what sort of livery yard do you prefer?

[diggerbez]

do you prefer to be on a small yard or a big yard? i've just moved from a small yard (15 stables) to a bigger one (about 35 stables) and i think i prefer it - i don't really know anyone's name but i think i like the fact that its a bit more anonymous and that people don't know my every move!

would be interested to hear your views!

 

[zoeshiloh]

Well, I started out on a big one (50 horses) and never had any problems really. Yes, there were a few snide comments, and a bit of jealousy and bickering, but no one was excluded - there was always someone to chat to, and lots of very knowledgeable help aound. Other people to go to shows with etc.

Since then I have been on small yards (chosen based on location and facilities rather than size) and have had no end of problems. One yard had a pair of sisters that were a real nasty piece of work, used to threaten other liveries and basically go aorund like they owned the place, there were only five of us there, and everyone would try and get there at times they knew the sisters wouldnt be around. Another yard there was only three of us, but the other two people formed a bit of a clique and I got completely left out - I am quite happy to keep myself to myself, so wasn't bothered by that, but did get annoyed that they would go running to YO and make up stories about me. One yard I had my horse on, it was only YO's daughter and me, then another livery turned up who flirted with YO and got her own fields, the hay barn was re-arranged so she had undercover parking for traier etc. I left yard in the end, and found out a month later YO and livery ended up having full blown affair!

 

[ihatework]

I prefer a bigger yard personally, providing the other liveries are fairly sociable and not too bitchy. I was on what a lot of people would consider to be the perfect yard, small, well maintained, super YO but I was bored and unmotivated with the neddies without other people around.

 

[ironhorse]

Small yard is definitely better for my horse's sanity! Have been on a big yard and there was so much going on it was difficult to ever get in either of the schools despite the fact that I'm self employed and thus very flexible about when I can ride. Also there was a constant flow of people and horses past my mare's stable so she never got any peace - mucking out started at 6am and liveries would often be on the yard till 10pm.
Also there were several cliques and a control freak assistant YM to contend with!
At our current yard and the one we recently left (cos the YO was supposed to be moving but it fell thru after we'd got a place at our new yard) we did take the opportunity to visit several times and to meet the other livery owners before we committed ourselves - I guess it's not always possible but can be difficult to get the feel of a place in one visit.

 

[Damnation]

I prefer bigger yards, and so does my mare. The one small yard I was at (6 liveries), it was a nightmare! My horse went bonkers and became a witch to handle (she is normally a dobbin!) and I absolutely hated the place and the bitchy comments. I came home in tears on many occasions..
At least on a big yard if you don't like someone the chances are you don't have to come in contact with them everyday, you can move your horse away from them and it makes life alot easier for everyone without the friction

 

[Flame_]

Big enough that there are plenty of people to ride with and go for outings with (after allowing for the lame horses, serious competitors, people who never ride, and people who are scared to do anything) - so more than 15.

Not so big that the land is over-used, there are outside people coming on to use facilities etc, and that it needs loads of rules, systems and organization to run smoothly - so less than 30.

 

[tasel]

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I left yard in the end, and found out a month later YO and livery ended up having full blown affair!

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I personally prefer a yard of at least 15-20 horses. Would hate to be in a yard with less. Also, the facilities on bigger yards are in my opinion better, and there are more people there that can actually help with younger and more fizzy horses. They also tend to be run more professionally than smaller yards, and you get a more diverse range of people/horses.

This might not be a good representation of smaller yards, but in my experience, they tend to be more suitable for people who have very reliable schoolmaster-type horses or even plodders who don't cause much trouble. That's because these are normally the sort of horses that such YO's are used to as many of the yards are often run by people who are happy hackers, etc. In that sort of environment, my horse would be seen as an absolute nutcase. At her current yard, the clientele is a lot more mixed, and there are quite a few competition-type horses that behave worse than her, so she is seen as normal.

I also like the fact that you can be anonymous, but still talk to people as and when needed.

P.S: Also, my horse goes nuts on smaller yards, I think she gets bored out of her mind. She likes yards where there are a lot of things going on. It helped her work ethic to see that other horses DO work, too!

 

[the watcher]

I really don't mind about the size of the yard as long as there is sufficient space and facilities for everybody that is there. Bigger yards tend to subdivide into smaller groups anyway.

 

[Pillow]

Im on the biggest yard I have ever been on (8 boxes) so cannot really comment. I've always ben attracted to small yards.

 

[Kenzo]

I wouldn't know to be honest as I've only ever been on the same livery yard, since moving from our own stables/land onto a livery yard 8 years ago.

I think I would prefer a smaller yard providing everyone didn't interfere in everyone else's business, its nice when you can have laugh and a coffee and ride out with your friends and keep an eye/exercise on each others horses when your ill or on holiday etc.

 

[paintsplat05]

smaller yards. Everyone gets on really well and we have our little sunday morning coffee breaks before hacking, and we never have people borrowing things and not returning them, not skipping off after using the school, leaving jumps out, leaving stuff all over the place etc. Its all adults (one 15 year old but she's very sensible) and really nice, people are really friendly. The first yard I was at was large (40 horses) and was overrun with teenagers-they would leave their pony tied up outside then bugger off for an hour or two to watch their friends ride and have lunch! They never kept their areas tidy and had so much stuff it was ridiculous!

 

[golddustsara]

I prefer smaller yards as I like the peace and quiet after work to be honest! I find there is less bitchiness on a smaller yard. Saying that my yard is tiny - only 3 horses, so you can't really have much bitching!

 

[diggerbez]

its really interesting seeing what range of experiences people have had

it seems that the optimum would be a medium sized yard- where there are enough facilities to go around and so the YO can keep everything in control but where you can avoid people you don't get on with- from my expereince of a smaller yard it became unbearable once three people had turned against me as i had to constantly see them- at least if i don't like someone on new yard i will hopefully have lots of others to talk to...

 

[SO1]

Size of yard is not an issue as long as there is enough grazing for the amount of horses there are there. Most adults will be wanting to ride after work and at weekend so if is a large yard with a small school then there might be issues.

Large yards can be good in that there is usually someone there to keep an eye on things all the time and also if you need assistance.

Small yards are nice too as it can be easier to make friends.

However the most important thing for me is that my pony likes the yard as he is the one that will be living there full time not me and that there are nice knowledgeable YO and assistance should I need it in an emergency.

 

[Amaretto]

as you know, there are only 5 horses on my yard. all the owners get on really well, menage is always free and we have all year round turnout. also not overly expensive. i really like it.

 

[diggerbez]

[ QUOTE ]
as you know, there are only 5 horses on my yard. all the owners get on really well, menage is always free and we have all year round turnout. also not overly expensive. i really like it.

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but you are a jammy sod so you don't count...imagine if the other four were complete idiots...bet you'd have a different opinion of small yards then!

 

[Amaretto]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
as you know, there are only 5 horses on my yard. all the owners get on really well, menage is always free and we have all year round turnout. also not overly expensive. i really like it.

[/ QUOTE ]


but you are a jammy sod so you don't count...imagine if the other four were complete idiots...bet you'd have a different opinion of small yards then!

[/ QUOTE ]

Ha! We are vetted before we are allowed to come on - no kids, good payers, likeminded etc!!

 

[Ranyhyn]

I have been on both.

Honestly, I found the smaller yards quite cliquey and a bit too familiar for my taste (you know what they say 'Familiarity breeds contempt') and it certainly brought out the bitch in me too.

I am now on what I consider to be a big yard, I turn up - talk to my close friends there, say hello to the people I am not close with, do my horse and go. There are people there, if I want to stand round and gas, but equally there's no pressure or bad feeling if I don't want to.

 

[miss_c]

Not too big, but not too small! Where I am there's 18 stables (although at the moment 16 horses, although I believe 2 are coming in the next month), and it's just about right. You can almost always get in the school unless it's booked for a lesson (about 4 hours total every week!), and everyone seems to get on! There's nobody there that I personally don't like anyway! Genie's happy and settled, which is the main thing, and we all help each other out.

I don't think I'd cope on a huge yard, although there would be more people to go places with (very few people do where I am at the moment), as I quite like the peace and quiet that I can get. On the other hand, I think a small yard would be too quiet... I like to chat!