Moving to small private yard- experiences?

S

stubblet

Member
Joined
24 November 2011
Messages
26
Visit site
So i'm thinking of moving yards- current yard could be perfect but unfortunately yard manager has been sacked and the owner has no horse knowledge = recipe for disaster. Fields have been closed for the forseeable (meant to be all year t/o), cheap nasty hay been ordered in that they wont eat (inc. in livery), no-one knows what is going on from one day to the next... :(

Its a nice set up- american barn style with 9 horses, ok facilities, ok hacking and 1 mile from my house... as i said could be perfect!

Yard i am considering is private (owner lives on site)- would just be me, owner's 2 horses and another livery. Nice menage, nice all year t/o, great hacking and close to a xc course and yard where shows are held (could ride there- i dont have transport)

My only worry is that my girl (rising 4 ex-racehorse) wont settle with there being fewer horses, and would it be a good idea to be on such a small yard with a youngster...although having been a racehorse she has already seen a lot, been to shows etc...

I am tempted to give it a go- just wondered if anyone had made a similar move?
 
I loved from a big yard with loads of facilities and 50 plus horses to a little yard, just me and my friend. I have less facilities but I love it. Peaceful and stress free.

One of mine loved the busy yard. He's very nosey and loved and the commotion etc. He has settled very well and is a laid back soul now.

I considered moving back to a livery yard recently, but in the end I am. We have unlimited turnout (they are all out 24/7 now) and I just can't give that up when the horses are so happy and settled.
 
Oh god do it :-)

I moved my guys to a small private yard much like you describe. My old TB was retired and actually I got my mare from racing and she moved straight to the small yard. She settled perfectly well. I loved putting my stuff down and it still being there when I got back, spending hours with my horses without the constant soap opera of a yard with other liveries, I could always get in the school, my fields never got ruined..........
It was hard work as with so few of us you couldn't just ring and say you were running late and get the "staff" to do them although we did all help each other when possible and also chores (raking the school, creosoting the fences, sweeping out the hay barn, managing hay deliveries etc) had to be shared by all.

Sadly the yard I was at was being put up for sale along with the house as the owner was retiring and downsizing and so we had to move. I'm now on a very nice yard with 60+ horses and great facilities. The YM is great but the YO is a muppet with money, the other liveries occasionally make my brain bleed and the school is rarely free.

Horses have settled just as well and my girl from racing does seem to enjoy a larger yard but she never seemed unhappy where we were before. I think with slightly better hacking etc I'm just able to vary her routine a bit more.

Good luck if you decide to go for it - I'd cut an arm off to get out of the livery yard scene ahain :-)
 
Our ex-racer is considerably more settled on a yard with a very set day to day routine where it's just my sister/ mum doing everything. It's a yard of 7 horses, and we're the only people on it (aside from the owner, but my sister is her groom) and the quiet, calm atmosphere where he's very secure in what's going on has completely chilled him out. Our other one who was in training, who loved being on a big pro's yard (one of 25 horses, very busy, limited t/o) and spent most of his time gossiping of sleeping, has settled back into the very quiet of home almost instantly...
 
I think it is worth a go!

I was in a sort of similar situation. I was in a huge DIY yard, there was no manager and poor management/maintenance of fields. Owner seemed to want the money but not much of the responsibility and took a back seat in the running of his yard.

I moved to a small yard a year ago (not quite as small as the one you are planning on going to) and the difference in my horse is very noticeable. She is much calmer and laid back, much more willing too. She is very settled in her little herd of 4 and the horses in the other herd of 5 are quite happy too. Things don't change whereas at the last yard the horses in the field were changing every day and new horses came and went quite frequently too and I think for some horses that was a bit worrying for them. There is just enough going on for my nosy horse to be interested but not too much to upset her and there's fewer people which is good as she isn't particularly trusting and I think so many people under one roof was just a bit too much for her. I think she is the happiest she has ever been :)
 
Thanks guys, sounds positive then :) I am going back there tomorrow and am pretty sure i will go for it

Owner at the private yard seems very nice and willing to help t/o, bring in, feed etc- esp during the winter which is a great help as i work full time..

My girl is a very chilled (like me!) so i *hope* she will settle ok. Good to hear your ex racers have.

I will definitely be glad to leave the livery soap opera behind, the amount of yard manager sackings/ arguments/ gossipping/ bitching over the last year is enough to write a book about.. i fact i think i might! ;)
 
I have recently moved off a big riding school/livery yard with 60+ horses, indoor/outdoor, lunge pen, all year turn out (although it was aweful) to my own house with 4 acres. We have 4 horses living here and use an outdoor menage 5 minutes down the road.
It is the best thing I've ever done.
I have a very stressy TB gelding who has chilled over night. I think we think they like busy, but actually they don't. My boy is turnned out at night with a native friend and come in during the day when my girls go out. He would previously weave all the time which has now more or less stopped. I haven't seen him weave in 8 days now. He can always see another horse but overall its quite, he actually dozes in his stable and isn't wired all the time.
I can't say I miss anything. I have great hacking and a school which is a "warm up" ride away which my instructor lets me use 4 times a week for £30. (although I've not used it yet). Everyone who has come has commented on how nice and peaceful the horses are and then there is the yard politics!!!!! I have non, no bitching, being able to do what I want without prying eyes.
My horses were on full livery yet I left the yard stinking off piss all the time. I now go to tesco after mucking out and all I've got to do is change my coat and wash my hands, it's lovely not to have to be decontaminated.

DO IT!!!!! best thing you'll ever do!!!
 
I was on a yard with around 30 liveries years ago. It was good apart from there were times when getting in the school was difficult due to number wanting it. Unfortunately YO had marital problems & he turned to his best mate 'Johnny Walker' & things went down hill so we moved.

Next yard was smaller, about 17 liveries & was there for almost 3 years. It was a very bitchy yard. It was more a social club, people sat around drinking tea & gossiping. There was very little riding goind on & if you spent plenty of time with your horse you were considered obsessive. We eventually moved to where we are now.

New yard, well we've been there 3 years now, is a piece of paradise. We are at a private yard at YO's home. There is YO's horse, our 2 & a lovely retired horse. We have good sized brick stables, an arena that never freezes or gets water logged. There is 10 acres of paddocks, parking for the lorry & everything is wonderful. YO & husband are lovely people & we consider it is a privilege to be there.

Everyone works, there is no groom so it is diy which won't suit everyone. We help each other when we can. I accept that not all private yards will be like ours but if you can find one then you must go for it! :)
 
Last edited:
Fields closed...nasty hay, your present yard sounds like a yard I used to be at ; )

I moved to a quiet yard last. The boy took a while to settle, but he is so chilled out these days. I've had him 10 years and this is by far the best yard for him. You wont know till you try!
 
Personally, I moved from a private yard of five horses to a big livery yard of 40+, and my exracer has been a different horse!! So much more settled with lots to watch and see. He's much more settled at comps etc as used to being surrounded by other horses now that he doesn't know. I miss having more control over little things like field companions etc but all in all were much happier on the big yard.

However, different horses like different things. Mine likes lots of mental stimulation, so the busyness suits him. I personally miss having the school to myself, and the better hacking, and being able to manage exactly as I want, but how happy he is here has made a huge difference to our partnership so I wouldn't ever go back to a small yard now!!!
 
Hmmm i guess i will have to give it a go and see how it goes as i cant stay where i am with things the way they are.

There are other bigger livery yards around, so if worse comes to worst and she hates it i will have to move again! I've only had her at this yard which is smallish anyway- 9 horses, so wont be TOO much of a change. I dont think she loves the present barn arrangement (bars between stables, so no privacy) and is constantly wound up by her horsey neighbour. New place is large traditional brick stables in an L shape so she will still be able to see the others but not be 'on show' all the time!
 
I'm at a private yard now, with two other liveries, and the lovely elderly owner living on site. I have honestly never been happier ! And Shy loves it too, he is so much more settled.
 
Do it :D

I moved Ned from a small, but extremely busy yard. I LOVED IT! The people were so kind and helpful and it was really friendly.
Sadly, Ned decided it wasn't for him and ran away, so I couldn't stay there. Ned is a funny one though and had he been a normal horse, I'm sure we'd still be there now!!
 
I say go for it, I doubt you will regret it. Although I've just moved to a busy yard I brought my horse and got offered livery at a small private yard first where I kept him up until three weeks ago. It was just the owner who lived there with a few sharers for her horses and myself as the only livery. We had such a laugh and it was always so relaxed, friendly and just fun really :)

I dont regret moving and as I hacked to where I am now I am looking forward to the brighter weather when I can hack back that way and we can all hack out together like we used to :)
 
Made a similar myself and my horse and myself have never been happier and more content than where we are now. Stress free and so great to be around my boy at the end of the day with no moaning and groaning coming from anyone else....ahhhhh,..it's heaven and i'm so totally chilled now when i get home at the end of a long day.

Private yard, owners on site, they have quite a few of their own horses of all ages from foals to the retired bunch. We have a lovely stable block purposely built in it's own area for the liveries (3 of us), complete with it's own hose pipe, water source, concreted tying up area, tack room and storage room too...it's bliss. Never have trouble using the school all through the year, lovely grass arena to use in summer to school in and housing a complete show jumping course, a horse walker, all year turnout. Great country hacking too.

Stables are lovely, built with plenty of fresh air flow coming through above (built by Agric firm) with sliding wooden windows at the back of the stable too if i want him to have it open,...which is lovely to do in Summer time when he's in off the grass during the day.

I can also bring my own hay and bedding onto the yard too without any upset..!

It's your decision........but it's the best decision i've ever made for me and my boy...without a doubt.
 
Last edited:
That was one of my worries at first, but the owner doesnt hack out at the moment (had a bad incident in the summe & lost confidence) and not competing, and one of hers is retired so doesn't go anywhere :)
 
Moved to a very similar set up to what you describe in oct .. So so glad i did, best descion i ever made :) enough people there to ensure im not lonely but also alot of the time i have the yard to myself .. Best of both worlds really! My mare is treated as one if the family rather than a livery so is the happiest and most settled I've ever seen her!
 
Best move i made was to move my guys to my own small private place. The last place looked promising it was DIY but was run by someone who knew nothing about horses and still tried to tell is how and what to do to care for them, one example being we could use the same water for a week to soak our haynets, that gem among many other stupid things they wanted us to do made me vote with my feet, and when i gave my months notice because of all the issues, they gave me a week to leave ..... No problem, i left that day :-) and ive never looked back, whats for you wont go past you op
 
Whilst slightly different I moved from a biggish livery yard to a small yard with just 4 horses.
Personally I don't like it so much because it's just me there but you have the advantage of a few others around.
As for my ex racer it was the best move ever. He's far more chilled and relaxed- the only thing I would say is just make sure (if it would be a issue for your mare) that being a little yard they don't all go for a group hack or something on for eg a Saturday when you work! Big yards do mean horses never get left alone but little yards can have that problem.
Otherwise go for it without a doubt
 
To me that would have been heaven for me and lass. I was on a big diy yard. First years were good. then standards of maintenance went down hill and so did standard of liveries (please guys not snobbish remark but trust me you had to watch everything ). For last couple of years kept myself to self being civil but only talking to a couple of people. Go for it try it you may find your will like it :) x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top