What matters most to you when choosing a Livery Yard?

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Lilchunk

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As the title suggests, i'm curious about what really matters most to us horsey lot in terms of facilities, grazing, professionalism, box parking, cost etc etc when considering a Livery Yard??
What are the main points you consider and what little extras really matter when deciding upon a yard??
Whats the norm in terms of cost for part/full livery and do you consider it money well spent??
I have no idea what to expect in terms of what to pay and what for as i've never used a livery yard before.
Thanks!:confused:
 
All year turnout is my absolute must and in joint second nice hacking and a nice airy stable everything else is workable
 
As above. I pay more and travel further but have a good stable, good sized paddock with 2 or 3 other geldings, fab hacking mostly off road, family-run yard of friendly knowledgeable people, helpful fellow liveries...definitely worth it, although I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing it when it isn't quite so muddy! I suggest asking at tack shops/vets, phone a few yards and ask what is/isn't included in the price they quote, and a couple of visits to get a feel for the place to help, but it can be tricky to work out what extra expenses you might need. Best of luck.
 
I think my list is long, but it starts with proper all year turnout with company.
Access to decent hacking.
I like DIY, but able to get some support is useful.
No rules about liveries not being able to help each other with horse care. Or about no visiting instructors.
After that it's about knowledgeable owners/staff but not pushy. Kind and considerate to horses and people.

I've been lucky to be on some brilliant places in the past, they tended to be not so posh and "professional" but good with horses and caring.

I'm in Kent, I've paid £25 per week for DIY with a stable, decent hacking but no arena. Add £5 per week for arena. To rent a field with minimal facilities is more like £15 - £20 per horse per week.
 
1. all year 24/7 turnout in well drained large fields
2. price
3. facilities (stable, arena. etc...) and hacking (whether off road, possibility to have a gallop, etc...)
4. if there are other people to hack out with

It's worth paying a little more for a place with more land/less horses or with large bale hay put in the field in winter as you end up saving on hay and bedding if your horse can live out.
 
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Theres loads I want/ would like/is important but turn out is the real clincher, then school (preferably big) and then hacking. The rest is not such a big deal... :-)
 
24/7 turnout with a herd is very very important. Also good fencing.
Aside from that, just nice people! I have found a lovely yard, which both me and Ned adore :) so friendly and helpful and when we arrived, we were called the "new posh liveries" instead of "the girl and the horse than runs funny" which we have been called before!! That made my day, even though we're far from posh :P
 
Turnout. It doesn't have to be 24/7 but it does have to be at least 7-8 hours a day and on decent, dry land.
A professional YO who cares about the horses and applies the same rules to everyone on the yard - no favouritism.
Decent hacking.
A floodlit school - indoor would be the icing on the cake but a good surface outdoors would be fine.
Plenty of storage space.
Nice fellow liveries.
 
It completely depends on what horse I'm placing on livery.

Honesty/integrity of the YO/YM is probably top of the list whatever.

For non working horses then my only real priority is 24/7 turnout, safe fencing, natural shelter and ability to feed hay.

For working/competing horses then school with decent surface and lights, stabling, all year turnout, secure storage and lorry parking as minimum
 
The most important thing to me, and why i left a lovely little yard was arenas. Where i am now has a 60x100 rubber/sand arena,with full set of showjumps and a sectioned off but still big bit where people can turnout/school without jumps up. We have turn out most of the time,and the people are really nice. My instructor is on site which is a huge bonus too, and the horses are all very happy :)
 
I do agree with the turnout, and can offer non muddy fields here, an arena, lovely hacking, infact everything you are all wanting, and I am extra friendly too.
x
 
Echo most of the posters in that All Year Turnout (in a herd environment) with good fencing is the number 1 priority for me....definitely....and not just 'an hour or two in winter,....a decent day's turnout of at least 8 hours. In summer I turnout in the evening and bring in during the day so that's what I'd want (and what I have on the yard I'm on!).

When I was looking to move in the past,..the first thing that stopped me from reading their advertisement any further was if they stated..'turnout restricted in winter,..or Turnout in winter at the owner's discretion, depending on the weather', or 'turnout every other day...that kinda thing. NEXT.....!

Then it would be: the facility to bring my own hay on-site (as we don't use haylage), a Good 'airy' stable, good hacking, an arena, help when needed for holiday/sickness cover, decent parking facilities for trailer/box. Those are the basics I look at to begin with.
 
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1) Arena and full set of jumps is an absolute must. Arena at current yard is a bit small, but is indoor. And decent stables and fencing
2) Knowledgeable YO/YM and nice liveries (though this is hard to gauge)
3) Must alow outside instructors and other professionals
4) Hacking without too much roadwork and no busy roads
5) Turnout out isn't a huge issue for me thought is nice if they can go out at least every other day for a couple of hours, preferably alone with others beside but 2's is OK.

Full livery in my area of Kent is £110-£130 per week. That generally includes bedding, feed, hay, care of the horse so all the owner has to do is groom and ride
 
1} Safe turnout - every day for a decent amount of time - so not just for half a day, group turnout in big fields so horses can have chance to play as well as eat.
=2} Nice Reliable competent people to provide services when needed. Hacking. All weather school. Storage facilities.
3} Friendly liveries and atmosphere
4} Price - depends on what I am getting but happy to pay a premium amount if the turnout, services and facilities are good and pony and me are happy.
 
There are loads, but the main ones would probably be turn out, friendly helpful people on the yard and good hacking, a school would be ideal but aslong as there was somewhere flat to ride, I could probably deal without one! Also price/distance are pretty important factors.
 
1) Turnout with safe fencing and friends. None of this individual turnout nonsense.

2) Usable arena that's well maintained .

3) large boxes (my horse is 17hh!)

4) location and price.
 
All year turn out, even if slightly restricted in winter
Preferably 24/7 turn out for at least several days a week in summer
I'd like to have my 2 out in their own field
Off road and quiet lanes to hack
Sand school with lights and a few jumps
People down at the same time as me in the evenings so I don't have to ride with no one there

However this seems to be impossible to find and I'm losing the will to live !!
 
Year round turnout/no restrictions in company if preferred
Sane/sensible YO
Decent-sized stable
School with lights and decent surface
Showjumps available to use
Good off-road hacking
Sane/sensible fellow liveries
Can source own bedding/hay, etc. - and can use straw
Well-lit hard standing for farrier/vet, etc.

Everything else is negotiable.

P
 
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