Moving horse from livery to home - questions

[Muddy unicorn]

We've just had an offer accepted on a house with grazing and stables etc. My gelding is currently on grass livery in a small herd but he'll be moving with us. We will need to get him a companion but I'm wondering what's the best way to move him/get companion(s?)/introduce them etc to minimise stress all round - equine & human.

He's a very chilled character who's taken all his other moves in his stride but they've been from livery yard to another livery yard so not such a big change.

I'll also be looking for land management advice as up till now I've only watched other people do it ..

(Trying not to get too excited as I'm well aware this may all fall through but it's good to get my thought processes in order).

Thank you for any advice/recommendations

 

[Melandmary]

Firstly congratulations!! Exciting times ahead. Is it all possible that one of his current field mates would consider moving to your new place as a livery. This would be my first choice as u have a ready to go companion. I found myself in a similar position...i adopted a supposedly suitable companion pony from a small local charity that turned out to not be able to be left on her own and so i have ended up with 3. So my advice would be to be certain said companion is happy being left while you ride. If possible could u introduce new pony at current grass livery and then move them together once they are already friends?

 

[ponynutz]

Oh this is so exciting for you!

Companian wise we bought a horse that had been at our previous yard as my pony and horse had shared a field previously.
Otherwise there are so many rescue horses that are companion only! If you're looking purely companionship and not ridden one of those may be a good idea (although there are some that can do some light hacking too).
Introductions wise I've always just had some sort of physical barrier but they can sniff each other etc. Whether this is electric fencing in field or letting original horse loose on the yard (with gates shut of course) while new horse is in stable. Then slowly start letting them be turned out together and such.

Land management depends on how large field is. We only have 2 acres so I don't know much about a lot of land other than rotating fields and always having one that rests.

With a small field what we do is use the sand paddock and hay for turnout from October to April/May and then using electric fencing do strip grazing of the field over summer to let areas rest periodically. Obviously goes without saying ragworting and poopicking and checking up on wooden and electric fences are daily jobs now! We also use some of the muck heap over winter (or when one area of the field is resting over summer) to fertilise given it's such a small area of grass with no real amount of rest time.

Stable management wise it's just a a case of checking and fixing anything as quickly as you can so problems don't build up. Other than that it's normal business of spring cleaning, sweeping etc.

My pony was always on very big stud farm types and one smaller DIY yard but she settled in really well! I think she prefers a little herd though tbh because despite being 13.3hh she likes to be boss of the herd lol. To hep her we gave her stable toys and plenty of turnout time as well as a few weeks of only hacking so there wasn't any extra stress on top of the move.

Good luck - hope it all goes well for you!

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Thank you - sadly I don’t think we’ll be able to persuade any of his field mates’ owners to let them come as we’re moving a fair distance away (the only two horses whose owner never visits might be a possibility but those two horses are a bit of a nightmare tbh - my boy keeps them in check but they’re my least favourite equines …). I might ask the yard owner if she could squeeze another one in temporarily though …

Essentially will we need both my horse plus companion(s) to arrive at the same time? I’ve already warned OH that the friend might need a friend My boy is completely unfazed about doing things on his own but I realise that’s not always the norm.

Field management-wise - there’s 16 acres split into four fairly equal paddocks. I was planning to use one for hay and rotate the others but I’m a bit concerned about having too much grass rather than too little… How often do people harrow etc?

 

[ycbm]

Have you checked about getting a mortgage yet if you need one? We have just sold ? our house with ten acres and we were told by Estate agents that ten is the maximum acreage to be able to obtain a domestic mortgage.

Just a thought in case you didn't know.
.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

We don’t need a mortgage fortunately

 

[ponynutz]

From what you've said he'd probably be okay on his own without companion(s) for a night or two but I personally wouldn't push it more than that given the move will already be a bit stressful for him.

Sorry, don't know much about managing large amount of land!

 

[nagblagger]

I'm so jealous...but congratulations.
With all that acreage, if you have too much grass could you rent a field out, get some income and the companion would have company (over a fence) when you take your other horse out.?

 

[Nudibranch]

If your fences are secure I'd offer grazing to someone with sheep. Ideally mob graze each field in turn. Cut hay off a different field each year if they are suitable. With 4 paddocks and sheep on I wouldn't bother about poo picking, harrowing, etc. Just get the sheep to follow the horses.

I've grazed with sheep for years, resting each field for 6 months and worm counts have always been zero/very low (apart from a random high last year which was easily dealt with).

Companion wise I'd have thought you'd be an ideal home for one of the charities - with that much grazing you could take 2 for company when your horse is out and about.

 

[Orangehorse]

Totally agree with the above.

That much land will need management and the easiest is to ask a farmer who has the equipment in the way of tractor and machinery. Sheep are much easier than cattle, if the fences are OK. You could have a proper Grazing Agreement (ask a Land Agent to draw one up - an agricultural specialist, who should hopefully know the local characters and who would be a good person to deal with) and ask the farmer to cut the hedges. He might also remove your muck heap if you have one and might also make hay for you. Usual is 50/50. If he makes it for his own use he will want to make a good job.
It would be very useful to be able to cross graze the horse(s) with the sheep to keep the pasture in good condition.

 

[Flame_]

I went from livery to a shared private yard.

I got a companion when I was there alone and he's also been brilliant for remaining independent when there are other people/ horses there.

I just looked on preloved. First mistake was faffing around with a little charity. I'd recommend just paying out the small price of a companion for sale and owning it. Mines a little legend

 

[milliepops]

when i moved my mare from livery to a field at home i arranged for her new mate to arrive on the same day. i couldn't bear the thought of having to deal with her being lonely

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Sheep sound like a good idea (as long as we can get one of the dogs to learn how to ignore them) - thanks

 

[laura_nash]

Mine was on his own for about 3 months when we first moved here and coped okay. It probably helped it was nice weather and we had loads of grass.

I have 8 acres and way too much grass, even when I was cutting hay. Our solution was a small herd of Dexter cows but it's a fair amount of work, and the paperwork! I didn't like having a local farmer graze the fields with his stock, but if you're less of a control freak it would probably make more sense.

We have an ancient MF35 tractor and its absolutely earned its keep. Its so much better if you can just do stuff when it's the perfect time rather than having to rely on getting people in. We've added stuff over time and now have a chain harrow, roller, spreader, and topper.

The harrow gets the most work, I don't poo pick any more (other than small areas) so we harrow a fair bit, followed by either resting or grazing with the cows. I can't really say how often, just whenever it fits in with the field rotations (ie when the horses are coming off a field for a while) and the weather is okay for it. The same with the topper really, we don't have a schedule or anything, just when it looks needed and the ground conditions are suitable.

We'd do less field maintenance if we stabled more and housed the cows in winter. Because we keep them all out there are always a couple of fields needing a good roll etc in spring.

 

[Bellaboo18]

when i moved my mare from livery to a field at home i arranged for her new mate to arrive on the same day. i couldn't bear the thought of having to deal with her being lonely

We've sold our house and are just negotiating on the house we'd like to buy. We plan on doing the above we'll have enough to worry about, I want the horses to settle ASAP!

Good luck with your exciting new chapter!

 

[J&S]

If you have not got a companion pony lined up I would start looking pronto! I moved my elderly mare and her small companion to our home together, during the first summer the small pony sadly had to be put to sleep. My elderly mare just about managed on her own but I could tell she wasnt happy. We asked and looked and begged and were let down and had our time wasted trying to find a friend for her through rescues and privately and we did not actually bring a companion home till November. Luckily this has been a great success but it did take time.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Eek!! Will start looking…

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

That sounds like its going to be far too much grass for most unridden companion ponies. I would look for something bigger that's not prone to excessive weight gain/laminitis. Unless you're able to ride and lead 3+ times a week.

In terms of logistics of moving, I would aim to move both horses on the same day, but maybe have them in adjacent fields, or have some electric tape up for a week or so.

 

[Ali27]

Wow! Sounds mega exciting! With that much acreage, how about setting up a track system round the edge. Put a wanted ad for companion pony on Facebook. I advertised for one when our old pony was advertised to be pts and I had one on loan initially and then bought her for £100 as old owner knew she would have home for life with us. I’ve got 4.6 acres and have way too much much grass for my two so farmer behind shoves sheep on periodically and they are fab for eating docks! I was going to get hay cut but decided against it as did hay a few years ago and it was too stressful finding someone to make it! Good luck and enjoy ??

 

[laura_nash]

I was going to get hay cut but decided against it as did hay a few years ago and it was too stressful finding someone to make it! Good luck and enjoy ??

Yes, this is partly why we decided to go the cattle route and stop making hay. We didn't have any difficulty finding someone, our neighbour did it, but it was still stressful. With our small acreage we always (understandably) ended up low priority when the weather was suitable.

 

[Orangehorse]

Yes, having your own cattle or sheep is good, so long as you find out how to keep them and do the paperwork - movement licences, cattle passports, etc. which are a legal requirement. Around here there are farmers who provide Paddock Services, who will come and do rolling, etc.

If you get someone to graze the land and you have a Grazing Agreement and find you don't like them, you can terminate the agreement. I know people have done that, if they think the land has been over-grazed, or they didn't like the way the animals were looked after.

 

[Jellymoon]

16 acres, wow! How exciting. The rescue centres would love you and you could maybe have a couple of youngsters that need feeding up and can live out all the time? Get them first, then move yours over. If he’s a chilled type, I wouldn’t worry too much.

 

[sunnyone]

16 acres? You will need to buy an old tractor and cutting deck of your own if the grass is good. We currently have 10 acres for 3 X 16hh horses and the weeds can get away from us! Each of our 3 paddocks need cutting at least twice a year, preferably 3 or 4. We rotate the paddocks on a monthly basis which leads to a serious reduction in hay consumption too. Paying a contractor to come out is not economically viable and he may not spot early signs of ragwort etc growth.

Water and shelter? Each paddock needs its own or to share with its immediate neighbour. Topping water up from a tap is so much easier than lugging jerricans around, and my horses don't often foul the shelters as they have favourite outside "going" areas. I also have inside and outside hay racks for each shelter so as the non-dominant horse gets its fair share.We did try a round feeder but it got stolen as it wasn't screwed to the ground!

Sheep? A good idea but do your research on the breeds available locally. We had Soays which were hardy but had serious ambitions to not do anything we wanted them to do. You also need to either only buy ewes or know where the nearest abattoir is as they can breed prolifically. Home reared does make them especially tasty though.

 

[Nudibranch]

You don't need to buy sheep, just offer the grazing to a farmer. You may even get your hay cut then as well. Seriously, if you have sheep on you really don't need to worry about cutting, harrowing, etc.

I have my own sheep and goats but they need a fair amount of input in terms of time (paperwork, etc) and you need annual vaccination, shearing, etc. If you do want sheep but not have to deal with lambing then a small flock of wethers (castrated males) are easily found.

 

[nagblagger]

Nfed have a couple of companions looking for homes..we will need pics

 

[Crugeran Celt]

Have you considered two minis as when you ride your horse the companion will left on its own. They are easy to keep and will make you smile every day. I bought my first one purely because my gelding was afraid to pass a field with minis in so got him his own, I have three now and he adores them.

 

[Orangehorse]

Don't have a shelter in each paddock. Have one shelter/stable and corral area, with a gate to each paddock, so you can just open a gate and let them into which paddock you want, and they will come up by themselves to the shelter/stable and you can keep them in the corral area overnight if wanted.

 

[HashRouge]

I'd also be offering grazing to a local farmer, as that will definitely help keep the grass down and keep up with weeds etc. You could potentially offer retirement livery, but just for two? That way you would get two companions and wouldn't need to worry about them being on their own. But obviously you might not want to have the responsibility of someone else's horse. This would be easy for me though - I'd love the opportunity to buy more horses! And if you're in Sussex, you can have my two oldies come and stay

 

[Ceriann]

Congrats! It’s brilliant having your own place but also lots of work! We have 10 acres and 3 horses - one is a BC companion. We use 12 rescue sheep to cross graze and keep grass down - this is great this time of year with grass coming through as I have fields that are nicely grazed by the sheep to move them to. The sheep aren’t as easy maintenance as you might imagine but are easier now they are older and well handled. We harrow, roll and reseed ourselves - we have a quad and a small tractor. We soil test to see what the land needs and spray docks etc as needed. We’ve spent a small fortune on fencing and put in our own yard but it’s how we want it so very happy with it. I wouldn’t rush into any big decisions yet - get a farmer to graze some of it (maybe in exchange for some maintenance services), see what parts you use and when and where might work for a yard/stables/shelter. I’ve finally settled on an all year round routine but that’s 6 years in! On the companion - I wouldn’t want mine on its own especially as used to company. Plenty of companion options out there - BC are good. Happy hunting.