Sorry, I really am...🤦🏼‍♀️

[HiPo'sHuman]

Is the search function still not working, I promise I’ve tried!

I’ve possibly got an opportunity to move to my own little field, it would be ideal BUT it’s very basic. Totally happy bringing water etc. my main, and probably only, concern is keeping the ponies in work over winter with no facilities, I know others do it - how?!

Fortunately I work for myself so can utilise daylight hours throughout winter 👍🏻 What do you do when the field is too wet to school in, do it on hacks I assume? I’ve lead a fairly sheltered life and always been on yards, how do I deal with the probably mud pit situation when it gets wetter?

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I go 1st thing, get all chores done - absolutely everything.
Then ride, schooling whilst hacking if I want to.
When I go in evening, if pushed for time I can be in and out in 10 mins, inc checking heads legs and tails etc, unless more ice needs smashing.
I use 1 day at weekend to properly tidy and square off muck heap, sweep yard right across, stuff all haynets and fill all field water tanks to brims.

 

[*Sahara]

I hope they are able to sort out the search function too but sadly no still not working (at least for me)

I school in a grass menage over summer and winter but if it gets too wet then i would simply school while hacking, much safer and can give you and your horse a great refresher from going around in circles, sorry to not be much help but hopefully someone with more ideas will be along soon.

 

[GoldenWillow]

I have a field with no school and keep the horse in work all winter. Have you got ok hacking? Our field is fine to ride in from when it's harrowed Springtime, usually March /April depending on the weather and is usually ok November if I pick dry days and occasionally Dec -Jan and we are in a very wet area. I do a lot schooling out hacking. It's definitely doable especially as you can ride in daylight hours. I tend to keep my schooling area just for schooling on although they do graze it from February onwards and this year it was also grazed early summer.

 

[ester]

Do you have transport? I think that makes a difference, we had a field and no school but it did make a big difference if we could get them out once a week to somewhere with a school, either a lesson, or evening show jumping or something. We have relatively pants hacking too.

I will say though that after about 8 years of that moving to livery with a flood lit school was bloody amazing and things came on so much quicker and it was nice to be able to plan a bit more even though I only used it once or twice a week.

 

[HiPo'sHuman]

Thanks guys, I'm really undecided about what to do...I hate adulting

I do have transport which would definitely help, well I'm just about to clean and advertise the trailer - it's a single and now I have two, I need to upgrade to a double BUT hopefully I wouldn't be without one for long between selling/buying. Hacking is so so, a few minutes down the road and you're on an off road track BUT it's predominantly around the perimeter of farmer's fields from what I can recall (going back a few years), not sure how usable it would be in wet weather? I might nip and have a nosey around later on before making the phone call...

 

[HiPo'sHuman]

What I actually want is my own little yard but they tend to pass by word of mouth if they even become available at all. Where I am now would be my dream yard but the other livery, who's a lovely lady, has said she'll never move...can't say I blame her!

 

[SpringArising]

I've rented just a field before and I would never do it again. I HATED not having a school, it was a pain in the arse. You have about four months of the year where the ground is prime to ride on - not too hard and not churned to sh*t.

 

[ester]

There are certainly advantages to having your own spot that you can do what you want with - which is why Frank returned to our previous no school location (family field) even before I moved as we could manage him exactly how we wanted with no compromises.

I do think it depends a bit how much and the type of land too, ours is wet then hard but not cracking and we have more grass than we need most of the year so can use that to protect the ground. But I am really not sure I would be without a school again with a horse in work.

 

[Molasses]

It's doable but don't expect to be able to do as much as you can with a yard and school. It's also very weather and ground dependant. So dry and clear i get lots done. But wet, windy or ice and snow I just get nothing done.

I ride in the dark in the field if it's clear, dry and calm.
I rent an arena or clinic or lots of hacking on weekends.

It's rewarding and hard work and you'll need a good headtorch and cooperative horses that don't mind getting tacked up in the rain or don't mind a quick few canter circles to keep them going.

 

[HiPo'sHuman]

Worst case scenario I can just keep my boy ticking over with a few hacks a week. New one is being broken to LR so not serious work, we could do virtually everything on a hack and maybe hire an arena weekly like you suggested? The owner of the field owns a yard about half a mile away, I have thought about asking to rent one stable to store all my things and then walk up and use their arena a couple of times a week? Would need to speak to YO.

 

[ester]

Oh that would definitely be a positive especially as you can do daylight.

 

[HiPo'sHuman]

Oh bleeding hell, I've now got the opportunity of my own little yard! Downside is the location, it's 30 mins away...doable though and defo worth it if the yard is otherwise ideal?

 

[catembi]

When I had no school but did have transport, I used to book a lesson for mid-week every week, alternating between dr & sj, then at least I knew I could have a decent ride indoors once a week! Or I used to book a cheap indoor at a local ish college.

 

[GoldenWillow]

Worst case scenario I can just keep my boy ticking over with a few hacks a week. New one is being broken to LR so not serious work, we could do virtually everything on a hack and maybe hire an arena weekly like you suggested? The owner of the field owns a yard about half a mile away, I have thought about asking to rent one stable to store all my things and then walk up and use their arena a couple of times a week? Would need to speak to YO.

The fact that a school was so close would make a huge difference and hopefully the best of both worlds if the cost wasn't prohibitive.

Just seen your latest post, I wouldn't find a 30 minute journey each way doable to my own yard. I've travelled that distance before to get the perfect yard but was on part livery.

 

[milliepops]

Yeah I had mine 30 mins/20 miles away for a couple of years and in the end I had to get the staff to do one end of the day as it was crippling in terms of time and fuel.

I have had 3 horses in work with a school a 20 min hack away and that was manageable. Annoying compared to having one on site but OK with a bit of planning. It would be so lovely to have your own yard but do give the travelling a good bit of thought. If you go for it, I'd seek out a local freelance that you might be able to call on if you are really poorly etc.

 

[Pippity]

Oh bleeding hell, I've now got the opportunity of my own little yard! Downside is the location, it's 30 mins away...doable though and defo worth it if the yard is otherwise ideal?

That seems a lot to me if you're going to be down twice a day.

 

[ester]

obviously you can always do a me and move house!

 

[HiPo'sHuman]

Yeah I had mine 30 mins/20 miles away for a couple of years and in the end I had to get the staff to do one end of the day as it was crippling in terms of time and fuel.

I have had 3 horses in work with a school a 20 min hack away and that was manageable. Annoying compared to having one on site but OK with a bit of planning. It would be so lovely to have your own yard but do give the travelling a good bit of thought. If you go for it, I'd seek out a local freelance that you might be able to call on if you are really poorly etc.

Good advice, thank you. I already travel 15 mins (without traffic) and having checked the new location on my sat nav a few times during the day, I could get it down to c. 25 mins out of peak hours so not a huge difference but still definitely something to consider. It's 'only' 14 miles but windy roads Would definitely seek out a freelance groom as a back up. I'm going to visit tomorrow so will get more of an idea of the journey, I know it but haven't drove straight there before.

 

[HiPo'sHuman]

obviously you can always do a me and move house!

I would if my business wasn't location dependant!

 

[ester]

lol, not sure where you are but I do think if on your own/dont have anyone to call on very local bad weather access needs to be considered.

 

[paddi22]

I tried this when i first moved house, before I got my stable and land sorted at home. I rented a seven acre field with no field shelter. To be honest I found it a bit of a pain. havong no water meant I constantly had to lug up water, and during hot weather it was an absolute pain. I had nowhere to ride as field wasn't suitable and got churned up in winter. When horses got abcesses, injuries etc I had to hire stables. One horse coliced at night and I had no where to bring it, vet had to look at it in field in lashing rain with a head torch. That was the last straw for me. i moved back to a yard and only rented a field again when I had stables I could use. Practically I just found it too hard. i compete a lot and I had nowhere to wash, groom or keep them clean. I had to box absolutely everywhere and hire arenas to jump.

I was so relieved during the heavy snow that I had them in with water etc, as I couldn't have even gotten down to them. We had drifts on the road so travel was impossible. And what if you have the flu or an injury?

I'm just pointing out the worst case scenarios that happen.

 

[Haywain]

When we first moved I put my horse onto the best diy yard I could find, but was a 25-30 minute drive away. I found it just too far, especially doing twice a day. I seemed to be perpetually in the car. I moved him a year ago to a different yard 10 minutes away, and I’m so much happier.

 

[Tarragon]

I started off as DIY on livery yards as I needed the support from people more experienced than me and so I also had access to a school, which I used. As the years went by I found I had the confidence to go out on my own and now a rent stables and fields from a farmer and have swapped a livery yard with lots of people (and opinions!!) and a school to a place where I am on my own and can do it my way and no school. I can however ride anywhere on the farm which is 300 acres of lovely sheep grazed fields which is fabulous. I LOVE being able to make my own decisions and I don't miss the interference. I do all my schooling anywhere on the farm when the conditions allow and out hacking. There are occasions where I would love to have access to a school or when the help of having someone else around would be invaluable (such as when starting to long rein a youngster or finding a groom for carriage driving) but this is far outweighed by the advantages of effectively having my own place so I find ways around it. But to put this in perspective I am a Happy Hacker by nature so serious schooling isn't so high up on my list of priorities and I keep hairy native ponies who are not rugged.

Edited to add that I love Highland Ponies

 

[HiPo'sHuman]

Little update - we move to the new place on Friday, no time like the present! The location is amazing and only a few miles from my Mum's office so she's going to help out with some evening checks Fabulous hacking pretty much on our doorstep and I've just bought myself an ugly as sin but super safe and well maintained 3.5 tonne lorry so the world is our oyster!!!

I'm going to do a separate post about the yard, having never had my own place before I'm not 100% on how I'm going to manage it, ideally would like them out as much as possible but I guess we'll just see what kind of winter we have. There's a little yard next to mine so when that's filled, hopefully we can buddy up and help each other out. The bloke I've rented it off also has a livery yard which is let out, I'm going to nip across and make friends there too...they might even do me a good deal on hiring the arena I'm assuming they have one but will find out more at the weekend. Winter will be hard but it's never great anywhere.

 

[Tarragon]

Sounds like start of a lovely new adventure!

 

[StableMum]

Deleted as no longer relevant.
Good luck OP with your move. Its always scary at first, I know, we moved last year and haven't regretted a moment of it. It sounds as if you will soon have it all sorted.

 

[HiPo'sHuman]

I don't want to put a spanner in the works, but are you sure that either of your horses will stay by themselves while you ride the other? I have two friends, both with two horses, and one has to ride and lead because she can't leave either one, and the other has to have another rider come out with her, she even had to take both to a ODE last week as she wanted to compete one.
We have a pony that gets very stressed, even if he has others with him when his favourite mare goes out. We stable him now when she goes out as it doesn't take long for a field to get trashed with a stressey pony charging around in it, not to mention how hot they can get while they're doing it.
Having said that there is nothing like being independent and being able to do your own thing as and when you want to.

I did give that quite a lot of thought, my Highland will be fine but we only recently got our A so not sure how he'll be...There will be horses within sight and I do have a spare stable in case I need to get a companion BUT then what happens if I want to take our two ridden ones out? Lol. Just going to play it by ear and see how it goes, I am a firm believer in teaching horses to stay on their own and have always found mares to struggle with it more, I think we'll be fine

 

[GoldenWillow]

Great news enjoy your new yard, it sounds like a good set up and excellent hacking.

 

[Apercrumbie]

The yard setup sounds ideal - not having water is a real pain in the backside, particularly if it snows and suddenly the horses are drinking triple what they normally do but you're having to lug from home. You lucky thing having your own yard!