Red flags/ Questions to ask when viewing livery yards

[WithoutWings]

I am viewing a livery yard tomorrow for the first time. In the past I have moved with my loan horse's owner much without question. Since I own a lovely 2 year old cob now and have been at the same yard for a year or so I have started to get itchy feet and I desperately want to move to somewhere with off road hacking and nicer facilities. I think I may have found that somewhere!

My current checklist (of necessities) consists of:

• Large stable
• Running water
• Electricity
• Space to ride on yard (not necessarily an arena or school)
• Off road hacking
• All year turnout, 24/7 in summer, daylight hours in winter
• Storage space for tack, feed, rugs etc
• Assisted turnout of a morning
• Private yard
• I can catch the bus there after school

My current checklist (of slightly unnecessary, antisocial and random preferables) consists of:

• Not too big, I'm on a yard with 30 horses plus at the moment and its does, at times, drive me slightly crazy.
• Scenic, currently I'm surrounded buy houses and people.
• Sane fellow Liveries
• The ability to use Straw bedding (shavings and I really don't get along )
• Small bales of straw (I really hate the big bales when it comes to the logistics of straw, I'm weird like that. Also, its much easier to work out how much straw you are using per week.)
• No other liveries who are too far up their own a***ses to accept alternative ways of doing things

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

I would check if there are limitations on the times you can be at the yard f there is free parking for trailer/box, how much storage space you have for stuff, secure tackroom, secure feedroom.

 

[WithoutWings]

I would check if there are limitations on the times you can be at the yard f there is free parking for trailer/box,

Good point about the times thing, I'm probably never getting a trailer or box until years have passed and I have been accepted into and finished uni

how much storage space you have for stuff, secure tackroom, secure feedroom.

Most certainly.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Um, sorry OP, but from your post I am wondering how old you are?

I ask this because on some yards (mine included), I don't accept anyone under 18. Sorry, but there it is, so am just flagging this up if this IS the case.

 

[Smogul]

I would also suggest you rethink on bedding. Very few yards in our area use straw because of increase in COPD.

 

[prince ebony]

I would also want to know more about the turnout; where is it, how many are turned out together, are they single paddocks, poo picking, water source, ragwort etc? Also I'd want to know who is going to handle the horse and are they big enough, strong enough? Bedding wouldn't worry me too much; I have 1 horse on "Lay Soft" and 1 on straw. At our yard we use big bale straw and the DIY's pay so much a week for its use. I'm afraid there is no such thing as "the perfect yard" and there are always difficult or awkward fellow liveries I'm afraid. Don't let the size of a yard put you off as I'm currently on a very large yard with over 50 horses and I'm very happy; I used to be on a much smaller yard which was awful! How a yard is run and their philosophy is much more important in my opinion. I do agree about the times you can be on the yard, currently i have no restrictions but there are yards near me that won't allow you there before 9am or after 7pm which is useless to people who work!

 

[vickyb]

I'm sorry OP, I've just got to ask, do you have a loan horse as well as a 2 year old cob? The only reason I ask is that you say you want good hacking. If you have a loan horse as well, fair enough, but good hacking is not needed for a 2 year old. An unbroken youngster needs good turnout facilities though, all year round.

 

[Shutterbug]

I'm sorry OP, I've just got to ask, do you have a loan horse as well as a 2 year old cob? The only reason I ask is that you say you want good hacking. If you have a loan horse as well, fair enough, but good hacking is not needed for a 2 year old. An unbroken youngster needs good turnout facilities though, all year round.

I would assume said 2 year old will not be 2 years old forever so OP may be thinking ahead to when she can back her horse and will wish to take it hacking?

 

[yaffsimone1]

In addition to your list I would ask (and assuming its not full livery) and this is only taken from issues we had at our old yard:-

Is there a sick paddock, or small paddock available if your horse needs it?
Children, are they allowed? is their an age limit before they don't need to be accompanied by parents?
is there a feeding rule? e.g horses in at night - 1st one up in the morning feeds all provided feeds are left outside the stable door.
When bringing in at night, no one leaves horses out on their own. e.g If there is one left out when you bring yours in do you bring that other horse in also?
Who is responsible for poo picking, each do a bit or it isn't done at all?
Is there a worming programme? or do liveries worm as and when they feel fit!
Do jumps have to put away after using the school / ménage?

 

[hairycob]

Try & have a chat with people who know the yard just to check any promises e.g. winter turnout are valid rather than "aspirational". I know a few people who have been promised winter turnout only for the horses all to be brought in 24/7 for 3/4 months in a pretty average winter.
Also don't take descriptions of hacking as good without checking you have the same definition. People have different requirements for hacking & one persons good can be anothers inadequate - e.g an extremely competitive dressage person who hates hacking might be happy with a half hour change of scenery out of the school but someone into endurance wouldn't be able to fill their training needs if that's all there was.

 

[sandi_84]

Also check if there is a quarantine procedure, my horse ended up with strangles and ringworm because the livery I was on had new horses coming in all the time and they had no quarantine procedure, after I left they got a horse in that spread mites through the yard too. Unfortunately sometimes there are bugs and sickness anyway but if there is a specific procedure in place for new arrivals it can massively minimize the risks

 

[EstherYoung]

Try and get some sort of feel for what the turnover is like. Generally, yards with a high turnover have a high turnover for a reason.... Also, when you're chatting to the other liveries, warning signs should ring if they are overly critical/nasty about anyone past or present.

 

[JulesRules]

Is there a toilet?

I don't think I'd like a yard without one

 

[s4sugar]

Ask if the facilities are rented to outsiders. One near me has an indoor school that is not available to liveries as is booked by groups most evenings.

 

[WithoutWings]

Old thread now, I know, but better late than never. We moved on the 30th of October and never looked back.

We are now at a lovely small yard with one other livery and the YO, who lives on site. We got everything we wanted and needed.

 

[HannahBearBoo]

I am viewing a livery yard tomorrow for the first time. In the past I have moved with my loan horse's owner much without question. Since I own a lovely 2 year old cob now and have been at the same yard for a year or so I have started to get itchy feet and I desperately want to move to somewhere with off road hacking and nicer facilities. I think I may have found that somewhere!

My current checklist (of necessities) consists of:

• Large stable
• Running water
• Electricity
• Space to ride on yard (not necessarily an arena or school)
• Off road hacking
• All year turnout, 24/7 in summer, daylight hours in winter
• Storage space for tack, feed, rugs etc
• Assisted turnout of a morning
• Private yard
• I can catch the bus there after school

My current checklist (of slightly unnecessary, antisocial and random preferables) consists of:

• Not too big, I'm on a yard with 30 horses plus at the moment and its does, at times, drive me slightly crazy.
• Scenic, currently I'm surrounded buy houses and people.
• Sane fellow Liveries
• The ability to use Straw bedding (shavings and I really don't get along )
• Small bales of straw (I really hate the big bales when it comes to the logistics of straw, I'm weird like that. Also, its much easier to work out how much straw you are using per week.)
• No other liveries who are too far up their own a***ses to accept alternative ways of doing things

I dont mean to sound like a dummie but how do I post thread/question of my own. I cant find it anywhere :/

 

[be positive]

I dont mean to sound like a dummie but how do I post thread/question of my own. I cant find it anywhere :/

Go to the forum you want to post a thread on, the "post a new thread" is on the left at the top, you click on and it takes you to a new page where you fill in what you want to ask.