Yard dilemma - how far do you travel?

[Serephin]

Just curious really - my livery yard is 12 miles from my home, so I am worrying a bit about winter and the potential for soaring petrol costs getting to the yard and back.

There is a yard 5 mins from my house, but the set up is a bit different to what I am used to and no chance of wintering out the ned - I am torn between the yard I am at, which has good hacking, small yard, good fields for winter as they don't get waterlogged and its generally a nice place to be.

Yard close to home is nice, awesome hacking, a lot of it off road, and in the local woods, which I have been dying to ride in ever since I owned horses - but the set up is different, in that the majority of people there are full livery (I am DIY) and I don't like the stables - they are the grill type and they make me feel claustrophobic, never mind the horse! Plus, the fields were horribly waterlogged last winter, so neds had to stay in for months.

I just don't know what to do really - the money I am spending on petrol could be spent on my horse (and maybe other things, like clothes, food etc LOL) - I could make it work over winter if he wintered out, but if they have to come in I would need to rely on someone to turn out in the mornings, which can be done (my field mate has offered, we would help each other) but its not an ideal.

what would you do??? (thanks in advance, and a lemony biscuit too)

 

[ThePony]

If it was me I would stick at the yard further away. For me year round turnout and stables that they can put their heads out of are amongst my essentials and I just couldn't skimp on them. Although the petrol costs will be high, your horses basic needs will be met - nice stable to be in and sufficient turnout. Anything additional to that really are added extras! Comes down to what your own essentials are really.

 

[Clarew22]

Ah I feel your dilemma, went through something similar.

I was travelling 8 miles to the yard, and the journey was horrid, I decided I had had enough of the travel and extra costs so moved him to a nice yard near work and home, within two months of being there he went lame and everything went a bit pearshaped.

Nothing I could blame the new place for but we had 12 months of hassles and issues so a few months ago I decided to move him back to original yard and everything seems to have slotted back into place again.

The way I look at it now is that we are both very happy and have all the facilities we need which is worth the extra travel and money, im sure I will get frustrated with the travel again but I know its definately worth it now

 

[Serephin]

If it was me I would stick at the yard further away. For me year round turnout and stables that they can put their heads out of are amongst my essentials and I just couldn't skimp on them. Although the petrol costs will be high, your horses basic needs will be met - nice stable to be in and sufficient turnout. Anything additional to that really are added extras! Comes down to what your own essentials are really.

hmmmm, yeah, they are my main essentials too - plus ned is settled at current yard, and I am building up me confidence with him (only bought him a few weeks ago after sharing him for a few months) - however, at yard close to home, YO did say that my boy might be able to winter out with his old horse and if the weather got bad there are some individual pens they could go into, which are quite large so they can 'kick up their heels if they want to' - so its potentially not a disaster, but what one says and what actually happens can be a different thing altogether. My boy is my main priority, I want him to be happy, but I also don't want to spend all my spare cash on petrol! *sigh*

 

[JenTaz]

i would go to the yard close to home, mainly because the yard i am at at the moment is amazing and is a five minute drive up the road, can be shorter if mum drives but we usually swap and let me drive by the time we get into the park as its private land, the turnout wouldnt bother me as taz lives in all winter and out during the day anyway and is the same in the summer months, but i'd much rather have somewhere close to home

 

[Serephin]

@Clarew22

thats a worry for me - that I move and it all goes wrong!

I don't need to do anything immediately, so can see how things pan out I suppose, buts its niggling at the back of my mind, which is annoying!

 

[Jingleballs]

Totally sympathise with you - before moving to the yard I'm currently at I'd looked at a lovely yard but it was 13 miles away and with a big car I just couldn't justify the added cost.

Fortunately I found a yard 7 miles from me - there are closer yards - in fact there is a yard less than a mile from my house but I've heard negative stories about it, the hacking is rubbish and the winter turn out seems non existent so I put up with a longer drive to keep him somewhere that we're both happier. Means I can only go up once a day but I'm on assisted diy anyway so don't need to worry about him not getting checked/fed/turned out etc.

 

[Serephin]

but i'd much rather have somewhere close to home

me too - its a dream of mine to be able to hack back to my house for a cuppa - probably a bit silly really!

 

[Umbongo]

I would stick to the yard further away.

The yard in my village has all the new facilities, indoor and outdoor school, gallops, cross country fences, jump cross field, wash box, solarium etc so I can understand why some people I know moved there BUT....there is no turnout in the winter, only a few hours of turnout in the summer, mainly main road hacking, no one there hacks anyway so no one to hack out with.

My yard is a bit further away but I can turnout as much as I want, nice stables, lovely hacking and lovely people. I would love to have a school and all the mod cons etc but my horse is happy and so all his basic needs are met. If I want to jump then I just have to make do with homemade fences in the orchard I don't mind spending the extra money on petrol if it means the horse it happy.

Things we go without for our horses Don't think I've bought any new clothes for years! (riding clothes don't count of course, which my OH doesn't seem to understand! )

 

[PennyJ]

Its such a difficult one this.

I have moved mine further away from home (10 mile round trip) and on paper it costs more livery too, but in practice I think it works out cheaper. £63/week all in with good maintenance on a very well run yard (DIY). The alternative I left was £45/week, tenant responsible for all the maintenance which wasn't being done. So, if I was to take on the cheaper and nearer of the 2 yards for my own sole use when it next comes up, I would have no petrol costs at all (about 200 yds away from the house), but straight away 3 new gates, spraying, fertilising and harrowing desperately need doing. I think I would have to stay there 10 years before it worked out cheaper... The advantage being, I'd be on my own and able to do what I liked within reason.

I think I'm better sticking with the travelling and hoping I will be able to get there if we have another bad winter.

I honestly think there is no right answer to this question, it is purely about weighing up the pros and cons and deciding what is best overall. For me, the lack of turnout in winter would kill the nearer place, but then that may not be a problem for someone else.

 

[Umbongo]

me too - its a dream of mine to be able to hack back to my house for a cuppa - probably a bit silly really!

Me too! my yard although not in my village, is a few miles away and I have managed to hack to my house once and stick the horse in the garden for an hour or so rest

 

[JenTaz]

me too - its a dream of mine to be able to hack back to my house for a cuppa - probably a bit silly really!

i've done that on the way to the beach but instead it was going to stop for carrots well worth being so close to home, well at least taz thinks so

 

[Serephin]

Totally sympathise with you - before moving to the yard I'm currently at I'd looked at a lovely yard but it was 13 miles away and with a big car I just couldn't justify the added cost.

Fortunately I found a yard 7 miles from me - there are closer yards - in fact there is a yard less than a mile from my house but I've heard negative stories about it, the hacking is rubbish and the winter turn out seems non existent so I put up with a longer drive to keep him somewhere that we're both happier. Means I can only go up once a day but I'm on assisted diy anyway so don't need to worry about him not getting checked/fed/turned out etc.

there are a few yards closer than my current one too - one I was at for a long time, but I know if I go back, the same issues with grazing and **** hacking will get to me, despite me having a lot of pals there - another one just didn't suit me, very nice, but not good for nervous nellies like me and another I just don't like the feel of. Gah, its so tricky! *head explodes*

There is no assisted DIY at my current yard either, it would be favours, which makes me a little twitchy as I don't like relying on others if I can avoid it.

 

[CBFan]

I would stay where you are... the money you'd save on fuel, you'd spend on extra hay and bedding over winter at place close to home...

 

[Weezy]

I would move closer to home. Horses get VERY used to staying in over winter, ours stay in all winter apart from the odd day here and there and they are super chilled about it as they are ALL in.

Also it is great to be able to *pop down* just to say hello if you want to. My yard is less than 2 miles from my house, but I did try one that was a 20 min drive away and it drove me insane!

 

[Hullabaloo]

Is there any way you could buddy up with someone at your current yard so you could help each other out. That way you could avoid having to go to the yard as often and save money on petrol. At my old yard I used to do mornings in winter and my friend did evenings so we each only had one visit per day.
Otherwise I would want something more concrete than a "might be able to winter out" before I considered moving. Remember too that if you end up having to stable your horse over winter you will have extra outlay for bedding.

 

[JoJo_]

My yard is about 8-10miles away.

If I were you I would stick with the yard you are at. Turnout is an important thing for me and I wouldnt want to leave my yard which has all year round turnout to go somewhere which she will need to stay in for a few months in winter. Plus you may saving on petrol but wont you be paying more for bedding and forage as your horse will be living in?

Work out what is most important for you. Maybe do a list of pros and cons for each yard.

 

[Serephin]

I would move closer to home. Horses get VERY used to staying in over winter, ours stay in all winter apart from the odd day here and there and they are super chilled about it as they are ALL in.

Also it is great to be able to *pop down* just to say hello if you want to. My yard is less than 2 miles from my house, but I did try one that was a 20 min drive away and it drove me insane!

man this is hard! lol

with regard to bedding and hay - yard close to home has a fixed price for livery all year, so it covers anything you might use over winter, but you pay more over summer, so my costs theoretically wouldn't fluctuate.

I am trying to feel it out with my gut, but the results are inconclusive!

I do have a buddy at current yard - we want our neds to winter out together, so we could help each other - but she has itchy feet for a yard of her own - if she went then I probably would move as my hand would be forced.

 

[Puppy]

If you're happy where you are, then stay there. I certainly wouldn't move somewhere without sufficient winter turnout

Just a thought, but what car do you drive? Could you get a more economical one? I have at least a 20 minute drive to my yard, as I live in the centre of town, but as I drive a little fiesta I only fill it up every 3 weeks!

 

[Weezy]

Meant to say - the yard that was far away had amazing facilities (the biggest school in the world, which was also covered!), fantastic hacking, etc...couldn't fault it at all, but the fuel costs, time costs, etc., did get annoying and in the winter the drive would have been treacherous, whereas when we had all the snow this winter I could walk to the yard and know my horse was done!

 

[Perfect_Pirouette]

I travel 21 miles, when I had him on full loan it was a nightmare and was costing me loads, but his owner didnt want him moved, plus he is on one of the best yards in Norfolk so I didn't really want to move him. I've gone back to sharing him now so it's not so bad as only have to do the journey 3-4 times a week. I would do it 7 days still though as he is worth it.

Lol it does make me laugh when people complain about their yards being '4 miles away' etc etc as that really isn't that far.

I think you should stay at yard further away as you sound happy there and it sounds like your horse is settled etc. Obviously if it becomes too much you may have to consider moving. Or you could do what I started doing towards the end of my full loan and have someone do yours and theirs one day, in return for you doing yours and theirs another day, that way you get a day off completely and save ££. I did this twice a week and it was great!

Edited because I can't spell!

 

[Serephin]

@ Puppy - My car is a convertible nissan micra (best car in the world IMO!) - not the most economical, but it makes the drive to the yard each day very pleasurable!

Thanks loads for all your replies - I think I shall sit tight for a while and see how things go - once a day is not so bad, so as long as I can keep him out it is do-able where I am. If things change I might have to move.

 

[Rosie2407]

My yard is 13.5 miles away from my house which does cost me a bloomin fortune in petrol. Fortunately I have a very small car so fairly economical.

I find it a bit of a problem time wise..... there just aren't enough hours in the day for me at the moment! I have to work a full time and a part time job to be able to pay for my horse.

There are loads of yards closer but none that I can afford that have the facilities I want for my girly (i.e all year turnout, 24/7 in summer, good stables, a school and a brilliant YO). I love my yard and although it is costling me a lot more time and money, I feel like if I moved her closer, I wouldn't be able to get her turned out and so would be spending more on bedding etc anyway.

I guess you just have to take the good points of both and decide which is more important.

I think if I ever have to leave my yard, they will have to drag me kicking and screaming lol!!

Good luck!

 

[otter2]

at uni it's a 30 mile round trip and it takes me over an hour each way
then at home not sure on mileage but it again takes over an hour each way!

i'd rather travel for a nicer yard though. there's a yard within walking distance from my house at home, but it's got no grazing and it's pretty pikey so i travel further for a nicer yard with better facilities and grazing