WWYD- rented grazing or livery yard?

[floradora09]

So having a bit of a quandry, have always kept horses on the same yard but due to changing circumstances now renting fields next to yard. Most people have moved to other yards, and I'm wondering if perhaps it would be easiest for me to do the same.

I own a live-out TB (cribs and is 17), and have the responsibility of overseeing the care of the cushingoid pony he lives with (family who loan him need guidance). There was another person with 2 horses who rented with us too, but have just heard that he'll be moving in due course too (won't affect the price we pay to rent).

Am I being totally ungrateful about what we've got? And what would you go for if you had the choice?

Field good points:
-Very cheap!
-Plenty of fields to graze as we wish
-Lots of flexibility with regards to sectioning, can happily feed in field etc
-Able to use friend's school at yard and jumps paddock.
-Quick to feed/check on winter evenings as can take a detour on way home and chuck feed in field from car.

The not-so-good points:
-Nowhere to keep trailer, will probably end up paying a bit to keep elsewhere and adding on 20mins to our start time in mornings by the time we've collected it.
-Nowhere I can put him for farrier etc so it's a faff trying to arrange it for us to be there.
-No storage so it's annoying having to remember to take a feed down each night and keep rugs in boxes etc.
-Hard to ride on dark winter nights as fields a 20min round trip walk away from school which is terrifying on your own (maybe I'm a wimp!)
-Bit stuffed now about who looks after him when we go away, as don't feel 100% confident leaving him in sole responsibility of other family.
-Quite antisocial!

Other Yard +ves:
-Roughly same distance from home, and could easily pop in on way home from bus.
-Storage for everything so easier to ride without needing to lug everything down
-Fab facilities, horsewalker etc
-Lots of people about to help
-Could probably keep trailer there
-Easier to ride in winter
-More people to hack with

-ves:
-Much, much more expensive
-Restricted turnout
-Can only guarantee a MAXIMUM of 1hr turnout a day in winter
-Less flexibility
-Not so good for his autumn barefoot holiday
-Often don't have a lot of grazing so would cost lots in hay/hard feed
-What to do with other pony

Sorry was a bit epic but that's where we are really. What would you do?

 

[horsesatemymoney]

Er, look for another option, I wouldn't, in my opinion, want either of those

 

[MrsElle]

I've pretty much got your option one. I just hack, but can rent a school about 10 minutes hack away if needed.

I used to be on a yard and lovely as it was I just like the flexibilty of being by myself. Even on the yard I never left any rugs or feed up there, I mixed the feed at home and took it down to the yard every time. I kept all my rugs at home and just chucked a couple in the car when I wanted to change them.

The thing that would concern me in your case would be stabling a cribber for 23 hours a day over winter.

I'm quite anti-social anyway, but can meet up with others for a hack if I want company, the only negative I used to find was not having anyone else there to look after my horses if I wanted to go away or was ill, but we have always managed to get around that. I now have a couple of trusted people who would keep an eye on them if need be.

After that ramble, I wanted to say option one!

 

[floradora09]

Sadly, that's not really an option as I can't drive yet, so we need local and can't afford full livery. (Plus I like doing him myself)

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Can only guarantee a MAXIMUM of 1hr turnout a day in winter

No way.

I'd rather have the storage problems.

Could you get one of these garden storage chests to put your feed bags in?

 

[floradora09]

I've pretty much got your option one. I just hack, but can rent a school about 10 minutes hack away if needed.

I used to be on a yard and lovely as it was I just like the flexibilty of being by myself. Even on the yard I never left any rugs or feed up there, I mixed the feed at home and took it down to the yard every time. I kept all my rugs at home and just chucked a couple in the car when I wanted to change them.

The thing that would concern me would be stabling a cribber for 23 hours a day over winter.

I'm quite anti-social anyway, but can meet up with others for a hack if I want company, the only negative I used to find was not having anyone else there to look after my horses if I wanted to go away or was ill, but we have always managed to get around that. I now have a couple of trusted people who would keep an eye on them if need be.

After that ramble, I wanted to say option one!

Thank you I would certainly be best for him I think. (If you don't factor in mud fever)

It would certainly be a winner if I only hacked, but it's harder to keep him fit in the winter (although, he would stay fitter being out 24/7 than in 23/7!!) and getting out to lessons/comps is a faff with the trailer.

I do like having the flexibility of doing as I please and not being told off for it, but at the same time feel I've lost the nice yard feeling as most people have left.

 

[floradora09]

So having a bit of a quandry, have always kept horses on the same yard but due to changing circumstances now renting fields next to yard. Most people have moved to other yards, and I'm wondering if perhaps it would be easiest for me to do the same.

I own a live-out TB (cribs and is 17), and have the responsibility of overseeing the care of the cushingoid pony he lives with (family who loan him need guidance). There was another person with 2 horses who rented with us too, but have just heard that he'll be moving in due course too (won't affect the price we pay to rent).

Am I being totally ungrateful about what we've got? And what would you go for if you had the choice?

Field good points:
-Very cheap!
-Plenty of fields to graze as we wish
-Lots of flexibility with regards to sectioning, can happily feed in field etc
-Able to use friend's school at yard and jumps paddock.
-Quick to feed/check on winter evenings as can take a detour on way home and chuck feed in field from car.

The not-so-good points:
-Nowhere to keep trailer, will probably end up paying a bit to keep elsewhere and adding on 20mins to our start time in mornings by the time we've collected it.
-Nowhere I can put him for farrier etc so it's a faff trying to arrange it for us to be there.
-No storage so it's annoying having to remember to take a feed down each night and keep rugs in boxes etc.
-Hard to ride on dark winter nights as fields a 20min round trip walk away from school which is terrifying on your own (maybe I'm a wimp!)
-Bit stuffed now about who looks after him when we go away, as don't feel 100% confident leaving him in sole responsibility of other family.
-Quite antisocial!

Other Yard +ves:
-Roughly same distance from home, and could easily pop in on way home from bus.
-Storage for everything so easier to ride without needing to lug everything down
-Fab facilities, horsewalker etc
-Lots of people about to help
-Could probably keep trailer there
-Easier to ride in winter
-More people to hack with

-ves:
-Much, much more expensive
-Restricted turnout
-Can only guarantee 1hr turnout a day in winter
-Less flexibility
-Not so good for his autumn barefoot holiday
-Often don't have a lot of grazing so would cost lots in hay/hard feed
-What to do with other pony

Sorry was a bit epic but that's where we are really. What would you do?

Edit- woops meant minimum 1hr!

 

[floradora09]

No way.

I'd rather have the storage problems.

Could you get one of these garden storage chests to put your feed bags in?

Sorry just realised I meant minimum, dam revision's scramble my brain

Was thinking along those lines.. would be great to put tack down there too (it's not too visible) but not sure if there's anything secure enough...?

 

[Honey08]

I'd stay where you are. You won't realise how good what you've got is until its gone!

Can't you keep the trailer in the field - thats what my friend did when she rented a field. It was also useful for storing feed in during winter.

I'd be wary of keeping tack in one of those containers unless its absolutely water tight and hidden.

Could you advertise for someone else to share - perhaps you'd end up with someone you could ride with?

 

[Mongoose11]

As I was reading I was thinking 'is she mental? She needs to move to the yard asap!' THEN I got to the restricted turnout bit. I would move hell and high water to make your current situ work before I ever moved to a yard with such little turn out!

Stay and let's all think of ways to help make your current place work better for you. Unfortunately I am off out now but I will have a think and return to the thread later to add and see what everyone has come up with....

Hmmmm that said, the people bit - it is very important for me to have the right people around me as without them I get demotivated and a bit depressed really. Would probably only ride half as much as I do now.... none of that might apply to you as you may be super motivated on your own..

 

[juliette]

I'd stay where you are. Advertise for a person to keep a horse there too, this sorts holiday cover etc. As you have so much field flexibility can you tape off a small holding area to get round the being there for the farrier problem? If you make a hard standing area with something solid to hitch your trailer to you could leave that there. I have a grit bin for storage, holds a lot and can be locked.
If you think outside the box a bit I think you could make the fields perfect, and if your trailer is stored there you could drive to the manage so you aren't worried about the 20 mins in the dark?

 

[floradora09]

Can't you keep the trailer in the field - thats what my friend did when she rented a field. It was also useful for storing feed in during winter.

I'd be wary of keeping tack in one of those containers unless its absolutely water tight and hidden.

Could you advertise for someone else to share - perhaps you'd end up with someone you could ride with?

Thanks, will def look into getting other people. We have far too much grazing anyway and landowner would be happy to get more people renting I would imagine! The access to the fields is a major problem though, it's impossible to get a car into them, so I don't think that would work Would have been helpful tho!

Stay and let's all think of ways to help make your current place work better for you. Unfortunately I am off out now but I will have a think and return to the thread later to add and see what everyone has come up with....

Hmmmm that said, the people bit - it is very important for me to have the right people around me as without them I get demotivated and a bit depressed really. Would probably only ride half as much as I do now.... none of that might apply to you as you may be super motivated on your own..

Thank you Yes it's a toughie! We had it perfectly until our old yard closed. Yes I'm finding I'm really missing the social aspect, as it's hard to arrange people to ride with so I am certainly less motivated than I was, purely because it's such a faff now and I miss the whole 'being at the yard' thing.

As you have so much field flexibility can you tape off a small holding area to get round the being there for the farrier problem? If you make a hard standing area with something solid to hitch your trailer to you could leave that there. I have a grit bin for storage, holds a lot and can be locked.
If you think outside the box a bit I think you could make the fields perfect, and if your trailer is stored there you could drive to the manage so you aren't worried about the 20 mins in the dark?

Thanks for the really good ideas Unfortunately the access is the worst bit, the only way to the fields involves going down a footpath or going through a bit of the old yard, and even then it's a bit of a walk, and I wouldn't expect my farrier to do that. So that also rules out the trailer bit

Really appreciate the ideas, any inspiration would be great as I'd love to make it work! It's just a logistical nightmare..

 

[Myhorseeatsmoney]

My friend and I would be very happy if we had your option 1. In West Berkshire most livery yards provide a small single paddock per horse that has no grass which means supplying hay 24/7.

If you have so much grazing find one or two other nice people that could share with you. If the entrance to the fields is close to the road you may not want to park a trailer there but if you could make a small standing area and put up a tying up rail inside the gate could the farrier park close to the propert

Is there a place where another gate could be errected so that vehicles and trailers could access it easily that would really be an asset.



.

 

[floradora09]

My friend and I would be very happy if we had your option 1. In West Berkshire most livery yards provide a small single paddock per horse that has no grass which means supplying hay 24/7.

If you have so much grazing find one or two other nice people that could share with you. If the entrance to the fields is close to the road you may not want to park a trailer there but if you could make a small standing area and put up a tying up rail inside the gate could the farrier park close to the propert

Is there a place where another gate could be errected so that vehicles and trailers could access it easily that would really be an asset.

Exactly, I think we are lucky to be so free but it's just thinking outside the box to make it work.

Unfortunately the major downfall is that it is impossible to get trailers on the land, or even park close, as the fields are either off a small footpath or involve negotiating several tracks, so can't really do either of those things.

Will talk to landowner about what he feels but have a couple of ideas of people who might want to rent with us, if not might have to go down the advertising route!

 

[rockysmum]

My worries with the first option would be, no field shelter, what happens if one of them is sick. If you had a feed shelter you could section a bit off for feed.

Again if one is ill and you need to get them to the vet/horsepital how will you get them out. Storing tack on site will encourage the wrong sort of people to take an interest, particularly as there is a footpath nearby.

The fact that other people have moved off suggests you might not find it easy to get new people, or the right kind anyway.

I would be looking around for a third option, perhaps advertise for that instead

 

[floradora09]

My worries with the first option would be, no field shelter, what happens if one of them is sick. If you had a feed shelter you could section a bit off for feed.

Again if one is ill and you need to get them to the vet/horsepital how will you get them out. Storing tack on site will encourage the wrong sort of people to take an interest, particularly as there is a footpath nearby.

The fact that other people have moved off suggests you might not find it easy to get new people, or the right kind anyway.

I would be looking around for a third option, perhaps advertise for that instead

On a day-to-day basis the fields are well hedged, and if there is an emergency we are able to borrow a box on the old yard if needed, so it's not too much of a worry.

Totally agree about the sorts of people taking an interest, people have had stuff pinched so tbh I don't think leaving anything other than the essentials down there is a good plan.

The problem is that unless you're happy to ride from the field it's quite limited what you can do, as the fields are fairly spread out. Might think about going down route of making a little hardcore tie up/shelter place, but would only approach landowner with that idea if we were certain to stay.