Renting own Stables

[Rachel_M]

Has anyone here made the jump from being a livery to renting a yard/a couple of stables, etc?

What type of rent to do you pay in relation to what you get, i.e amount of stables, other facilities?

Did you find the change very demanding?

What would you say are the pro's and con's of renting your own place?

Did you take liveries on yourself?



Thankyoux

 

[siennamum]

I moved from liverya year and a half ago and have been in 3 rented yards since then.
1st yard was only every temporary as it was too small. 2nd had no where near enough facilities for Winter, current yard - 3 months in, is fantastic.
I am far more in control of costs (I've 4 horses), can chose whether the horses are in or out and hos much hay etc they get. Don't have to put up with annoying other people and only have happy smiley people at the yard now!!!! Horses were far more settled and happy from day one, mainly cause they were out so much more.
I work full time so it was a big step to take on the mgment myself. I now have a good friend on livery with me. She does the majority of the work in exchange for livery. I also have someone who loans a pony from me, she pays livery and shares with yard work.
Until recently I had a livery, but am happy not to have one now, I simply can't bebothered to try and please other people

The only real downside is the lack of an arena.

I founf one of the yards from an ad in free pages, 2nd was advertised in tack shop, current yard we, asked around and in the end approached a local farmer, we had to clean up the yard ourselves, it hadn't had horses on it for about four years.

 

[lisan]

I've been keeping my eyes open for something like this, but with this horrendous weather have been so glad of the facilities at my current yard, having teacher on site and of course an idoor school

There was a yard up for rent not too far from you, great stables, tack room, hardstanding, 8 acres, turnout area, but no sandschool. Will keep my eyes open for you, still think you should come and look at our yard! There is just one stable free at the mo!

 

[Rachel_M]

Don't worry I will! Not missing the chance to meet May!

I am either thinking of renting a yard or buy some land, have to get a small mortgage and starting there but of course that will have its pit falls. It would be nice to find a yard that suited to rent but if not I could try the purchase route.

 

[mrdarcy]

My friend and I have been renting a small yard just outside Darwen since July. It's a four box indoor barn, 7 acres, 40x20m arena and loads of hard standing for our cars/horsebox.

It works out much cheaper than livery and the freedom is great. We've no one to answer to, apart from our landlord but as long as we pay the rent on time he doesn't interfere at all. He also lives next door and keeps an eye on the place at night so great for security.

Disadvantages - only one... and that is getting cover when either one or both of us is away. We've now got a local girl who's great and has horses herself but until we found her it was a worry. On occasion (very rare!) we do miss the social aspect of being on a livery yard but we definitely don't miss the back stabbing or stuff going missing or having to wait turns to use the school.

I'd definitely recommend it if you can find somewhere suitable.

 

[the watcher]

I did this for a while, but was ground down by having to do so much maintenance (the yard I took on was pretty run down)..would only do it again now if the yard was much more up to date, and with a school already there...but there was a significant cost saving

 

[Tia]

Having your own yard works well IF you have lots of horses, are good at maintenance and can turn your hand to anything, if you own a tractor and the implements needed to maintain the land, and have a cheap source of wood for all those fence posts which continually need work.

I love having my horses at home, haven't been in a livery yard since I was a kid and I honestly wouldn't be "into" horses if livery yards were all that was available to me. Having said that, I own a livery yard

, but it is different owning it than boarding at one.