On the Horns of a Dilemma - Your input Gratefully Received

Chavhorse

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Yes its a Should I Change my Yard question!

In a nutshell my horse is rising 5 until November he was based in training Livery for his saddle making and basics. I moved him to be nearer to home in mid November.

I have been over the last few weeks generally missing the atmosphere and facilities of my trainers place so am having serious thoughts about if I am in the right yard for me.

Can I just say my priority is to let Vardi reach his full potential. He is fabulous relaxed, quick to learn but I just feel that I want to be in a situation where I can work towards letting him mature and learn in the best way and for that I may have to make some sacrifices.

Staying at Current Yard

For
20 mins down road
Horse is happy
Nice People

Against
Facilities – one school which is also used as turn out and at the moment is a mud bath.

Rigid riding times for school at the moment and everyone tends to ride at once. On average you will have four people excercising their horses and on occasions two children on ponies join as well.....on the plus side my youngster has learnt to ignore other horses cantering past him when he is working.

Normal routine is get all the horses in from school, poo pick, ride, pool pick then turn them out again.

Horses get turned out every day at the moment in the school geldings from 8am - 3pm mares from 3pm to 8pm. In the summer it is the same but they go from school onto grass paddock for an extra 3 hours a day each.

Riding in the evenings is after 8pm

YO is lovely and knows her stuff but yard is chaotic and frankly a bloody mess

Outside riding - will have to take test to ride in Recreational area written and ridden exam including jumping! (eek!) Or just go out along the cycle paths through the housing areas very busy roads and lots of traffic.

Moving to Trainers Yard
For
Beautiful set up in middle of countryside – large well draining school 2 x lunge arena’s winter sand paddock turnout and summer individual grass paddocks 10 hours a day.

Quality of care is exemplary

Very zen like atmosphere for both horses and clients.

Offers a package of full livery stalling including 1 private lesson a week plus add on for training of horse if I want and need it. Training package worked out and agreed in advance with goals. So for instance I need to work on my youngsters balance, we would draw up a programme for him and me, have a weekly meeting to discuss progress and set new goals.

Against
Distance it is a 45 minute drive and I will have to accept that during the winter months I only see the horse at weekends.

In the summer will have to arrange to drive myself into work start early finish at 4 then go down to horse ride then get home at about 8pm. Could do this 2 times during the week in the summer as well as weekends.

So he would be worked by me 4 times a week (Summer) 2 times a week (winter) and I would include a training packet initially of them working him 1 to 2 times a week.

Thoughts guys
 
Clearly the 2nd one! For no other reason than you can tell by the tone in your OP that it is where you want to be
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Riding it meant to be FUN! For 99% of us it is a hobby, and just like you wouldn't cycle on a route you don't want to, or walk your dog on ground you don't like, you shouldn't be keeping your horse at anywhere other than where you want to be (financial and practical reasons permitting!)

Get him moved back to the original training yard
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[ QUOTE ]
Right you have two yards at opposite ends of the scale - can you not find one in the "middle"?

[/ QUOTE ]

Beleive me I have tried!

Unfortunatly this is Holland....basic belief is that horses should be inside 24/7 for the entire winter (not having that) so I can already cross off most of the yards of my list!

Yards seem to be either small DIY or pension Stals (minimum facilities) or HUGE 100 horse plus livery yards (due to size tend to be very regimented)

My wants in a nutshell are;

A stable without bars! If bars then have to be happy for me to clad with wood.....this is totally non negotiable!

Good facilities - ( useable school ideally on own! at least lunge areal would be good but not a deal breaker).

Off road hacking that I do not need to take a ruddy proficiency test to use (expensive and takes months to study for)

Either good instructor on site or ok to have good visiting instructor.

Atmosphere - most important thing not likeing the chaotic busy busy busy atmosphe of present yard. At trainers yard it was like having a cashmere blanket wrapped round you as soon as you walked through the gate and horse was practically horizontal! if this makes sense.

Has to be at very least assisted DIY and if Assisted DIY be very close to home as day job is very busy and need to be able to call and say sorry working late tonight can you bring/feed not be panicking about getting back to get in poor abandoned horse.

OH is making shall we just move back to UK noises (yes please!) so my next post maybe....Know any good yards in Kent! We can only hope.
 
Well after reading you second post (and now realising you are in Holland of which I know very little off) I would definitely go with the second on. However, I would just move to be closer!! lol

But seriously move but I would continue to look for a closer one in the mean time, i.e keeping your eyes open etc. I am so sorry also that you find it hard to find a yard with turnout in winter. I know that whilst alot of yards here in the UK (probably, esp. big comp type yards) don't have much turn out, alot do. And I to would not be at yard without winter turnout, so good for you on looking and sticking to your standards.

Good luck.x
 
move to the 2nd one - if it meant quality time with the horse 2 days a week and facilities for the horse to be worked properly than stress and worry 7 days a week I would rather have that
 
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