Oh, how I love having my horses at home.....

nikicb

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I know I am lucky, but it's wonderful. Sometimes I change their rugs when they come in, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I groom them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I ride them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I am absolutely anal about sweeping up after myself and them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I just spend a lot of time talking to my horses, or sitting near them watching the sun rise or set. And I rarely have to make small talk with someone I don't want to. I repeat, I know I am lucky. I had to wait until I was in my late 40s to do this, and it is probably one of the only dreams I have had since a small girl that has always endured, and I am now there. And shortly I will be off to do one of the best jobs of the day. Late night checks/hay/water. And of course pony kisses. I know this is a very self indulgent post, but sometimes it is good to show appreciation for what we have and not be hankering after more. xx
 

nikicb

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We love having them at home too, except for the constant maintenance. .

Over 13 years now :)

Fiona

Five years for me, but the novelty still hasn't worn off. I was prompted to post this reading various posts about people worrying what they should be doing and being judged by others. Happy days. Other than when it is peeing down with rain and we are slopping through mud. But at least it is our own mud I guess. ;) x
 

Asha

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Congratulations, it really is bliss isn't it.

One of my favourite things is when I get up in the morning, the horses hear me fumbling around and start to whinny. I step out of my kitchen door and there they are. Me in my pjs and boots feeding them breakfast.

Like you, we've had to wait until our forties to get this, definitely worth all the hard work .
 

MotherOfChickens

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I know I am lucky, but it's wonderful. Sometimes I change their rugs when they come in, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I groom them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I ride them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I am absolutely anal about sweeping up after myself and them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I just spend a lot of time talking to my horses, or sitting near them watching the sun rise or set. And I rarely have to make small talk with someone I don't want to. I repeat, I know I am lucky. I had to wait until I was in my late 40s to do this, and it is probably one of the only dreams I have had since a small girl that has always endured, and I am now there. And shortly I will be off to do one of the best jobs of the day. Late night checks/hay/water. And of course pony kisses. I know this is a very self indulgent post, but sometimes it is good to show appreciation for what we have and not be hankering after more. xx

its fab isn't it :) I just bought a lorry last year and was thinking the other day how lucky I am.

off to skip out-in pjs and overalls!
 

TGM

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Agree! Nearly twenty years on, I still love having them outside my back door. I can have them in or out just as I please, can use the school for lungeing, loose schooling and turnout if I want to. They can have whatever feed, hay or haylage I want them to have. And yes I can pop out whenever I like to check them or just give them a stroke, kiss or cuddle.
 

Fun Times

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Ha ha, I am the opposite. Grew up having horses at home for over fifteen years. Now at livery and no going back for me. I am very very lucky with my livery yard and fellow liveries though, we are like a big family.
 

Enfys

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I would not have horses if I couldn't have them at home. The pros far outweigh the cons as far as I am concerned.
 

Jojo_Pea4

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I dont have mine at home but would love to one day but moved my two to a private house and its bliss just having my two there and no other people as you said you can do what you want when you want and somedays you do things one way and tomorrow you could do them a different way.
 

nicolenlolly

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I too am super lucky, I love having them at home. Everyone thinks I'm mad cos I muck out at about 9.30/10 but I think it's perfect, they are less likely to be without food for a long time and at least when it's muddy, this children are in bed, out the way and it can just get on with it! The thing I love the most and look forward to is in the summer, when you want a lazy day, you can just leave them out...for a couple of days or more if you really want although mine won't allow it, the queue up waiting to come in!! I do agree though, I under estimated how much maintenance would be involved.
 

alwaysbroke

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Incredibly lucky to have moved to our own place a few months ago, love having the horses outside the back door and not having to answer to anyone. Moved here with the idea of running a small livery yard, but now feeling rather selfish and want to keep the yard for private use, then again planners, this horrendous weather and stories of nightmare liveries who moved into the livery yard we left have helped us change our minds!
 

YorksG

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We've had ours at home for just over twenty years and could not go back to livery! We made some sacrifices to do it, but they were worth it. I have just come back in after last hay round, the Appy has had her poultice (foot abcsess) changed, and all content for the night :) Maintenace is always ongoing, but we have had a tractor for about three years, whoo brilliant :D We also got a lorry at the same time and now have just about everything we dreamed of as kids and now sis and I both only work part-time, the time to enjoy it :D
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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V envious of you nickicb, I have same as you, but I dont live there & will never get planning to do so :( all other respects are same as its my own piece of gods country tho :)
No interfering from others, just mine, can put them where I like, sit for hours etc, just cannot pop out the door to them as its a 3.5 mile drive each way
 

Princess16

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Not quite at home but ours is kept on our fields which we own so similar. Lovely to spend-all day at the weekends (especially in the summer) with him and most importantly not having to answer to anyone and all the dare I say it bitchiness I hear that goes on at some yards (not all I hasten to add).

My dream is to eventually get planning permission to build our house on there when I will be able to see him (and our new pony when we get him) from my window :)

So envious of you all that have that luxury !
 

indiat

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This is our first winter in our own place and if the ground wasn't so mucky, I would kiss it! In our old yard, teh fields would have been shut off since the end of October and there would be nothing but fighting over the arena and the ponies would be going nuts! Mine still go out every day and while the fields are trashed, I have two resting, ready for the spring. No politics, no interference, no snide comments and my teenage daughter has no one to fight with as she wouldn't dare argue with me!
 

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

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I have my two at home two, and share your bliss OP, particularly when you've had to kiss the backside of various psycho YO's through the years coz you knew damn well if you didn't you'd be out with your naglet on the nearest grass verge with a duvet.......... :( been there dunnit.

Yes it IS truly lovely to watch them out in the field and have them close at hand. Best of all to be independent of all the yard bitching and goings on.
 

JoannaC

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I am so looking forward to this but have another three years before we can up sticks and move to the Midlands. In the meantime I just have to go with the flow :) I quite like livery yards but would love to have more control of the management of my own horses and be able to have them both out all Summer and both in in the Winter whereas at the moment I have one out 24/7 and one in almost 24/7 although mainly because of how wet it is so she will get more turnout in the Summer.
 

RunToEarth

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There's something special about looking out of your window in the morning and seeing your horse in the field :)

And there is a special type of emotion reserved for when you look out of the window in a morning and realise they have managed to make it onto your lawn...!
 

Llanali

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I love this thread. We are in the process of purchasing a property with land, my dream. And all I see on here normally is how hard and expensive it is having them at home and how consuming it is etc etc! Its not deterring me though :p
 
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