Recommendations for Yard Must Haves

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Pinkponyclub

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About to take on the lease for a very posh new yard.

Having been a DIY forever (on some pretty run down places!) I’m looking to go full out and get myself geared up with everything I need to make life easy (and tidy 😄) Previously we have had use of whatever the yard has so need to part with some cash sadly.

Everything from harrows for the arena and fields, leaf blower, full set of jumps, I would like recommendations for what everyone has that doesn’t break the bank along with other things that people would class as “must haves” to keep things running smoothly.
 
Biggest issue always is muck heap. Where is it, can you access in the dead of winter, how will you get it removed.

In fact everything is about winter. What can you do about muddy gateways, lighting, space for drying rugs.

And security if this isn't a live in arrangement.

Everything else I think I'd wait until moved in so you can see exactly what you need and do research specific to your situation.
 
If you have a load of concrete it might make sense to pick hooves out in the stables. Agree wait until you have been there a little while and acquire things slowly as you need them.

What are the rules on poo picking? You may find the best thing would be to get a small quad that can pull a trailer. Kind of depends on your setup. How many horses etc
 
I would say big barrows and small ones actually. Big ones get stuck in mud!

I have been present on my yard as its gone from private use to livery yard and in order of importance, it was toilets sorted, hoses and water containers for field water that isn't plumbed. Everywhere that could be plumbed in was plumbed in. Every type of hook for tools off the floor installed, designated areas for nets, barrows, feed, buckets etc. Rails for rugs, hooks on stables for headcollars. A set place for EVERYTHING. Poop scoop that lives in the arena so no excuses. Shovel that lives by the muck heap so no excuses for leaving that messy either. Then harrow and arena accessories. Day to day running smooth more important than the fun stuff! But YO did get some of her jumps etc second hand from local venues which was smart! Great quality and used but not battered.

Jenko109 said:
Snack cupboard?
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We haven't got a kettle yet 😭 this is where YO priorities and mine have diverged 😭😭
 
My advice is to make sure that you have basic mucking out tools to move in with and then see how the set up works best for you and your horses. We have made lots of changes over the years, depending mostly on the needs of the horses as they have changed.
Two of the most useful things we have bought are a little petrol driven tipper truck, like a big wheelbarrow, on caterpillar tracks and a small field vac.
If you are renting the yard, I wouldn't pay for anything, except absolute necessities, that you won't be able to take with you when you leave.
 
YO here. My advice, if you are about to equip your yard with brand new gear, before you do so is to Stop and think about a very basic issue, i.e. Security. You don't want all your expensive kit to walk. Ask around (discreetly) and see what other people are using, my liveries have a Reolink set-up which works well. We used "fake" cameras here for a while, but be aware that potential thieves might not be easily fooled by these.

You also will need to think about secure storage for your kit - which won't be cheap. Be aware that "storage solutions" like an old trailer, a securely locked steel-panelled shed even, would be easy for someone to come in and load up onto a flatbed and take away. Even someone's field shelter was stolen, lock-stock-and-barrel, in my area recently. Thieves are very imaginative!

Presumably you have sole-use and are responsible for engaging Contractors? If this IS in your Livery Contract, then I would say to choose wisely; around here there is a bloke who is exceedingly predatory, he trawls around yards offering his services for hay supply, contracting work etc., has a good look around while he's there, and then - funnily enough - stuff goes missing after a month or two. We know to avoid him here, but unfortunately there are others out there just like this one, so be careful.

Mud: yes you will get it!! If this property is owned by someone else - which I presume is the case? - then I would suggest that if you DO spend money, let it be on something that you can take up with you if you ever did decide to leave. So something like mud-mats would offer this kind of solution.

Ditto fencing: ditto the above really. Tis folly to spend a great deal of money on someone else's land. If your horse will respect electric fencing, and if you have mains-power on the premises, then I'd strongly suggest you invest in a mains-powered energiser unit. Well worth doing. But have an essential back-up of a good battery-powered jobbie as well - you never know when you might need it. Always have a back-up!

Hay storage & water run-off: have a look around, do you have any streams or water courses around you? Where does excess water go? You will need to consider where you put your haystack, here we are in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) so have to be very careful for example where we may be soaking hay & then allowing the run-off onto the land. This is something you will need to heed not just for where your haystack/storage is, but also if you are spraying/using chemicals (or contractors are) as if anything goes into a water-course you could be liable for polluting the water system and the EA would then come onto you like a ton of bricks, believe me.

If at some point in the future (and if your Contract permits it) you decide to perhaps take on a livery to help pay the bills, then you will need to consider insurance: for this exigency you may need CCC (Custody Care & Control).

Hope this helps.
 
Every yard I have ever been on has had a head collar, lead rope and hoof pick by every box. The collar and lead rope are in case of fire. I used to keep a rope, head collar and hoof pick in the boot of my car. But now only a hoof pick. Hoof picks are small and go missing and it is reassuring to know I always have one with me. And if it gets lost, I have 2 spare ones at home.
 
Thank you all, to be fair maybe more info needed. Yard is on someone’s property and they live there, fantastic security (gated entrance) and cameras already in place which is perfect! Also has been well thought out with existing brick muck heap area.

We do have our own quad and trailer already also which we’ve used for ooo picking/running water containers to field, and my husband is very handy so will be responsible for all the physical work 😄😄 (begrudgingly but he chose this life!)

I guess I will need to see how fields hold up, they are clay sadly so mud mats will most likely be needed. I do have an energiser and some electric fencing so I think this will probably be the biggest job we need to think about first especially as will be moving in the middle of winter and need horses to be able to go out without immediately trashing the whole winter field. Owners haven’t had the place long themselves and are non-horsey so they aren’t very clued up on ground conditions when it does get wet so that will be a wait and see kind of thing (it’s still bone dry here at the moment).

Second hand jumps from local venues is a good idea, I will call around and see what they have.

I think arena maintenance firstly is my concern, it’s mixed sand/fibre surface and will be well used with no separate lunge pen so I would like to get an arena harrow without spending ££££ if anyone has any recommendations? I’ve seen the little leveller/harrows which don’t seem too expensive but I’ve never used one personally. We have a fancy harrow at my current yard but that really is out of budget. I do also definitely need a poop scoop to live by the sand school !!
 
dottylottie said:
i’d love a rat barrow, even if i had the money i can’t fit it in the block unfortunately🤣
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Luckily muckheap quite close and all flat concrete. My most recent one is up a hill so when it’s icy you can’t take a full wheelie to muckheap or you’ll be sliding back down 🤣🤣 I reckon I’d still have a rat barrow if I could afford it thiugh because why not !!
 
Assuming you will use the quad for harrowing why not keep a lookout on FB marketplace for a chain harrow or pop into your local farm machine store. If it's a posh school I'd avoid lunging any horse that's going to throw shapes and play kangaroo to prevent damage. And definitely not free school unless they're really good.
 
So my absolute must have that I think every yard should have is a set of tools for removing a shoe in an emergency.

If you find a horse unable to walk with a twisted shoe, it’s going to save an emergency vet call out if you can do it yourself. I’ve also had to do it when a horse got a shoe stuck in a wire fence. Get the tools, get the farrier to show you how to use them. They’re not dear and it really helps in an emergency.

Something like this although I’ve usually got mine for about half that cost: https://canadianforge.com/products/precision-multi-tool
 
mariew said:
Assuming you will use the quad for harrowing why not keep a lookout on FB marketplace for a chain harrow or pop into your local farm machine store. If it's a posh school I'd avoid lunging any horse that's going to throw shapes and play kangaroo to prevent damage. And definitely not free school unless they're really good.
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yes seem quite few and far chain harrows on Facebook but will keep looking, are the chain harrows you get for fields any good for sand/fibre surfaces? I’m trying to work out if can have one for both.

Generally do avoid lunging and letting them tear up on the lunge anyway typically all are lunged with double lunge to keep them in control unless they’re sensible as I hate horses hooning around on lunge lines 🫣
 
Pinkponyclub said:
yes seem quite few and far chain harrows on Facebook but will keep looking, are the chain harrows you get for fields any good for sand/fibre surfaces? I’m trying to work out if can have one for both.

Generally do avoid lunging and letting them tear up on the lunge anyway typically all are lunged with double lunge to keep them in control unless they’re sensible as I hate horses hooning around on lunge lines 🫣
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You'll want a bigger harrow for the fields than for the school or you'll be driving round forever. Screwfix are surprisingly good for electric fencing. How many acres of grazing do you have? I poo pick, then harrow and muck spread back onto the fields and rest them. The Meadow Machinery ground drive spreaders are great if you dont have anything with PTO hook up. A topper if you do have PTO, or a flail mower with its own engine. Progreen are good for grass seed, weedkiller and advice. Expect to spend a long time on your land management! Enjoy your own yard, it sounds wonderful!
 
rextherobber said:
You'll want a bigger harrow for the fields than for the school or you'll be driving round forever. Screwfix are surprisingly good for electric fencing. How many acres of grazing do you have? I poo pick, then harrow and muck spread back onto the fields and rest them. The Meadow Machinery ground drive spreaders are great if you dont have anything with PTO hook up. A topper if you do have PTO, or a flail mower with its own engine. Progreen are good for grass seed, weedkiller and advice. Expect to spend a long time on your land management! Enjoy your own yard, it sounds wonderful!
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Thank you, I’m oddly looking forward to more land management but it will consume me quite quickly I’m sure 😅
 
Pinkponyclub said:
Thank you all, to be fair maybe more info needed. Yard is on someone’s property and they live there, fantastic security (gated entrance) and cameras already in place which is perfect! Also has been well thought out with existing brick muck heap area.

We do have our own quad and trailer already also which we’ve used for ooo picking/running water containers to field, and my husband is very handy so will be responsible for all the physical work 😄😄 (begrudgingly but he chose this life!)

I guess I will need to see how fields hold up, they are clay sadly so mud mats will most likely be needed. I do have an energiser and some electric fencing so I think this will probably be the biggest job we need to think about first especially as will be moving in the middle of winter and need horses to be able to go out without immediately trashing the whole winter field. Owners haven’t had the place long themselves and are non-horsey so they aren’t very clued up on ground conditions when it does get wet so that will be a wait and see kind of thing (it’s still bone dry here at the moment).

Second hand jumps from local venues is a good idea, I will call around and see what they have.

I think arena maintenance firstly is my concern, it’s mixed sand/fibre surface and will be well used with no separate lunge pen so I would like to get an arena harrow without spending ££££ if anyone has any recommendations? I’ve seen the little leveller/harrows which don’t seem too expensive but I’ve never used one personally. We have a fancy harrow at my current yard but that really is out of budget. I do also definitely need a poop scoop to live by the sand school !!
Click to expand...

A word of warning, if you have non horsey landlords who have just moved in, then they probably like the idea of horses on their beautiful new land. As we all know, clay in winter won't stay beautiful and new - this might come as a shock and disappointment to the landlords!
So if you can, I would mudmat an all weather area to help save the land, and if it works logistically, have the horses in the paddocks furthest from house eyesight over winter!
 
ihatework said:
A word of warning, if you have non horsey landlords who have just moved in, then they probably like the idea of horses on their beautiful new land. As we all know, clay in winter won't stay beautiful and new - this might come as a shock and disappointment to the landlords!
So if you can, I would mudmat an all weather area to help save the land, and if it works logistically, have the horses in the paddocks furthest from house eyesight over winter!
Click to expand...

Yes I did think this 😬 I’ve got lots of white legs and pink skin to think about anyway so going to have to think about managing mud carefully. Have you used mud mats you could recommend ? Not something I’ve had to do before, they seem very expensive but very worth it?!
 
Pinkponyclub said:
Yes I did think this 😬 I’ve got lots of white legs and pink skin to think about anyway so going to have to think about managing mud carefully. Have you used mud mats you could recommend ? Not something I’ve had to do before, they seem very expensive but very worth it?!
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Mud Control or Jelka seem to be the ones to go for
 
A mounting block. Of anything I ever used over and over again it was a mounting block. I wore out 2 heavy substanial wooden ones in a couple of decades. Mounting from the ground, pulling on saddle and twisting or damaging said saddle and most importantly horse's back or withers is a pet hate of mine. Ok if unavoidable when out and about or if you are very young and springy, but not as an everyday way of getting on and off IMHO.
 
I wouldn't race to buy a school harrow until you've tried the surface. Different surfaces do better with different types of harrow.

I have had up to 3 horses a day use my carpet fiber one and I just dig in the sides twice a year - never harrow
 
Mrs. Jingle said:
A mounting block. Of anything I ever used over and over again it was a mounting block. I wore out 2 heavy substanial wooden ones in a couple of decades. Mounting from the ground, pulling on saddle and twisting or damaging said saddle and most importantly horse's back or withers is a pet hate of mine. Ok if unavoidable when out and about or if you are very young and springy, but not as an everyday way of getting on and off IMHO.
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Haha good advice, I’m definitely not young or springy, and have a 16.3 one to mount so not even sure I’d get my leg that far up!! One in our current school doesn’t belong to me so will need a good sturdy one. I do have a step but that lives on yard for hacking and plaiting said giraffe.
 
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