why is it so hard to find small private yards...

Because the owners of small private yards want to keep them that way.
We have a spare stable but I'm afraid once bitten, twice shy. We store spare bedding etc in ours!
 
Insurance is the big problem ... as it then becomes a 'business' you have to ensure everything for public liability which makes it prohibitively expensive.

If you could 'work' for your keep (ie poo pick fields or something) so it wasn't a business relationship, you may have more joy?
 
I have a spare stable. But I prefer to keep it that way. Finally got my house and land after years of bitchiness, unwanted advice and things going walkabout on livery yards. I wouldn't share my yard for anything...
Also, as someone said, the insurance is expensive and would make the price I'd have to charge prohibitive. Which is what I've said to the couple of people who have knocked on the door asking if they can keep their horses with me :)
 
Small yards, and I have a very small one, are fairly transparent. What you see on inspection is what you get. And because of that, I think, you tend to keep the liveries you do have. It is a much closer relationship. Because you are small the liveries don't have such big expectations. The reverse of the coin is that any horse who comes to me is treated like my own horse, if not better. Yes they pay me money, but yes I will got out at 11pm at night if the weather changes to make sure everyone has the right rug on.

My longest livery was 8 years, and only ended when the pony died. Five horses/ponies have lived out the end of their lives here, and my family and I have been there to support the horse, and its owner, in the last moments - and then to do that worst of all jobs, wait for the loading onto the carcase lorry.

So with low turnover, it probably is more difficult to find a small yard than a medium or big one. Why don't you advertise that you want to be on a small one in your feed merchant/whatever. Somse soft-hearted person may well come out of the woodwork.
 
My friend has one livery who has been there for 10 years. She has her own horse and one for company. They cover each other for holidays and both do poo picking but really when you count in the cost of building a stable it not really worth it as you just need one bout of ' why can't you' to spoil the relationship. If fact I do not know why anyone has liveries, I rent fields do all my own maintainace etc for roughly the same price per horse.
 
Cavaletti - How small and how far from Chester?

The yard I am at has 6 stables in total and 1 is available, floodlit school and good hacking.

It is in Northwales but just inside the border.

PM me if you want more info
 
cavaletti said:
why is it hard to find small private yards with a spare stable?
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...........because once someone finds one, & we have just found one for our 2 horses, people don't want to leave. Many stay on these yards for years as we intend to. With the facilities & ambience our yard has you wouldn't want to move anywhere else. We will be there, God willing, until our boys die.
 
I have been looking for ages, for mainly one to rent myself, but other small yards dont seem to have 24 hour turnout in summer which I really need. Im not too unhappy at my yard as we are only a quarter full so plenty of grass storage etc, but would like to move nearer home as petrol prices getting stupid also we are on top of a lot of large hills which are a nightmare in the snow. Had my eye on a small yard for ages hoping the renters will give up (mean of me I know )
 
Toby_Zaphod said:
...........because once someone finds one, & we have just found one for our 2 horses, people don't want to leave. Many stay on these yards for years as we intend to. With the facilities & ambience our yard has you wouldn't want to move anywhere else. We will be there, God willing, until our boys die.
Click to expand...

Ditto this. Took me 2 years to find one and I aint going anywhere:D been there 3 years already. Really landed on my feet.
 
Rosefolly - sounds lovely, exactly what Im after.

smiffyimp - but where do you find them? Ive asked quite a few people but to no avail.
 
Cavaletti -I 've usually found my liveries by word of mouth, or I just stick a postcard up in the local feed merchants. Why don't you do the same in your search? I often read the adverts quickly while I'm waiting to pay, and I'm sure other livery owners must do too.

My latest livery was acquired for me by the existing livery. She and I had often admired a beautiful Welsh pony being ridden past my house. One day we got chatting to the lady rider, who revealed in conversation that she was hacking up the road to inspect a livery yard at the other end of the village. Whereupon my livery (and I PROMISE not me) said. "Oh, you don't want to go there! Why don't you come here instead?" So she did! And she and her pony are lovely.

So chance may find you what you want. I do hope you get something really nice.
 
I found my yard by an advert my YO placed on a website. Been there nearly a year now and can't believe how fast the time has gone! I have told her she'll have to drag me out kicking and screaming LOL, luckily we are both quite chilled out and if we have any problems we deal with them and then forget about them so no grudges held. Also she probably worries more about my horses than I do sometimes!
 
Must be a regional thing, I've had 2 spare stables for ages and not found anyone interested in them. Everyone wants an indoor school and horse walker! It isn't just me either, local farmer has a block of 5 + 10 acres but no school, again no takers.
 
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