Yard choices for a pregnant lady!!

[Jingleballs]

I'm 25 weeks pregnant and due to move house at 35 weeks. New house is 30 miles away so pony has to move too!

After searching yards in the area I've found 2 possibilities.

Yard 1 - 2 minutes from new house. Large competition yard with 2 indoor arenas, 2 outdoor arenas, horse walker, lunge paddock - all lovely and posh although I've heard the grazing is a bit limited and there probably isn't enough for the amount of horses they have. Very £££ at £65 for DIY with forage and £110 full livery. They do have a working livery option where your can pay less for full livery and they use your horse in the riding school which although I don't like others riding my horse, I'm not able to ride right now and probably won't be until January. Hacking is ok, yard is very busy with 100 + horses. Nice cafe etc on site so baby friendly. OK hacking

Yard 2 - 5.5 miles and about 10 minutes from new house. Was a working farm now a livery. Masses of well maintained grazing - horses live out May to Nov with pretty much all year round turn out although apparently they had to alternate days last winter but it was very wet here and most yards had no turn out. Large floodlit outdoor arena, amazing hacking and it would cost me about £65 for full livery but I could also mix DIY/assisted and full as and when needed.

The fact that yard 2 is a bit further away and I have no idea what my schedule will be like with a baby to look after but I should still manage up every day while on maternity leave even just to check him over.

What do people thing is best???

 

[hihosilver]

yard 2 without a doubt! x

 

[be positive]

Yard 2 would probably be the best option until you are settled into a routine with the baby, the horse will get turn out daily, you can mix up what the yard do so they will fit in with you, yard 1 may be too big to be as flexible and while it may have all the fancy facilities if there is not much turnout the horse will possibly be less happy.

Once you are back riding properly then a move to yard 1 may be worth considering if you will use the facilities.

 

[Highlands]

Do you drive? If me I would do yard 2 but not a mum ( although a lot of friends have babies) they do sleep, once your out your out with a baby. Surely better to get established where in future you will be happy. Your maternity pay will go quick my friend said it drops rapidly and babies sound expensive!

 

[Lammy]

I would chose the second option because even if you are pushed for time some nights he could be on part/full livery so you know he'd be looked after. The second yard seems a lot less stress and 10 minutes definitely isn't far. But it's down to where you think you and your horse would be happiest. From what you've said the quieter livery would be a calmer, more peaceful environment and I think your horse would appreciate the better grazing more than being on working livery. And probably better for kids when baby is older? Personally I'd pick option 2.

 

[mystiandsunny]

If Yard 1 is a riding school, how much would you actually get to use the facilities, and would the school horses have priority over turnout?

Yard 2 on full livery would be my preference. Going to a yard with a baby is fine if they're ok with it - you park the buggy in the stable while doing the horse and if a fenced arena can park them just outside while you lunge/ride. Going in the field to catch your horse though just isn't do-able. If your horse comes to call at the gate you could leave the buggy just outside while you slip in and put a headcollar on, but otherwise you have no way of getting your horse in. You'll be exhausted for the first few months, and then if you go back to work, short of time. A real blessing to have all the care sorted for you.

 

[Mongoose11]

Yard 2 you mad woman. Yard 1 sounds like hell!

 

[smellsofhorse]

yard 2 sounds better.
with you horse out more it will easier for you when baby is here!

I used to do it with mine, drive right up to field, check,, poo pick etc, or drive round to arena with baby in car and ride.

Also good to be able to mix and match.

5.5 miles isnt far, the yard i mention was that far from me and i was still there 3 times a dat sometimes.

Just depends i traffic i suppose so depends what the roads are like.

 

[JJS]

Like everyone else, I'd choose the second yard.

 

[Honey08]

It's a no brainer. Yard 2 on full livery.

 

[Clare85]

Yard 2, definitely! Yard 1 sounds awful!

 

[PorkChop]

Definitely yard 2 - the fact that this yard is slightly further away wouldn't put me off - babies love to sleep in the car!

 

[Borntobeaprincess]

Yard 2 without a doubt!
I too am a pregnant lady... 1 week over due and very grumpy about the fact I'm still pregnant 😤
I recently moved from an expensive competition yard to a cheaper and cheerful not quite as pretty livery yard.

This is baby no 1 for me so have no idea how much my life will change, but my own thoughts were.

1. Why spend all the money on the £££ yard when my horses are field ornaments. The yard had a fabulous indoor and outdoor arena but neither of them will be much use to me. I'm desperate to get back on my horse but realistic that I may be a bit tender for a few weeks so it's not going to be a case of cough the baby out and the following day jump back on the horse (oh I wish that was the case).

2. The more expensive yard might be a bit more h&S with regards to wandering around the stable block with a pram.
Plus I have found at the smaller and cheaper yard the owner lives on site and has said she can't wait to fuss over the baby when it arrives so once I have healed I will actually be able to get to ride my horse without having to arrange a formal baby sitter every time I want to go to the stables.

3. The full livery will be your saviour! At this moment in time I am still waddling up to the stables everyday and mucking out!

Good luck on the new arrival xx

 

[BentleyBelly]

My first thought is yard 2 sounds better however having had a baby last year you need to consider....is there somewhere safe to put baby while you sort the horse out? I rent a field rather than being on livery and as a newborn my baby slept happily in the car whilst I ran around doing everything. I sectioned off a bit of the field that I could park the car in so that i could keep running back and forth to check baby was ok. Now she is coming up to one she does not tolerate that and I have to pop her in the buggy so she can come with me, again on the sectioned off (track down one side) bit of field. To be honest bringing the baby to the field with me is a pain and I tend to go out there in the evening once she is in bed and my husband is at home. Winter will be interesting and I think I will spend a lot of time in the dark wearing a head torch! I guess your second yard sounds like it will be more pram friendly, how close can you park the car?

 

[Tess Love]

Definitely yard 2 (if safe) the extra couple of miles in the car will almost certainly put the baby to sleep especially if you get into a good set routine. A friend of mine with a similar routine in place managed DiY for 3 years like this with her little girl having a lovely afternoon nap while she enjoyed her horse. Good luck xx

 

[abbijay]

What are the stables like at both? As a mum of 1 1/2yo twins you need to think where you'll put the buggy when you need to do anything. American barns are the worst!
Based on your description yard 1 does not sound kid friendly. Whe you have a bad day the last thing you want is 50 people giving you dirty looks because your little darling won't stop screaming or when they refuse to sit in the buggy and want to toddle round you need as few people as possible to encounter.
The flip side is you need help initially. Don't expect to be back visiting twice a day on your horse's normal routine within the same week as having a child! You need to be able to trust the yard to take on care for a little while.
And finally, the financials. I don't know your personal circustances but kids don't come cheap and mat pay doesn't go very far (are you aware that your statutory payments get taxed?!). I would definitely consider the cheaper option so you can still afford to buy clothes/get your hair cut/buy food that's not tesco value or aldi specials/avoid all forms of social occasion as you simply can't afford it... Sorry I'm speaking from experience on that one!
Whatever you choose it will be for the best and will work out, your life is about to change in ways you can't get your head round but it will be great xx

 

[BentleyBelly]

Definitely yard 2 (if safe) the extra couple of miles in the car will almost certainly put the baby to sleep especially if you get into a good set routine. A friend of mine with a similar routine in place managed DiY for 3 years like this with her little girl having a lovely afternoon nap while she enjoyed her horse. Good luck xx

So jealous of this...my daughter happily slept in the car for the first 4 months then only if the engine was running, then only if the car was moving...the newborn days were so much easier to do the horse than now!

 

[Jingleballs]

Thanks for the comments. I went to see yard two at the weekend. , it is a bit rough compared to yard one and a proper diy yard. The yard owner looks after the fields and maintains the place but has nothing to do with the daily running of the yard. Place is a bit messy due to this but fields are good and people seemed nice. They don't offer full livery but a couple of the younger liveries offer services but it's not a formal livery agreement which worries me. Also did some snooping on the yard fb page and there were complaints of feed being stolen, people not taking their share of responsibility to do n morning feeds etc and I just don't know if I can be bothered with that or if I feel comfortable leaving my horse in the care of a couple of teenagers!

Really not sure what to do for the best now!