Which Yard Would You Choose?

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loverly

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As title!

1) Lovely small professionally run yard of around 15 horses/ponies. Sand-school with jumps. Friendly liveries. YM is also an instrustor. 24/7 turnout in the summer and day turnout in winter. Not great hacking. £100pcm but 25 minutes drive from home, which can take anything up to 40 minutes in traffic.

2) Stables and a 4 acre field to rent at a local farm. Excellent hacking. Quite run down. Not sure on cost but would guess it's around £15-£20 per week. 10minutes drive from home.

I don't need the extra facilities but it's really nice to have them and have good friends there. I'm also thinking of putting a mare into foal next spring and the first yard wouldn't be practical for doing that.

Which yard would you choose?
 
It depends what you want to do with your horses?
Personally I'd go for 1 as I work and would need the arena to ride in through the week in winter. The other one being closer would be a pull if the farm had everything you needed though.
 
Personally i'd go for number 1. But depends, if you were a hacking only rider then this might not be the best option. There is a lot that can be said for a friendly yard!!
 
It depends on what you want from the yard. A happy hacker would prefer the 2nd yard and a more serious/social rider would prefer 1st yard.

I had a similar decision to make and I went for what would class as yard 1. I love it. There's people to chat to, I can use the facilities for one horse, other horse isn't ready, I can hack on roads to get to better hacking so that didn't bother me.
From your post, your geared more towards 1.
 
No 2 without hesitation. But I only say that because I much prefer being independent and running my own place - and at £20/week - even if it is run down - it sounds an absolute bargain (wish my rented place was that cheap - and I've got no stables!)
 
I think probably the first one if you are only considering the second option based on the idea that you might put your mare in foal next year. It sounds like a better yard and next summer is a long way off so it sounds like you will be in a better place to enjoy your horse over the winter and spring, then maybe thinking about moving to put her in foal next year. Or it may be suitable to put her in foal at that yard, you never know. Re: the hacking, if you have loads of friends at the yard could you box the horses over to a good hacking place every so often?
 
Personally I'd go for yard 1 because I don't hack much and I need people to do livery for me from time to time. If you know you won't need to rely on anyone else and you don't need a school, yard 2 sounds great!
 
Definitely the second yard,. Closer to home,cheaper,good hacking and no bossy YO telling you what to do all the time. You'll have more autonomy on the farm.
 
Im really stuck between the two!

My current horse has had serious bucking issues in the school so has been sent away to be backed/schooled. She's always been fine out hacking and only 4. The second yard owner is horsey so will help as much or as little as I need. But I know I get on well with people at the first yard.

Another issue is it costs around £40 a week in fuel to go once a day then YM charges £1.50 to bring in/turn out and rug change so this added on to the livery and that Im a student isn't cheap!
 
Option 2 - my mare is due to foal next spring and having the option to do as you wish is a massive factor ... you wont be worrying about other horses being near you pregnant mare/foal once born ... we're happy hackers though and have facilities nearby when needed (arena with jumps) x
 
It would depend what I wanted to achieve with the horse at the time. I wouldn't like the traffic/travel tho.

Have you got a second horse or is it the grey mare you are putting in foal?
 
Sounds like you are coming to a decision, but I would take yard 2. You really do have to take into account the extra travelling, especially after work as it can become a real killer. In addition the cost of the fuel to yard 1 does crank the price up.
 
I'm quite social so I'd pick yard 1, although the travelling would perhaps put me off - my current yard is like yard 1 but a 3 minute drive from my house and has good hacking.

Could you move to yard 1 in the summer and yard 2 for the winter?
 
I've bitten the bullet and gone for yard two!

Just been to see it and its in a lovely location part of a huge manor estate so loads of offroad hacking. The best part is it is 4 stables in a private courtyard wig 5 acres for.... You wait for it.... £100 per month!!!!

Im free to do as i please, horses can live out or in and no one else will have access to the yard!
 
loverly said:
I've bitten the bullet and gone for yard two!

Just been to see it and its in a lovely location part of a huge manor estate so loads of offroad hacking. The best part is it is 4 stables in a private courtyard wig 5 acres for.... You wait for it.... £100 per month!!!!

Im free to do as i please, horses can live out or in and no one else will have access to the yard!
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Good for you :)
 
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