Which yard?

[lovelyfrenchie3000]

Following on from my previous thread about yards, I had a look at a new one the other day and I’m in a bit of a weird headspace about which to pick.

Current
Assisted DIY
Will have to pay extra to bring in
20x40 outdoor school
Plenty of off-road hacking
Only one field per horse all year (so it gets trashed)
I have some really good friends at this yard
Quite small - only about 12 horses
Winter and summer turnout - 24/7 in summer

Other
Full livery so will be in a routine and won’t have to go down everyday/be stressed about bringing in early enough
Hay and bedding included
2 60x40 indoors, 1 60x40 outdoor, international sized arena with arena xc jumps, 30x30 lunge pen, horsewalker
Only turned out in the day in winter and day or night in summer
They’ve apparently been in for a few weeks due to bad weather
Rotate fields
Lots of clinics and competitions on site

Both obviously have their pros and cons but I’m confused as to which would be the better route to go down.

 

[Katieg123]

I would go for the second one if you like competing and the first one if you prefer hacking and chill. Also how far are each from your home or work? Most importantly follow your gut!

 

[lovelyfrenchie3000]

Forgot to mention! The new yard has acres of woodland and bridle path hacking!!

The plan is the eventually show jump. The difference in distance is minute so it’s not really an issue (literally .5 of a mile difference)

 

[JBM]

Do they get turned out in the arena if no turnout?

 

[Arzada]

I'd go with my horse's preferences (and mine!) so that would be your current yard for turnout and good hacking.

 

[wills_91]

If there is no turnout then you would need to go to exercise every day regardless of it being full livery, if that's not an issue i think I'd pick 2 if the grazing is well maintained.

 

[lovelyfrenchie3000]

Do they get turned out in the arena if no turnout?

I think they get put on the horse walker for a leg stretch

 

[Birker2020]

They’ve apparently been in for a few weeks due to bad weather
.

Sorry but a few weeks?? That's a no go for me unless they have some sort of turnout area.

 

[lovelyfrenchie3000]

Sorry but a few weeks?? That's a no go for me unless they have some sort of turnout area.

Yes apparently they were in for 2 weeks during the bad weather before/around Christmas

 

[JBM]

I don’t like the lack of turnout but I’d say the fields are better maintained and better in that way
With the 2 weeks no turnout I think it would be easy to get your horse exercised with the many arenas and the indoors would be amazing for bad weather
But you would have to commit to long hours at the stables getting your horse exercised when they are kept in
It depends on your horse
2 of mine would prefer your current yard the other would prefer the new yard

 

[Green Bean]

I would say both are dependant on proximity and cost. I assume the full livery is quite a bit more than the DIY. The full livery has a walker so assume it is used on days of no turnout so not all bad. Does the full livery provide the horses with more hay when they are kept in? Don't like the one field situation, there will never be enough care given to it for it to recover (unless it is massive and you can fence off sections to rest some of it). Friends is a tricky one. You can never overemphasise how good it is to have friends on a yard, unless you are easy going and have no trouble making new friends

 

[Miss_Millie]

I would stay at the current yard. Keeping a horse in for a few weeks is completely unacceptable to me.

 

[Abacus]

You don’t mention cost - is it a factor? Including the cost of supplies at yard 1 if they keep increasing.

Overall I’d pick the first based on turnout and having friends there, if the horse is happy. The clinics etc at yard 2 sound lovely but could you travel there anyway? I’d prefer personally not to be based at a busy competition yard with all the comings and goings, arenas booked out etc.

 

[Surbie]

Personally I wouldn't take my horse to a yard that stops turnout in bad weather, irrespective of facilities. I understand the need for it if the land is overstocked, I just don't want that for my horse. I don't like horse walkers and I would have to be down a couple of times a day to exercise them, which negates the point of full livery (for me).

 

[lovelyfrenchie3000]

In terms of costs:

Current
£170 a month basic livery
£92 a month on hay
£50 a month on bedding
£2 a day extra for bringing in
£5-£7 a day for full livery if I’m away

New
£135 a week for full livery
Hay and bedding included

ETA: I also feed chaff (£17 a bag) which will be included at new yard and will add a balancer when in full work again

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I'd go with my horse's preferences (and mine!) so that would be your current yard for turnout and good hacking. I would never choose a yard that turns out during the day in summer.

Allot of yards turnout day time in summer, they should however give the option to swap to nights out in days. Unless it because the way they manage the fields.

We turnout in day time in summer. Laminitis horses cannot go out over night but WE give the option to change over in summer so the liveries do have a choice. So in the day time out at night
we also turnout everyday regardless of weather

 

[lovelyfrenchie3000]

Allot of yards turnout day time in summer, they should however give the option to swap to nights out in days. Unless it because the way they manage the fields.

We turnout in day time in summer. Laminitis horses cannot go out over night but WE give the option to change over in summer so the liveries do have a choice. So in the day time out at night
we also turnout everyday regardless of weather

Yes sorry, I forgot there is the option to turn out at night during the summer. I’ve edited the op to state that!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Yes apparently they were in for 2 weeks during the bad weather before/around Christmas

Jeepers I hate this type of place which think of their land over the horses, we have 12 animals on 8 acres, we manage it well split the fields up, rest 2 and use two. NONE stay out 24 hrs, the grazing gets harrowed and de poo, our grazing recovers well so regardless of how much its trashed it regrows. So unfair to make horses stay in 2 weeks +, horses need chill out time in the field not cooped up 24 7.

 

[TealH0rse]

I’d go for the second one.

Indoor is invaluable imo. Seems there is plenty of turnout time at the new yard and ample opportunity to exercise your horse with multiple arenas and a lunge pen.

I’d rather have less turnout time than a field which is trashed, provided there is sufficient time out.

 

[fidleyspromise]

I'd pick the first
The staying in is a nope for me. my horse hates being stabled. The other one doesn't mind it but I'd want to be up twice a day to exercise and even then it's still 20+ hours stood in.

 

[splashgirl45]

I would prefer my horse to be out everyday , so 2 weeks in would not suit. If it was due to icey conditions and not safe to walk them to the field I would accept that but otherwise it’s a big no from me. Also it’s nice to have friends on the yard, makes being there a much happier place

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I would go for option 1
You could use electric fencing to manage your 1 field, say the furthest bit for summer. I would never go for full livery for many reasons, 12 horses is nothing we have 12 here.

A yard near here used to keep the horses in for two weeks + when weather bad , that would be a no no for me as you don't know how many other times they would do this, so I would ask them how many times they keep them in , in bad weather or you could find your horse stays in much of the winter many times, so more cost on bedding sand hay.

 

[Ossy2]

So yard 1 is about 375 a month and then yard 2 is 585 a month, so there’s a big difference in price. If cost is no issue I’d be tempted to go with yard 2.

The thing I’d think about is if there are clinics and competitions at yard 2 is there restrictions on when liveries can use the arenas?

 

[lovelyfrenchie3000]

So yard 1 is about 375 a month and then yard 2 is 585 a month, so there’s a big difference in price. If cost is no issue I’d be tempted to go with yard 2.

The thing I’d think about is if there are clinics and competitions at yard 2 is there restrictions on when liveries can use the arenas?

This was my concern too, having been with friends on competition days. But the YO said that there’s always an arena available for liveries, even if they have to split the big 100x80 arena to make a warm up

 

[Gallop_Away]

Sorry but a few weeks?? That's a no go for me unless they have some sort of turnout area.

This would be ringing massive alarm bells for me. Also like mine out 24/7 in summer unless I decide otherwise. All the fancy facilities in the world don't matter to me if a yard doesn't have the basics; stables, turnout 365 days a year.

 

[ycbm]

I wouldn't go anywhere that they admitted to keeping the horses in for 2 weeks because of the weather. If that's what they admit, the reality will likely be worse. .

 

[Arzada]

Yes sorry, I forgot there is the option to turn out at night during the summer. I’ve edited the op to state that!

I've edited my post accordingly

 

[nagblagger]

'They’ve apparently been in for a few weeks due to bad weather'. WHAT!!

Definitely a no from me, can you split the field at yard 1 over winter so it doesn't get trashed, but i would rather a trashed turnout than no turnout. Also never under estimate the importance off having good friends at a yard.
I personally don't like horses on their own in a field, but it is better than in a stable for 2 weeks.
Maybe look for another option?

 

[lovelyfrenchie3000]

I can try splitting my current field but the top third is boggy, so it’s quite difficult to do it without there being no grass in one half

 

[splashgirl45]

How big is your current field? Could you not come to an arrangement with your friends to turn out together in one field and rotate them? So each individual field gets rested every so often . My friend and I had a field which was just over one acre and we used it all winter to turn out both horses daily, yes it got muddy but in the summer we could use some fields up the road for 24/7 turnout and our winter field got rested for a while then YO used it occasionally for her youngsters. I would rather have a muddy daily turnout and if it meant less grass in the summer I would feed hay in the field, that would be better if you’ve got a good doer