Which yard? Someone please help me decide!!!

estellebradley

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Hey

I trying to decide between 2 yards and I'm doing my own head in by not making a decision!!

So any help is appreciated....

Yard 1 - 5 mins from home. All year turn out. 40x25m School, fibre sand so surface seems good but no floodlights. Hacking is mostly road with few bridlepaths. Stables ok, not much room for storage. £25 pw.

Yard 2 - 15 mins from home. All year turn out. 50x30m school with floodlights, new surface and membrane this week. In the summer jumping paddock with good selection of jumps. Excellent off road hacking (in grounds of Newstead Abbey). Stables very roomy and lots of storage. However opposite way from uni - October to May. £150pm.

Enjoy doing a bit of everything with my horse, schoolong, hacking, showjumping and odes.

Opinions please!
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I might even throw in some chocolate hob nobs!
 
I would go yard 2 for facilities and hacking even if it does cost more
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How many other horses are at the yard, just thinking about how many you might have to share arena with because although second arens is bigger you might have to share with several people. does this make any sense??
 
well if you like doing schooling - would you school in evenings in winter?...if so floodlites are going to be needed, and the jumping too...hacking..mmm i'd like to have the off road one me thinks.
So me...I'd go for 2nd option defo esp if stables are better for horsey both have all yr t/o so thats great....and the price on 2nd isnt too bad i guess
 
Number 2 sounds heaps better than number 1 if you are going to be riding regularly and I'd go for that one unless you really need to go for the cheaper option (factor in fuel, wear on car, and time, etc. as well as basic cost).
 
Well you made yard 2 sound better in your post so that suggests that you have kinda got your heart set on yard 2.

I think you need to decide what sort of enviroment is best for your horse and what sort of riding your going to be doing, you can't beat 24/7 turnout....if the pasture is well looked after and provides good grazing all year round, no good if its over grazed.

Both could work equally as well depending on the above.
 
KrimasKenzo am I that easy to read?!!!

I would say the grazing at both yards are on the same level, both well fenced, well maintained and rotated.

The reason why I want to move from my current yard is that its heavy clay and my horse gets bad mud fever. This means he spends most of his time in which I'm not happy about and it makes him much harder to handle.

I ride quite a lot, 5/6 times a week and at the moment I don't need floodlights but you never know in the future.

I think its the price and distance what is holding me back (I only work part time at the moment as Im at uni), but I loved the yard and got a really good feel.
 
If you can afford it, I would go with No 2. Even if it takes you longer to get there in the evenings you will have floodlights and can therefore still ride.

£150 also sounds very reasonable to me with those facilities - I'd be tempted if I lived nearer
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Before you make a decision ask both yards if they have had horses suffer with mud fever whilst there. If its in their soil it will have to influence your choice.
 
i think spaniel makes an excellent point definately check with the current liveries at the new yards re mud fever. i had a horse which suffered very bad in one area of sussex, moved him to another area and not a single patch of it for years the soil will have a big affect.
 
That's a good point. Most the horses seem to suffer from it at my current yard but mine seems to get it the worst.

Didn't know that mud fever tends to live in the soil.
 
I would go for yard 2, facilities sound much better. Also don't let it being in the opposite direction from uni put you off, our yard is 15 mins from my house but opposite direction from uni, isn't a problem at all (uni to yard is about 25 mins but I only do this once a week and home is in the middle of both).
 
Mud fever DOES NOT live in the soil!!! It is caused by a bacteria that permanently live on the horses skin! It gains entry under the skin when the conditions damage the skin.
 
2 sounds great. However, if you are on a tight budget as a student, able to ride during daytime, and your horse is great to hack in traffic then option 1 will leave you with a bit of extra money towards competing.
 
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