To move or not to move....

[Bozzy]

Do I stay in the 4 acre field I currently rent just 40 metres from my house or move back to livery??

Just trying to weigh up the pros and cons of both, particularly around cost (livery v land rent/maintenance), time etc.

Main things swinging me towards llivery at the moment are;

- I love the yard (it's the only place I'd happily move to), worked there for a year looking after the owner's horses so know everyone well
- a school - main reason for wanting to move, I'm sick of only being able to ride twice a week. I'd love to concentrate more on my flatwork. Owned my boy for 8 months and have been in a school 5-6 times! Field's not flat so can't ride in there.
- Fab hacking
- Company

Downsides;

- Increased cost (though saying that I'm not sure how much the land maintenance will cost that I'll have to do over the summer if I stayed at the field - harrowing, rolling and topping - can anyone advise?)
- Mucking out! (though this just replaces lots of poo picking!)
- I work long hours some days so would have to get/pay someone to bring in for me
- The 26yr old companion pony I have, trying to find somewhere for him

What else am I forgetting about yards, I've not kept my own on a yard for nearly 3 years! I'm sure I'm more tempted by the yard due to it being winter.

 

[Honey08]

The amount of maintenance that you would have to do depends on your fields really. Our land is clay, so poaches up like mad, so we absolutely have to roll it. If you poo pick and rest the field for a few months you may not need to harrow - again we have to harrow because we can't get a wheelbarrow on the fields in winter to poo pick, they're that muddy, so we poo pick in summer, and leave it in winter, then harrow and rest the winter fields. We have tons of grass, so have to flail the grass mid summer, or else we lose the ponies!

Could you not hack to the other yard and hire their school? There must be someone near you who has a menage no? It seems like every other farm has one round here!

I can see why you are leaning towards livery, but I'd feel bad shoving the old companion off somewhere, and I like my own space, and having them at home too!