Pony or Daughter ???

M

Muddy Pony

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In a bit of a pickle:

Currently on a lovely quiet yard - no school - just me pony daughter and retired lady with retired non ridden cob.

In the summer it's fab - riding in the field - going out no worries

However as winter is looming I am considering moving pony to a yard with more facilities for the daughter to be able to ride after school. However pony currently lives out 24/7 (has stabled before)

Now should I support daughter by moving to a "proper yard" (found a nice one with school/turn out all year round) or should I support the pony's needs by staying where we are? Pony has no special needs and is super laid back....

Ho Hum
 
I thought from the title you were asking us which one you should keep :D

Personally I'd stay where you are but that's only because I hate riding in winter, so even if there was a school I wouldn't ride much more than I would in my field/lane etc. :D
 
If he's super laid back then I would be tempted to move BUT only if daughter us super keen and will actually ride in the evenings.
 
I would keep pony where it is and make the most of weekends. I am on a quiet yard and I know I will never find another like it so I am going to put up with no riding during the week over winter. What has your daughter said? xx
 
Will she get easy access to school at alternative yard?? Last big yard I was on you couldn't get access to the school for ongoing lessons, or else had to share with several other folk unless you happened to be there "off peak". Now on a smaller quieter yard with less facilities but a happier pony and make the most of the good winter days.
 
how old is your daughter? If its a decent yard with a good amount of winter turn out im sure the pony will be just as happy in the new yard. If your daughter wants to move then I'd give it a go. I know personally I'd hate to be a on a very quiet little yard with no facilities or friends to do stuff with and I would have hated it even more as a teenager!
 
Thank you all...

If push came to shove pony would stay, at least he doesn't fleece me for money every other day !!!!

The jury is still out, but daughter would like to do more so am feeling torn.....
 
We don't have any facilities at home beone a bit of flat field which was parched toa cinder but now is a puddle. Hacking involves main roads or busy roads, so in winter we take advantage of the fact our (quite competitive) pony club offers week night group trainings one or twice a week indoors at less than the cost of hiring an indoor school, she also has an instructor comes weekly if not wet or we also hire an outdoor school every now and then that is rideable most weathers, often she has a friend over to ride the spare pony with her. I've also taken note of an instructor locally with an indoor schoo, which will get investigated in due course. At weekends if no pony club rallies she does riding club trainings (belongs to two RC) - so all in all both ponies get ridden every week more than twice even if the weather is foul.
 
could you do a months trial?

My sister did that with her daughter kept up the fee at the original yard and did a month at the new to see if pony and daughter would settle in ok. As it happened my niece found boys and stopped riding altogether so pony was sold.
 
Could you not use a part of the field to use for schooling in? My daughter has to ride in my field in the dark in the winter and hacks on the weekends. It's not ideal but it works.
If you go the yard it will be bitchy that can be guaranteed and you will probably struggle to use the school for the rest of the liveries using it.
 
We moved from our own (rented) yard without facilities to a livery yard with facilities incl floodlit school so my daughter could ride every night through the winter months. We have never regretted it and certainly haven't found bitching/selfish liveries as others have mentioned. If you have mainly older working people on the yard, there is plenty of time to ride after school but before they get back from their jobs. If there are lots of other school age children, it might get a bit busy but heck, they can learn to share a school - it's not impossible. Livery yards are not all bad places!
 
Theres no way id move!

When it comes to breaking my youngster i intend o do it from a field.... you dont need facilites all the time - id rather have a happy horse in a field 24/7 than lots of facilities


been there done that!
 
noodle_ said:
id rather have a happy horse in a field 24/7 than lots of facilities
Click to expand...

This!

Yeah I may have to ride in the dark on week nights in winter, but make up for it at the weekends by going for long hacks.

My horse is happily grazing 24/7 and isn't hungry or doesn't have to fight for food as I have found with a lot of livery yards with over horsed fields.
 
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