Poll about where you keep your horses...
- Thread starter spotty_pony
- Start date
scotsmare
Well-Known Member
I currently keep my horses on a farm next door to my house, however, it's been sold and the lease on my fields expires at the end of October. I haven't yet been able to sort out a new lease so I am considering going back to a yard or I will have to find somewhere else to rent. The only thing I really, really miss is an arena and I think it's probably worth moving to somewhere small just to gain that! Only problem is I have lots of babies....
alsxx
Well-Known Member
I currently have my two at a small farm which is mainly stables now and a few odd let units. I'm really happy there, facilities are fine, there could always be some nice to have extra's but not essentials. I am very close to a few show centres which is great as I dont have my own transport at the moment so at least I can get out and about. I wouldn't consider moving but if a great opportunity came up closer to home where there was a pretty sure chance i could get lifts to shows then maybe (but not likely!!).
flohelf
Well-Known Member
No DIY over here. Yard is full livery only.
Geraldine
Well-Known Member
My boy is on a farm about 2 mins drive (10 mins walk) from my house. The farm is owned by a sister & brother (they have split the farm house into 2 separate houses) and they are the nicest people you could meet. Bob is a different beast since we moved there. The other liveries are nice peeps/ponies.
There are 2 things that would improve it - a loo on the yard (you've had it if the owners are out) and a school. We do have an exercise paddock and there is a menage at the farm next door.
There are 2 things that would improve it - a loo on the yard (you've had it if the owners are out) and a school. We do have an exercise paddock and there is a menage at the farm next door.
RachelB
Well-Known Member
What type of yard do you keep your horse at?
Other - it's a field belonging to a friend.
What type of Livery do you use?
DIY I suppose, but it's more complicated than that. We mostly keep them out, but I get a stable for the price of grass livery. The "YO" is a very inexperienced horse owner so myself and my other friend (we are only a yard of three) sort of look after YO's horse for her and give her advice etc.
How much does this cost per month?
£60 a month for grazing, stable, water, field maintenance (fencing repairs, topping fields and things like that are all paid for by YO but myself and my friend organise what needs to be done).
Why did you choose to keep your horse at the yard you are currently at?
Cheap, close to home, enough facilities at the moment for my horse (she can't be schooled so a stable and a field is enough) and planning permission is going through for an outdoor school so by next year when I have a second horse there we will have enough facilites for a horse I CAN school
people are friendly (have known them a while), hacking is FAB when my horse finally decides to be sound again for longer than five minutes, stables are well-managed if I manage them well
friends keep their horses there as well as my share horse being there, there is too much grazing if anything!
How far away do you live from your yard?
Five minutes' walk.
What facilities would you like to have (that you don't already)?
We have everything I need for Maiden, but when I get a new horse I will need a school too (but as I said PP is going through now). We have no electricity which is a pain in the winter. Can't ask for much else for the price IMO!
Would you move yards if given the chance?
I can't say definitely not - I thought I'd never move from my first yard because I loved it there, but when Maiden did her tendon I couldn't justify the expense of keeping a happy hack at a nice yard with a school and everything, and she needed to be turned away for the winter. It ticks a LOT of my boxes at the moment, but I really miss my first yard
I would take my new horse back to the first yard as it's only another few minutes away from my house, but then I couldn't justify the time going between Maiden and the second horse. So for the time being, unless my circumstances change dramatically, I'm staying put
Other - it's a field belonging to a friend.
What type of Livery do you use?
DIY I suppose, but it's more complicated than that. We mostly keep them out, but I get a stable for the price of grass livery. The "YO" is a very inexperienced horse owner so myself and my other friend (we are only a yard of three) sort of look after YO's horse for her and give her advice etc.
How much does this cost per month?
£60 a month for grazing, stable, water, field maintenance (fencing repairs, topping fields and things like that are all paid for by YO but myself and my friend organise what needs to be done).
Why did you choose to keep your horse at the yard you are currently at?
Cheap, close to home, enough facilities at the moment for my horse (she can't be schooled so a stable and a field is enough) and planning permission is going through for an outdoor school so by next year when I have a second horse there we will have enough facilites for a horse I CAN school
How far away do you live from your yard?
Five minutes' walk.
What facilities would you like to have (that you don't already)?
We have everything I need for Maiden, but when I get a new horse I will need a school too (but as I said PP is going through now). We have no electricity which is a pain in the winter. Can't ask for much else for the price IMO!
Would you move yards if given the chance?
I can't say definitely not - I thought I'd never move from my first yard because I loved it there, but when Maiden did her tendon I couldn't justify the expense of keeping a happy hack at a nice yard with a school and everything, and she needed to be turned away for the winter. It ticks a LOT of my boxes at the moment, but I really miss my first yard
EquestrianFairy
Well-Known Member
I answered 'Other' on first question as i rent my land/stables for myself so its not a yard nor a farm as such but i have use to an olympic sized school which the people who own the land/stables im renting have and its only a field away.
Parkranger
Well-Known Member
I keep mine on a small part livery yard now (as of yesterday). Oscar is £430 a month and Ty is costing £150 (on grass but including feed and hay) but hoping that I can put Ty on reduced part in the winter....bloody expensive though!
MissSBird
Well-Known Member
Other reason for being at the stables where I am; there's a bus directly from my house to 5 minutes down the road from the stables. I don't drive.
I'd love my stables to have an indoor arena; we have two outdoors. But I don't want it desperatly enough to leave.
I'd love my stables to have an indoor arena; we have two outdoors. But I don't want it desperatly enough to leave.
Nudibranch
Well-Known Member
The only thing I would change about my yard is having it closer to home, but unless I move house that isn't going to happen. There are yards nearer, but my place is just about perfect so I guess I'll be staying! My only worry atm is the price of petrol - at a 20 mile round trip every day it's one of the biggest costs.
Chunkie
Well-Known Member
I'm on a dairy/beef farm, there's just 2 horses, mine and the farmer's wife's.
I would love a school, as I am currently paying for a lesson once a week AND having to pay to hire a school at the farm next door.
Cost £20 per week - but the other horse's mommy is invaluable as I can have mornings off, go away on holiday and she feeds, poo-picks, moves the electric fence (my horse is laminitic), and if they need to come in during the winter she brings them in at night because I'm at work.
I would love a school, as I am currently paying for a lesson once a week AND having to pay to hire a school at the farm next door.
Cost £20 per week - but the other horse's mommy is invaluable as I can have mornings off, go away on holiday and she feeds, poo-picks, moves the electric fence (my horse is laminitic), and if they need to come in during the winter she brings them in at night because I'm at work.
LankyDoodle
Well-Known Member
What type of yard do you keep your horse at?
It's a farm. The owner is a 74 year old farmer and with him live his wife and 18 year old son plus girlfriend. There are 9 people keeping horses there and 10/11 horses.
What type of Livery do you use?
DIY but everyone mucks in and looks after other horses/each other. We buy milk/biccies on rotation, the farmer will turn out and bring in, be there for vet/farrier at no charge, tops fields and collects things from feed merchants at no charge. You can buy a large bale of haylage to share, on rotation (so each livery takes turns), but we feed hay so don't do this. If we did it would be £10 every 6 weeks. We have a school which is a bit crooked and has building sand, but it's better than nothing. We have a few cross country jumps in someone's field and my husband and I have jumps of our own in our field. A next door farmer allows us to use his set aside field next door, for gallops. There are some gallops and an olympic sized menage (used to be racing yard but now taken over), which is about 3 minutes' hack away. You pay £5 per horse, per hour to use everything there. They are beginning to run shows and the like which is nice. There are some good bridleways within hackable distance and within boxable distance some other fab rides. Nice lane and woods riding. We get a 1+ acre paddock for our 2 horses. 1 just died but we are still paying for 2. A secure tack room and separate feed room plus large storage for hay and bedding.
How much does this cost per month?
£60 a month inclusive of use of all facilities, water, electric, turn out if needed, collection of feed stuffs if needed.
Why did you choose to keep your horse at the yard you are currently at?
We got a 2nd horse and decided then that we needed somewhere closer to home (we were travelling 35/40 minutes each way to a fantastic, posh, expensive yard where every little extra was charged - for eg, she would bring your horse in for £1.50 and then charge 50p to pick out the feet as well! New yard was a minutes' walk from husband's old workplace (outskirts of village). We have now been there 6 years and while husband has moved, it is still close to home and the people are really friendly and helpful.
How far away do you live from your yard?
5-10 mins car; 15-20 mins cycle; 45 mins walk (have done it!).
What facilities would you like to have (that you don't already)?
We have everything we need really. Being really picky I'd like a better shaped/sized/surfaced school. I'd love a horse walker but that is really silly. I'd love off road riding straight from the door.
Would you move yards if given the chance?
I would say definitely not but my in-laws have land/farm. It was always out of bounds before because of the busy road but work being done there means a roundabout is being put in which will make the road safer to cross to get to a short lane to get us to the riding we do currently. We would have to shell out for nice stables, refitting of our mats, a hay/feed/tack barn, a decent menage and post and rail. I'd probably also want a jumps field. That's all a dream at the moment though.
It's a farm. The owner is a 74 year old farmer and with him live his wife and 18 year old son plus girlfriend. There are 9 people keeping horses there and 10/11 horses.
What type of Livery do you use?
DIY but everyone mucks in and looks after other horses/each other. We buy milk/biccies on rotation, the farmer will turn out and bring in, be there for vet/farrier at no charge, tops fields and collects things from feed merchants at no charge. You can buy a large bale of haylage to share, on rotation (so each livery takes turns), but we feed hay so don't do this. If we did it would be £10 every 6 weeks. We have a school which is a bit crooked and has building sand, but it's better than nothing. We have a few cross country jumps in someone's field and my husband and I have jumps of our own in our field. A next door farmer allows us to use his set aside field next door, for gallops. There are some gallops and an olympic sized menage (used to be racing yard but now taken over), which is about 3 minutes' hack away. You pay £5 per horse, per hour to use everything there. They are beginning to run shows and the like which is nice. There are some good bridleways within hackable distance and within boxable distance some other fab rides. Nice lane and woods riding. We get a 1+ acre paddock for our 2 horses. 1 just died but we are still paying for 2. A secure tack room and separate feed room plus large storage for hay and bedding.
How much does this cost per month?
£60 a month inclusive of use of all facilities, water, electric, turn out if needed, collection of feed stuffs if needed.
Why did you choose to keep your horse at the yard you are currently at?
We got a 2nd horse and decided then that we needed somewhere closer to home (we were travelling 35/40 minutes each way to a fantastic, posh, expensive yard where every little extra was charged - for eg, she would bring your horse in for £1.50 and then charge 50p to pick out the feet as well! New yard was a minutes' walk from husband's old workplace (outskirts of village). We have now been there 6 years and while husband has moved, it is still close to home and the people are really friendly and helpful.
How far away do you live from your yard?
5-10 mins car; 15-20 mins cycle; 45 mins walk (have done it!).
What facilities would you like to have (that you don't already)?
We have everything we need really. Being really picky I'd like a better shaped/sized/surfaced school. I'd love a horse walker but that is really silly. I'd love off road riding straight from the door.
Would you move yards if given the chance?
I would say definitely not but my in-laws have land/farm. It was always out of bounds before because of the busy road but work being done there means a roundabout is being put in which will make the road safer to cross to get to a short lane to get us to the riding we do currently. We would have to shell out for nice stables, refitting of our mats, a hay/feed/tack barn, a decent menage and post and rail. I'd probably also want a jumps field. That's all a dream at the moment though.
Maisy
Well-Known Member
I said small yard, which it is, i guess, but only my 2 girls there!! there are 4 stables, but the people who own it only wanted one owner iykwim....so its just me!!
i dont have a school, but have about 6 acres for my 2 (which is too much really!), so can use part of the field for my kids to ride in....I hate schooling, so no loss to me!!!!
i dont have a school, but have about 6 acres for my 2 (which is too much really!), so can use part of the field for my kids to ride in....I hate schooling, so no loss to me!!!!
Ellies_mum2
Well-Known Member
The only thing I could want that we don't have at our yard is an indoor arena. Not bothered by a horse walker or pool or heated this and that. Don't miss what I've never had if you know what I mean but an indoor school would be great for the winter when the weather is too bad to hack out
L
lilym
Guest
would love an indoor school!!
Cop-Pop
Well-Known Member
Mine are at a small DIY yard a 20 minute bike ride away
I would love for their to be more grazing and an indoor school but apart from that it's fab
Spot_the_Risk
Well-Known Member
I keep my horse ay out own land, but it's a mile from our house.
I guess that's DIY!
I put under £50 per month, as all we have to pay is insurance, and all the maintenance ie topping, fencing, repairs etc.
We chose to keep our horses there simply because it was available to buy, was close enough to home, and being 5 acres was about the right size for us.
I guess that's DIY!
I put under £50 per month, as all we have to pay is insurance, and all the maintenance ie topping, fencing, repairs etc.
We chose to keep our horses there simply because it was available to buy, was close enough to home, and being 5 acres was about the right size for us.
Madasmaz
Well-Known Member
I actually keep my pony on Assisted DIY, this means she is fed and turned out in the morning so I don't have to get up at 5:30. The yard is fantastic, the owner brilliant, nothing is ever too much trouble for her, unlike some yards where you have to book up for a day's full care weeks in advance...not good when you work in IT. The yard itself shares premises with a Dairy farm...diversification. Only down side is the rat run used by people to avoid the A38 to Bristol airport....its a lane for god's sake!
Faro
...
I put "other" for the first question, because I rent 8 acres and 2 stables for myself. Have absolutely everything I need there except a loo! I don't have a menage, and in an ideal world, there'd be one, but am happy to school on grass rather than move somewhere not as nice for the sake of a surface. It's 4 miles away from home (10 minutes in the car). The price works out to the same as I would pay for absolute basic grass livery anywhere in this neck of the woods - so I'm actually better off as I have stables too.
ChunkyMonkey25
Well-Known Member
Mine is on 5day part livery for £300 a month which includes everything but riding mon-fri, bedding and hay - I do DIY at weekends and buy all feeds and supplements.
It's a small yard (8 horses, 1 mini shetland) with enough grazing and a school. Hacking is ok if you don't mind road work! BUT the woman who looks after him is fantastic - he works better when it's only me and one other person dealing with him.
As much as I would love the facilities of a big yard my horse would hate it!! As would my wallet!!!
It's a small yard (8 horses, 1 mini shetland) with enough grazing and a school. Hacking is ok if you don't mind road work! BUT the woman who looks after him is fantastic - he works better when it's only me and one other person dealing with him.
As much as I would love the facilities of a big yard my horse would hate it!! As would my wallet!!!
SouthWestWhippet
Well-Known Member
Don't have a horse at the moment but will answer for when I did.
I kept my horse on DIY at the equestrian centre/farm where I work. It costs about £20 per week for stable and grazing plus straw and haylage is extra. 24/7 turn out in summer but no turnout in winter which is the big downside to this place.
What do I like about it? Well it is cheap / competative for the area, the facilities are good - we have indoor and outdoor school plus a full set of SJ, lots of shows on site and the YO is very knowledgable and helpful. Plus I live on site so it is very convinient
I put that I would consider moving but only because I HATE the lack of winter turnout. Would love to move somewhere where my horse could go out during the day in winter even if just for 4 hours or so.
I kept my horse on DIY at the equestrian centre/farm where I work. It costs about £20 per week for stable and grazing plus straw and haylage is extra. 24/7 turn out in summer but no turnout in winter which is the big downside to this place.
What do I like about it? Well it is cheap / competative for the area, the facilities are good - we have indoor and outdoor school plus a full set of SJ, lots of shows on site and the YO is very knowledgable and helpful. Plus I live on site so it is very convinient
I put that I would consider moving but only because I HATE the lack of winter turnout. Would love to move somewhere where my horse could go out during the day in winter even if just for 4 hours or so.