Why did you decide to leave your yard and any regrets?

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Shadowdancing

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Been very happy at my yard a few years now, but I'm becoming concerned about grazing and working full time with a horse in 24 hours a day for weeks at a time is too exhausting, not to mention it's not actually close to home or work and a decent old drive especially when you're going twice a day even in what's meant to be summer...
I'm just scared of the unknown and potentially of jumping out of the frying pan into the fire so to speak.
Can anyone tell me about their yard moving experiences, why you went and if you ever wanted to go straight back?!
 
I dont move often but when I have, its been on a recommendation and I have had friends at the yard. This means I know the whole story as all yards have plus points and negative - its a case of seeing if your priorities are met. I moved once when the new YO was completely foul and incredibly rude to me (no I didn't owe him any money) - he didnt like the fact that I had stayed friendly with the previous YO - she had left as wanted a much smaller yard. I was one of the first but not the last as he behaved in a pretty much similar fashion with the bulk of the other liveries... so go back? not a cat in hells chance. Moved to a super yard run by a good friend. A+ for all aspects of care, turnout and attention to detail BUT the hacking was really non existent. I had known this before going there but thought I could manage. Reality of having a horse continually in a school drove both me and the horse nuts so I had to move. Left on good terms as the yard was really excellent and moved to smaller competition yard with lots going on. Now I am on assisted DIY and my only caveat is that I am very aware that I am a livery at someones home so really really do try to ensure I am not intruding - dogs on lead past their house and things like that. They are very laid back and experienced but end of the day, it is their home.
 
I wouldn't say regrets, but there are things I miss about my first yard..it was a ten minute walk from my house, it had fantastic hacking and lovely people, but the turnout situation did not work for my horse and it's not something I could put her through again.

My second yard seemed ideal but was a complete disaster, I regret moving there! Long story!!

But now we are happy and settled at my third, and hopefully final yard! A lovely little private yard run by my auntie and owned by her best friend :)
 
Once. I had to move because I was leaving the island.

Otherwise, I have moved due to various issues, gone to differnt issues but better in other ways.

Yard 1 - Big yard with good facilities and all year turnout but being sold, hoardes of unattended children/young teenagers wandering about filling up other peoples wheelbarrows and not emptying them and stealing things. Had to chain/lock everything away.

Yard 2 - Beautiful little yard, horrible, nasty bully of a YO. She made me cry as a 17 year old and I am a pretty tough cookie. Expensive. NO assisted DIY Options.

Yard 3 - I worked there, loved it, amazing facilities, had to move away.

Yard 4 - Again, amazing facilities, no winter turnout but it had a huge indoor arena (free to use), floodlit all weather outdoor arena and a lean-to that the horses could run about in when you were sorting the stable out. Being sold so we were given notice.

Yard 5 - Fine at first but expensive until dangerous things happened like gates to road from fields being left open, YO telling me that because my horse wintered out in a lambing shed with 7 others, I wasn't entitled to my own stable (I was paying over £49 a week for DIY livery). Outdoor arena, hock deep winter turnout.

Yard 6 - YO's horses are more important. My horse has been in over a week and no sign of summer turnout, I've asked and she has just said "soon", when she said that last year it was 6 weeks! Hers have been out for a month and another livery had to hay her in the morning or I suspect she doesn't get hay/nowhere near enough, tips her water bucket over in a strop but it isn't checked/replenished (I pay for morning turnout, hay and feed..). No facilities to cope with no winter turnout although I did get winter turnout this year on a concrete track between the fields (better than nothing). I will be moving once a space becomes available at a paticular yard I want to move to.

So yes sometimes I have moved to worse places, sometimes better.

Luck of the draw I am afraid.
 
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First yard - no winter turnout, plus lost a horse there so full of bad memories
Second yard - turnout was only 2 or 3 hours a day
Third yard - access for me on foot or by bike (I don't drive) was hairy at best, dangerous at worst
Fourth yard - loved it, but a lack of facilities

Fifth yard - I now have possibly the best situation in Surrey, as I have my 'own' stable section and field, but still with use of very good facilities of the main yard, plus support and DIY assistance from the staff whenever needed. I have no plans to move. Ever :)
 
Because the fields were poorly fenced I lost my horse for three days, farmer said he fixed 'where he was getting out'. Turned him out and lost him again when I got him back I offered the farmer to pay for materials to fence properly if he could put it up. He couldn't be bothered so stabled my horse for a week until I found a new yard.

No regrets at all, last yard was bitchy too (where no one rides their own horse but have all the remarks under the sun for your horse/handling). I was devasated when owners retired and put new yard up for sale, I couldn't bear the thought of ending up somewhere like the old yard so I managed to buy the new yard :)
 
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1st yard coming back to riding after 20 year break was ok but run down and run by numpties with no clue and with a lot of undesirables hanging about. Loan horse was damn awful so went back after 6 months and I vowed I would never go back to that yard.
2nd yard was some crazy bint on here's private yard so cant say too much ... Love you really Mel, just kidding :) but I left there for a bigger yard down the road.
3rd yard lots to love about but a livery yard so always complicated, always making sacrifices you don't always agree or understand and the lack of TO was driving me insane. Horse has since gone out on loan.

4th yard .... will be my own at home so before the horse even comes back I know it will be amazing, friendly(I like myself a lot) excellent TO, hacking, flexible ... Everything I want it to be because it will be mine, lol :)

I'm not sure I would be having horse back off loan had I not been in a very privileged position of soon having my own land because I don't think I will have ever been truly happy on a livery yard so would rather just not have a horse!
 
First yard (15 years ago) - got fed up of the nasty YO; the alcoholic resident (literally, lived in a caravan onsite) Yard B**** who was constantly stirring; and being promised a better stable only to see her friends take whichever one became available while I remained stuck in a poorly ventilated, leaky, rat infested stable block. Having my stable reduced in size (flimsy wooden partitions which were fairly easily moved) for someone else to get a bigger stable (because her horse was 15hh and mine was only 14hh) and have the wall put back over the top of my rubber matting so I couldn't remove it while she enjoyed he benefit of 2' of my matting was the last straw. When we gave notice YO hurled abuse at us and told us we'd never be allowed back. Funnily enough I've never tried to go back. Refusing to serve him when I worked in the local pub was satisfying though. My manager was very understanding and would come to serve him instead, after leaving him to wait for a while :D

Last yard - 2 friends and I rented a little yard. It was lovely but the grazing was rubbish - down a narrow valley that didn't get much sun - and we had no facilities. One friend moved away and the two horses left were getting clingy with each other. Then my other friend got a new baby horse which helped the clinginess but he needed a lot of work and grass (I was considering another too as my boy was semi-retired) so we realised we had to move. It was great for us but not the horses. We moved to our current yard and have been there 13 years.
 
Yard 1 great yard with good facilities, had to leave when turnout reduced to 3 hours a day and nothing in an 8 month winter

Yard 2 great yard but too far away and used as a stop gap until space at yard 3 came up

Yard 3 turned out to be incredibly bitchy, often found my horse with no water. Turn out became none existent. Hence move to yard 4

Yard 4 beautiful place awful YO ( see other thread on perspective) looking to move asap

Maybe yard 5 will be the one!?
 
I have only ever moved once, from a yard where pretty much everything was wrong. Facilities, crazy YM, undesirables, hay being stolen from my horse's haynet after I had left, YM helping herself to my feed and supplements, no secure storage. Mixed herd t/o at random times, which didn't work for my horse. You get the picture.

Current yard has its pros and cons, there are always compromises and nothing is perfect, but overall horse and I are very happy and I have no regrets whatsoever.
 
I was on a big livery yard (40-50 liveries) that was also a riding school - getting time and a space to school was difficult. I chose to move to a quieter yard with less liveries (and subsequently less yard politics) and have never looked back since.
 
First yard - after coming back to horses was great and I worked there. Was very happy for 3 years, but was happy hackers and I wanted to compete so I made the really hard decision to move. Also YO was loosing interest so I was working 7 days a week
Second Yard - Good facilities and was only 1.5 mile from other yard so could still hack with friends if I wanted to. Care and turnout were good, but didn't really deliver on the competing side, despite what they said. They stopped doing livery so I had to move
Third Yard - Love, Love, Love it! Best move ever and I hope I never have to leave. Been there 6 months now. Only downside is the hacking isn't great, but was spoilt where I was before tbh. The yard, care, people and facilities more than make up for the hacking though. They manage the TO really well and if they can't go out then they go on the walker which is fine with me.
 
The last yard was run by a non-horsey farmer and was ok for quite a few years but he gradually started to cram it full of more horses than the land and facilities could cope with. Couldn't buy in hay or straw and the stuff he provided was often really poor quality. In the end, leaving wasn't that hard a decision! Do mildly miss the outdoor school and little indoor lunging pen but they were the only plus points really.

The new yard is much smaller and friendlier and has a great happy atmosphere. It only has a grass paddock but the hacking access is tons better (you wouldn't think moving 2 miles up the road would make such a difference but it really does!) and there's a nice shortish route round private roads that we cover ourselves in flashing lights and do in winter. Turns out that none of us really miss the outdoor school and we probably ride more on this yard than we did on the other one!
 
I have recently moved yards, going from DIY to part livery and it's been the best decision I ever made. I have a full time job, a part time instructing job and I attend college evening classes also so on top of having 2 horses I was getting a bit knackered!

I was on a cheap little DIY yard which suited me a few years ago but has recently gone downhill with nothing being done to the yard and upkeep dismal. Horse welfare also started to suffer as the other owners would not get up to turn the horses out on a weekend before 12. Grazing was limited and I suspect it's even more limited now that there are more horses on there since I've left. Yard owner was seriously losing interest in her own horses let alone anybody else's.

The new yard has everything I need, I have more time to ride as the evenings I do have free I can just tack up and get on with it. They're now out 24/7 and incredibly happy, the school is getting a new surface this summer (though perfectly useable), large stables and lots and lots of acreage. The hacking is also way better with miles of very quiet country roads and a few fields to canter round, which will be perfect for my youngster. Lots of hunt meets in a hackable distance too and the yard manager is very friendly with the local hunt staff - which I can't wait for come autumn! In fact the yard in general is very friendly and we always have breakfast on a weekend day.

I have no regrets at all about moving despite my slightly sad looking bank account :D But driving past my old yard on the way to my new one reminds me why I left!
 
1 - no winter turnout, horse wasn't coping with being in all winter
2 - a couple of lunatic liveries dominating the place and making life unpleasant
3 - own place with a friend, amazing fun, but had to leave due to relocation for work :(
4 - own place for 2 years, but was getting difficult to manage full care with increasing work commitments :(
5 - girl who ran the yard became increasingly erratic, final straw was coming back from a weekend away and discovered that horses (on full livery) had no water in either their stable or field!!
6 - seems ok so far, but who knows??
 
I think it depends, I brought my horse from the first stables we were at which was a working farm with daily but limited individual winter turnout, excellent hacking on the doorstep. That worked for a while as we had no school and I was happy to just ride at the weekends during the winter months. Really nice family like atmosphere - my horse was ill and the farmers wife made me breakfast while I waited for the vet and we got to help with lambing.

after a few years it was evident they'd be retiring and I wanted more in terms of facilities so made the move to a DIY yard but purely for horses, arena and xc course turnout was more limited during the winter but that was ok as I could ride in the evenings, hacking not as good (had to go via a main road to get to the closest routes and to get anywhere else it was a 3hr hack round trip) however I found my horse struggled with the in and out of a horse yard and as much as we used the xc course we would jump what we could and we weren't looking to go bigger.

So onto yard number 3 was a farm based set up but they only had cattle during the summer months. They had all year 24/7 turnout, access to excellent hacking as well as an arena, this was the best place for us with the turnout and having an arena, it fitted in better with my schedule and also kept the costs down whilst I went to uni as mine lived out. I do miss having a horsey YO though as we pretty much sort everything out ourselves and you do feel like you shouldn't need to ask them to do anything but other than that it suits my horse and me and that's the most important thing
 
I've never wanted to go straight back OP. It's rare for me to leave a yard and think that one day I might like to go back if circumstances change.

Mostly I've left because the standards of horse care were inadequate. Eg full livery where I felt I had to be there every day to ensure enough hay/water/bedding. Or lack of turnout, and I'm not someone who's overly fussed about turnout, but when you're cut down to 3hrs a day all year because the yard groom likes to wait until lunchtime to see who turns up to turn out their own and friends horses, then have her lunch, then turn out the rest, it just won't do. I've been on yards where I'm unhappy with the YO's horse skills "he tries to bite the headcollar when I put it on, so I scream at him", YO's where you can see they lack confidence leading anything other than the quietest dobbin, places where rugs are so badly adjusted when they're put on that your horse ends up with a wither wound. Meaning that quite often when a need for full livery arises I need to also move yards.

Another reason for moving is when rules change and it no longer suits me. Deal-breakers for me include unreasonable opening hours eg 9am-6pm when I'm working full time, "no horse left out alone" because I'm not willing to give up my time to deal with others horses and I don't want mine brought in until after I've done his stable, booking systems for arenas or arenas which are hired to outsiders because as a paying customer I want to be able to use the yard facilities whenever I like, excessive numbers of dogs/feral children roaming around because I don't want to risk myself or my horse being injured by either. Facilities being closed is another big one. All year turnout, but not when it's raining. A jumping field that's only available for use when the ground is rock hard (and rutted from being used as grazing). Flooded arenas don't bother me for schooling, but YO's who close them when they're flooded do. A XC field that you have to share with cows.

I rarely tell a YO the truth about why I'm leaving, they seem to be a breed that takes everything as a personal slur, I usually just make up a half-truthful excuse eg moving yards to ride with my friend, when the other half of the reason is this yard has crap hacking, because when YO showed me the hacking on a map when viewed the yard they didn't bother to mention the scale of the map, or that I'd need a horsebox to get there.

Never, ever regretted moving yards. Mostly, if YO's were honest about rules/facilities etc instead of lying through their teeth when people view, and didn't change the rules every time the wind changed direction, or have different rules depending on whether you were part of their friend clique, there would be a lot less need to move yards.
 
First yard had a school and 24/7 turnout (although i dont think it does now) the hacking was poor but the main problem there was another livery. I moved in desperation to a small holding and turned my horse out with three clydesdales..there are no real facilities to speak of. That said the owner is lovely..we give each other a break and my horse is calm and content with plenty of grazing and all year round turnout. Its much less work but i realise im very lucky to find such an arrangement.
 
Sugar_and_Spice said:
Never, ever regretted moving yards. Mostly, if YO's were honest about rules/facilities etc instead of lying through their teeth when people view, and didn't change the rules every time the wind changed direction, or have different rules depending on whether you were part of their friend clique, there would be a lot less need to move yards.
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It never ceases to amaze me what comes out of a YO's mouth and what the actual deal is. They're usually as polar opposite as can be. For instance, friends moved to a yard that apparently had "at least" 4 hours a day turnout in winter. Within a week, they were on winter turnout. If lucky and it was bone dry, they got 4 hours but they generally are in 24/7.
 
I've owned horses over 20 years and I don't move unless I really, really have to...
Yard 1 - it closed down - had been there a couple of years.
Yard 2 - One of my horses (I had two at the time) just didn't settle there and suffered several bouts of colic. Clay soil and VERY muddy. Stayed 6 weeks.
Yard 3 - Restricted turnout. Was promised T/O everyday but they ended up having to stay in 24/7 for the first month - didn't get to the second month.
Yard 4 - I stayed here for a long time. Then my friend started 'seeing' the YOs husband... got messy and uncomfortable
Yard 5 - Another long term yard - was nice but YO became greedy and had too many horses and not enough grazing, stables or storage space.
Yard 6 - Stuck this one for 6 years. Bonkers yard owner, total basket case.
Present yard - 1 year and counting - just had a change of management so will see how it pans out!
 
Must've been lucky! No real issues at any and left on good terms with all Y/Os.

Had our own when I was at home, which probably helps in some situations because I know what a pain in the butt running a DIY yard can be :P

Since then, rented my own field for 2 years but no electricity, water or stables made it hard work. Also I had no car at the time, so although it was only a mile away I spent much of my life either walking or getting lifts from Mr B with water canisters, so I went yard-hunting ...

Yard 1 - Part livery. Was there for about 5 years (?) until they sold up. I miss them still.
Yard 2 - DIY. Like a 2nd home to me. There for 14 years, left to go back to part which they didn't do and I had taken on more work ... plus knew I was going to move house.
Yard 3 - Part again. Great, but only there for a year as moved 150 miles south last Autumn.
Yard 4 - DIY. Love it! Amazing hacking through the forest, huge school with full set of show jumps, lovely Y/O. who lives onsite and treats my little monkey like one of her own ... really can't do enough for you. Big, airy box, own paddock (sadly necessary with said monkey) with all year T/O, water troughs in fields, own tackroom/storage/feed area.
 
I left my last yard as I needed more assisted services in winter (but didn't want part or full livery) and better hacking as we were out onto A/B roads on my old yard to get to bridlepaths.

I moved from a small, private yard to a big commercial livery yard - it was a bit of a culture shock at first & I miss aspects of my old yard (the close friendships is the main one). But, I have assisted services during winter freeing me up so I don't have to go back down every evening (helps take the pressure off with work), off road hacking onto the Downs & better year round turn out so I certainly don't regret moving.
 
First yard back in UK was bitchy, flooded, YO from hell, downright suicidal crossing the "accident hotspot" main road to turn out. Many a car was found spun out in the driveway.

Next one was brand new, built by totally clueless, but extremely wealthy, couple who wanted a My Little Pony setup. They sold up to another extremely wealthy dysfunctional couple. Her not so secret affair with the yard carpenter soon split them up, and we were turfed out.

Next one was massive (40+) but good, except for shocking hacking, so moved for my old boy's sake.

Next could have been nice but had THE most horrendous bunch of bullies running it. Lying, thieving, everything.

I'm now on a tiny yard with three friends which we run ourselves. I'm going nowhere and I don't regret leaving any of the above.
 
Yard 1 - was there for 4 years on grass livery but once my son started doing more competitions we wanted access to stables.
Yard 2 - there for another 4 years until the old YO retired and another member of the family took over. They weren't honest, pretty unpleasant to their own horses and hubby had a violent temper which the horses bore the brunt of.
Yard 3 was temporary residence in part of a friend's field after an emergency exit from yard 2.
Yard 4 was great for the first month until the family from hell arrived complete with 4 totally out of control kids. By the end I had put bolts on the inside of my stable so I could tack up without horses tail being grabbed.
Yard 5 was a share of a private yard. Owner was horsey and I shared with a friend. Loved it there but both my horses got atypical neuropathy and 1 died.
Yard 6 was another temporary residence at a friend of a friend's yard when the AM survivor came out of hospital.
Yard 7 - still there and no intention of leaving. The only downside is most of the riders don't hack out much and certainly not at the weekend when they are usually competing or having lessons. Once my son sells his horse I shall be hacking by myself a lot but it's friendly and YO is a good instructor and sane which counts for a lot!
 
1 - looked and sounded great, in reality it was c@*p - flooded stables and tackrooms, had to buy their hay and straw which was really poor quality at extortionate prices, paddock had the worst drainage and even when it wasn't waterlogged it was too deep to ride, turnout was virtually non existent over winter, very b*tchy/cliquey, one rule for the majority another for the 'favourites', no upkeep/maintenance.

2 - liked it but couldn't cope with the commute :( amazing facilities, I was the only DIY on a full livery yard and I barely saw anyone, got a bit lonely.

3 - LOVE IT!!! Can't really fault it, maybe a couple of people I'm not keen on but I can easily avoid them. I won't move until I can afford my own place.
 
Yard 1 - Utter cowbag and her teenage daughter who thought they owned the yard and everything on it. Found out they'd been feeding my overweight horse large amounts of hard feed as they felt sorry for her! They'd also been using my tack and riding my horse. Tiny, tiny stable and 10 acre field between 15 horses. Field never poo-picked, harrowed, or rolled. Belly-deep clay mud in winter and no grass at all in summer. Good hacking, school, and all-weather gallops.

Yard 2 - Private field. Bliss in summer! Horse had to be stabled overnight in winter and there was no mains water. Stable was 500m up a steep and muddy slope so water had to be hauled up there. Only hacking was the main road from town centre to the M4 :eek:. No other facilities. I got bored of no riding so moved again.

Yard 3 -
When I arrived - 55 x 30m sand, rubber, and carpet fibre school - always bone dry and never rode deep, harrowed weekly. Cross country course. Fields rotated, harrowed, and rolled when needed and fencing well maintained. Barns kept clean with big airy stables. Turnout in small, same-sex herds. New horses had to be tested for Strangles before being allowed on the yard and wormed 48 hours before turnout. Trailer parking was secure.
Now - School hasn't been harrowed for 8 months and the YOs horses have snapped most of the fencing around it, and what hasn't snapped is rotting. Cross country course now used for stallion and foal turnout and all jumps have been destroyed by horses chewing them. Electric fencing regularly knocked down/demolished by other horses and YO and the groom are too lazy to fix it - recently found electric tape all the way across the floor in my mares field that had apparently been down since 1pm (I got there at 7pm)! No field maintenance. Mares herd has had geldings put in with no introduction and no consultation with existing liveries. We've got Strangles in the area but YO is letting new people straight on with no testing and not making people worm before turning out. ~Someone~ has tried to hitch my trailer up without taking notice of the security measures I have on it.

I'm moving asap. Currently in California but hoping I'll be able to move her the day after I get back.
 
The one thing I miss about my first yard are the competitions and clinics. They nearly always had a competition or a clinic on at a weekend. The trainers they got up were fantastic as well, liked nearly all of them.

Current yard has only 3 trainers now, no clinics and no competitions. So its a bit quiet but the people are really friendly and lovely, they help you out if you need it, give advice if needed etc. Hacking is alright although mainly on roads, but most people around here know there will be horses so they are pretty decent. Love the stables more than the last place as its stables within a barn, so my horse can see every horse on his row which suits him great, he has to be able to see other horses or he'll become nervous. Biggest thing is the fields, they are great. He is currently in a 20 acre field with about 10 other horses, so loads of grass. He is going to be moved to a 5 acre is field with a few other horses soon, but the grass in there is even better. Just a bit worried he might get laminitis but hopefully not.
 
I've only moved yards twice for reasons other than relocating to another part of the country.

First was many years ago, basic DIY place, only stayed about two weeks. Couldn't stand being around other horses that weren't being looked after in a way I was happy with, one poor pony didn't leave its box the entire time I was there.

The second was much harder, I had been there some years and there was lots I loved about it. YO had been amazing and supportive when I was pregnant, so I felt a bit guilty leaving. YO had suddenly started charging for lots of little extras (without discussing first) and I was struggling a bit with money and the distance from home with a small baby (yard was near work but about 15 mins drive from home, and I was on maternity so not going in to work). Started looking around "just to see" and discovered a lovely organic farm nearby had just started offering livery and were building a school. Less than 5 mins away, so I could save money by doing morning and evening, plus easy to pop home for child-related emergencies. New YO had children and yard was generally more child friendly. I did miss some things about the old yard (particularly some of my fellow liveries) but it was the best decision and worked out really well. Plus about a month later old YO went a bit nutty (I think she was having serious money problems) and most of the other liveries left as well - in much less pleasant and friendly circumstances than I had.
 
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