whats good about being in a livery yard....?

coffeeandabagel

coffeeandabagel

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Just to counter all the bad points in a previous thread - whats good about being on a livery yard?

* lots of other horses to watch - I have learnt what I didn't want in my new horse and what I did want
* sharing lifts with people
* having someone to call if I cant get my horse in / turn out at right time
* advice - there may be lots of unsolicited advice but if you can pick out the good stuff (and you learn who to trust) its great
* stuff to borrow - try new bits etc (with owners permission!)
*safer
*far better facilities than I could ever manage
*cheaper visits by saddler etc if more than 1 horse to see
* someone to chat to after a good / bad day
*contacts for services ie back woman, farrier, etc :D
 
I only went on to livery this year after always having them at home!- I have never looked back I love my yard!
- 2 arenas rather than a field!
- other people to ride with :)
- help from others
- comps on site
- better facilities than home
- better hacking
- Agree with the stuff to borrow/try!
- I just much prefer it to being at home and riding by myself
- good base to bring on my 4yr old as lessons/clinics regularly
 
- I know my horses are well socialised and well looked after even when I'm having a bad day and can't give them the time they really need
- great facilities that I could never afford at home
- lovely people
- love riding among people with lots of different equestrian interests/approaches
 
I'm a YO and we diversified our farm 5 years ago. Before this I'd had horses with my sister for 14 years with no one else but us. We didn't have to become a livery yard, I could have farmed or gone into something else, but I would never want to go back to that. 98% of the time I love being a YO. We have amazing facilties, which we would never have had and I do like people being around :D

I think most bad yards are down to bad management tbh.
 
For me its the social aspect - having someone to hack out with, and chat to when I'm at the yard. We have a rather good mix of people, my new YO and my last one, don't just take anyone as a livery - they vet people and try to choose people who know someone on the yard already so that there is a good mix of people and neither of them suffer fools so it makes for a comfortable environment as far as other liveries go
 
I'm not on a livery yard and the only thing I do miss is having company to ride out with. I find everything else relaxing to just plod along doing everything my own way. No replacing of things that go walkies either :)
 
For me, the biggest benefit of being on a livery yard its having the back up and support of a knowledgeable yard owner who can provide assistance when I need it - I work long hours & have other responsibilities and I'm not in a position to go up twice a day - I could never be on a yard that didn't provide that level of care and assistance as I hate relying on others to do favors for me - would rather pay and be safe in the knowledge that it was being done properly.

The social side is also a benefit, albeit I don't like big, busy yards or yards where liveries spend more time standing around gossiping than tending to their horses. My current yard has a good balance - nice friendly people but not bitching or cliquey. We'll often go out and compete together and it's so much more fun to compete in a group than going out yourself.

One day I'd love to have the money to buy somewhere with land and have my horse at home but until them I'm happy at my yard :)
 
Social! Another mug who i can whine with when riding after work in the dark. Yesterday, YO took a couple,of babies (one of whom was mine) and another livery to dressage. Another livery came along to help, a mum turned up and a staff member. SUCH fun! And my horse was placed in both his tests on his second ever outing. Even with a rider bursting out of her ( borrowed) jacket having thought mine was in the lorry. God help me when I event again!
 
I'm on a DIY livery yard. 6 weeks ago today I broke my knee cap and am still in plaster. During that time friends at the yard, at no cost, have had rota and are taking it in turns to turn out, bring in, muck, feeds and hay, deal with farrier etc.

The kindness and support and I have received from other liveries has been amazing. People are fitting the extra jobs in around their own horses and full time jobs, children etc. They have been to visit me and taken me out as I can't drive and am stuck in the house. They are truly wonderful, kind and generous friends.
 
I think there are loads of advantages to bring on a livery yard
- it's social
- people to talk horses with
- people to ride with
- opportunity to handle and ride lots of different horses
- better facilities
- you can borrow and swap tack, bits etc with others, or trial equipment such as lunging aids before buying them
- someone to help with fence building or moving poles when schooling (and returning the favour!)
 
Not having to ever much out again, carry water buckets, do hay etc

Horse getting his picked out for me

Indoor school

Can go away offshore or on holiday and not worry about my horse.

Someone there 24/7 so if he got into trouble it would be spotted and vet out immediately

My friends are there, so have support, advice, people to ride with.

Takes away alot of hassles associated with having horses at home which TBH no way in a million years I do now, full livery all the way for me these days.
 
I moved back to a DIY yard after being at my own rented grazing or tiny private yards for years. I was aprehensive but am loving it because....
Lots of company from lovely likeminded people. Ok there are a couple of interesting characters but on the whole they are fab!

Lots of people to hack with and go out competing with

Friends my for little girl to ride with-makes my life much easier!

Not having to do all the fencing upkeep myself
Support-we lost my daughters 1st pony to a broken leg not long after moving and the yard gang and YO were amazing, really rallied round that evening and in the days after to care for my other horse while we were shellshocked and couldn't face coming down. They have also been incredibly supporting to my little girl while she has been getting used to her new pony and always have an encouraging word to say to her which is so kind of them.
 
I'm on a yard with about 20/25 others
I love that often there is someone to chat with, especially asi live alone :)
Facilities are fab
On site comps
2x cafes
 
I love my DIY livery yard. Don't know if I could be on a RS yard or full livery yard as I'm so picky and don't like other people doing things for me unless they're done a certain way..:o :rolleyes:

- Usually someone available to help you out when you're completely stuck
- People to ride with
- Facilities
- There's always someone willing to lend stuff to try before you buy etc.
- Safer (not riding by yourself)
- Knowledgeable liveries with most advice being useful
- Most importantly for me, the social aspect! Love having other people around and having a goss over a hot chocolate in winter! :p
 
Not having to maintain and repair the facilities. All my time goes on looking after and riding the horses.
The horses have plenty of company and enjoy yard hacks, pub crawls and impromptu group jumping sessions with lots of laughter and atmosphere.
The experience of different illnesses and ridden problems is greater than if limited to just your own.
Good friends who can sometimes be very handy to have around, ie, vets, physio's, grooms etc.

I'm currently house hunting at the moment and OH thought I'd like to have the horses at home, but in reality, I prefer to keep them on a livery yard. Having done the independent route, I love livery.
 
The people giving you support if you've had a bad ride. Or at mine there's a few of us who are abit wimpy about jumping... So sometimes we all help and encourage each other!
 
I have my horses at home, and wouldn't change it for the world, but things I do miss are -

My horse being in a big herd and not getting pair bonded like she is now!

Company, I like my own space, but tended to hear about more things that were going on, such as shows/clinics etc.

Competition! Another girl on the yard did the same type of shows and was very competitive, which used to fire me up too!

Mine was on part livery, so I liked that I could just decide to go off somewhere at the drop of a hat and not have to find cover..
 
I love being onlivery, always some kind of clinic going on or comp.
When my horse got injured in the field it was another livery that found her, I wasn't due down for another three hours, so I'm very grateful they got her back to the yard and stayed with her till I and the vet arrived.
 
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