Rubbish horsey areas

holeymoley

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Is anyone else in an area that’s just absolutely rubbish for livery yards?

There is just a real lack of them in general around my area no matter what direction you’re in unless you want to travel 30mins +. 30mins+ is maybe normal?! But impossible with our road infrastructure come rush hour and school run etc . All the places that were around when I was growing up have disappeared or owners sold on etc. The ones left are a mixture of folk that are only out to make money and have no horse experience, another one that one minute is selling up then the next minute is not and no longer really interested and the next is really good but crazy with new ‘problems’ every week.

I’m honestly done with the whole yard thing. So fed up of being told yes you can get/do x, y and z on viewing then it never happens. I have a very low maintenance horse(laminitic) but really easy to do. As long as we have at least 2 possibilities/routes worth of hacking from yard I’m happy to box up the rest of the time to arena/school.

Just a moan. The basics of current yard(crazy one) I really like and I keep telling myself I’m very lucky to still be able to visit during covid. If a problem arises, which it seems to have one after the other for the last few months, basically if you don’t like it you get to spit your toys out the pram and create a scene until Yo gives in?! Ex liveries/‘friends’ also seem to have an input on YO though too which is ridiculous. I go away each night thinking this place is mad. Im beginning to think I’m going mad! As much as my previous yard was ran by people with no clue and set up was far from desirable it was much less mentally tiring.

Urgh. I just wish we had more choice.
 

meltb

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Kind of - there are only 2 yards around where I live that I can cycle to, but the ones that are a bit further away are impossible to get to without a car. I have yet to pass my test (keep failing) so for my current yard I have to cycle there. Takes 20 minutes to get there, 22-25 to get back as it's more uphill.
 

holeymoley

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Kind of - there are only a 2 yards around where I live that I can cycle to, but the ones that are a bit further away are impossible to get to without a car. I have yet to pass my test (keep failing) so for my current yard I have to cycle there. Takes 20 minutes to get there, 22-25 to get back as it's more uphill.


Poor you! We’d be totally scuppered in our area if we had no car. It would take half the day to get to the yard!
 

milliepops

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Yeah, I'm in a very horsey area but decent yards are few and far between. There are loads of yards for people who don't want a school, the hacking is pretty good so I guess that's why they are popular.

For people who want a good school, there is hardly anything. I would love to move because the school where I am is really spooky with a hidden busy footpath behind the hedge and horses next door that gallop round behind the other side of the hedge o_O makes it very difficult to get anything sensible done from one week to the next so I box off to ride elsewhere quite a bit.
I've had to go on assisted DIY where I prefer complete DIY really and the turnout is not brilliant ... it's also very expensive. but tbh it's the best of a bad lot.

at least the YO is not batshit crazy like many seem to be, but he's hinted about putting the livery up and that will just price me out. I'm not sure what I'd do then, tbh it's looking more appealing to just have them in the field at home then and do arena hire :confused:
 

IrishMilo

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I'm in a horsey area but also a very expensive part of the country. My two closest yards are full livery only and charge £800+ and £550 respectively. There is mainly just grass livery with no facilities, or a few run down DIY/riding school yards here and there, but all half hour+ away.

I just moved from a yard that charged £65pw for DIY, small stables, extremely limited winter turnout (as in they went out twice a week) and two small schools.

I'm REALLY lucky to be where I am now - £40pw for a huge stable in American barn, lovely floodlit arena and two of my own fields. It took five years before someone left for me to get a space, which shows how rare good yards are around here.
 

Shay

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Obviously its area specific - and varies with personal preference. Despite (or perhaps becuase of!) being in the middle of green belt and commuter belt - 30 mins direct line to London - there are 10 yards if varying sizes within a 15 minute walking radius. If you drive - I'm not even going to count...20 or 30 within 30 mins? So you can pretty much choose the one which suits your own personal bent. None are perfect. All have thier issues. And becuase the riding community is quite small all the YOs know if there is a difficult livery around so that can cause problems if you (or they!) get a reputation.
 

Bernster

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I keep moving to yards further away! There are quite a few in Herts but they are all over 35 mins drive for me. They have their + and - ofc and none are perfect for what I need, but there’s a decent choice. Most are not cheap but running a yard isn’t cheap or easy so I understand the limitations and compromises involved (on both sides). Current one is 50 mins away although with Covid restrictions it’s much quicker!
 

cowgirl16

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I feel your pain. I have the same problem where I live too. It's a very horsey area, but full of DIY yards. Fantastic if that's what you want - but I need a yard that can do part or (very) assisted DIY. Can I find one? Nope. Loads around the Bristol area - but that means a lot of travelling time - which is time I don't have. I'm in a private yard at the moment, the boy is out 24/7 for the summer, but will have to come in at nights when the clocks go back - and that is when I'll need help, so I've got till then to find somewhere. It's not proving very easy! Also searched high and low for a place that can offer all year live-out, which would lessen the workload/expense considerably - but that's a complete no-go as well.
 

Pippity

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I'm in quite a good area but, because I live in the town centre, it's a 30-minute drive (with no traffic) to pretty much any yard with decent turnout and hacking. I couldn't do it if I was DIY.
 

conkers

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This is the reason why my current horse will be my last.
Mine is currently 30 miles away as it was the only place I could find / trust to feed him properly, provide a good bed and provide turn out all year round. It can take more than an hour to get there during rush hour and it is just too much to keep going. He is 20 now and semi retired. Once he is gone, that is it unless I win the lottery and can buy my own place in an area with good hacking. It is heart breaking but I simply cannot go on when the choice of yards is so limited.
 

holeymoley

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It’s not even the money, I’m probably at the dearest livery yard in the area, it just the constant change of rules or ‘so and so disagrees with something so we need to fix it to suit her because she’ll either have a total breakdown or create hell’. I honestly think there’s a few that wouldn’t fail too badly in a psychiatric assessment.

There just really isn’t any choice at all. As I said, I really like the basis of my yard but the baggage that comes with it would send you nuts. It seems to be a case of taking said crazy baggage or go to a yard that’s not managed correctly to the point it endangers the health of your horse. I agree with the poster that says this will be the last horse. I honestly love it so much, every aspect of it but getting a good yard that does as it says it’s getting more difficult by the year.
 
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