Yard/field dilemmas wwyd

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poiuytrewq

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Last year we gave notice on my little yard 3 boxes owned by us and we did all the fencing etc in return for very cheap rent £100 PCM.
When we left the land owner purchased the stables and everything there thinking she could rent it out for a good deal more money (I don't know how much)
It was 4 acres which got wet and had rubbish hacking (very busy roads) but was very conveniently situated and in a quiet area.
I was glad to leave as we just grew to hate riding.
We moved to a farm with partners work and I was promised far better grazing. We built new stables and I teeny yard which is fab and the hacking is lovely, quiet and loads of off road. The grazing however is absolute c@@p. I have 5 acres a mile away which my retired horse lived on with Shetland pony and a friends horse as company til it flooded. At home we have less than 2 I'd guess and although yes it's fairly dry considering, obviously it's absolutely trashed and I'm having to keep the two horses at home in most of the time along with Shetland and retired boy. It's a nightmare as I'm having to alternate stables on a rota basis and leave some on the yard etc. to be fair they seem quite chilled but I'm not.
So I decided to try and find grazing for retired horse at least, thinking if I find a field I'll put the pony with him but if I find a space with other horses just him. This seems impossible (unless I put up a thing threatening to shoot him on facebook I guess, they always get loads of offers ;) )
This isn't the retirement I had in mind for the poor old boy.
So I've just heard my old place is back empty (and a bit wrecked as I called in and had a nose). I wondered about trying to get it back. This will leave me very very tight on cash but will provide peace of mind knowing my horse can be out in a field. It's far from home but near work so I go there most days anyway.
Other half is really angry at this idea, apparently the horse are all happy here which is hard to argue when they are stood munching haynets but I'm finding it really stressful. I've not ridden in aaaggggeeessss because all I do is soak hay, hand graze, muck out and all that comes with having 4 horses inside all the time
He says my bigger field will be dry soon and I'm wasting money renting elsewhere but the weather is so unpredictable that I don't believe him!
If anyone understood that rambling, made worse by the fact the iPad has gone a bit odd and I can't actually see the words come up as I type (sorry for any mistakes!!) and can brain storm with me that would be lovely and you can have some battenberg ;)
 
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hmm, how much time would you have left if you then had to start doing chores at yard 2?
You say you are overworked now, but adding a 2nd yard (commuting/chores) will definately eat into time.

Can you not hold out a bit longer? Spring WILL come. Your field a mile away WILL dry up, honestly - especially if we get a good deep freeze.

In the mean time, could you not put possible yard rental money into adding a temporary stable/field shelter? Would then at least alleviate need for box sharing.

(stop having a paddy, breathe, try to work round, its not going to be for that long in the big scheme of things :) )
 
Time wise it would be ok, which sounds silly I know and usually yes 2 places would be a disaster but currently I do the horses here early then we leave for school and work. I drop daughter off then old yard is bang inbetween school and work so I used to go there for 25 mins turn out or poo pick, whatever then head up to work. Since moving them and us to the new place I drop daughter off and park up on my phone or whatever to kill time. The afternoons would be a bit more difficult but if they live out I can just call in again on the pm school run.
I know spring will come but then next winter will come too!?
 
I agree with fuzzy I would just hang on or your going to end up having to do two yards, could you not section a bit of your big field for now so they get out for half the day each? that way only a bit of the field gets trashed and it soon recovers, I only have just over 3 acres for 2 horses and have had 3 on it in the past and it looks terrible in February but give it a few months and it looks a different field and the grass comes back.
 
As long as the horses have company, they will be fine. You seem to be worrying unnecessarily about their hooves being in contact with grass, plenty of forage and room to move around is sufficient otherwise you'll be worrying about pulled tendons in hock high mud.
 
I understand your frustration completely, but on the other hand most yards have the same problem come winter unfortunately. I've been on big yards with loads of grazing that still doesn't hold up great in the huge amounts of rain.

I think I would be inclined to do as TFF says and add another stable and just limit your turnout a bit by bringing in at night and out in the day. We are coming out the other side of the bad weather now, and knowing this for next year you could start cutting the turnout a little earlier and bring in at night say end October/November, or even divide the land up a bit. Use the mile away fields for the summer, and the land at home for winter.
This would be my first port of call and see how you go.

Good luck with whatever you decide!
 
I understand your frustration but I think you should grin and bear it for now.
This winter has been exceptionally wet and it has meant a lot of people compromising on how they have had to keep their horses.
But we are now the right side of winter.
If we have a cold snap you can get them outside with hay
It will dry up and spring will arrive.
The problems with your old yard will remain, and it will stretch you further split across more yards.

Suck it up for now. As soon as able get the retired lot out on the 5 acres. Make a plan over summer for next winter.
 
4 horses to 'do' isn't that many if you are able to organise yourself properly. Why are you soaking hay?

Feed, Chuck out 2, muck out 2. Ride and lead. Home. Bring in 2, Chuck out the ridden 2 and muck them out.

Bring them in. Job done in only a few hours.

I would push for more grazing at home rather than your previous yard.
 
I would sit it out. We're all under water at the moment with no/restricted/boggy turnout. This time of year isn't much fun. Only 10 ish weeks till Easter 😊
 
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I too would hold out. This winter has been particularly wet everywhere so nowhere is guaranteed not to have problems. Spring is only round the corner. Do you have to hand graze? agree with amymay re riding or riding and leading if you are able.
 
I would hold out too. The chances of you finding a field that isn't (or won't soon be) a swamp at the moment are very slim and spring is definitely on the way. The 6 nations rugby is due to start in a few weeks and that always gives me a huge boost as (other than having lots of rugby to watch) I know that by the end of it, spring will be in full swing!

Is there any way you can increase the land you have where you are? It sounds like there might be more there if you're on a farm, it's just a case of getting your hands on it?
 
This weather is a freak so everyone is struggling. The 4 big lads went up to a lovely big untouched field just before Christmas. Mine has bowed out for most of this time needing to be in, but our lovely field is waterlogged and getting trashed. We are on clay and normally, these fields cope as there is enough acreage to be able to move horses around. This year we are seeing nearly as much rainfall as when my village was flooded and that was the year that the YO had to shut the fields for the first time in 26 years. I would ask to try to get more grazing, and if not, can you do anything to sacrifice part of your grazing and stick on old carpet or spoils hay/ wet bedding t create a turn out area for your retired boy?
 
I would stay where you are. It has been torrential rain this winter and your 5 acres will dry out once it clears up.

I would have two in overnight and then two in by day- turn out in the morning, muck out then bring other two in for some hay/dry off. Then turn them back out in the evening, muck out then bring other two in overnight. Rather than soaking hay get a big bale of haylage in the field so they can all munch if there is no grass.

Or put two in one paddock and two in the other and put a big bale in each field and leave them out 24/7. As long as they are adequately rugged and fed they will be quite happy.

Yes the fields will be hanging but they will come back in the summer once they go back on your big field down the road!
 
Just hang out a little longer then sort out what you going to do next winter. Riding is a de-stresser too so if you are not getting riding, things always seem worse - January blues! Think it will be hard to find new grazing at this time of year for a short time only

Am a bit confused re horse logistics from your first post. Is it three of your own horses and a friends? Or four of yours plus your friends until field was flooded then they took their own horse away? If the former, could you not say to your friend that you are needing more help maybe work something out to help take the stress off you for a bit? If the later, chat things through with your OH and say that you are not coping with the current workload due to lack of grazing so until more grazing comes along, you are needing him to help you out.
 
amymay said:
4 horses to 'do' isn't that many if you are able to organise yourself properly. Why are you soaking hay?

Feed, Chuck out 2, muck out 2. Ride and lead. Home. Bring in 2, Chuck out the ridden 2 and muck them out.

Bring them in. Job done in only a few hours.

I would push for more grazing at home rather than your previous yard.
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No 4 to do isn't that many. I think it's because I work with horses so far away. So it feels like all I ever do is muck out!! I actually have 1.5 hours or daylight at home which isn't enough. I have a good hour trip to pick up daughter from school, it's often dark or at least getting dark then when we arrive back home.
2 can't be ridden. Both these two I'd be very reluctant to attempt ride and lead as one is scared of the other horses and the other naps (needs a rider on board to push forward)
I have to soak hay as one has a severe dust allergy and can't tolerate even next door having dry hay. Also if they are loose on the yard or whatever obviously they swap and share nets.
 
Annoyingly there is a massive grass field about 500yards away that isn't used which I've tried to get but it's got weird rules on it as a body was found there years ago and was a big case at the time. I don't know how long these rules last for but assume it will go back into arable use at some point
 
it is frustrating but I agree with others who say hold on! I rent a barn and land for much less than most yards around here, but it is by a river and most of the field is now a bog after an abnormally wet winter. so mine are only going out 3-4 days a week. but actually they are quite happy in the barn with lots of hay. however, i know that although other fields around are not as wet, they cost a lot more & come spring the fields always dry up and recover well after a harrow and roll.

adding yet another journey to your day is a big ask, especially on the days you are not going to work
 
pippixox said:
it is frustrating but I agree with others who say hold on! I rent a barn and land for much less than most yards around here, but it is by a river and most of the field is now a bog after an abnormally wet winter. so mine are only going out 3-4 days a week. but actually they are quite happy in the barn with lots of hay. however, i know that although other fields around are not as wet, they cost a lot more & come spring the fields always dry up and recover well after a harrow and roll.

adding yet another journey to your day is a big ask, especially on the days you are not going to work
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We are on clay and mine are now in barns for the winter. Hay ,water and company is all they need. My trash paddock is gloop and I have two youngsters who wallow in it for a few hours but the rest are under cover 24/7.
We used to flood and they would go for a paddle while I mucked out, sometimes the water was nearly up to their knees, they would then be on concrete or in the stable for the rest of the day. With food and company none of them seemed bothered. Needs must.
 
I would hold on for longer, my plan was for mine to all be out 24/7 this year, the weather ballsed that up, so still have three living out doing okish (large part of the field already on rest/other bit has been rested since summer), used another field over the really wet times but this is now on rest as was trashed! and one who is at a friends place as he didn't cope with the wet ground, then tyed up last week and now the plan is to move him to my friends yard next week with luck, 2 yards again!!! Whatever our plans the UK weather this year has screwed lots of people up!!

I would hold on as I said and this morning is a beautiful rock hard ground NO WET MUD DAY YAY!!!
 
I'm finding it hard to understand what you currently have and where. Are you saying you have two acres and stables at home? If so, why are you paying to erect stables elsewhere? I would be putting that money into building a winter sand turnout area and field shelter in time for next winter. For now I would sit tight. In this weather the horses would quickly trash any field within days and you would be back to square one. Stay where you are and invest in making your home more usable for the horses to stay there. Obviously, having three on two acres would mean you have to feed more hay, but it would be worth it IMO.
 
Is there no stubble field you could Elec fence off for winter turnout? Built a winter turnout area? A big shed / already surfaced area they could go in during the day?
 
You say the yard you are wanting to rent again has wet fields, so I assume you can't turn out on them so I can't see in what way it would benefit you? Stick it out, if the horses are happy why are you stressed? Days are getting longer already. Chin up!
 
I'm not wanting to build stables elsewhere no. Sorry for confusion, not sure where that bit came from!

The previous yard, yes was wet but we were able to turnout all year give or take a day and I won't be putting 4 horses on it as I did previously. Just one and the Shetland.
However I've been and had a look and tbh the state it's been left it I would have to spend a fortune on fence repairs etc to get it to a safe standard again.
 
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