Which yard?

Leo Walker

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I never do this as I can usually decide but I cant seem to make a decision this time!

Yard 1:

My old yard. I loved it there and have been back a couple of times to visit and I miss most of them so, so, so much! 5 liveries in total, 2 that are just awful though and who go out of their way to make it awkward. I can avoid them most of the time. It suited Leo and his quirks down to the ground but turnout is limited, in electric fenced paddocks that get trashed on an almost daily basis. We hayed nearly all year round and can only use small bales so not the cheapest. They are out overnight from 4pm till 9am in the summer and 9am till 2pm in the winter. There is a weird shaped school, but no lights. The driving is good! Lots of quiet lanes and the odd bit of off road driving. 3 backsteps live local and are available at this yard but not the others. I can call them YM at 3.30 to say I'm at hospital etc and they will sort my pony. Not to my standards, but they are fed and watered and a cleanish bed. I'm ok with that when things go wrong. The YO is so supportive. When I went blind and lost my mind never mind my mojo she went above and beyond, including changing her work hours so she could be there when I was to some out driving with me. Only used small bale hay. It was costing me between £280 and £400 a month for turn out and bring in with the odd day extra. I just love it there and it w\s perfect for my quirky little Leo, but not ideal or Bobbie hence me being at yard 2...

Current yard. 24/7 turnout with a stable as needed. Very secure (Yard 1 was broken into and saddles slashed) But while its very secure its driving me mad! We have to unlock and lock a gate as we arrive and leave, thats fine by me, but theres all sorts of horrible politics with the people who have storage units on the yard. To the point that one of the other occupants set me up and pretended to follow me down the drive, but once I actually left he took photos and messaged the owner and caused all sorts of hassle and bad feeling!! I am also in the bad books at this yard. A bloody pheasant came out of the hedge and being moronic I severed and managed to hit the sign at 7mph sign. The owner is trying to claim £100 from my insurance, but I am raging about this. His sign was just pushed in the mud. So when I hit it at slow speed my car went over it and its caused nearly 2k of damage. The sign wasnt damaged but did get pushed over. Its now been reinstated but he still wants me to pay way over the odds for a new one. If the sign hadnt tipped over so easily then the damage to my car would *probably* be much less.

The main issues with this yard are the fact we are over stocked now we have 8 horses out on 6 acres so they are in tiny pens, the muck heap is 500yds from the field, a LONG way with a full barrow! I was doing my poo picking into a huge barrow and then tucking it out of sight into the hedge until it was full, but after a yard meeting this is not acceptable. I was told there was a 200m x 50m paddock we could use. I've manged to use it once as horses are turned out in there most of the time. I was informed on Tuesday that all fields are now closed for riding/groundwork/driving and for some reason I am no longer allowed to long rein through the yard etc, so my part broken driving pony is now stuck in the field with no way of exercising her. The other issue is actually more of a big deal for me. There are 5 of us at this yard, but 2 horses are border line neglected. Terribly thin and if I was in charge of welfare in the UK then I would prosecute but I'm not and fair play to my YO shes taken ownership of this and we have all rallied round to make sure the horses are fed and rugged etc

Yard 3 Huge hilly field with group turn put, a huge plus, its mixed turnout which is a big negative for me. Very unusual for this part of the world t have group turnout though so maybe I need to be less fussy! Lots of quiet lanes to drive. A huge indoor school, sadly this is 1/4 mile away and used for a riding school so only available on evenings. People seem lovely. I've been down twice to grill liveries and they all seem happy and lots are long term. Mine would be in a mini block with 3 JA ponies including one whom won at HOYS so no worries about horses not being looked after. Other liveries seem nice and the sort of people I'd get along with, but its a yard I've viewed and visited so hard to tell.


Selfiishly I want to go to the first yard. I love the people and the yard and am so happy there, but the horse care is a bit ropey and I really dont want to take my lovely unspoilt 4yr old there! Current yard is tricky. I like the other liveries but the overal set up is awful and I cannot physically manage the walk to the muckheap then to the yard etc, but then the third yard is an unknown quantity!

This is it for options, I drive, I have a just backed driving pony who is aimed at affiliated driving trials. Lots of places wont take her and lots more arent suitable, so this is it. Which would you go for and why? The why is really important to me!
 

Fiona

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I think yard three sounds great, can you find out any more about it to put your mind at rest...

The grazing sounds much the best, and it has good driving routes.

The turnout at yard 1 sounds very frustrating especially in winter, and the politics and overgrazing at yard 2 sound awful.

Fiona
 

DabDab

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I would go for the third option because of the turnout (as mixed herd turnout really doesn't bother me). A good turnout situation makes young horses just so much easier to manage.
 

Shooting Star

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Definitely yard 3 for me, it’s the only one with turnout that I would accept long term and if the herd is big and settled enough it being mixed is unlikely to be much of an issue. Facilities also sound better bar the evening only school use restriction.
 

Surbie

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How much turnout out do you get at yard 3? It sounds like the best option to me because of the mixed herd turnout and the big hilly field. Mine is in an 8-acre field and as happy as Larry out there. With the huge hilly field do you still need to poo pick and can you manage it? And will the restrictions on the indoor school (and its distance from the yard) work for you in winter particularly?

Personally I would try yard 3 out with yard 1 either as a fallback option or to go back to when your mare is a bit older.
 

Cinnamontoast

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Why don’t you like mixed turnout? I’ve never had this (except when the boys were right next to the girls and the boy kept jumping the fence to leap on his favourite mare, embarrassing when I’d offered him to ride to a friend who couldn’t get him because he was too ‘busy’! :eek:)
 

JJS

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I'd definitely pick yard three. Yard one sounds like it won't suit your mare (a definite no go as far as I'm concerned), and the nitpicking and politicking at yard two sounds hellish. That leaves yard three, which I see no real issues with. Mine have always been in mixed turnout groups and it's never caused a single problem.
 

Leo Walker

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I'm not actually sure to be honest. I guess its just so unusual around here. Everything is split. When I've thought about it a bit more its a really quiet settled herd, 3 older horses and a 4yr old which is very timid so hopefully would make a good friend for mine.

Its hard as I know all the downsides to one and two but not of three yet. I loved yard one and it worked for Leo who was so quirky and difficult, but Bobbie is easy and I want her to have proper turnout with company. Yard three is 24/7 turnout although most people bring in overnight for Jan/Feb as by then the grass is gone and they are hungry. They all work together and split turn out/bring in so I would only need to go once a day if I wanted.

Not having a school on site is not a huge deal for me. Shes a driving pony so spends most of her time out driving, or will be shortly, shes just in the very early stages of driving so I'm building up slowly. Where she is now the roads arent great for a novice pony, yard 3 is much more suitable.

Its a no brainer really, but having made a mistake with the current yard Im a bit wary and I'm also very aware that what you see when you view isnt always what you get once you move!
 

ponyparty

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Another vote for Yard 3 from me... Yes it's an unknown quantity, but if it doesn't work out you could wait for a space to come up at Yard 1 again?
Turnout is better, driving is better than where you are now, people seem nice - seems a no brainer to me.
Definitely think you need to get off Yard 2 ASAP for your own sanity, that sort of nonsense would drive me mad. The yard should be your place of sanctity, you shouldn't have to deal with squabbling and politics like that. Even just two liveries that make life difficult at Yard 1 would be enough to put me off - even if you can avoid them, you shouldn't have to think like that! I suppose if it were a really lovely yard with no other negatives I'd make an exception but in addition to the turnout, the care etc. that would put me off.
Good luck with whatever option you go for!
 

Nudibranch

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3 for sure. I presume you have transport so using the school must still be an option? Failing that, 1 but the turnout does sound much more suitable at 3. Either way I'd be leaving the current yard asap!
 

Leo Walker

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3 for sure. I presume you have transport so using the school must still be an option? Failing that, 1 but the turnout does sound much more suitable at 3. Either way I'd be leaving the current yard asap!

I've got a trailer. Its been off the road since I bought it a year ago but I'm literally leaving in 20mins to take it to get sorted, so fingers crossed I will finally have transport this time next week!
 

southerncomfort

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Another for yard 3. Life is too short to deal with yard politics and unpleasantness. And yard 3 sounds like the best in terms of horse welfare.
 

Pearlsasinger

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The trouble is that until you try it, you won't know whether mixed herd turnout suits Bobbie or not. I don't like it but it does depend on the acreage available and the number of horses. It does seem to suit ponies better than it does big horses, I guess most of them can't be bothered with anything that interrupts eating time.

I would certainly leave yard 2, that sounds horrific. I think the cost of small bales would put me off yard 1, apart from anything else. So, I would give yard 3 a go and if it doesn't suit Bobbie, then go back to yard 1.
 

Red-1

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1 or 3 for me.

With yard 2, I am unsure how you caused 2K of damage to your car driving at less then 7mph (presumably you braked as well as swerving)? But, either way the damage to the car is not really the YO's fault. Personally I would just pay the £100 that the owner is asking for the damage to the sign. Sounds like the relationships at that yard are down the pan either way.

Presumably you could go to yard 3, and if it did not work out you could then return to yard 1? Personally it sounds like you love that one so much at least you would be relaxed and the YO sounds like a gem.
 

ester

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I don't understand how your current yard can do 24 h turnout with so little land. I'd give 3 a try, certainly over the winter and as you left 1 on good terms go back if need be. I think the backstepper thing might be problematic?
 

SpringArising

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I would say Yard Three, but I also wouldn't rule out Yard 1. There's so much to be said to supportive and friendly YOs as it seems like it's so rare.

I used to be on a yard where physically, it was ugly as hell. But the YO was one of the nicest people ever and it was a lovely place to be where you never worried about being told off or bitchiness!
 

Tarragon

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I too would go for yard 3.
I am used to DIY and with limited time I wouldn't like to spend a lot of my precious time trying to extricate my pony from a large herd in a large field. But on the other hand a large herd in a large field lends itself to a well balanced and exercised horse. So a combination of horse living out like that but one that could be brought in if I wanted to ride would be a good solution.
Driving is quite specialised though and I think that having access to a few good safe driving routes and a largish safe area you can practice in would, I think, be a must.
 

Annagain

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Yard 3 sound the best but it sounds like you have a decent relationship with Yard 1 and you could go there at any time. I'd therefore give Yard 3 a go and if it doesn't work, go to Yard 1.
 
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Rosiejazzandpia

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Yard 3! Mixed turnout in a settled herd will suit most horses once they settle in. I couldn't go to individual turnout or split turnout now as my mare loves her herd and spends a lot of time with both the mares and the geldings. Your current yard doesn't sound healthy at all and it would stress me out to be in a situation like that.
At least if you gave yard 3 a try you could always move if it didn't work out :)
 

Leo Walker

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1 or 3 for me.

With yard 2, I am unsure how you caused 2K of damage to your car driving at less then 7mph (presumably you braked as well as swerving)? But, either way the damage to the car is not really the YO's fault. Personally I would just pay the £100 that the owner is asking for the damage to the sign. Sounds like the relationships at that yard are down the pan either way.

If it had been fixed in place there would have been next to no damage, but it was stuck in the mud so it fell down and the few seconds it took me to stop if had gone under the car and ripped all the underneath out. Totally my fault and the insurance will pay it, but the sign isnt damaged, hes propped it back up. Its not the money, its the principle of it really. But I think if was happier there and there wasnt all the niggles then it wouldnt bother me so much
 

JFTDWS

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3 is the only one I'd even consider. Sometimes you just have to take the plunge. I moved mine recently after the fear of moving from the frying pan into the fire became diminished by the many increasingly insane issues on my previous yard. I should have done it sooner - the new yard is infinitely better in many ways. It could all fall apart, and I have no doubt that some issues will arise over winter, because nowhere is perfect - but it's so clear now I've moved how much better off I am out of there!
 
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