Opinions please...another Yard 1 or Yard 2 question!

[MizzPurpleKitten]

OK, The livery yard I've kept my boys at for nearly 3 years has been sold on, and, this combined with a few other reasons have made me decide it's time to move on....

I've looked high and low in the area and have only found 1 possible livery yard and 1 possible other option but I just can;t seem to decide what to do so any help would be greatly appreciated....

Livery Yard (Option 1)

AMAZING Airy Indoor stables
2 All Weather Surfaced Outdoor menages
1 All weather surfaced Lunge/Round pen
Lovely Hacking
Secure Tack room
All year turnout (however only for an hour or two a day between Nov and April and All Day May to October) on lovely large grassy fields
Hay/Haylage/Bedding supplied onsite
Regular yard visits from vet/farrier/feed deliveries
They are turned out in a herd during summer though and my boy has never been in a herd in 21 years, he's a very friendly sort so can't envisage a problem but still a bit of a worry when it's a herd of 15!

Other (Option 2)

Friend is building private yard and I am able to take my ridden horse with her. This would be ideal if it comes off as we get on like a house on fire, My Boy Loves all of her boys, there'd only be 4 or 5 of them over there and they'd be split into 2 paddocks so he'd only be with 1 or 2 others (who he already knows), lovely grazing which he's been on before so he knows the lay of the land as it were, Hoping to get a nice outdoor arena and some lovely big stables in place however this is all pending planning permission.

Now, stables on Livery yard (option 1) don't often come up, in my position would you go for the livery yard or wait for the hope of planning coming off and go with the previous YO. My only worries about Livery yard are the herd thing (as he's always been with just my other boy and one of my previous YO's horses) and the limited winter turnout thing as he does have mild arthritis in his foreleg, he isn;t on any medication for this as *touch wood* his magnetic boots control the symptoms perfectly however I'm unsure this would be enough if he was in most of the time.

Please let me knoe your thoughts.....Maryland Cookies and a Nice Cup of Tea to anyone who got this far!

 

[noodle_]

i wouldnt move onto a yard without good winter turnout..... so although yard one sounds brilliant - the turnout rules my choices for my horse


ets - so yard 2 !!

 

[lauraanddolly]

Option 1 for me, purely because its as you say something that doesn't come up very often, you could always look at moving to your friends once it's up and running.

 

[Marydoll]

Half the year with 1 hours turnout a day, wouldnt go there for free

 

[Ladydragon]

Six months with ultra limited turnout... That would be a no for me straight off...

If there's no absolute necessity to move I'd probably sit it out a bit and wait to see what happens with your friend's planning application - whilst still actively keeping an eye out for any other options that come up in the meantime...

 

[Stinkbomb]

If you have to move now cant you go for option one till option two became available???

 

[KSR]

Depends if you are prepared to sacrifice turnout for facilities..

I'd prefer to sit tight and wait.. Unrestricted turnout or in days/nights in would be much more important for me.. I couldn't go somewhere with virtually none..

 

[smellsofhorse]

The limited turn out is very off putting.

cant you stay where you are until your friends place has the planning?

As for turnout in a herd, its natural!
Aslong as they have enough space and grass your horse will be fine!

 

[soulfull]

I too would hesitate at limited turnout especially as you lad is 21 and you don't say whether you ride much or not. I would be okish with my old horse who wasn't bothered about turnout in winter, an hour would have suited him. But he was ridden 6 days a week

New horse when back in work would still prefer longer turnout

As others have said can you not stay where you are until option 2 is up and running.

ps you may find restricted turnout causes you horse to stiffen up

 

[mossymops]

I wouldnt even consider Yard 1.

Lack of turnout means more work and cost for you and less quality of life for your horse.

 

[applecart14]

Don't agree with the turnout. If it were up to me my horse would be out 24/7 in the summer and as many hours as the weather allowed in the winter. The more the better.

 

[4faults]

I would go for Yard 1 until Yard 2 becomes available

 

[Naryafluffy]

My horse doesn't bother about turn out in the winter and is probably only out for about 3hrs a day in reasonable weather (doesn't change much in summer because she packs the weight on).
Are they expected to stand in the stable all day or are they turned out in one of the arena's (mines is turned out with another 3 horses in the indoor arena with haynets tied up), turnout in the arena would be fine with me, if the stables were large mine would be quite happy stuffing her face all day (she's 24 in 6 weeks, but not really stiff).
You know your horse, I would definitley move to option 2 when it was available.
What is it that is making you feel you have to move now rather than wait for option 2, it depends on how bad that is will dictate if you choose option 1 (there is only 12 weeks until end of April and if it stays as dry as it has the last couple of years in February/March you may find the turn out is extended?)

 

[muddygreymare]

The lack of winter turnout would really bother me too regardless of the great facilities, but seeing as Yard 2 doesn't seem to be 'ready' if I read correctly, I'd go to Yard 1 until you can move to Yard 2

 

[Honey08]

We built our own yard, and getting planning permission took longer than we expected, as did getting the builders to come when they said! It all took months longer. We had two friends move on as liveries as soon as they were built, and it didn't work out well as we really should have given ourselves time to find our feet on the yard first. I'd make the decision when the other yard exists.

 

[MizzPurpleKitten]

The issue is that the yard I'm on has changed considerably and thus, I am not going up to see to my horses at all, or if I am, I'm just doing jobs and going. I can't ride as the arenas are now absolutely trashed due to lack of maintainence and can't hackl out due to strangles on the yard. (got the all clear in 2 weeks though as had last clear swab, prospective yards know all about it).

My boy doesn;t lkike turnout much if I'm honest, he's spent about 17 years of his life locked in 24/7 on competition yards, so, even now when I have unlimited turnout during the day in winter and unlimited at all in summer he's only out for a few hours as otherwise he jumps the fence and brings himself in so the limited turnout is less of a worry for me than the herd thing.

He's usually ridden 6 or 7 days a week, yes, really, prior to the strangles and all the things happening on the yard (the YO had a huge go at me recently for absolutely no nreason, other than, in her words "she doesn't like me and hates talking to me as it's like having a discussion with a snotty adolescent" and made me feel really victimised and quite upset actually), the management of the yard has gone drasgtically downhill as horses are changing fields and field mates left right and centre (hasn't happened with mine yet but has with many others), I've been forced to bring one of the 3 off grass livery as we no longer do it, but a new livery who is moving on IS allowed grass livery....Aaaargh so many reasons I want to move not enough time to write them all down lol.

I have no idea how long it'll take for Yard 2 to be sorted, and I've now been given notice to move from the current yard a month from the strangles getting the all clear, as it is obvious the YO has a hatred for me (and I'd be willing to swear on my own life that I have done nothing wrong! I will admit when I've been a daft cow and done something totally ridiculous but this time, nope, not a thing to warrant it other than she doesn't like me) so I have to find somewhere, nowhere else in the area is even slightly suitable (barbed wire fencing, herds of 30 or 40 horses in small fields, no school so can't practice dressage tests so can't compete, no hacking, loads of kids running riot, any or all of the above).

Sorry for the huge post but I hope it answers all the questions. As I say, prior to me owning him, My boy had only ever seen a field for the previous year of his life, prior to that, he'd been in his stable 24/7 and, whenever he's had to be in while he's been with me, he's not been bothered a jot. I know I want to go for option 2, but, like someone said, I;'m worried that the planning etc is going to take months and months, and thus, I'll have nowhere to put my horse unless I turn him away for the summer with said friend's horses, however, this is not an option for me as at 21, if I turn him away for 6 months, he isn;t going to come back into full work easily. Plus, he was turned away for a few months last summer and did not do well on it (lost ovber half his bodyweight, literally, and he was still getting brilliant grass and 3 hard feeds a day).

 

[MizzPurpleKitten]

Honey 08, I don't think it'll be a problem moving as soon as it's up, the friend in question is the previous YO of the yard I'm on, and she also has a small yard at home, so she's not a novice when it comes to running a yard......however it'll only be me and her this time which will be heaven!

 

[acw295]

Half the year with 1 hours turnout a day, wouldnt go there for free

Me either!

Yard 2

 

[rachel_s]

If I've read the OP correctly, Yard 2 doesn't actually exist at the moment and is dependent upon planning permission (which could be refused so isn't a given).

So the OP doesn't actually have a choice at the moment other than existing yard (which has been ruled out) or Yard 1.

If planning permission is given (and the OP hasn't mentioned a date so not in the next week), then presumably, the owner is having building/ construction done prior to horses moving in.

Therefore move to Yard 1 and make sure your contract notice period is clearly stated so you can move to Yard 2 if Yard 1 doesn't suit/yard 2 becomes available.

 

[MizzPurpleKitten]

Thankyou Rachel S yes, you read correctly, Yard 2 is currently just a lot of grazing lol Planning application hasn't even gone in yet so no gurantee that it'll be granted....and even if it is (Friend says it shouldn't be a problem as has previously been offered planning for stables on there but this was years ago) it won't be happening overnight as we need to get the stables built, sort out an electric and water supply, get a menage put in etc etc.

Basically my thoughts are as you say, move to yard 1 until Yard 2 is sorted, but I wanted to know opinions on whether this was a stupid idea and whether I'd be better turning out 24/7 come March with my Friend's horses and hoping for the best or going with option 1 at least until option 2 is sorted.