Lexie81
Well-Known Member
Hello
I have a bit of a moral dillema (sp?) . I have 2 horses, 1 7 yr old SFx Oldenburg mare and my daughters welsh Sec A. Currently they are on grass livery 5 mins from home, i rent 2 paddocks, 1 with a large shelter and storage and 1 without. We have water and electric fencing wired to mains, but no lighting at all and no school or grass riding area, except our own grazing paddocks, which are quite unlevel and not ideal for schooling in. No jumps except home made strawbales ones! I moved here a year ago with a friend who rents a paddock for her two horses ( 1 NF youngster and a yearling colt). We keep our horses separately but do quite a bit together i.e hacking, helping each other out if one of us is away/poorly/busy.
For a while now we have both been thinking of moving yards. I really need facilities, my daughter does a lot of PC and local showing and jumping so needs to have her lessons regularly and practise in between. My horse needs schooling regularly as my aim is to compete her this year at local level. We can hire a school up the lane at £5 per horse per time, so 3 times a week for eg is £30, plus what i pay the instructor to come and teach once a week....soon adds up! It is also hard to book this school as it is always being used by its owner (quite rightly!)
We have looked at a few yards together but none have been quite right...our Welshie has COPD and needs 24 hr turnout, many yards wont allow this. I feel i have been more active in the search, calling places and arranging all the visits, and i really think i have been more serious about moving on than my friend.
So anyway, I have now found the perfect yard for my 2. ticks all the right boxes, lovely grazing, laid back farmer, nice school, jumps, 5 mils off road hacking round the farm plus the real bonus is that our local RC have recently announced they wil be holding all their SJ and Dressage comps there. This is a real plus for me as my horse finds travelling very stressful. I had been planning on going to these RC events and hacking there (about 1 hrs hack) but having them on my doorstep would be perfect and would mean i could do our first seasons competing at home to get both of our confidence up before venturing out next year. My friend has transport so can get to events, she would take me and my horse, but my mare is too big for her transit lorry! This yard only has 2 vacancies.
Having now told my friend, she has got the right hump! She is upset that i would move without her, and thinks we should wait to find a yard with 4 places free. I think it is very unlikely we will find a yard with 4 vacancies at the same time, and even more so that it will have the right things we need ie the 24/7 turnout! And also i am not sure may yards will take on a colt that she does not plan to geld for another year. I have said that i think the best thing is if she puts her name down and that hopefully more spaces will come up -i know that some horses are for sale on the yard and they won't be replaced. She doesnt agree and thinks we should hang on to find somewhere else.
She is making me feel very guilty and making me no reconsider my plan to move. I really want to take up these 2 spaces and have told the yard owner that i will, but i am concerned i will lose her as a friend if I do. I am also worried that i will waste another year with my horse because i have not got the facilities to actually get her schooled up to a decent level, and that my 8 yr old daughter will lose interest because she has no school or jumps to use to practise, and have her lessons which she loves. I have to add that a few months ago she was planning to take up 2 spaces for her 2 on a yard that is in an army barracks a few miles away as she could get a cheap deal due to family connections. I made it clear then that i would not travel to that yard but she would have gone there without me had it not been that the places went very quickly.
Am i being a complete cow for considering moving?? what would you do? AAAGGGGHHHHHH!
large pear cider if you have managed this essay!!
I have a bit of a moral dillema (sp?) . I have 2 horses, 1 7 yr old SFx Oldenburg mare and my daughters welsh Sec A. Currently they are on grass livery 5 mins from home, i rent 2 paddocks, 1 with a large shelter and storage and 1 without. We have water and electric fencing wired to mains, but no lighting at all and no school or grass riding area, except our own grazing paddocks, which are quite unlevel and not ideal for schooling in. No jumps except home made strawbales ones! I moved here a year ago with a friend who rents a paddock for her two horses ( 1 NF youngster and a yearling colt). We keep our horses separately but do quite a bit together i.e hacking, helping each other out if one of us is away/poorly/busy.
For a while now we have both been thinking of moving yards. I really need facilities, my daughter does a lot of PC and local showing and jumping so needs to have her lessons regularly and practise in between. My horse needs schooling regularly as my aim is to compete her this year at local level. We can hire a school up the lane at £5 per horse per time, so 3 times a week for eg is £30, plus what i pay the instructor to come and teach once a week....soon adds up! It is also hard to book this school as it is always being used by its owner (quite rightly!)
We have looked at a few yards together but none have been quite right...our Welshie has COPD and needs 24 hr turnout, many yards wont allow this. I feel i have been more active in the search, calling places and arranging all the visits, and i really think i have been more serious about moving on than my friend.
So anyway, I have now found the perfect yard for my 2. ticks all the right boxes, lovely grazing, laid back farmer, nice school, jumps, 5 mils off road hacking round the farm plus the real bonus is that our local RC have recently announced they wil be holding all their SJ and Dressage comps there. This is a real plus for me as my horse finds travelling very stressful. I had been planning on going to these RC events and hacking there (about 1 hrs hack) but having them on my doorstep would be perfect and would mean i could do our first seasons competing at home to get both of our confidence up before venturing out next year. My friend has transport so can get to events, she would take me and my horse, but my mare is too big for her transit lorry! This yard only has 2 vacancies.
Having now told my friend, she has got the right hump! She is upset that i would move without her, and thinks we should wait to find a yard with 4 places free. I think it is very unlikely we will find a yard with 4 vacancies at the same time, and even more so that it will have the right things we need ie the 24/7 turnout! And also i am not sure may yards will take on a colt that she does not plan to geld for another year. I have said that i think the best thing is if she puts her name down and that hopefully more spaces will come up -i know that some horses are for sale on the yard and they won't be replaced. She doesnt agree and thinks we should hang on to find somewhere else.
She is making me feel very guilty and making me no reconsider my plan to move. I really want to take up these 2 spaces and have told the yard owner that i will, but i am concerned i will lose her as a friend if I do. I am also worried that i will waste another year with my horse because i have not got the facilities to actually get her schooled up to a decent level, and that my 8 yr old daughter will lose interest because she has no school or jumps to use to practise, and have her lessons which she loves. I have to add that a few months ago she was planning to take up 2 spaces for her 2 on a yard that is in an army barracks a few miles away as she could get a cheap deal due to family connections. I made it clear then that i would not travel to that yard but she would have gone there without me had it not been that the places went very quickly.
Am i being a complete cow for considering moving?? what would you do? AAAGGGGHHHHHH!
large pear cider if you have managed this essay!!
I think it is important to have somewhere decent to ride though. Winter has been very difficult for us. No arena meant no riding more or less, and as with you, the girls lost a good deal of interest. Their riding suffered and the pony suffered as well. Fat, unfit and undid so much of the good work done in the summer months. Your friend may be in a huff now, but if she is a true friend she should come around. Good luck whatever you decide.
