Should I move? Own field to DIY....

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Rosehip

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Well, I wont bore you all with the full story...but I may ramble on a bit so please bare with me!!
We are a farming family (sheep) and rent all our land, so the ponies have always follwed us to where the sheep are and wherever the land owner would allow them.
My neds are currently up on a hillside with some of our ewes. Last year we had a barn that we lambed in and the horses had stables in, but this year we have given that up because of all the hassle we have had from the land owner.
We have asjed if we can put up a shelter and some semi permenant fencing for the girls within the grazing land (which dad pays for on acrage basis) which has been approved (provided I show the land owner the brochure and pictures of all the fencing before they go up) and all is fine.
At the last meeting we had with the land owner, it was agreed that as I was to be putting all this up, my field rent would go up. I agreed to the price and everything was fine.
We put it all in writing to the land owner so that everryone has a record of things, and I put in it that I presumed that the rent increase would not come into effect until the shelter was built....Iv just recieved a letter from the land owner stating that I can no longer use the current muck heap (thats fine) and instead have to have my own muck heap next to my shelter (also fine) which MUST be taken away twice a year at my own expense - Ive checked with the lads at the farm and that will cost me £65 a time, so £130 a year, and that the rent will be going up to the new price as of Oct regardless of whether the work has been done or not.
Now, I earn approx 4056 a year as a groom, plus a few quid here and there walking dogs and such, so the new rent of 1140 a year, plus muck heap removal at 130 a year, then thier feet at approx 240 a year, vaccinations at approx 100 a year and worming at about 70 a year, (bearing in mind that I havent put in feed/teeth/supps/etc etc etc) leaves me trying to live on 45 a week.... not possible.....is it???
My friend, who lives approx 4 miles further away than my current field has offerred me livery on her stud farm for £20 a week DIY, and she will be on site to put out/bring in if ness... should I go for it? I would know that my girls were safe and happy, my farrier is my friends partner, and I could pick up work helping her with her show ponies in return for a bale of hay or a couple of quid off my livery.... I know what I would like to do, but then I think well its another ten quid a week diesel to get there etc etc....

Sorry, ranmbled through frustrated tears far too long. Thanks for any comments, and Im sorry if I have bored anyone quite literally to death reading all this!!!
 
From the sounds of it the DIY place sounds better. I know you would be paying £10 extra per week for diesel, but as you say sense of security for your mares. I'd write a list of the pro's and con's of each place, and go from there.:):)
 
I think is she is a good friend and you have a written contract then go for it. The shelter and fencing are going to cost a lot, plusd you have the benefit of someone on site if and when you pick up extra work. The land owner sounds like a abit of an a**e so you could be in the situation that 6 months down the lone he hoicks the rent up furher or moves you on.
 
Thanks Echo Bravo. Ive done several lists, and the livery has come out on top every time, not least because my friend used to own Seri, and its her stallion she is in foal to, so I will have pleanty of expert advice on tap. There is a huge lockable tack/feed/storage area for each livery...apparantly you can fit 20/30 bales of shavings in them so a good size, plus barn storage for anything else, their own hay and straw (which she likes you to use rather than buy in) is lovely quality and reasoanble in price... I could go on!
I cant cope with all the stress Im getting from the land owner to be honest, she is on at me if the ponies poo, if they walk the fence line, etc etc etc its none stop! Im thinking of putting food dye in their tea to make them poo green so she cant moan about it! (joke, but thats the sort of thoughts she makes me have!!)
Magicmillbrook - yep, I have renamed the yard owner "the anal one" she is so pernikity!!!
 
How many horses do you have? Is the £20 per week per horse, or for them all? Money wise there doesn'tseem much more in it really, but it sounds like it will be peace of mind.. Is there any risk that you build the shelter, and then have to move. If you've only a couple of horses then your muckheap doesn't need moving twice a year. Could you promise your land owner that you will keep it square and flattened, so it won't be unsightly, and move it once a year? Could you discuss with them that you're worried finacially?
 
The landowner seems to be moving the goal posts as it suits, think I'd go for the DIY at your friends. Then you won't have the cost of putting in the shelter/fencing, if there are any probs and you have to leave after, might be a bit of a nightmare moving that lot and where to ?
 
Hi honey08, I have 2 girls, so it would be 40 a week at the livery yard, so £900 a year more than where I am now..... but yes, there is a real chance that the shelter (1500 +) and the fencing will go up and then she still wont be happy..... in fact I can almost guarantee it!! All normal horse people know that 2 horses dont make enough muck to have a muck heap removed twice a year, but she is in no way a normal person...in fact I think she may be part android!
 
SusieT, there isnt anywhere cheaperr that is safe! I really do refuse to put my safety or that of my girls at risk for a few quid. Sorry, that sounds snappy and it isnt ment to be!!
Honey08, Im part time, I have ME and other problems, so thats more than enough for me with all the sheep work and my girls to cope with too! lol! Im actually a legal secretary and accountancy trained, but cant cope with the office hours! x
 
Rosehip can you work from home on the Accountancy and legal work as I think you would find a lot of small companies or self employed could use you and you could work your own hours.:):) but def go for the DIY:):):)
 
This is one of the rare times when I agree to go from your own field to DIY. Normally I'd say no, don't do it. It sounds like the landowner is being very unreasonable, particularly given that the fencing improves HIS property when all is said and done. And field shelters don't come cheap.

Do away with the stress. If you suffer from ME it's far too easy for stuff like this to cause you to relapse. Horses are supposed to be fun and at the moment it sounds like it isn't a whole bundle of that right now because of this person.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
Crikey, you're doing the landowner a favour by putting up fencing for her and paying for it,. She owes you, the ungrateful sod.
Move and leave her without the benefit of your rent, that'll teach the money grabbing so and so, plus you'll have a fab new yard with support and social oportunities which you can choose to use if you want to:).
 
Thanks for your support iSHmad and Rotchana!
I had another thought whilst trying to get the unbendable cob that I school to do serpentines, that we are actually paying twice for that field anyway, as dad pays per acre for the sheep.... meaning that she gets my £1140 a year and dad pays £250/300 fa year too.... Hmmmmmm!

Im worried that if I stay where I am now, she will say no to the shelter I have in mind, that is £1500 inc delivery and putting up, and will insist on a more expensive one because she likes the look of it better or something anal like that! I also worry that she could shift the goalposts further and want more money or more things doing on a whim. She has already told me that I cant have the posts of the fence spaced how I want them (using 40 posts to create the stretch of fencing I need) as they 'wont match' the existing fencing posts, and so wants me to space them un-nessesarily close together, adding approx 20 posts to what I would need. Now Im not being tight, but at £2.50 plus per post, thats more money that I want to be shelling out!!!

My girls were both asking to come in tonight, and I hated leaving them out on the cold blustery field - there is no natural shelter as the hedges are kept at 5ish foot (again neatness) so even my little 12.2 struggles to gain any wind break from them.

I need to seriously think about getting some freelance work and just lumping the increase in rent/bedding etc and move my girls dont I.... I hate this!!!!
 
I'd move for the peace of mind and you'd be saving yourself the cost of the shelter and fencing for a start so that would go a long way at the DIY.
Echo the part time/freelance work idea too.
Good luck, let us know what you decide.
 
I really would move hun, with the shelter on top of the rent increase in October for where you are right now plus the guaranteed aggro from the land owner it really isn't worth the struggle!

Give in your notice and up sticks to livery :) £40 a week for two isn't bad and you'll be getting more from your money - people to hack out with, facilities etc :)
 
And I can have the neds on diy grass liverry for 15 a week each so I could have them back out full time after the winter.... Discussions need to be had over tea tonight! x
 
Rosehip said:
And I can have the neds on diy grass liverry for 15 a week each so I could have them back out full time after the winter.... Discussions need to be had over tea tonight! x
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I honestly can't believe you're being charged so much for what you have currently when your land is already paid for by your Dad too!
 
Go for the diy and leave your dad to sort out his own deal as you never know the lady may have had him over a barrel over your two ponies. And why the hell should you be paying out for something that will benifit her than you.
 
I agree you should go for the DIY, less hassle!

My friend was able to keep her horses out with her dad's sheep in a rented field. The guy actually let them rent the land for free so long as they sorted out the fencing...as they were doing HIM a favour!

Why should you have to pay over the odds for something that will benefit her and improve her land, when your dad is also paying for land? She sounds too pernickety (sp?) and out for what she can get imo.
 
surely your dad had rented the land on a secured tenancy basis. so can run his stock for 51 weeks of each year. his stock is sheep and 2 horses. also if you are going to the expense of a shelter, you would be best advised to buy one on skids to move around and take with you. i think you should discuss this fully with your father, as most of the expenses are tax deductable against the sheep, cos the sheep require shelter and fencing. your first post sounded like you kept your horses with the sheep. your following posts sound like you have a separate arrangement with the landowner.
 
Ofcourseyou can - yes, the horses are kept with the sheep, but the landowner views them as a separate 'deal' and as I am an adult (27) she deals with me not dad....the problem being that the horses are in my name and not dads, so she views them as 'livery'.
I will definately be putting the field shelter and fencing through the books, as the sheep will use it. cheers for advice! x
 
Rosehip said:
Ofcourseyou can - yes, the horses are kept with the sheep, but the landowner views them as a separate 'deal' and as I am an adult (27) she deals with me not dad....the problem being that the horses are in my name and not dads, so she views them as 'livery'.
I will definately be putting the field shelter and fencing through the books, as the sheep will use it. cheers for advice! x
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Then she should supply you with your own field not expect you to share. If your dad is paying for grazing then it's up to him what he grazes. Horses, sheep or cows. Move to your friends you may enjoy the company especially if it's a small yard.:)
 
Rosehip said:
SusieT, there isnt anywhere cheaperr that is safe! I really do refuse to put my safety or that of my girls at risk for a few quid. Sorry, that sounds snappy and it isnt ment to be!!
Honey08, Im part time, I have ME and other problems, so thats more than enough for me with all the sheep work and my girls to cope with too! lol! Im actually a legal secretary and accountancy trained, but cant cope with the office hours! x
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I'd be looking for a favour from an old boss to send a letter as to why they are charging two people for the same piece of land and insist on a refund for how ever long you and your dad have both been paying.:confused::)
 
rosehip if she sees your horses as livery then it is up to her to supply the fence and the shelter, and i would also question the liability cover she has to run an equine business. she is as landowner responsible for fencing the stock if she is charging you livery. livery is a completely different ball game to renting land on a tenancy agreement.
 
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