What matters most when looking for a new yard

horse_lover

horse_lover

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 November 2010
Messages
149
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
I have been on my current yard for only a few months and just been given a months notice by my current yard owner, due to a change in her personal circumstances. So I am back on a yard search again, but finding a new yard seems to be such a challenge. My horse despite being nearly 20yrs young gets extremely stressed when taken out of his usual routine, it took him 2 weeks to settle properly in the current yard. In the first 2 weeks he behaves like a wild stallion and is extremely difficult to handle on the ground, I therefore want to make this move a long term one. What does everyone consider important when looking at a new yard? What are the must haves/or not haves as the case maybe....
 
1. Good turnout all year round, preferably 24/7 in summer.
2. Secure fencing
3. Stable small herds, I prefer 3 or 4
4. Liveries who have been there forever is generally a good sign
5. Adequate storage
6. School
7. Good hacking
8. Reasonable price
 
In order

1. type I need (DIY etc)

2. Turnout (all year round, decent fencing, herd size)

3. Decent stable and tie up areas

4. Good floodlit arena

5. Good hacking

Then everything else, like feel of yard etc

Where abouts in Hants are you and what sort of livery are you after?
 
9tails said:
1. Good turnout all year round, preferably 24/7 in summer.
2. Secure fencing
3. Stable small herds, I prefer 3 or 4
4. Liveries who have been there forever is generally a good sign
5. Adequate storage
6. School
7. Good hacking
8. Reasonable price
Click to expand...

This, except I prefer pairs and individual turnout for shod horses.

And
9. (Free/cheap) lorry and trailer parking
10. Easy-going but conscientious YO/YM
11. Flexible services available or at least the option to change between full and part livery.
 
I live in Eastleigh, but horse is currently in Winchester. I am ideally looking for assisted diy, well just someone to turn out for me really Mon-Fri. I am more than happy to either pay or bring in another horse to return the favour. I am having a look at a couple of yards this weekend, but I think realistically one is going to be too expensive. Ideally I would like somewhere as close to home as possible, but I am after good hacking so will have to be flexible on distance
 
That is my area too....

We have a DIY space, but noone to do assistance. I know the YM has had a lot of people calling her recently wanting assisted so there must be a shortage. shame because we're closer to you than Winchetser and have lots of off road hacking.

Will put my thinking hat on and if I do think of anything I'll pm you
 
Turnout (must have suitable herd environment, well drained fields with secure fencing and be able to turnout for at least 10 hours every day or night throughout the year).
Off road hacking and floodlit all weather school (would love an indoor school and lunge ring in a prefect world)
Safe, well managed yard with decent, tie ups, secure storage, nice stables prefeably brick built.
Reliable job service.
Friendly environment.
location and price.
 
all of the above. i would also ask if the yard is rented or owned by person running it. how long the tenancy if rented do they anticipate any major changes in the next few years? i would also ask about the insurance that is in place? .. commercial liability, public liability, product liability and 3c liability! and ask to see the livery contract before you commit.
 
• Turnout
• Nice YO
• Range of areas to ride (fields, arena, hacking)
• Cross country course if possible
• Safe area to leave tack and rugs
• That they follow a set routine and there is enough staff to cope with the size of yard
 
Forget about the facilities, it's the YO that matters. If you are ill or away will they care for your horse like it's their own (even if it means occasionally annoying you). Can you be sure that they will make sure your horse is always OK.

well thats my list anyway!
 
I'm having the same problem trying to find a livery yard that has both the facilities and a YM that knows their stuff. I find the ones round here with knowledgeable YM/YO's are either way too far out of my price range or just dont have the facilities i need. Have just moved off one with great facilities (indoor school, miles of off road hacking) but the YM was turning into a liablilty and just couldnt trust them with my horses anymore. Am now on a small yard (just me and a friend) but has no riding or hacking so is only a temporary measure until i find one that meets our requirements. On my list would be:

* Good, all year turnout with horses in small groups (2/3 preferably, dont like huge herds or individual turnout) and i mean able to go out for at least 9/10 hours during winter, not just for an hour or 2 per day.
* Decent size stable thats well built (and doesn't leak!)
* Enough storage for rugs etc... Not too concerned about tack room as never leave tack anyway
*School with a good surface (flootlit if outdoor)
* Good, variable hacking (lanes, fields, woods etc...)
* assistance ( turn outs, bring in's) or option to swap to part/full livery should a situation arise.
and, very importantly, a YM/YO who knows what they are doing and who i could trust to call me should there ever be a problem or would know how to deal with a situation in an emergency.

I'm really beginning to think thats too much to ask for around here though!
 
Funnily enough - what about what you look for when you GET to the yard? so I would always go and look at firstly the beds - you can tell an awful lot about how the yard is run just looking at how well the beds are done/thickness/cleanliness. I also have a good look at the actual other horses to see how well they look - preferable TB types as they are the hardest to keep looking well. Yard must look clean and tidy - workmanlike not OTT - then look at the school to see the surface - is it raked? clean? and then check the fields for fencing, poo picking, sizes..
 
Turnout is priority to me. Fencing has to be reasonable and we have to have the freedom to put electric fencing in.

The security of a yard is second priority to me. With 13 horses we can't easily move around so we need to be on a yard with a reasonable yard owner so that if any problem liveries cause trouble they immediately see through it. I would look for an established yard that even if it is small, has a good reputation.

Then probably chat with the yard owner and also the other liveries. One thing that was a saviour for me was KNOWING the other liveries reputation in the area and being fully prepared for what would be thrown at us. Most liveries are fine but it is no fun being at a yard with somebody set on causing trouble. Considering most people who come on our yard have being a livery underneath my step dad and also shared yards with our close friends, we know what to expect. This is important if you are wanting somebody to turn your horse out for you because if you are going to let somebody handle your horse, you need to be able to know you are going to be able to trust them. You don't want to get to a yard and find the person who is to turn your horse out is incompetent and causing your horse to misbehave as he gets away with it with them.

Make sure you know exactly what storage you will be getting and which stables, I have known some yards who will swap stables around or take storage away, and I know that certainly wouldn't suit us.
 
Thanks everyone you have given me lots to think about. I have a viewing tomorrow and two on Sunday, so will keep everyone posted on my findings. Apart from these 3 viewings nothing else has come up so fingers crossed :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top