, Falkirk
Balquhaston Mains, Falkirk
Homestead farm, Falkirk
Baads farm, Shotts.

Specifically interested in turn out, facilities and hacking.

Thanks

J x
 
OMG, I just went upto Babbithill stables today and I was so impressed !!!!!!! I am moving my two precious boys there. They have got loads of grazing, all year turnout and they are doing free morning turnout. They have got it booked to have their school resurfaced too. Granted its not Loddon stables but for £20 a week for all of the above. I am paying double for one horse at Kingsbarn and my horse hasn't seen grass since I moved it there. I am so disapointed in the livery there. I was a Balquaston Mains before going to Kingsbarn. Primitive springs to mind.
 
More info regarding Meadowside Livery can be found on meadowsidelivery.co.uk Is a lovely quite yard with good facilites, all year round turn out, hacking etc - everything your horse (and you!) could want from a livery yard.
 
Tuscansun said:
OMG, I just went upto Babbithill stables today and I was so impressed !!!!!!! I am moving my two precious boys there. They have got loads of grazing, all year turnout and they are doing free morning turnout. They have got it booked to have their school resurfaced too. Granted its not Loddon stables but for £20 a week for all of the above. I am paying double for one horse at Kingsbarn and my horse hasn't seen grass since I moved it there. I am so disapointed in the livery there. I was a Balquaston Mains before going to Kingsbarn. Primitive springs to mind.
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I don't know anything about the yards concerned but be careful moving to any yard that charges £20 a week for livery that includes turnout. No way they can make a profit at that price and be totally legit unless it's a loss leader and prices are about to go up substantially.
 
measles said:
I don't know anything about the yards concerned but be careful moving to any yard that charges £20 a week for livery that includes turnout. No way they can make a profit at that price and be totally legit unless it's a loss leader and prices are about to go up substantially.
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I dunno about that. There are loads of livery yard around me (mostly farmers who have diversified or people with a bit of land) and they all charge between £15 and £25 with winter turnout. My last place was only £15 and they would turn out in the morning for me and, when checking them late at night, if they needed more hay, would hang the net for me. I think it depends on the area and most people here have loads of land so are able to offer grazing without much hassle.
 
jimbojones said:
Hi,

Looking to find out if anyone knows any of there yards and any good/bad info on them?

Blackfaulds farm in Gartcosh
Meadowside livery, Kilsyth
Babbithill, Falkirk
Balquhaston Mains, Falkirk
Homestead farm, Falkirk
Baads farm, Shotts.

Specifically interested in turn out, facilities and hacking.

Thanks

J x
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I know three of the yards mentioned above. I'd go with Meadowside Livery if your looking for a new yard, especially if your looking for turn out, hacking and good professionaly run facilities.
 
Minxie said:
I dunno about that. There are loads of livery yard around me (mostly farmers who have diversified or people with a bit of land) and they all charge between £15 and £25 with winter turnout. My last place was only £15 and they would turn out in the morning for me and, when checking them late at night, if they needed more hay, would hang the net for me. I think it depends on the area and most people here have loads of land so are able to offer grazing without much hassle.
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Fair enough, but you wouldn't know if they were properly insured and paid their rates etc etc. I have a yard which is all of those things and has plenty of grazing and simply couldn't pay all my overheads and maintain the place for that.
 
I agree, it is financially not worth my while charging less than £30 a week for DIY. i have to maintain the place, pay business rates, water and electricity, i have to iunsure my buildings, my horses, third party liability. care and control insurance as well as insuring all my bedding and haylage while in storage. I have to top, harrow, fertilise, weed spray, harrow, roll, fence, repair. i have to buy tractors, machinery and repair that machinery. someone charging £20 a week cannot be covering all those costs or must have so many liveries they cover their costs that way.
 
I can completely understand where your coming from Bosworth and Measles pricewise but I do think it depends where you live. The yard I'm on is completely insured, the fields are well taken care of and fencing is always very well maintained. My YO is also insured for tack etc It is a small family run yard with not a lot of liveries and I pay less than £30 a week for part assisted livery which incudes morning turn out. The horses are checked late at night as well and if need be water is topped up and extra hay put into them if they need it (from your own hay supply) but this service is never charged for.

I completely agree with Measles though in it is very cheap at £20 for a yard to include free morning turnout that would cover their overheads. Likewise I don't know this yard so no offence mean't by this post to the person going there.
 
Its definately legitimate they have been operating for a long time and have got insurance. Its part of their estate there is a lot of land there. I asked one of the girls there and she said that kindly the owners had kept the price at the same level because of the recession. That is kind given the exploitation and greed of many of the livery yards out there.
 
Babbithill is cheap, I will grant you that. However, cheap is not always best! I know that the arena is not useable unless you want to plough through builder's sand straight onto rubble. Not good if you value your horses legs. Forget trying to work in an outline. Safety isn't high on the list of priorities and neither is ensuring owners look after their horses properly and I mean just the basic requirements of mucking out and feeding. It's a shame as could be so much better, with little effort. They may have been operating a long time but have a very high turnover, makes you wonder why?!
 
As the owner of Babbithill Stables I am quite amused by the comments of Casper99. As much fun as it would be, it would be poor form and would be beneath me to turn this forum where people are entitled to there views into a slagging match. There is a few issues with the post which I would however like to address.

Babbithill takes the welfare of the horses on the yard very seriously. Unlike most of the yards we offer all year turnout as I think it is inhumane to keep horses in a stable for weeks on end or just letting them out to ride in a school.

With regards to fundametal welfare although we are a D.I.Y yard if there is an issue with regards to care of a horse we will address the issue. Establishing with the owner why the necessary care has not be implemented, establishing a route to resolving the issue. Many ignorant people would just through the horse and the owner off the yard. Does this really benefit the horse? No, stress induced by a move and if the owner is prepared to do this on my yard the process will be replicated on another yard. I have been fortunate to have only experienced this twice in the years we having been running a yard, I have no hesitation in reporting to the ILPH any owner which does not take the responsibity of horse ownership seriously.

With regards to horse & rider safety I can assure you it is taken seriously, I have rules in situ on this matter.

With regards to the surface of my school it isn't actually sand, Have you been to my yard? I openly admit that the surface has reached its natural shelf life, and I have the contractor starting this week putting more drainage in and a new surface. We have had the worst winter for many years which has delayed worked to the school and it is always difficult getting tradesmen who are competent, I only wish that I could get a school from John Lewis or homebase which is inflatable sadly it doesn't work that way.

Another interesting point with regards to your comment is that with a little effort my D.I.Y yard could be better, perhaps you could perhaps expand on this remark, you can always private message it?

With regards to my turnover, I have a lady for 11 years, I have another who comes back every year for summer grazing because she doesn't have grass at home, I have people who have left thinking the grass is greener only to find out that it isn't and came back. People will always leave livery yards its the nature of the business. The horse world if full of jealous and bitchy people as demonstrated on may of the forums, I always think the best way to deal with it is take it on the chin however if it is ignorance or stupidity then best get it straightened out.
I don't currently have any spaces on my yard apart from a couple of grass livery spaces, thats how bad my yard is. hahaha but I welcome anyone to pop up and have a coffee and have a look around at my apparently terrible yard. hahaha Perhaps Casper99 could extend the invitation and we can all go for coffee at her/his yard, I can then see how to run a yard. lol. Kindest regards, William Black :)
 
Actually casper99, I have my boy Leo there and I think it's a really safe yard so much so it can be a pain in the bum :P simply because the owners care for there liveries and horses stabled there, they even have to stop some of our teenage moments :) free morning turnout, change of rug, morning feed, hay in if they need it and it's all giving for only £20 pounds a week. I've just spend my whole Friday night down there having a laugh with everyone there, spending time with my horse and really enjoyed it, not my usual Friday night :rolleyes: the school is currently being resurfaced and we even have other places to ride, not usual for DIY yard. Leo and I love it there and will not be leaving anytime soon (unfortunate for William and Marion) :D So put that in your pipe and smoke it Casper99. :p x
 
I would choose Meadowside purely on its location. The scenery and hacking is wonderful and the local pub ('The Swan') is excellent, I used to take my pony in for a bucket of slops and I would have a lemonade (I was 13). The yard is lovely and the horses well kept. If ever I return home I will be taking my neds there. I suppose I am biased-I was born in Banton and grew up there. Mairi.
PS, there is also a yard down by the canal in Kilsyth and is owned by my cousin. I prefer the Banton one tbh.
 
In relation to the comments on Babbithill I love keeping my horses there. I agree with Laura that many happy hours are spent down there. In fact, anyone who visits my horses down there has always commented on what a special wee place it is. As for the comments on safety and welfare issues I would totally disagree. The owners go above and beyond what they would need to do and there are numerous examples of good practice to ensure the animals are all kept safe and in good health. I dont think the livery yard would be so full if this was not the case. I have had loads of help down there with the welfare of my horses with things being done you just cant expect for diy (rugs taken off on hot days, owners check horses have plenty hay and water if there is snow incase someone does not make it - list is pretty endless). The school is beng redone but I used it most days up until then with no problems on two young horses. The owners handle my horses for me and help with turn outs in the mornings ( and endless other things that are not really DIY) and I always been really happy that the horses are handled like they are their own and very kindly treated. As for turnover being high I think only two people have left in the nine months or so I have been there, which for a livery yard is quite low. Maybe Casper is thinking of a Babbithill somewhere else cos the one at Avonbridge is a great place. :)
 
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