Moving to Aberdeen with my Horse (Livery + Questions)

[DappledDays]

Hello,
I am moving to Aberdeen come August with my horse, and am looking to find a good livery, as close to Aberdeen as possible, as well as some answers to a few questions since I am from out of country and therefore do not know the area or any people!
For the Livery, I am looking for under £400/month (keeping in mind at £400/month or similar I'd assume it was full livery, but do not need full livery depending on situation), hopefully something where (at least on week days) my horse can be fed & turned out with rugs changed if needed (I can do mucking myself in afternoons, but am at Uni and likely won't be able to be at the yard in the AM).

As for questions about the area:
-Who are the best/most reputable Show Jumping and Dressage trainers/coaches?
-Who are the best/most reputable farriers? (My horse is currently barefoot, so no specialty shoes etc. required)
-Are there any horse chiropractors or massage therapists in the area, and if so, who is best/most reputable?
-Is there anything I ought to know before moving my horse to Aberdeen? I'm grateful for any tips/help/advice!
Thanks!

 

[mossycup]

Welcome to the area

- lots of massage therapists/chiro in the area. Look at LP Equine Chiropractic and Tara Forrest
- lots of great trainers/coaches and visiting coaches as well. Eilidh Grant/Niamh Meehan/Jen Burnett/Sandra Low/Sally McCarthy are just a few.

Do you drive? Where in the city do you plan to live? The new awpr road makes getting around quicker but easier to make suggestions if we know where you're going to be staying

 

[DappledDays]

Thank you for the names/recommendations!
I do drive, however I am coming to the UK from another country so if I understand I will have to exchange my license for a UK one after 12 months, however, as I am classified as a young driver in the UK which seems to make my insurance quite high, and I am not sure I can afford this and a car while in school so I will be looking into this as well as public transports/bus routes etc. I have not yet selected an apartment/flat but am looking into the area surrounding the University of Aberdeen and downtown as this would be most convenient and I assume these have some decent bus routes for everyday conveniences?

 

[mossycup]

So there aren't a huge amount of yards that are accessible by bus. The old and new milltimber yards would be on the number 19 bus route and you could get on near the university. Sunnyside is another on the number 19 bus route, with a short walk up the hill in the suburb of Cults. Aberdeen Riding Club is on the 201/202 route with a mile walk from bus stop to the yard. Hayfield Riding School is in the city itself at Hazlehead Park but I'm not sure if they have livery spaces. Aberdeen Uni have a riding club so might be worth reaching out to them for information?

 

[High Hope]

I used to be on the new milltimber yard while relying on the buses.

I managed absolutely fine, except for in the winter when I was working past 5 o’clock and I really struggled to get there in time to take my horse in.

The field I was in wanted them in before I’d even finished work, and were pretty inflexible some nights. It was pretty stressful on occasion !

However, if your horse can live out all year I highly recommend both the yard and the facilities. Jimmy is a superstar (the yard owner).

 

[TPO]

I don't know the area but know of someone who moved to Aberdeen and liveries at Hogholme Stables. It's 15miles from the centre of Aberdeen according to google maps and that's the extent of my knowledge! The website looks really good and the person I know of does dressage to a high standard and I'm sure there are regular visiting trainers etc

 

[mossycup]

Hogholm is lovely, but inaccessible without a car as it's well in to the countryside