Private or Livery Yard - Such a hard decision!!!

[Sophskies]

I'm currently at a livery yard where I have lots of lovely horsey friends to hack out with and chat to, nice hacking and monthly competitions in dressage and jumping (which is good as I don't own a horsebox). BUT... I have the option to move my horse closer to home to a private yard at a friends house where I used to work. The Turnout is for longer hours and the beds are nicer, the feed of a higher quality (my current yard are only feeding conditioning cubes and chaff and my horse is lacking energy). This yard is also cheaper and I have access to a horsebox so could still do my monthly competition. The only thing is there's no company, and I know form experience that being up there in the evenings in the dark alone and having no one to hack with or help with our jumping etc mean I lose motivation with my riding, I'm more likely to go up, fuss and groom and then just go home. I'm so stuck on what to do, am I being selfish staying at my current yard just for my friends? Opinions really welcome (anything to try to help me decide!)

Thanks!

 

[Molasses]

private every time for me, but i enjoy being alone doing my own thing
motivation for riding comes from me, not other people but everyone's different
cheaper is always good too though

 

[Sophskies]

Yeah I know it's probably just a case of self discipline. Cheaper is definitely always better

 

[Billy the kid]

Private yard. Esp if the turnout and stable is better.

 

[RockinRudolph]

I was at a private yard for a while - beautiful surroundings, nice and quiet, loads of private hacking etc. It was at the owners property, so I started to feel like I was invading a bit (not that anything was ever said). She did a lot for me and my horse - she would often do my jobs in winter which was amazing but kind of left me feeling a bit like a spare part. After work I had nothing to do other than go and say hello to him (couldn't ride after work in winter, no floodlights). Having one extra horse put a strain on her grazing and any damage that he caused made me feel really guilty. She also liked things done her way and I felt terrible if I hadn't cleaned up 100% or done something wrong. She never really said anything but I'm now back on a livery yard and I feel so much more relaxed! Having company or not doesn't bother me, but I'm back in sole charge of my horse and all the decisions rest with me again, which I prefer. Don't get me wrong, the yard owner was lovely and I enjoyed being there but I think I prefer being back on livery, at least for the time being!

 

[Hackie]

The Turnout is for longer hours and the beds are nicer, the feed of a higher quality... This yard is also cheaper and I have access to a horsebox so could still do my monthly competition.

It does kind of sound like a no-brainer... I am assuming your friend keeps their own horses at their own property, would that not at least be some company?

 

[Sophskies]

It does doesn't it, I think it's just because I have so much fun with the girls where I am now, and it's helped my confidence having people egging me on, I feel like I've really grown as a rider. She does, but they are all brood mare so no riding company and very rarely comes out in the evenings.

 

[McCauley]

Would be a 'no contest' decision for me too from what you describe.

I'd be going 'private' for the upgrade in quality of life for the horse and a little easier on the pocket for you too! I guess You can always meet up at your monthly comps with your friends can you? I'm assuming you go to the same comps?

I too enjoy my time pretty much on my own although where i am now does have another 2 liveries who i usually cross paths with for a few minutes each day as they arrive before i do of an evening (as well as the owners,..who are gold nuggets and lovely caring and chatty people).

I guess i've got the inbetween kinda livery yard from the two you describe,...quiet, facilities great, just enough human interaction and plenty of 'one on one' horse time. I have my own transport so that's not an issue.

Good Luck with whatever you decide to do..

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I understand the problem, in fact I moved to a private yard, there was no hacking as such, which was the main thing I missed, otherwise everything else was fine. There was almost no socialising which I did miss.
The public yard was a lot more expensive, and it aggravated me that they hiked up prices and reduced facilities, so that the aggravation balanced the socialising.
If your horse is lacking energy just ask them to feed more, you provide the extra grub. Same with bedding, just buy more.
If there had not been other problems, and I could afford it, I would have stayed in the public yard.

 

[BorgRae]

It would be a no brainer for me, but I would stay where you are...

I would hate to be on my own and love having people around me to have fun with and hack with and just generally ask for advice! Being on a private yard on my own would be my worst nightmare. But that is personal choice and everyone is very different.

If your horse is happy where he is, and is getting plenty of turnout, has a decent bed and is looked after, then I would stay where you are.

If he is lacking energy, then can you buy some of your own hard feed in??

 

[rach1]

I know what you mean and it can be the only real time you get to 'socialise' after work! I think you have to weigh up the difference, I've gone from a big livery to a private yard (other side of the country!) but I really do miss my friends on the old yard.... but that being said, the private yard is amazing otherwise!

Could you use the money you save to save up to buy a trailer? You can arrange little trips out to fun rides etc with your friends?

 

[ktj1891]

After being on a couple livery yards- DEFINITELY private. Seems like this yard is a lot better run and more beneficial for your horse.

 

[blitznbobs]

spend the extra cash on lessons to keep you motivated... and move to the private yard!

 

[EllenJay]

Going against the grain here - but you sound happy at current yard and have doubts about the private yard.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Unless you are ultra-motivated or a natural born loner then I would stay where you are. There is nothing more demotivating to turn up at a yard in winter in the freezing cold with no-one there. I've done something very similar- I went from a busy yard where it was open until 9pm with plenty of people around to a yard (not private) where everyone was gone by 5pm. I used to drive 20 miles give my horse a carrot and drive 20 miles home again. Motivated enough to go there but not to ride when I got there in the bleak cold night.

My current yard is quiet but a lot nearer. In the winter these days I hardly ride though during the week because again everyone is practically gone by 5pm. However my horse is 19yrs now and doing a lot less now. I do miss the social element I had at the first yard and nearly all my horsey friends that I still meet up with stem from that yard. I couldn't go back now because of other reasons meaning it is not suitable and we have all scattered anyway for various reasons.

 

[connieconvert]

Going against the grain here - but you sound happy at current yard and have doubts about the private yard.

I echo this entirely.

 

[Sophskies]

I know this is the issue, I could stay at the yard and they could put the prices up again, some of the girls could move and then it would be lonely up there too and I might not be able to move to the private yard when that happens. I guess it's just a risk. Unfortunately I can't afford to do bedding and feed on top of my livery as I'm pretty much paying out as much as I can afford every month as it is. Thanks all for your opinions, it's a mixed bag but it helps to see others thought processes and reasoning. None of my friends have transport either so I'd only see them if I went back to my old yard at competitions xx

 

[Dubsie]

Why can't you move and use the horsebox you have access to in order to go back to visit & to do the monthly competitions ?

 

[Goldenstar]

I have my own yard at home and understand totally what OP's saying about company I did miss it when we moved here .
However the better turn out and better beds etc would make me move.