Move from livery yard to basic field?

[MamaPonio]

Hi all, for numerous reasons I find myself drawn to leaving our current yard and finding myself a nice field to rent. Any advice or pros/cons? Downsides will be lack of school but I can always fence off an area?

There's a 5 acre field that I've found, isn't sectioned off at all - would I need to do that in order to manage grazing? Never had to think about it before!! There's no shelter but that's something I could add in time, ideally before winter

Would appreciate any input, thanks

 

[Pearlsasinger]

If there is a secure boundary fence/wall, you could divide the field into smaller paddocks with electric fencing, in order to manage the grazing. If there is any natural shelter your horse should be ok living out with a rug. Of course your horse will need a companion.

 

[MamaPonio]

Thanks, I haven't actually seen the field yet so not 100% on the setup. We've got two ponies, one is for sale but if making the move she'd be kept as a companion both mares get on well and I think my daughter will ride in a year or two so she'll come in handy!

Both natives which helps but I think I'd have to get a shelter at some point, I can't imagine not having somewhere dry to store everything.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

TBH, I think you would be better planning to store stuff at home rather than risking leaving it at the field. People who wouldn't dream of touching the horses would quite happily walk away with your wheelbarrow etc. Of course, you might find that the field is in a very secure position with plenty of neighbours.

 

[mrsh2010]

We made the same move ourselves 7 yrs ago and its the best thing we ever did. Our horses are so much happier and to be honest our horses are alot more secure.

Our 7 acre paddock has a fence through the middle. So we use one for summer and one for winter. We strip graze with electric fencing but also hay through the winter.

Go for it!! Enjoy your horses without the bitchy stress of a livery!!

 

[Kezzabell2]

I have rented fields in the past, its a pain if you don't have any storage or electric etc!

I currently have a 3 acre field, with another 3 acres behind, but a barely use that, as it gets wet in the winter! not needed it much this summer! I am very lucky, I have a massive barn at the side of my field, which the farmer agreed I could use, so my dad fenced the front of it and removed the side fence, so the horses can get in and out from their field!

I had to buy a load of rubble and pipes, so I could build a bridge across the ditch, so they could get in and out without getting too muddy! but that cost me about £50.

I do have another old barn, with 4 stables, but they aren't in the greatest condition, however, they are useable and did serve me well when my boy was on box rest! It also has a massive tack room and with lights and electic, though they trip every time it rains heavily, so not the safest!!

at lot of people would think it looks really scruffy but thats good, stops anyone wanting to move in or break in hehe!

my horses are the happiest they've ever been and my friends pony has moved in too! my friend said he's never been so happy!

its nice coz its part of a bigger farm, so if needed I can ride around the edge of the other fields too!

 

[SpringArising]

I hated it and would never do it again. Everything is your responsibility and done at your own cost.

In the winter it's an absolute ball-ache. No lights which is a nightmare in itself, no electricity to make a cuppa and no one else around. When I was down there on my own there were times when I felt really vulnerable - not just if one of the horses got me but because of the amount of weirdos that are about. Not having anywhere to school was just another pain in the backside! Far too hard in the summer and way too muddy in the winter.

It's really not the serene set up you think it will be!

I had my £200 energiser nicked and also a bunch of other stuff too. We had two metal padlocked gates and a stable which was padlocked too so it wasn't that everything wasn't secure either.

 

[iconique]

Water!!
We did this years ago - moved from livery to a 7 acre field. There were bits I loved and bits I didn't. Due to the exposure on the hillside we ended up in livery for a few months in the winter as getting into the field with water became impossible.
Water as you can guess was one of the difficulties but eventually we got a tap off the water main (wasn't cheap) and someone kept turning the tap on! Before that we used to take our ifor williams trailer and fill loads of 20l canisters (we weren't on a meter so it didn't cost for that at least) and then would drop off each week, then take the tubs home when empty.
Hay was also done on a weekly basis. Field was partitioned to give rest areas, Electric fencer had to be well hidden, we use the small hang off the fence with rechargeable batteries type and taped them over to make them less visible but they still went missing.
Everything else was carted backwards and forwards. if you forgot your girth it was the decision to ride bareback or go home, with 20 mins each way it wasn't always that easy a decision!
We only had hedges for boundaries but that gave enough shelter until the weather got bad and as I mentioned we then went into livery for a couple of months (local farmer end of barn, not really livery!) We looked even at mobile stables but that was a nightmare due to location so decided it wasn't worth it.
The other bad part was having a horse with colic at night in the p'ing rain. Thankfully it was a one off and she was fine.
Best part was the hacking, not having to share, managing my own space and the horses loved it. I never found it lonely (apart from an incident with a neighbours property being broken into) but it was my own space.
I would however think very carefully about going back to that situation as now i'm spoilt and have horses at home, although have limited off road hacking and not as good paddocks!

 

[ester]

I'd want to section off 5 acres with 2 natives, we had 4.5 in Somerset for 2 horses and took hay off about 3.5 of it and still had too much grass in summer

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Water-if it doesn't have water it will be difficult-carting water is no fun and hard on your vehicle unless you already have a good utility one. I did move from a livery to a field but I also had use of a huge bowser for water that the landlord would fill up for me. I also had use of a huge run in shelter that I could use as a stable plus a storage shed. No electric. I can't say it was easy in winter but I loved it actually-I had access to off road hacking and would ride in the dark. I only moved because I had trouble with landlord's DiL's dogs-she thought it was funny to let 10 dogs chase my horses on frozen ground.

Security, storage (shipping container maybe?), water are your main problems-it won't necessarily work out really cheap until you are sorted out.

 

[rascal]

We moved from a livery yard to a field. Mainly because the yard was full of b******! The field we rent does not have water so we have containers to fill.
We do have a shelter and use it to store hay in winter. Beware of keeping anything at the field, if it CAN go walkies you can be sure it will! We take everything home.We use electric fencing to divide the field, and everything is padlocked to a tree. I don't think we could manage without our 4x4. We use the headlights to check horses, fences and water in winter. There is no school but we fence a bit of the field off.
Its so nice to do what you want, when you want with your own horses!!

 

[PollyP99]

I moved the other way a few years a go and would never go back to just a field. Some of the people on this thread though have great set-ups, if you can get big shelter, water and electric I think it's worth it, without any one of these I would hate it.