Moving House - When should I move the horses?

TeamWazz

TeamWazz

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 October 2011
Messages
54
Visit site
I'm moving house in a month and wondering when would be suitable to move the horses so thought I'd ask here hopefully getting people with moving experience! I've been on the yard I'm at since I got my first horse three years ago so have never had to move.

The aim is to get professional horse transporters (probably Eric Gillie) to transport both my two horses to their new yard (which is already arranged). Its about an hour / hour and a half's drive by horse lorry from where we are now. However I'm wondering when would be the best time to move them? May seem like a simple question but don't know if moving them before we move in, after we move in, or the day we move in, would be the most suitable. The reason I ask is because the yard I'm moving from is VERY relaxed, very do it yourself and no real involvement from the yard manager aside hay and equipment etc so I don't think I could leave them there past the date we move unless I want to create a lot of work for myself (I'm taking driving lessons but haven't passed yet so driving to them from our new house is out of the question). The yard I'm moving to has a full time and a part time staff member so they offer all livery types and are very flexible on helping with mucking out the first few days / first week. However I'd like to see them move.

Basically I'm wondering what your experience was of moving house and horse and how you managed it? And any tips / stuff you'd avoid doing? :)
 
Depends really, last time I was able to move them the same time as I moved house as everything was pretty organised and I didn't really have anyone to look after the horses.
Time before, I moved them before I moved house and due to delays with the sale, ended up driving a round trip of 100 miles daily for several weeks.

Neither are recommended.:o

As driving is an issue and the new yard has assisted livery, you're probably better to move them before you.
 
I would move the horses the day after you move.

You'll need to book your transporters well in advance though - especially if you are planning on using someone like Gillie's as they are involved with transportation of Olympic horses.
 
Move them before, moving house is stressful enough without adding stressing about your horse into it. Definitely dont do it the same day, we moved house 3 months ago & it was a nightmare trying to pack & find time to go & sort all the horses out as well. If id had your option i would have loved to had done that.
 
As you're only option for full livery is where you're moving too, I'd move them before you move, perhaps before the weekend before you move so you have time to finish off packing (well that'd be me!) and spend time down there so you can see them settled in and see if you can leave them on full livery for a week while you move & get yourself sorted. I'm sure it'd be really relaxing both for you & the horses to turn up and spend time with them just grooming and riding after you've moved w/o having to rush about mucking out and doing chores.
 
Dubsie said:
As you're only option for full livery is where you're moving too, I'd move them before you move, perhaps before the weekend before you move so you have time to finish off packing (well that'd be me!) and spend time down there so you can see them settled in and see if you can leave them on full livery for a week while you move & get yourself sorted. I'm sure it'd be really relaxing both for you & the horses to turn up and spend time with them just grooming and riding after you've moved w/o having to rush about mucking out and doing chores.
Click to expand...

100% this ^^ - good luck...
 
I would move them first. The only time I did this I moved out of the house I was in the same day but had to camp for a week before moving in. One of my horses was injured loading so it all went awry. We ended up getting to the other end without all our stuff. Calling out the vet, waiting for the vet then having to go back for more stuff then checking horses then booking into campsite rather late. Only moved 80 miles though.
 
If the new yard can look after them, then I would move them first. You can then concentrate on getting all their stuff organised, and finished with, before throwing yourself into your house move. Remember to take some of the hay/feed they are used to so they don't get a sudden change of diet. Presumably they will have their own field for a time so they can settle down and won't just be turned out into a whole new bunch of horses at the very start.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top