Tell me about your yards - what you loved and hated?

I've only been on one yard for my whole 10 years of horse ownership. It's DIY, herd turnout in reasonable sized fields, the stables are a bit shabby but they don't leak. We have a 20x40 floodlit outdoor arena that is well maintained, also a lunge pen. Hacking is pretty good, the road we leave the yard onto is a 40 limit but the bit we need to ride is open so cars have time to see us. It's less than a mile to offroad hacking and we can go for quite a way by joining up different routes. I'm very happy there, summer is 24/7 but winter turnout is dependent on weather so some years we've had to keep in for a few weeks at a time. Some liveries rub me up the wrong way, but I guess those liveries would say the same about me!

Having seen other yards, I know we're lucky or more importantly our yard suits us the best. It's not cheap, in fact it's probably the most expensive DIY yard in the area, but I do believe I get good value for money and my horse is settled.
 
Bar riding schools and loan/share yards (which are quite a few), I have only actually been on three yards.

First Yard:
Completely DIY, about 15 liveries. Lovely yard, working farm but reasonably presentable. Had a brilliant fairly large school that was always useable, and hacking straight onto the south downs. Unfortunately two things soured this experience, the fact that I began shift work which meant that I would need assistance, and another neurotic livery that was convinced my horse was lunging at the fence and trying to rear over his box to get to her mares. She videoed this and sent it to me, and all he was doing was standing at the front of his box throwing his head around. Made my life very difficult and meant I had to tape him away at the top of his field, away from his field mate which I also didn't like.

Yard 2:
Assisted DIY, I was the only livery with another ladies horses (she rented the yard). Amazing school, okay hacking and jumping field. Assistance was to an okay standard but she was a bit of a bully and I'm not sure he was always turned out when she said he was. In the end she turned out my horse in the next field to her stallion (electric fence) despite me asking her specifically not to, and he was kicked in the leg which snapped it completely and I had to have him PTS.

Yard 3: (with new horse)
I LOVED this yard. 27 horses, small 20x40 but good surface. Great hacking with some roadwork. Part livery of sorts, but I was required to muck him out, do waters, do haynets everyday which was no problem, full livery day for £5 if needed. The other liveries were so friendly and sociable. It was a real family there. The YO could not have been more helpful and always went above and beyond (included bringing me outside wine when I was sniffling after a particularly bad ride at about 8pm) and I really cannot speak highly enough of it. Everyone was amazing when I had to have Jake PTS, and even all clubbed in to get me a bracelet made form tail hair they had taken. Always people going out in their boxes and happy to take you along, and if you didn't fancy it you could hack on the south downs or the YO was also an instructor. Only downsides was that it was 20 miles from home, and could have done with a bigger school, nothing major. Would never have left if he was still here.

^^ Yard 3 has spaces if anyone is interested. East Sussex area :D
 
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I have only owned my horse for a year and only ever been on one yard.

Current yard is small and private, very basic but works for us. There are three of us on the yard, all get on really well. Was worried that when I was looking for a yard I would end up at a massive yard and there would be lots of sniding and talking behind peoples backs which was my worst nightmare as a first time owner.

Horses are turned out 24/7 but have access to their stables whenever they like, mine often sleeps inside in winter. YO lives in Scotland and has nothing to do with yard so we are pretty much on a free rein which is nice.

Downside is that there are no facilities but we do have two flat fields to school in during the summer months but are only able to hack during the winter. We have good access to hacking but only really have a couple of good routes which does get a bit boring. Fortunately a friend is looking at a 7.5t lorry so we are hoping to get out and about a bit with the horses over winter.
 
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