Moving stables on a yard

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littlen

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Do you bother switching stables or are you just happy with the one your given?

I am on a very strange yard set up. I have been in my current stable for a year and its decent enough although ive been offered a 'better' stable and dont know whether to take it or not and if it actually makes a difference which stable your horse is in?

Yard is split into 3 sections.
It has 3 seperate indoor barns all of which are completely different.

I am in barn one. It is the most basic of barns and only has 4 good sized stables. They are open front so we do get wet in winter etc and its slightly colder than the indoor ones I would guess. We have no luxuaries except a tap.
Pros would be decent open stables, very quiet, plenty of storage for hay and straw, no theives or bitching.
Cons would be that there is no storage space for any other stuff. Anything else has to be kept in storage bins or boxes in stable and I am worried horse may get into it at some point (although in 2 years he hasnt yet!) It is also a little leaky and the taps freeze in winter.
Also his 3 field companions live in this barn with him so he is happy he can see them but then again he is very attatched to them so maybe it will do him good to get some time away from them? He is pretty settled there though.

I have been offered to move into barn 2 which is an indoor barn set up with 8 other liveries. The box itself is huge although seperated by bars so he would have to see neighbours all the time (might be good though?) He is not turned out with any of the horses so he might not settle?
Pros for me are that there is a huge amount of storage space to put tack etc. There are private locked tackrooms with space to put equipment, plus a seperate feed room and a seperate barn to put hay and straw. Stables are indoor so no mucking out in wet or leaky stables. Stables are bigger and there are more people to talk to. There is also a private tea room complete with kettle etc (good for winter maybe?!)
Cons are that theres more people so more chance of bitching/stuff going missing. Also horse will be seperated from companions overnight and might take longer to settle?
Also these stables are an extra £15 a month compared to my old ones.

Would you stay in the smaller basic one or move to the bigger one and risk getting involved in yard politics? Also is it really worth and extra £15 a month?
Do you think he would settle overnight if stabled without his companions?

I need to give an answer by the end of the day as YO is showing around potential new livery and I have first refusal, so anyone have any thoughts please as I cant decide either way!
 
I've moved stables within a yard. On my old yard I moved four times to get the stable I wanted in the long run. On my current yard I've moved once, again to get a better stable. Where do you think your horse will be happiest? My current stable comes with a much smaller tack locker but I moved because it was a much nicer stable for her to be in. All depends really.
 
I don't know, I think I'd probably move because the second barn does sound better, but I don't know about yard politics and stuff like that. I think the bars would be an advantage, I love them.

I was in a vaguely similar situation, when I first moved to my current yard we were put in the second barn and I didn't like it but I was finally moved after several months. However I was paying the same price and there is a huge difference in quality ('main' barn where they are now has got roomy stables full of light and extra windows, while the second barn had no windows at the back and was therefore much darker).
 
i think it depends on your horse's temperament most of all. if he's calm and doesn't get hassled by much, new stable with bars sounds great. but if he's the nervy type, i'd keep him where he is. I have bars between my stables and have had to put wooden boards up on 1 to make it absolutely 'private' because one mare HATES having other mare (who she lives with in field!) look at her when she's in her boudoir, needs her privacy...
If it won't bother him, i'd prob change, sounds nicer tbh.
but if it would bother him, could you get together with the other 3 in your barn and maybe improve it a little?! somewhere to make tea sounds nice... ;) ;)
 
See its difficult as I like the current barn. It is quiet and everyone is friendly however it is mainly used as the 'pony' barn and all ponies in there bar mine are peoples second horses, therefore nobody spends a great deal of time there and I do sometimes wish there was someone to say hello to while mucking out.
On the other hand it is quiet so there is no bitching or squabbling, and also no theiving peoples straw etc.

I would proberbly like the second barn providing everyone was nice, I have a few friends in there already who I ride with but then again there are one or two who I have not spoken too and they could be awful I dont know!

The appeal of a more secure storage area (no more lugging tack everywhere in boot of micra!) is whats swaying me. But I am not sure how horse will react stabled away from his friends. I will never know until I try it, he has never been stabled without them before so I will have to see.

The only other major con is the extra £15 -£16 a month which YO says is for better facilities (locked barns, water drinkers, tea room etc.) wheras other barn is pretty basic.
Basic barn does have everything I need just wish it had the storage space really (no way of altering it, its open front and YO cant and wont build anything more than is already there!

Once I move im stuck though as new livery will get which ever stable I dont choose.
 
I will definatley ask if thats possible.

He is over there regulally as I often tie him up in there while I wait for my friend to get ready so I can see him and he seems okay but I dont know what he would be like overnight.
I am sure with other horses he would settle although he has suffered with seperation anxiety before and I have managed to settle him enough to be able to come in/out without his friends and I dont know whether seperating them at night would be a good or bad thing?
He may become less dependant on them but then again he might start shouting and weaving agai I just dont know.
Also horse next door is a young excitable gelding and I have seen plenty of horses squabbling over the bars and dont want him stressed by them, but he might do better being able to see others?

I suppose I wont know until I try!
 
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