Looking for a yard but don't have a horse yet (actively looking for one though)

[seaweedsprouts]

I am actively looking for a horse to buy which will be my first but I won't be keeping the horse at the current yard I help out at as they only offer DIY livery.

There are yards near where I live that I am interested in but don't know how to approach them. I know the questions to ask and what I want to know so as to get a feel for the place ..but do I tell them I don't currently have a horse but am looking at ones for sale to buy just to make it clear I haven't got a horse needing to move ASAP? or is it normal for people to enquire about yards and say nothing about their situation/ why they are enquiring?

I want to know that there are yards near by that have room for a horse if/ when I buy one so would prefer to have been in contact with yards before I buy for peace of mind and am just wondering how best to go about this really.

 

[ycbm]

You can ask them, and it's normal, but I would expect them to want a holding fee for them to keep a place free for you. You might be better, given the time of year, to find a grass livery and then if you find a horse quickly you can keep it at grass livery while you search for a place.

.

 

[rainni_day]

I found the yard first and then ended up finding my horse within a couple of weeks. I would have offered to pay a holding fee if it was any longer.

 

[Andrew657]

I would look at yards - and tell them your circumstances. They can then advise whether they have spaces/waiting list/ need a holding fee. You can also decide which yard(s) you prefer - it's also possible your priorities might change depending on the horse you buy

 

[Winters100]

Definitely it is normal in your circumstance to be looking around, so don't feel bad about that. Good yards fill up quickly, so the suggestion from ycbm is a good one. I would suggest making a list of what are your 'must haves', what are strong preferences, and what would be a deal breaker for you.
As an example, for me an arena is a must have, as is year round turnout, and good off road hacking is a preference but not essential.

I would want to know in advance the routine of the yard, the rules, how they would deal with the horse on arrival (any quarantine period). Don't forget to look at the storage facilities and tack room, also worth checking the bathrooms.

If winter turnout is restricted find out in advance exactly how it works and have a good look at their fields. If they are all pristine then I think you can assume that horses have been in their boxes all the time.

Good luck, and I hope that you find the perfect horse!

 

[The Jokers Girl]

Having been horseless a few years ago I was a little out of touch with livery and hadn't appreciated how things had changed and how few yards there were around with spaces. Thinking finding livery would be as easy as it always had been I bought first and then struggled to find a good yard so had to take whatever was on offer. I ended up on my third yard in 3 months before it ticked all the boxes so if you are actively looking to buy I would highly recommend paying a holding fee for your desired yard. Some yard owners will refund the holding fee or a portion of it when you do move in. Although with the current situation I highly doubt anyone will be selling horses or accepting new liveries for a while so plenty of time for you to do some research on what's around. Best of luck x

 

[fredflop]

Yes find the yard first then the horse!

 

[Shay]

Please don't visit livery yards right now! Look online, speak to owners and get reccomendations. but looking for a yard - or indeed a horse - is not going to be essential travel. Stay at home and stay safe!

 

[seaweedsprouts]

Please don't visit livery yards right now! Look online, speak to owners and get reccomendations. but looking for a yard - or indeed a horse - is not going to be essential travel. Stay at home and stay safe!

Don't worry I'm not and you're quite right with your advice. I postponed my search for a horse pretty much a couple of days after I posted this at the beginning of last month.

 

[Millie-Rose]

As a yard owner I would say have a look round local yards and decide which will suit however as we rarely have spaces come up (and I would be suspicious of a yard that regularly had lots of spaces unless newly opened) it is perhaps unlikely that when you find a horse that your first choice will have space available. If you find a yard that you love that has a space you could hold a place until you find something but there will be a charge of some sort (I charge half of normal livery rate) as people just can't keep a stable empty for months when they could fill it with a paying customer. Given that it could take a while to find a horse (have known people to be looking for 2 years) this is probably not financially sensible and indeed can put extra pressure on the horse hunt as you are paying out for something that you are not using. Having scoped out local yards I would go for the best one that has a space when you are ready even if further from home than ideal for example and then get yourself on the wait list for your number one choice at that point. Bit long winded and appreciate not ideal to have to move new horse twice but probably the only sensible way to do it.