Oh please help me decide

D

Daisy2

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Weighing up the pro;s and cons of moving.
Currently on field livery,
Pro's
rent 13 acre field off farmer and its cheap
do what I like
section bits of for schooling can be difficult though if the ground is wet or frozen
stip grazing etc for my fatties however I like
horses are content and really happy doing there own thing.
Decent safe hacking
2 min drive away
Does cost much to feed because grass in abundance

Cons
Nightmare getting access to my field through another with horses in, that mug my buckets and the mud through is horrendous
Strip graze and fiddling with it daily
Cant ride or school if the weather ground frozen or wet
Can be lonely and hard to stay motivated sometimes, find myself talking to the rabbits

New Yard
Pros
Lots of friends
Big barn for horses to share as they hate stables
Individual maintained paddocks
All the usual facilties like storage tack room tea
Outdoor school
Good hacking
Feel more able to do more with them

Cons
Double the cost
Dreading trying to settle new horses in new home and frightened I might regret
Feel sorry that they will be in a yard environment when they are so used to be rather au naturel
10 min drive
More work possibly

Its almost as if I dont want to upset them and becasue of the situation of access most of the time during winter they are field ornaments.
If you are not bored by this point then you opinion would be most appreciated:D
 
Having done both ways in the past i'd try and improve your situation where you are, being in control completely is far better than having company! Could you not create a 'corridor' to your field so you don't get mugged?

And just think how lonely the bunnies will be if you leave ;o)


Best of luck, not an easy decision.
 
I have to agree with Duggan' s comments. Sounds good except access, you would notice lack of freedom I suspect on a more shared yard. Better facilities come at a cost unfortunately :rolleyes:
 
To be fair I go through a similar internal debate on a regular basis. We have a private yard, grazing 3/4 mile away,no school or working area. But it's all ours, we don't have to share, my haylage/straw is delivered the same day I ask at a very fair price, and all the horses and ponies are happy. Muck heap is 5m away from stables and collected when needed, and we have an indoor 'pen' where the horses can roll or trot round if the weather is stopping the riding.
I'd love a school, or somewhere I could do the driven dressage practice I so crave. I'd also like to have people around to share a coffee and chat while it rains. Even more so now i'm expecting and can't (or rather won't) ride. But all that comes at a price. I can have what horses I wish here, no one bothers me. So if one comes up that is desperate for a new home, either privately or at a sales, I can bring it home, and find a loan or better place for it to go. (Or keep it as frequently happens!!) I couldn't do that on a livery type yard, and that would be a shame. We have had 3 here at some times of the year, we have (shhhh) 10 at the mo. And if i'm brutally honest, I have people who come and help, but i'd really rather they just talked to me or made a coffee or rode out rather than helping with the work. I love mucking out and the time spent with the beasties. I'm bloody ungrateful and I apologise for that. Keep the faith and the good times will soon be back!
 
I think if you moved now you would feel the benefits because you would be able to ride more, etc. I keep my boys at a yard with an indoor school and I am glad at the moment because it means I can still ride them no matter how much it snows. But in the Spring and Summer, I hardly ever use the school as I spend most of my time hacking. The Livery is quite expensive and isn't worth the money for me in the summer IMO. This summer I am lucky enough to be able to move my boys home which I am looking forwards to.

If I were you I would stay where you are. You have plenty of grazing, it is nearer to where you live and your horses are happy. The pros definitely outweigh the cons in my opinion. Why don't you see if you can put up some electric fencing along the edge of the other horses' field to make it easier for when you have to bring your horses through there? As for it being muddy, unfortunately that is a problem wherever you go but you could find out whether you could put some hardcore down around the gate, or fence this area off so your horses aren't standing in it/making it worse. Have yo u got any friends who keep their horses nearby that you could arrange to ride with? That way you wouldn't feel so lonely. Is there a school you could hire within hacking distance?
 
duggan said:
Having done both ways in the past i'd try and improve your situation where you are, being in control completely is far better than having company! Could you not create a 'corridor' to your field so you don't get mugged?

And just think how lonely the bunnies will be if you leave ;o)


Best of luck, not an easy decision.
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Azmar said:
I have to agree with Duggan' s comments. Sounds good except access, you would notice lack of freedom I suspect on a more shared yard. Better facilities come at a cost unfortunately :rolleyes:
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The Xmas Furry said:
Prob good for now - but how will you feel in the late spring when you are (at present) able to come & go at will?

Difficult decision - try to balance up how many 'nice' months of the year you have in current place tho.

Good luck :)
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shelley8697 said:
You can always move back if it doesn't work out for you.... I personally hate big yards as it can get bitchy. :-)
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I moved from a big yard to 24/7 grazing which I manage how I want. No-one dictates to me what I can and cant do.
Yes, ok, I miss having a chin wag and gossip in a nice warm stable with other liveries, but I DONT miss the bitching and busy bodyness that happens.

I wouldnt go back to being on a yard if I had a choice not to.
 
I just want to hug you all and thanks for all your advise. You are all so right. I do like my freedom and the horses love theirs too. I do have friends etc that I ride out with but I shall make 2011 the best year and make better use of my paradise field, one thing I forgot to mention, we have a stream running through so not had to deal with frozen buckets etc.

O your are all so caring and knowledgeable really thanks for helping me to realise what a good thing I have and so what if they have a break a little in winter. Munchies all round
 
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