Please stop frightening me about Livery yards

[Flibble]

OK Guys I am about to start the hunt for a good small Livery yard for Drifter but all these posts about bitchiness and backstabbing and bad neighbours are beginning to make me wonder if Drifter and I are better off going down a mine shaft and hiding. I want him to have better turnout and more off road hacking but not if I end up being paranoid and twitchy.

Please please someone post some nice stuff!!

 

[GinaB]

The livery yard my share pony is based at is fab

Everyone gets on really well and helps each other out. No bitchiness and a lovely YO who just lets you get on with things but is very fast to solve the smallest issue.

Also lovely big stables and great hacking

 

[Flibble]

You are a star and officially my favourite person now move it to Gloucestershire 10 minutes off the M5 J13 and we are away!!

 

[f_s_]

I know how you feel, but from the other angle!!

I want to take on a couple of liveries, and I'm dreading it now!!!!

Maybe I'll just not bother

 

[L00bey]

I love my yard, really friendly and everyone very helpful. Nice place, good turnout, well maintained and nice big school

Good luck with your search

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

Our yard is great - nice YO, well maintained with good facilities, loads of good hacking - off road and quiet lanes, year round turn out, nice people and an annual yard show that everyone joins in!! and *whispers* cheap for round here considering everything we get - YO won't increase livery this year as its 'tough' for everyone and all the extras etc are lower than other yards as he thinks we all get on (the coupke of horrors are long gone) and would rather have a stable yard of happy liveries - always full and has a waiting list.

 

[RLF]

My yard is fab but a bit far for you (Ross on Wye) and no bitchyness here

 

[Flibble]

Oh Goody thats what I need positivity.

I am now going to duck down low as I admit I have been a livery where I am for 26 years. Unfortunatly the grazing is being overtaken by other parts of the business and so I recognise its time to move but it will be very tough.
Any of you clever with maths will realise I am over 30 wayway over thirty and also a creature of habit that would explain why I have the same bloke after 34 years.

 

[Flame_]

[ QUOTE ]
Our yard is great - nice YO, well maintained with good facilities...... always full and has a waiting list.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto pretty much all that. Good safe facilities and staff with an easy-going but helpful and conscientious attitude. There are brilliant yards if you look for them.

 

[hadfos]

I havnt commented on any of the livery yard posts

Yes i have had shitty times...but women are women am afraid,lol

However the yard i am at now is awesome

We all get on great,just today the YO me and another livery did a pleasure ride together and it was great

Yes some are bitchy and clicky...but alot are not

Trust me i have moved alot just to be were i am today..and yes wish it was the 1st place i tried...but am there now and it is fab

 

[skewby]

[ QUOTE ]
You are a star and officially my favourite person now move it to Gloucestershire 10 minutes off the M5 J13 and we are away!!

[/ QUOTE ]
That's exactly where mine is, and I was going to reply to this thread that my yard is really nice! PM me if you want to know about it, not everywhere is for everyone, I don't know what you want. But turnout and off road hacking are fab, musts for me too!

 

[Battyoldbint]

After 2 bad yards we are now on a great one, YO and other liverys are lovely and great facilities

 

[burtondog]

I'm on a yard with around 80 horses and owners. We occassionally get the odd fruit loop or bitch but they're a rarity not the norm. Most of the liveries are really nice.

 

[help1]

Not far from you not a small yard - but i like it - I too am way over 30 PM me if you want any details. As skewby said not all yards are for all people but there are some lovely places not far from where you are now.

 

[cokelly]

Kay I admit I did comment on one of those other posts but on a positive note...

there is only one person at our yard who is bitchy now XD (other one left!)

So yeah add to that that there are about 20plus liveries who are all so friendly and helpful and you get one yard which is GREAT fun XD

 

[Fizzimyst]

QR

I have a fab yard too, nobody argues, everyone is happy and just wants to come and do their horses

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

My livery yard is my 2nd home! Happy horses, happy owners, happy YO, and we all support each other in our highs and our lows. I think I spend more hours there than I do at home

 

[Bosworth]

my livery yard is lovely, we all spent yesterday spraying another liveries lorry for her. She spent Sunday out with me and my OH as we were competing. Everyone mucks in and helps out if needed or just get on and do. But we don't have lots of kids and I as a YO do check up on everyone who comes as a potential client to see if they will fit in with everyone else.

 

[Gorgeous George]

There are 8 liveries on my yard including me and it is lovely and everyone gets on really well. People have been great, helping me when I had problems with George, offering me lifts to shows and the YO checked G twice in the night after he had colic to save me the drive. Good yards do exist.

 

[Hullabaloo]

I recently moved to a new yard and its great. The yard owner won't tolerate any bitchiness or nutters. Everyone looks after their horse properly and there is a general willingness to help, but not to interfere.
I wish I'd gone their years ago!

 

[Flibble]

Have PM'd you!!

 

[Flibble]

Have PM'd you too.

My problem is I dont hate anyone where I am they are all lovely but unfortunatly the turnout is not ideal (diplomatic phrase) and I dont like to moan as its not the fault of the girls who work there it is just circumstances.

I think I am a good livery I pay on time and they always know when I will be down to horse and I do go everyday even thoiugh technically (part livery) I would not have too and I muck out PM even though I dont have to but just because I can. I have even cleared the drain outside my stable as I know it can cause problems.

Oh god now I sound desperate!!

 

[ladyearl]

Love my yard to bits. Great fun, great hacking, great guest instructors and run by a true old fashioned horse woman. I do think the dynmaics of a place can change from time to time with different personalities but generally it's a very happy ship.

As well as livery there's a small riding school attached and at the weekend there are lots of kids about. However, they are all great and it's means we have some fun activities too. Yes we have had adults doing games and recently had a treasure hunt! I think it keeps us all young. I also think it's great to see a place where the kids can help out and just be around the horses - not just learn to ride. It's very cute when you see 5 tiny people leading a tiny pony out to the field together!

It's not a yard where there's a great divide between "liveries" and "lessons" as a result I started as one and now cross the line between the two.

Take the plunge - at the end of the day if you're not happy you can move on again till you find your patch!

 

[JessPickle]

I am on a RS/Livery yard with roughly 12 livery horses and 35 RS horses. I love my yard, only ever had very minor problems. I have learnt to ride at this yard, then loaned a RS pony at the yard, then got my own horse at the yard. I have been there 10 years. Not every livery yard is bad!

 

[misst]

Having been through a few over the years present yard is lovely. Nothing is too much trouble, it's not posh but it safe, good well fenced turnout, lovely YO and head girl, nice grooms, livery yard part and full but everyone also mucks in.
Huge stables, good hay, extra feed and hay as needed no extra cost. Beds really clean and deep.

It is cheap for the area and offers free lorry parking, on site or own instructor at no extra cost, everyone helps each other and frankly I wish we had found it a few years ago.
My horse loves it most importantly.

 

[Hippona]

My yard is lovely...on a farm, all year turnout...grazing is well managed- off road hacking straight into the woods.....YO is lovely.

OK- some people can be bitchy and think they know it all....I just get on with my own thing, speak to everyone and don't get involved in any cliques....been there 5 years now, wouldn't want to move anywhere else.

 

[Flibble]

Thank you one and all. my yard isnt bitchy but on show days lorries get parked on our grazing and on non show days if they are short staffed they dont get round to turning our horses out. Its not a Livery yard its a riding school Comp centre that does liveries. Used to be just a RS with a few liveries and plenty of turnout but that has all changed.

My wish List :-

Close to home Part Livery if its DIY it would need to be very close to home.
Good Turnout
Menage
Quiet hacking can be roads not dual carriageway
Large Stable (he's 17 hands now)
Somewhere secure for trailer
Could keep my tack at home if no lockable tack room.

There is obviously shed loads more. I have started checking local ads and there is somewhere very near but not enough facilities.

 

[SpottedCat]

The place my horse is at when he's not on loan is very near there, between J14 and J13 in fact. It has everything you want facilities wise and I have never found it to be bitchy - in fact I just wish it was a bit closer to where I live!

 

[chestnut cob]

I love my livery yard!!

YO is brilliant, does everything you ask and more. Really cares about the horses and won't do anything to yours that she wouldn't do to her own.
Great facilities, reasonable turnout.
No bitchiness at all (unless they all just talk about me and I never hear it

). Everyone genuinely cares about the others, what they're doing with their horses, how they've got on at a competition. I would happily ask everyone at the yard for their opinion if I have a problem as they've all got something useful to add.
People will offer help if it's requested, and even if not, but in a nice way
People to go places with, support for competitions
We're all on DIY for summer now and another livery is trying to arrange for everyone's phone numbers to go up in the coffee room so that we can all help each other out over summer with BI, TO etc

The list goes on

 

[siennamum]

Shame you aren't closer to Bristol, we would suit you I think. No help I know....
Find a small yard, with few if any teenagers is the only advice I can think of.