Moving Horse to Full Livery for Winter - Always Kept At Home

Vixxy

Vixxy

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 July 2007
Messages
1,265
Location
Norway
Visit site
I am considering moving my horse onto full livery for the Winter. A number of reasons, access to an indoor (20-40 minus and 50 cm of snow Nov to May in Norway), my health (I have arthritis) and also I know I shall be having a few business trips this Winter. Thing is I have always kept my horses at home since I was a child and then throughout adult years at our own farm.

Full livery sounds appealing but I am worried about the lack of control over my horse, having people always around (however I can go in quiet times as I work for myself), I have a HUGE tack and feed room full :o How do people manage with a small tack locker lol, I have 3 saddles? :eek:

I am trying to tell myself the hot wash and solarium, indoor hall, heated everything and the fact I will spend more quality time with my horse than just all the leg work will be a positive thing as I am a very busy wife, mother and business woman. Also having lessons there on him and the ease to do some training shows with him there as he is just a baby (4 years) would be great experience for him.

I am just very anxious about it all, my husband really wants me to do it, I think I want to but feel odd about it. If you have a horse on full livery what are the good and bad points of it? In my position what would you do?

Please excuse my ramblings I am a Coeliac and am full up with gluten (a bit confused), hot choc or a morning tea for those that have read and followed so far :D xxx
 
Can you arrange to have a week or so's trial run to see if you find it acceptable? Even if you find the standard of care for him acceptable but don't like others being so involved on a day to day basis it solves problems for business trips. If you find it makes life easier for you and you enjoy being there with more people (the facilities sound amazing) then leave him there for as long as it is helpful.
 
Good Points
Your horse is taken care of for you
Great socalizing for your horse
Indoor ring is great

Bad points
When I did it, my horse missed me and let me know it
I didn't have control over how my horse was treated when I wasn't there
It's not the same as actually having a horse

But
If you are only doing it for the winter it's a good option if you are arthritic or have to travel
 
I am thinking to make it the whole Winter as I really want to continue bringing him on as I have only just begun backing him and already we are fighting the weather. I was thinking to have him at home again for Spring/Summer 2011. My husband said to try it and if I don't like having him there to bring him home. I think my OH is mostly worried about my health in very harsh conditions here. I am just used to having my horse outside my office window and in the stables next to the house to cuddle or have a cuppa with at night. I must admit in Winter it would be a relief not to have to put on the standard brave face and do all the hard work when I am ill in the harshest of climates. That way I would be more fit and able for ridden work, grooming and fussing rather than bed ridden and OH having to muck out and that stuff when I have over done it.

I am sure I am just being silly about it and I will enjoy the quality time with him, sounds odd but I feel like I am abandoning him :o Most of the larger Norwegian equestrian centres have hot washes/solariums, heated everything and indoor halls due to the very harsh climates.
 
I think given your health issues it might be a very good idea for just a few months. It would certainly take the pressure off you & help while you are running round with the buisness & your family.
if it doesn't work out you can always bring him home again. It doesn't have to be forever :D

ps You hubby sounds lovely!
 
My husband is such a gem, he is from 200 years of farming within his family and with that comes his patient, caring nature :) He does love taking care of the horses with me but he also knows me trying to lunge/ride each day in snow and ice is not easy on me. I also would like Mr Darcy my horse in a busier environment for his educations sake. Mr Darcy is very becoming increasingly clingy to our ageing Welsh A Rose, I think being on a larger centre would help him become more confident. Our Welsh A Rose will continue to stay at home as she prefers her own company and a quiet life, she is no bother to take care of and is now more the farm mascot than worked lol. So I would have one little one at home to fuss :)
 
It wouldn't do him any harm to meet & socialise & possibly work with other horses around. Good for his development. Then if you want to take him to shows next year he will be used to a busier atmosphere (sorry don't know if that is what your plan is), but is will help him learn to work through other distractions.
Yay for fabby husband :)
 
That's exactly what I was thinking ;) I am sure it would do him the world of good preparing him for shows next Summer and thereafter. Our farm is very quiet just having the two and I can already see his dependency on Rose is going to cause problems in the long run. It is just so hard at the thought of letting him go, so silly I know but I am a sentimental fool. I shall miss him an awful lot as I spend so many hours around him everyday but I think the benefits far outweigh the negatives. It will be very strange driving to go and see him, worrying if the grooms are rugging him properly and handling him in a firm but fair way insisting on manners as I do. My imagination runs away with me thinking what if he turns into an unruly, bolshy horse or what if they are too harsh and he becomes head shy. Yes I am that control freak :o

I also know the turn out in Winter on livery yards is very limited, he is used to being out from around 7am through til around 10pm on a decent sized paddock with hay thrown in every 3-4 hours. Life for him there will be very different, but then I think to myself well the other horses there survive.Ohhh how I fuss :rolleyes:
 
I’m sure once you get him there & get him settled & reassure yourself that all is ok with the way they are looking after him you will feel a lot happier. At the end of the day if you don’t like what they are doing you can tell them or vote with your feet. You are lucky that you are not totally dependent on them.

I’m sure it will do his education the power of good.
Good luck & keep us posted how you get on
xx
 
I think it will do him a lot of good, his education can continue and you'll be able to bering him home in the spring both ready to go onwards and upwards (as opposed to the alternative which I guess is a much slower rate of progress, frustration about the weather and a hard slog if you are ill). Is it easy to get to the yard? If so then the time you would have spent doing the hard work will just be replaced with driving time so apart from not having him around 24/7 you won't be missing out on horse time.

If it turns out you don't like the way the livery yard manages him, YOU are the paying customer and I can't imagine you would be backwards in coming forwards if you thought they weren't doing him the way you wanted LOL.

Hope it works out!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top