New yard move - going to a bigger yard

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JCbruce

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Has anyone ever gone from a small yard to a bigger yard.

I posted this not very long ago but my horse has been on this yard for 2 years is super happy and it has good facilities but I'm the only livery and I'm finding it super lonely. I'm always asking if people want to hack or go on fun rides/jump sessions but they do their own things so I never see anyone. I have tried finding hacking friends in the area but there are none. I am part of the RC so do some clinics.

I am going to see a yard this week for a much bigger yard with amazing facilities and more liveries. An extra £86 a months and a 5 min long drive. I'm worried my horse will be unsettled if I move him, he's so happy.

Has anyone moved for similar reasons and it was the best thing you did?
 
I think, if I were you that I'd hold off moving until spring if you can. We're getting into the hardest part of the year, weather and light(time!) wise and big yards tend to have a lot more restrictions during winter, more pressure on facilities and a lot more fallings out between liveries.

Especially if you are not sure that your horse will settle, you might struggle to go back or find a more suitable yard at that time of year? I say this as a very fair weather rider though, I used to rough mine off during winter. If the weather was nice, they might have a hack during Christmas week but other than that, they'd do nothing from October to March...
 
I have enjoyed big yards but ask what turnout times / restrictions are like. You can generally find some people you like and some you don't. Good facilities makes a huge difference in winter when weather is crp. Especially if there's a semblance of some kind of indoor space to ride.
 
cbmcts said:
I think, if I were you that I'd hold off moving until spring if you can. We're getting into the hardest part of the year, weather and light(time!) wise and big yards tend to have a lot more restrictions during winter, more pressure on facilities and a lot more fallings out between liveries.

Especially if you are not sure that your horse will settle, you might struggle to go back or find a more suitable yard at that time of year? I say this as a very fair weather rider though, I used to rough mine off during winter. If the weather was nice, they might have a hack during Christmas week but other than that, they'd do nothing from October to March...
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They have an indoor school ;)
 
Is wanting to ride with others your only reason for moving?

There are 50 horses on my yard, probably less 10 are ridden (including my 3!) and it does not work well for anyone wanting company to ride. Do ask about it, whether people hack out or box out much, and what sorts of times. You may find that they're all school based or daytime riders.

I hope you get it sorted. I recommend buying your significant other a horse.
 
It's a tricky one - I've been on several big yards and they vary greatly. One I hated with a passion, as did my pony. We were only there about 5 weeks before we returned to our muddy field livery. The last yard I was on though I absolutely adored. Though big, everyone got on, was supportive, there were always people to ride with but nobody interfered. It was brilliant and I really miss the camaraderie.

If you can find a big yard filled with like-minded people then it's brilliant but get it wrong and it's hideous. Is there any way you could make a few unannounced visits to the prospective yard to get a feel of the place? You can tell a lot by how the existing liveries interact, how happy the horses are and how people treat you when you turn up unexpectedly. You could always pretend to be just passing by and decided to drop in and clarify something (deposit/turnout/preferred bedding/whatever) prior to moving if you are challenged about why you're there. Of course if you're met with an aggressive or unfriendly greeting, it probably means you wouldn't want to move there anyway.
 
I did exactly that, but only because the small yard I was at had an issue in the grazing giving everything liver damage.

It’s like on extreme to the other.. a LOT of people! I went from a yard of 4 liveries to one with over 40.. Yes there are people to ride with but it’s not that straight forward, some of the horses (and owners) can be difficult, booking the arena is hard work. It can take forever to get anything done as people want to stop and talk for hours, I started wearing headphones so I can get on.

It’s MANIC at busy times, as in, hard to park. It can also be bitchy sometimes.. I try and stay out of it.

I wish I could go back to the much smaller, quieter yard. It could be lonely at times, but I’d go out for group lessons, meet friends for hacks and I liked that.
My horse settled on both as they had 24/7 turnout.

It’s more difficult to get a space on a smaller yard than a bigger one. Unless you do a months trial at the big yard and keep your stable at the smaller yard just incase.
 
kaiserchief said:
Is there any way you could make a few unannounced visits to the prospective yard to get a feel of the place? You can tell a lot by how the existing liveries interact, how happy the horses are and how people treat you when you turn up unexpectedly. You could always pretend to be just passing by and decided to drop in and clarify something (deposit/turnout/preferred bedding/whatever) prior to moving if you are challenged about why you're there. Of course if you're met with an aggressive or unfriendly greeting, it probably means you wouldn't want to move there anyway.
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As the YO of a much smaller yard I'd be a bit peeved if someone did this especially more than once. I might just be there at that point to ride my own or do a couple of quick jobs in between work calls and not have time to 'host' someone popping in unannounced.

Sure I would be polite but I'd prefer them not to (and yes might wonder to myself if they are going to be high maintenance as a livery). Might be different if it is somewhere with fulltime staff but even then they'll have stuff to do.
 
I wouldn't suggest doing it at a small yard but at a big 40+ horse yard the chances are that someone will be there, even if it isn't the yard owner, and the way on which that person engaged with a potential new livery would be indicative of the ambience of the place in my opinion.
 
Moved to big yard but barns quite separate and horse settled fine. . You would definitely need to sound out if there are other people who would want to ride with you, do similar things, etc just because it’s a big yard doesn’t mean to say they would be.
 
Ask lots of questions when you visit! Just check what the majority of people on the yard like to do. If they are out competing every weekend or only want to go on fast hacks for training and this isn't what you like, then you might not be any better off and even feel left out. Also check how it operates. On some large yards I have found that they don't like to personnalise the way your horse is cared for (for example, at mine they impose a certain farrier and vet and you have to use their hay and bedding). The booking of the arena is also a valid point, especially in winter when the days are short. Check they have enough facilities. For example, we only have space to tie up six horses at any one time (there are 35 in total), so if I arrive and it is full I have to wait until there is space to bring mine in and get him ready. If your horse is stabled with or without turnout, check they have enough staff to manage it and how long they can go out for. When I put mine out on the weekend in winter (they do it in the week) I have to put out all of the group out and bring them in, which takes some time and is a responsibility. Also, certain turn out areas are closed in the winter so they are all out in the same space, which means I have to organise with others what time I put mine out.

But if it fits your way of doing it is nice to have a buzzy atmosphere and often activities organised. And there are always people to help with things and chat to. Sometimes they also organise the osteopath, dentist etc to come for everyone, which is interesting price wise.
 
I moved from a yard with one other livery (but the owner was a dealer/hoarder) to a yard that has about 90 horses. It's never too busy, it's not bitchy (most people mind their own business), the facilities are amazing and all three horses settled like an absolute dream. Best decision I ever made so would highly recommend it!
 
I made the same move and was worried. I needn't have been tho as me and my horse loved it. Its amazing how you can hide amongst people and if youre not feeling too chatty, no one even notices. If you feel anti social on a small yard, people notice. There are pros and cons to large yards but my own experience of one was surprisingly good.
 
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