NW London/Herts: Full Livery Yard With Good Riders To Exercise Horse?

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flower549

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Help! I hope someone can advise me.

My work situation is changing unavoidably and I will not be able to get to see my horse as regularly as I do now.

I will need to move her to a full livery yard - preferably with BHS-qualified staff - where the care is excellent and they do thorough GROOMING and professional EXERCISING.

I don't need Carl Hester or John Whitaker (unless they're at a loose end!) but I do need somewhere with capable and sympathetic riders, who are happy to school, hack and pop her over some jumps / a cross country course, to keep her fit and happy.

Other essentials are:

* Turnout EVERY day, for at least a couple of hours
* Post and rail fencing
* Stable at least 12 x 12, with good natural light (or she gets depressed)
* School with a good surface and lighting in the evening
* Lots of secure storage for her extensive wardrobe.....
* A horse walker would be nice
* Somewhere warm to sit with a cup of tea would be lovely!


I've asked my friends an acquaintances for recommendations and heard a lot of horror stories, which has frightened me a little!

It's just opinion and no slur intended on the yards below, but from the feedback I've been given, the following yards would seem not to be suitable for my personal situation: Wild Farm, Houndswood, Mote End, Trent Park, Elle-Dani Farm, Nicholl Farm, Patchetts, Netherwylde, Frith, LEC. Any feedback on their grooming, exercising and general level of care would still be interesting to hear, as things do change.

Yards that came highly recommended include South Medburn and Hill Farm, so I would be really interested to hear of anyone's experience of these, as they sound very promising, plus any others that you can recommend, particuarly for grooming and exercising.

I did look at Littlebourne, but they didn't seem able to provide regular exercising.

Sadly, I will need to move fairly soon, so places that might have vacancies would be particularly useful!

I guess Full Livery Prices would also be helpful.

Please PM me, if that would be easier.

I am desperate to find somewhere where they are knowledgeable and really care about the horses, so I know she'll be properly looked after and given some love when I can't be with her.

Many thanks!
 
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BBH

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Crikey seems most around there are ruled out.

I have been on several of the yards mentioned and its very hard to find exactly what is required, I think it may be case of compromise.
 
HotToTrot

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Hi, Lee Valley may be worth a look. Fits your criteria, apart from the three week quarantine period when they first arrive and aren't turned out! They have a former GP rider who can exercise and also their instructors will ride.
 
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flower549

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It's a shame that Carl Hester and John Whitaker aren't more local - I'm sure we'd make them welcome! :-D

Thank you all so much for the ideas - there were a few I hadn't thought of.

Jonathan Chapman's yard looks possible:

http://chapmanequestrian.co.uk

but is a little expensive - £870 per month to include exercise, or £1020 if Jonathan rides the horse - gulp! It is certainly worth an enquiry, though, so thank you!

I know he's successful, but I have never seen Jonathan ride. If he's quiet and sympathetic, then my horse would blossom, but if he's a bit forceful, then she'd get all stressed and he wouldn't enjoy her. Does anyone know his style?


Coursers - the stables are a little dark and unfortunately outside instructors are not permitted - but the cross country used to be fab - haven't been up there for a while.


www.threshersequestrian.co.uk

This looks lovely on the website and it's great to get a personal recommendation, but it is a good 90 minutes' drive each way from both work and home. My time is going to be limited, so I would rather be spending as much time as possible with my girl, rather than in the car back and forth to get to the yard. Shame!


Lee Valley

Again, just too far and a nightmare if the M25 had any problems. I had friends that used to be senior instructors on the yard, so it was a great suggestion, thank you.



http://www.crosslanesfarm.org

This also looks like a great yard, but a similar problem with distance. It is probably an easier journey, though, with a few alternative routes if there were any traffic problems, so I will definitely contact them, to see if they have any vacancies. Any idea how much full livery would be there?


South Medburn

This is certainly the nearest yard to me - about half an hour, so more quality time to spend with my horse!

Livery is about £844 per month, if the horse is on shavings.


If anyone has any first-hand experiences of being a livery at South Medburn, Cross Lanes or Jonathan Chapman's yard, they sound like the ones that may suit my horse best.

Please PM me, if you'd rather discuss it in private.


I agree, it's all a matter of compromise, but when you're paying nearly £900 a month for livery, it's not unreasonable to expect suitable facilities and certain level of care for your horse.

Thank you all, so much.

Now I just need to win the Lottery....
 
SpottedCat

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I've seen Jonathan out and about competing and wouldn't hesitate to have him ride a horse of mine - nice sympathetic rider from what I've seen. Nice person too.
 
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BILLSMUM

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Hi I am new on here having discovered this forum whilst off work with a chest infection. I have experience of both South Medburn and Jonathan Chapman. On the whole both are excellent. SM has fantastic facilities(indoor and outdoor schools) the best feed bedding etc. You get a groom who is assigned to your horse and some of the good ones are really good and absolutely dedicated. You might get the odd one who is new and perhaps only at the stage one stage but they are supervised. In my experience if there were any niggles these would be dealt with by the Yard owners/manager. The downside would be the turnout which is excellent in the summer (although not usually for more than half a day at a time) but in the winter it is poor and sometimes absolutely non-existant other than for those horses who have medical conditions requiring turnout. That said they are on clay and the ground gets horrible. You would also need to have a clear agreement about what exercise you want them to do. If your groom does it it will often be a a 20 minute hack around their own fiields (summer only) or 20 minutes in the school. If you want proper schooling sessions you would need to organise this and probably pay extra. The horses are always groomed and well fed and your tack cleaned.

JC is lovely. He is very firm with a horse when he needs to be but never rough or unkind to my observation. He genuinely likes horses and is really supportive as a trainer whether you are on a hairy cob or a top eventer. His yard is lovely and quiet with some great hacking. There is no indoor school but the outdoor school is large and sheltered. The turnout is year round and is well looked after. Feed hay etc all really goodand large stables.

Personally if I was looking then JC would be my choice becasue of the peace and quiet and becasue I am not that bothered about having an indoor. It is a much smaller yard. You also need to bear in mind that SM has a busy (and very good) riding school so you do get pony weeks etc during school holidays.

I am not at either yard so no axe to grind in short both are really good but in reality they are very different and you would need to see what works for you. Good Luck!
 
criso

criso

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Hill Farm is near where I am and I've always heard good things about it. A friend shares a horse there and someone else I know who used to ride a horse on our yard keeps her horse there after moving from Mote End and Houndswood and she would certainly recommend it after bad experiences on other yards.
I think their livery is £620.

There's usually a waiting list though.

The other one near there is Little Munden in Brickett wood, I don't know anyone there but I ride past and their fields look well maintained and they have a lovely big school.
 
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SO1

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I had a friend who moved to cross lanes from our yard as she wanted individual turnout and she really liked it. I have had a lesson there through the riding club and the lady teaching was very good. Some people also have lessons there through pony club.

I think part livery there is about £450 but they might have put their prices up, then on top of that you would have to pay extra for riding and I don't know how much they charge but I imagine it might be quite a bit if you having your horse ridden by a professional who rides at high level as opposed to being exercised by a groom or work rider. I think I paid £22 for a semi private dressage lesson there and that was subsidized by the RC so I think if you want your horse schooled for you it will be expensive.
 
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unbalanced

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I'm just wondering, have you crossed off many of the yards on your list because you're not happy with how they would exercise your horse? And in that case, would it be an option to bring in your own instructor to ride for you on the days you wouldn't be riding and have the yard just provide regular full livery? That way you might get more choice of yards nearer to you so more time with your horse and a bit of compromise that way.
I am in the area but sorry no help with yards as all the ones I've been on are on your crossed off list or are just DIY.
 
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