owning your own land attached to your house vs livery

Well i`m moving in 3-4 weeks (fingers crossed) to my own house with 8-10 acres attached and cant wait, just because instead of getting up at ungodly hours to travel 8 miles to my yard I can now roll out of bed and 'hello Ponies' :)
Was meant to be moving to a full livery yard (diy yard problems) but had a text last night to say the farm will def be ready within a month:D

Fence fixing, and all the other stuff is no biggy as me and OH do all the fixing stuff at current yard which included my OH making new hinges for gates, then finding out they cost £2 at local saddlery :D

We already source and store our hay and straw so that wont be any different.

I dont have an arena at current yard so nothing to miss.

I do have not one but TWO beaches approx 1-2 miles from the farm I`m moving to :D

Biggest downside i`ll be approx 45 minute drive from my mammy :( no one to run away to when me and oh are at logger heads:D
 
What a luxury to have your own land, I would love it. Just see nan ad in local paper for grazing, 2 and a half acres. priced at £35,000 upwards. so not going to happen unless I move up north !!
 
You guys are absolutely brill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thankyou so much, please keep these thoughts coming - I currently live in the middle of a housing estate in a wimpy house, and haven't got a clue what this life changing decision will mean to me:o
btw, hubby works abroad a lot and has only ever ridden a donkey on the beach 40 years ago, so I'd be totally on my own, really.
 
its great, get up put kettle on, let dogs out chuck fleece over PJ's grab feed buckets feed, rug up, back to house cup of tea feed dogs nip out turn horses out and if needed go back to bed!!
 
Funnily enough, my husband and I are discussing the very same subject. Though we intend to continue living in the city for a couple more years, we are looking to buy a horse property in the next couple of months. It's in a horse-centric area--local hunt, umpteen barns, major showing scene, members-only bridle trail system--all of which is wonderful, but I have been mostly undewhelmed by US livery stables. Though many are equipped with the latest fandangled equipment, indoors and surfaces, turnout paddocks are usually tiny and offer limited time outdoors for the horse.

Which is why we're off to look at a house next weekend with the following: four acres of paddocks, new barn, and directly across from a 100-mile riding trail system :D
 
haven't read all the other posts but I'll add my vote for having horses at home.

I love it - been really lucky because I grew up with the ponies at home and when I got married and moved into a home of my own that had outbuildings and 2 paddocks.

Can't beat waking up in the morning, walking outside in your jimjams and being greeted by your ned.

As for paddock maintence / equipment - not worth buying your own for just 3 acres. You'll be able to find a local farmer who'll come and harrow / aerate & do paddock maintence for you usually. Alternatively for the first couple of years you can employ a specialist ground maintence firm to show you the ropes. Really not a great deal to do other than rotate the paddocks and don't allow them to become overly poached around gateways etc.

If its good pasture land and not overgrazed there should be no need to fertilise.

Other than that - enjoy the luxury of having your horses in eyesight 24/7.
 
Slightly different perspective, here.
Knowing I would never be able to afford to buy house + land + stables, I took the decision to find somewhere to RENT, which would allow me to keep my horse at home.
I"m a (hard working) single parent with 1 daughter aged 6. She's got a pony now as well.
I'm fortunate to rent a cottage, on a working sheep farm, with stables & paddocks. The farm is actually a Church of England owned property
My landlord, the farmer, is in charge of pasture management.
My hay arrives as if by magic, and my muck wagon is emptied in the same fashion, to be used as fertiliser on the crops. House maintenance is, of course, taken care of by my landlords.
My landlady was a very experienced horsewoman (hunted, showed etc) but now breeds dogs.
I think I've got the best of all worlds.
OK, I won't have anything to leave my daughter, as things stand, but I have expectations, as they say, and will buy a house in the village to rent out, in the fullness of time.
Renting, in my eyes, is the ideal solution if you are not blessed with wads of cash, or brilliant earning power.
I know my monthly rent is less than my monthly mortgage was on my 2 bed mid terraced house.
My little girl can play outside all day & I know she's safe.
As an aside, England is one of very few countries where its' indigenous population feel they have to buy a property, rather than rent.
Comparing having the horses at home, to being on a livery yard, no contest!!
 
Equestrian92 said:
We have our own house/land/stables etc, you would never ever in a million years get me back on a livery yard, no way! You do what you want when you want, no one else to get in your way or annoy you!
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^ This.:D

I would go so far as to say, with absolute certainty, that I would rather be horseless than keep my horses at livery.

As for the pros and cons, the lists above are pretty comprehensive.

Oh, and I echo the 'let OH have a shiny toy or two' to make them feel loved and useful :)
I bought my OH a tractor for one Christmas, then we had to buy a new drive shed to put all his toys in to (rakes, mowers, baler, quad, lawn tractors, rollers, plows, spikes, harrows - you name it, we appear to have accumulated it) I am eyeing up a Bobcat for this years bribe.
 
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I love having my horses at home and have done for nearly 5 years! Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances, I am having to sell my house with 3 acres and my mahoosive sandschool...gutted. The thought of going back as a livery is just horrible but such is life.

I love the Friday evenings in the summer, after a long week at work, doing the horses, and then chilling with a nice glass of wine, sat in the yard. Cant beat it.
 
My house is attached to a field where we built out own stables, built our own paddocks and now have got 2 horses, 3 miniature shetlands and 2 lambs who live up there.

Was the best decision ever, i have made loads of new friends, got access to sand schools, woods, off-road hacking and loads more fun things. There is a livery 2 mins down road from me so are always hacking out with people down there.

I loved my livery loads but so glad that my parents brought the field for me. x
 
I don't own mine- I rent it- and its 200m away from the house....but its by far better than being on a yard. No question.

I still ride out with friends who are on the yard I used to be on, and other friends keep their horses within hacking distance. I used to hack out alone 99% of the time anyway.
 
I love having my horse at home, we have our own house/land/stables, i could not imagine being on a livery yard ! ,we have 12 acres for grazing, lovely stable yard, and 18,000 to hack about on, we live in a very remote rural area,im very lucky in that my husband helps me and does a lot of the work , harrowing, rolling, fencing etc, its great popping outside with PJs on , and being able to look out any window and see my horse happily grazing.

Go for it !!!!
 
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Thankyou everyone for your responses. I have my viewing on what I think might be a dream property on Sunday, though have seen this one twice already - and lo and behold, the chap who lives opposite has put his house on the market to buy my (larger) one!:):eek:
 
do it honestly it is worth it and you will always find/have support, and peace of mind and hard work! good luck on Sunday.
 
Rotchana said:
Pros and cons everyone, please. I am seriously thinking of moving to a house with 3 acres and some stables, but hubby thinks I'd miss out on the social/hacking/support opps livery brings. What we think?:)
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i have own land next to a riding school. completely by chance lol
 
I LOVE having my horses at home and would now never go back! I'm not isolated at all as I have friends in a similar situation.And they are friends too, not just people I have to put up with because we're on the same yard.

Think of the finances too - much better the cash going on your mortgage rather than in livery fees.

One other thing is you can keep much closer an eye on the neddies. I was shocked in the first week when I went out before bed to check on the horses and they had eaten all their hay - if I was still on livery they would have been stood for 7 hours with no hay! I couldn't believe that I had hayed them at 7 and it was all gone by half 11!!!!
 
I don't own my own land but I am very lucky in that I have free use of 7 acres next door to the house, which I can pretty much do with as I please. I have been allowed to put up stabling and basically have no interference from the guy that owns it. I am responsible for all maintenance and upkeep of the grazing, fences, etc. He also lets me "borrow" some sheep off the hill behind which helps top the field.

Most of the pros and cons have already been covered-
Pros for me:

*No worrying about getting to the horses in snowy weather
*Reduced travel costs
*More time at home as i can pop in and out to do little jobs rather than trying to cram them all into one visit to the yard
*Quality time spent with the horses- more time for them
*If either were unwell, I am able to keep a closer eye on them
*I can do pretty much as I please
*The horses have meant that I have got to know most of my neighbours much better- they love them being here
*No livery bills
*Nobody interfering
*I can do what I like, when I like- don't have to worry about yard rules
*I have dud kidneys- having the horses at home means I can still get out to see them, feed, rug, etc without relying on someone else to do them when I can't drive due to medication
*Far greater bond with the horses
*No politics!!!

Cons:
*You have to do everything yourself but I actually enjoy that
*Holidays or trips away are difficult as dependent on horsey friends being happy to make a special trip in to see to them twice a day
*Limited company for hacking, etc although now i have the two riding horses, friends often come up to hack out
*I have to fetch in all my own bedding/ hay, etc but this is done using the horse trailer once a month or so.
*My companion, light work horse gets terrible separation anxiety if I take out my main horse- ultimately I may find I have to look at a companion for the companion :)

I can't think of any other cons of hand but have to say, as long as i have the option, i would never, ever go back to having them on livery.
 
Rotchana said:
Haha, love your siggy saying, Inky.
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Thanks :)

This is what happens when you have a foal with a broken leg starting minimal turnout - you put them in the garden! And they start nosying through the window and licking it! He would stand there for about an hour just licking the window - must have liked the cold, or maybe as we are so close to the sea the window was a bit salty with the sea spray...

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I'd go for your own land every time. It's what I have, and I wouldn't dream of changing to a livery yard. But I think it's worth having a serious think, before you commit, about the type of person you are (sounds pretentious). I too have a non-horsy OH, but I'm very content in my own company anyway, and with nearly 5 acres I have always had a couple of liveries which is a huge support, financially and mentally. But if you know in your heart of hearts that you really do need the social background, the hurly-burly, the facilities that a big yard can offer, then your own land may not be the thing for you.

Don't forget though, that you can make new riding friends if you move.
 
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