Please tell me all the reasons not to own an equestrian property and have my horses at home

[MagicMelon]

Going against the grain, Ive always kept my horses at home on my own land. Having ridden horses for people at livery yards, I cant imagine going down that route. So much drama! I can go out in my PJ's to feed the horses, the field gate is straight off my garden so I can nip out to pop rugs on/off etc. Means I can also ride in the evenings when my 3 kids are in bed! Yes I would very much appreciate a school to ride in and people to hack out with, but other than that I love having my own land. Yes you have to maintain it but I guess Ive always done it so have never questioned it. Im looking at potentially having to consider livery which is freaking me out. May have to move to a pricey area due to my OH's job relocation so I really dont see how we can afford a decent sized house with land there...

 

[L&M]

Having had horses both at livery and at home, at home wins hands down everytime.

Because I can live by my own rules and manage my horses exactly as I want, and not be dictated too by others.....

However the major downside is not being able to go away without a lot of planning and preparation, and with 3 dogs too consider as well, we have pretty much given up.

 

[Goldenstar]

There is planning to do for sure having horses at home .
I don’t leave home overnight very often during the worst part of winter .The only place we would go is too visit my inlaws for one night and any sniff of a bad forecast would have me changing the date .
You need to arrange a support network that works .

 

[Shinx]

That's another huge concern -- going on holiday. We make multiple trips to the states every year and I really love knowing my horses are exercised and perfectly taken care of! I don't know how we'd find someone to do the horses when we can barely find someone we trust to sort the dogs.

 

[Shinx]

Should probably just sit tight for now and appreciate what we already have. ? It's just tapping into that gratitude when I've always dreamt of having them at home!

 

[Abacus]

On the point about travel. With the right support network much is possible. I still go away quite a lot (well, I did pre-covid and it’s starting again) and have a lot of weekends etc off. Definitely recommend sharing with someone you trust who will help while you’re away, and vice versa.

 

[dogatemysalad]

I had my own yard with six acres and stables for my three horses. 90% of my time was spent maintaining and improving the property and the expense exceeded the cost of livery. When my daughter and I rode, the yearling had to be stabled.
When I moved, I decided to buy a house next to a large livery yard. Now I have just one horse on full livery and can see him grazing from my bedroom window. The facilities are great with hot wash boxes and solar heat lamps.
There's always a vet visiting to share call out costs, or a farrier to replace a lost shoe. Physio, dentist, saddler call outs are shared too and bedding/ forage is bought in bulk.
The standard of care is first rate and the YO is very knowledgeable with a hot line to every horse professional that would be impossible to get an appointment with at short notice.
It's also nice to be on a yard where there's always people to ride with, go to events or just take a trip to the tack shop. When my horse has been lame, there are offers of horses to ride too. It's a friendly community.
For me, the choice to buy a property without land was the right one. Perhaps if I was 25 again, I might chose differently.

I missed the company when I wasn't in a yard.

 

[ycbm]

I left a place where I had horses at home in May this year, after 31 years. I haven't yet missed it one bit.

Going away was a nightmare of trying to find temporary grooms you could trust. We simply ended up never having holidays longer than 2 nights..

Being on your own with no-one to bounce off is lonely.

You will eventually get too old to do the work involved and be back to the freelance groom issues or moving house when you're old which has been a complete nightmare for us this last year.

If you can afford to pay someone to do the maintenance, finding anyone you can trust who will turn up is another headache.

Twice I have bought a winter's supply of forage only to open the first bale or two and find I've got completely the wrong stuff for my horses.

Places near decent hacking are difficult to find. Boxing up to hack is a pain in the neck.

I've felt like riding, and actually ridden, more in the last 4 months than the last 2 years. I pretty much gave up in winter whereas this winter I'm really looking forward to using the facilities.

Of course there were huge pluses, but you asked for the downsides. The pluses were mostly related to multiple and young horse ownership, something which I no longer want to do.

.

 

[paddy555]

Because I can live by my own rules and manage my horses exactly as I want, and not be dictated too by others.....

this for me. I think it depends also on how sociable you are. I'm not so I am very happy just me and the horses. I don't find it lonely, I can do what I want when I want and I don't have to have horses standing in stables for hours on end at the whim of a YO especially in winter or put up with the stuff, especially the bitching that people moan about on here.

I have good suppliers who deliver shavings and good quality hay very reliably and good vets so I don't think I'm missing anything from a livery. If I wanted info I wouldn't be asking fellow liveries I would be looking on vet and similar sites to get more reliable info. I wouldn't want to put up with people telling me how to keep the horses. Plus if I want to see them at midnight I only have to walk out the door and if I want to bung them some feed and go back to bed for a lie in there is no one to see me in my PJs.

The pluses are the considerable reduction in costs over a livery. I don't know how much they would charge for 8 but I am pretty sure I wouldn't be able to afford it. Plus if I see another horse or if another needs a home then I don't have to think twice about it. (not that I intend to get any more)

Not being able to go away would be a big minus but I realised that I could either save up and go on holiday for a couple of weeks or I could have a horse (horses) and have what to me is a holiday 52 weeks of the year.

I have never had a horse in a livery yard though so I don't know what it would be like in a nice one.

 

[blitznbobs]

In all seriousness ive done both - im a total control freak that likes to go on holiday so neither is right for me — i currently have them all at home but have had them at livery whilst i had space for them at home too iyswim… i find them being at home lonely too but if you can find a good livery then this can resolve that issue , i also employ a super groom which means im less tied than most … its horses for courses really

 

[Esmae]

I would never go back to a livery yard. Had mine at home for over 20 years and, yes it is a tie, yes it is hard work but wouldn't change it for anything.

 

[littleshetland]

If moving would double what you currently pay on your mortgage plus 2 on full livery, you'd be mad to do it. It's not cheap having them at home as all the maintenance is for you, plus the organisation of making sure you have hay, feed, bedding, etc. etc. and my water bill has just doubled due to the hot summer and hosing them daily. Either you do all the field maintenance yourself or you pay (through the nose) to have somebody else do it. Muck heap removal, paddock and arena maintenance, the list is endless.

It's a tie - you can't do anything without loads of organisation. Christmas Day with the family is cut short every year as it's time to come home and get the horses in. Your whole life revolves around them. Drink after work? Nope can't do that as have to go do the horses.

After 28 years of them at home would I have it any other way? No, of course not!

I’ve become quite sly and cunning at getting people ie. Innocent, unsuspecting guests outside (usually under the excuse of ‘getting a bit of fresh air) and getting them to help catch the horses in, hay, rugs, feed etc. sometimes they even actually enjoy it!

 

[Abacus]

On the point about the mortgage doubling compared with keeping horses in livery. You do also have to consider the potential increase in land value (so you are paying money into a valuable asset rather than livery). Land typically over long periods goes up in value - it’s a safe investment. So it’s not a simple comparison of livery vs mortgage costs, although maintenance should be factored in.

 

[Ceriann]

You can’t be anywhere but home for Christmas. We do get away as we have an amazing house sitter that I trust with the horses but I just wouldn’t ask over Christmas!

It can also be lonely when you are having any kind of horsey positive or negative (mainly the latter). OH is great but doesn’t really get it.

 

[Borderreiver]

I can’t imagine keeping my pony on a livery yard. I love having them at home and the rhythm of the day taking care of them. It’s easier because I am retired and have time. Also I have a good friend who will house sit and fill in if I occasionally go away.

 

[silv]

Can't think of anything negative about having my horses at home. Going away is no problem I have lots of horsey friends and we help each other out, or else I have sent them to a full livery place when I have been away for longer than a week. Living in a horsey rural area always plenty of friends to ride out with etc. I enjoy keeping the place in good order, though now that i am on my own I have to get a local handyman in to fix fences etc or else friends husbands are quite obliging.

 

[ycbm]

basically I'm at the point where I want to hear everything that's terrible about owning and managing your own land. Please lay it on thick.

Can I remind people what the OP asked for ? ?

 

[dogatemysalad]

The problem for horses kept at home, is finding reliable care when you need to go away suddenly. My yard takes horses for people who want to go on holiday, although during the hunting season, there isn't usually a free stable. One owner who keeps her horse at home, pays for a stable all year round, just to ensure she always has cover.

 

[Shinx]

Thank you, ycbm! ?? This is more of an exercise in why we should keep looking, and not give up!

Re: land value, yes, this is exactly why my husband, who isn't the slightest bit horsey, wants to buy a place. He says it's a good investment, and it is, but we bought our current place ten years ago so don't have a large mortgage and have also locked into a very low interest rate for the next five years. Despite being the one with the horses, I'm loathe to give up on our inexpensive way of life. And frustratingly none of the properties really suit -- either the house is good but the land is rubbish, or more usually the land is amazing but the house doesn't suit at all. There's a lot less choice than trying to find a 3 bed terrace in town!

 

[scruffyponies]

Can't help, since I love having my own land, but if you like you can come over and help me stare at various bits of my (dead) tractor, trying to work out what I have missed when I bled out the fuel lines...
After that, maybe we can trudge a few fence posts a few hundred yards over to the dodgy bit that needs fixing in the most awkward part of the meadow.
For light relief we could have another go at the Himalayan Balsam, but it's a bit late now, and that might spread the seed and make it worse. It's about this time of year I just admit defeat and spend the rest of the year feeling slightly guilty about it.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Nothing in my life has equalled the satisfaction of having my horses at home .
I can give you a long list of things that take time and cost money non of them matter when you watch horses eating your grass on your land .

^^^ This.

I'm a YO as well as have a few DIY liveries - we had a "Yard Party" last week and had a few horsey friends round - and there's nothing beats the convenience of a nice summer's evening when you can enjoy a glass of sommat good and don't then have to worry about traipsing off to the yard to "do" yours.

Ditto in the winter-time when it's a cold dark blustery night and they're all tucked up warm & cosy and you haven't had to trek for miles to make sure they're OK.

 

[ycbm]

He says it's a good investment, and it is

That depends very much on the land, and how quickly you need to capitalise on your asset when you come to sell.

The two farms nearest ours took 3 years and 4 years to sell. We auctioned our house with 10 acres in July in desperation to be rid of the responsibility before another winter came on after two sales fell through, through no fault of our property. We made no profit after 31 years of owning. Of course if you can buy land that will later be released for housing you're onto a winner, but you'll also be forced to move, jerked around by a developer about exactly when they propose to pay you and build, (I know someone who has been waiting a year) and in the meantime other building sites around you will have ruined your entire countryside way of life. That's the reality of owning a place with land in the area I now live.

 

[ycbm]

there's nothing beats the convenience of a nice summer's evening when you can enjoy a glass of sommat good and don't then have to worry about traipsing off to the yard to "do" yours.

Ditto in the winter-time when it's a cold dark blustery night and they're all tucked up warm & cosy and you haven't had to trek for miles to make sure they're OK.

The OP is in full livery, she doesn't have those issues.

 

[tda]

The other alternative is go the whole hog, buy a livery yard, live in the big house, get staff in and then you have best of both worlds ????

 

[southerncomfort]

The only downside for me is basically never having a break.

When I rented a field I'd go once in the morning and once in the evening and I'd switch off in between.

Having them at home, I'm in and out all day and don't ever really switch off. As an example, yesterday I'd had a long day and literally just sat down when I spotted Bo galloping laps of the track they're on and thought, given how hard the ground is, that I ought to go and distract him!

I've also been known to stick my head out of the velux window in my bedroom to check they're still where I left them.

Overall I wouldn't change a thing. I'm a bit of a loner anyway and like my own space.

The only way we could afford it was to basically move house every 2 years, always buying a doer-upper, until we had the capital to do it. We also had to move 2 1/2 hours drive north for it to be affordable.

 

[JBM]

0 holidays no lie ins over cold winters ??

 

[SEL]

Nothing in my life has equalled the satisfaction of having my horses at home .
I can give you a long list of things that take time and cost money non of them matter when you watch horses eating your grass on your land .

I've only had my land a year and the gods of weather have thrown a building destroying storm at me (might have used the insurance proceeds to buy a new pony....) and a drought which has destroyed my grass and gives me sleepless nights about the well running dry.

I don't have a school and so far haven't managed to find a reliable freelancer.

Have had a big bill for the Ash trees over hanging the road which needed work. Think there will be some more big bills because the fields weren't in the best condition and next year I need to sort someone with weedkiller out.

They aren't at home because our village has been designated a building area so all plots around here have development options on them - but about 15 mins away. I'd love them by the back door but think I'd be woken at 3am by the mare who things food portions are never enough.

If I could turn back the clock 12 months I'd do it all over again. Hang onto your dream. I never thought I'd have my own place but the stars aligned..

 

[Cortez]

I have my own land, yard, arena, etc. I've pretty much always done so, have only had horses at livery for very short periods when moving, between places. It has always been my dream fulfilled, EXCEPT for the deadweight tie of never being able to leave, always having to be on top of the relentless maintenance, the endless routine. And now I have other dreams which do not, for the present, include horses. There are wonderful things to be found in both dreams.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I do miss the social side of being at a yard, however more recently my neighbour got a horse she also keeps at home so now we ride together which has solved that.

This next reason will probably sound ridiculous but was something at first that really really bothered me. I have chilled a bit about it but still get quite stressed at times ?
I found it hard seeing them SO much, I found I was trying to analyse every tiny move they made.
“ why is he not grazing“ why are they fighting, is it real fighting, did I just hear a cough, why are they calling, It’s raining, they look miserable, it’s hot they look miserable, they have run out of hay again, I’d better go check them again….
It was constant and I got a bit obsessed with it all for a while. When I was at livery I did horses in the morning and evening but had no idea and wasn’t bothered by what they did all day in between ?

 

[Abacus]

One way to do it, which was how it happened for me, is to look out for land that is local but not attached to a house, so that you can also choose the kind of house you live in. I've lived in my house, which I adore, for 15 years and would have struggled for a lot of reasons to move - even to another house with land, given what I could afford. But a small yard came up for sale in my village - I can walk it in 5 minutes, cycle or drive in 2. I don't feel quite as tied to the horses as I can't see them from the windows (though I would love that) - so I only go at most twice per day, and I don't rush over changing rugs etc every time the wind changes. We raised the money for the yard initially by putting a 'second charge' on the house, which is essentially a second mortgage, taking out some equity. Then when it was time to remortgage, got a bigger mortgage and paid off the charge. It means we own the yard outright but have a bigger mortgage on the house.

If I was doing it again, and wasn't attached particularly to the house I lived in, I would first look for land and then move house to be as close as possible.