What kind of yards have you been on?

[My_old_warmblood]

First yard was middle of the range riding school, but old-fashioned and didn’t investigate why horses messed about, just rode them though it. Then I bought my first pony, realised he was in bad shape mentally and physically and moved him to a training facility. Started training in dressage and competing every weekend, always winning ribbons and doing well. I was always dressed and wore the proper gear.
Few years on we moved about a lot, just hacking and doing some schooling until we got bored of the area, then we would move on. Didn’t wear jods unless I had no other option- I even wore clumsy wellies out riding that would get jammed in my stirrups, but I didn’t care. I became a far better rider and learned to hang on.
we then bought our own yard and found my pony a friend, and they both live very happily with me I’ve started doing dressage again (at home and no competing) and wear proper gear when doing that, but otherwise it’s whatever I find comfortable.
what about you?

 

[notsoluckyhorseshoes]

I don't have my own horse yet but I have worked at multiple yards and they are all very different!

The first one was a dressage and vaulting yard. It had -
Indoor school
Outdoor school
Round pen
Horse walker (Not in use)
Quarantine or box rest grazing pen

The next was quite small and was just a simple small wanna be riding school as it did break a few rules whenever no one was about but they only had an outdoor school and that's it

Now my current one has 80 horses (40 on full, rest DIY) and it has -
Show jumping arena
Dressage Arena
2 Indoor barns (With random outdoor yards dotted everywhere)
Horse walker
Cross Country Track
Equestrian shop on site
And a cafe

I guess it does depend but even so most people only really stay because of the friend groups and how comfortable they feel. Even the second yard had majority youngsters and didn't have any suitable facilities available but they're all doing well haha

 

[Tarragon]

Went from small DIY, to smaller DIY to by myself on a farm DIY over about 25 years or so! Only the first one had a school. This maps to me needing the moral support of experienced people around me when I got my first pony (aged 35) to having the confidence to be in complete control and knowing what I want.

 

[Birker2020]

I've always been on fairly large yards, first one there was probably 30 liveries, was there for 5 years. Then I moved to a smaller yard of around 15 liveries but had to leave as they decided to go from part to full livery and I didn't want to do that. The I moved to a yard where I was at for 4 years and again, probably around 15 liveries.

Then I moved to where I am now which is probably around 40 horses but most of these belong to full liveries looked after by a pro rider and the YO horses.

Prefer busy yards but I also like being early in the summer so I have an hour to myself too.

And my dream is to have my own place eventually.

 

[teddy_]

With my first 'own' pony, we started off at quite a large livery yard that offered all services from DIY in normal stabling to all singing and dancing full livery in a listed stable yard, there was anything from 20 - 30 horses at this place. We were there for quite a few years with various horses and ponies and the facilities / hacking were amazing. I then went on to agricultural college and kept the horses there with me - that was great fun!

After a hiatus of a few years and getting my career on track, I purchased a few horses from a medium sized Trakehner stud and kept them there for circa seven years. This was OK, but being a stud farm, there was a lot of inconvenience around covering / foaling season. The hacking was also abysmal. I decided to move on due to lack of hacking as it's bloody hard getting a horse fit in the arena alone, not to mention how sour it makes them.

I then went to a competition / dealing yard that offered part and full livery on the side which was horrendous as the horses had no access to little more than a paddock that resembled The Somme between November and May (I did not know this when I moved, needless to say). With options in my area being slim I didn't really have an alternative at the time however, come this March when my horse became borderline dangerous through freshness, I moved him further afield to a lovely private, professional yard where I am to this day, albeit with a different GG ?!

Now being used to the tailored care that's much easier delivered at a smaller, private yard, I don't think I could make a commercial livery yard work for me or my horse.

 

[meleeka]

Small ish DIY yards until I started renting my field which I now own. You really couldn’t pay me to be on a yard again.

 

[My_old_warmblood]

Small ish DIY yards until I started renting my field which I now own. You really couldn’t pay me to be on a yard again.

Same here. So many horrible people, nosy owners trying to be helpful and old bats who will bully young people off the yard. Never ever again.

 

[millikins]

Started with DIY livery at the RS where my daughter had lessons, lovely hacking, indoor school, bitchy people. Moved to a more professional set up, fair amount of roadwork to get to bridleways, super school, all year round but muddy turnout, much nicer people and a particularly friendly gang of kids for my daughter. Then got the chance to rent my own paddock and stables which I subsequently bought and it's heaven though land maintenance is hard work. I miss having a school, I have a flat area in the field I can use in Summer and can rent a neighbour's school but it's difficult in the Winter sometimes with short days. Only about 100 yards roadwork to bridleways.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I've been on part livery, assisted DIY and DIY at a variety of yards at various stages - some bigger yards, some small private yards, we've been on a working farm or two and some have been just a rented field shared with friends.

The common theme is that all of them (bar one) have had good hacking, as that's my main 'thing'.

I generally prefer bigger yards/farms to small, private yards personally as I find it generally easier to just do your own thing. Having said that, I did enjoy it being just my friend & I but we were like minded & easy going.

 

[Caol Ila]

All of them. Started horse ownership at a large stable in the US - circa 80-90 horses. Then moved to a slightly smaller one, but not by a lot. Circa 60 horses. When I moved to the UK, I bounced around yards that had between six and twenty horses. But I rarely felt totally happy with the YO = God paradigm you find on many small, private yards. The big ones have staff and managers, and so long as those people are competent, I think it’s a much easier dynamic for me to handle.

 

[Annagain]

I've been at my yard 20 years. It's totally DIY and there are 12 horses with 8 owners. We have a 20x40 outdoor, access to ok hacking (albeit the first 1/2 mile on a not great road). good turnout, lovely friendly fellow liveries - give or take the odd one over the years . It's the sort of place people don't really leave unless the grass is too good for their horses.

 

[humblepie]

The full monty - from DIY to a top professional competition yard having horse produced and now DIY again with some assisted part livery thrown in. Varying yard owners/managers - from the same rug from September to April regardless of the weather to one who would change rugs throughout the day. Generally have moved because horse needs have changed or the place has changed - one yard went from quite small to quite large with no more grazing and no school maintenance whilst another had to close as the property it was on was sold.

 

[ihatework]

I’ve been on the complete spectrum over the years, from rented field with little in way of facilities, to Olympic yard with multi-million horsepower, and everything in between.

 

[spotty_pony]

I’ve been on just about every sort…

Full Livery at an Equestrian Centre which was also a riding school, Part Livery at another large yard, back at the Equestrian Centre on DIY, DIY on private yards and also on a farm and finally at home.

Home is by far the best (but also currently the most basic) but it’s nice not to have to deal with yard politics any more. Second best for me were the private yards and the farm. I have many happy memories at those.

 

[LEC]

Own Family farm until 4 years ago - then moved horses to owners yard (ride horses for) which was also a DIY livery yard but my horses all kept on own. Then moved last year to a new yard for same owner but no liveries. I love not having liveries again and just my own beautiful yard. Just arena needs to get built and I will be a ? in ?

 

[Snowpup]

Been on a small, friendly yard but left due to not enough turnout, was very happy there. Now on a much bigger full livery yard with indoor arena, good turnout and hacking. I am getting increasingly fed up with the way that the older liveries and head yard girl treat the youngsters though.

Bullying, bitching and interfering. My daughter heard them talking about her in the hay barn today. No idea why some horsey people behave like this.
I want my own place but land so expensive in SE.

 

[HorseMaid]

I've been on the full spectrum - started out at small tumbledown place which didn't have enough grazing. Left after 8 weeks to sole use 2 stable yard which was nice, but lonely.

Since then been a mixture of small to large livery yards with varying facilities from no school to large indoor and xc course (but that one had no decent hacking). ALL the livery yards I've been on there have been issues between liveries, fallouts and bitching etc. Other issues have been from nightmare yard owners who have been bullies, manipulators.

Currently renting a small farmyard type setup which I share with 2 good friends, very easy going elderly farmer owner. It's a bit rough round the edges but there's good hacking and plenty of turnout and it's just the 3 of us, we all get on well and we share the chores between us, it works like a dream (currently my 2 friends turn out and do the mucking out every morning between them and I go up every evening after work to fetch in and feed). I wouldn't go back to a livery yard if you paid me!!