Yard WWYD

[Mary3050]

Hi guys I have been posting a lot about my current yard situation and I have been to look at a few yards. I am just looking at the options for both and see if you guys can spot anything I haven’t considered. I currently have full competition/schooling (Covid means no comps) livery . I have one with cushings who needs restricted turnout . I also have struggled to work both due to work and health previously. I currently pay £120 includes 5 day schooling, indoor , Walker , bedding not much , full livery 7 day ( I buy feed & hay ) - pay £10 a week for box storage

Yard 1 :
Only 8 other horse & 6 livery’s . £100 a week ( full livery Mon - Friday ) DIY at weekend expect feed in morning . Must by own hay (£35 per bale ) and bedding - 15 mins from home
Good points
- Large bark winter turnout pens with field shelter .
- Can create a track system
- nice stables with lights and rubber mats
- Owner seemed nice and does natural horseman ship to help me bond with my youngster/ gain confidence
- lorry is free to keep
- Owner on site
Draw backs
- Indoor school not great surface and a few jumps
- 24 hour access
- No off road hacking and out on to a busy junction ( not ideal for my youngster )
- Tack room in a caravan so not that secure - not a lot of storage
- No help at weekend and would need to find a freelance groom to school / help / instructor
- No CCTV
- No main gate at top of drive just on yard so if get out on road

Yard 2 recommend by a friend
Yard owned by an international dressage rider Max 30 horses . A mix of people who just have horse for pleasure , some compete jump, event and a lots of dressage riders. £135 a week includes ( high quality hay or haulage, good qualify and large beds , basic feeds , full livery 5 star care )
Pros
- indoor school amazing surface, mirrors , speakers to do dressage to music etc , bluethooth headset , viewing gallery
- Outdoor school large training mirrors good jumps outside only
- Large lunge pen
- Off road hacking track on the yard
- hacking on a busy is main road for 2 mins then on country park
-Lorry free
- Hay is weighed produced on site an some samples analysis
- pick out feet , change rugs , boot up for turnout etc when needed
-Large turnout pen for Cushings pony in summer plus strip grazing for him when he can go out ( there happy to split time ie 3 hours on grass and 4 hours in pen )
- Double fence grazing individual varies sized fields depending on horses needs.
- CCTV , very secure , locked gate at night, owners plus two grooms on site open 7-8
- great and understanding international dressage coach on site
- okay winter no turnout in bad weather which I don’t mind
- £10 off lesson with international dressage coach
No so good bits
- Horse Walker £1.50 each day used but on that day can go on as long as many times as needed
- Schooling £14 per hour for groom and £35 for international dressage rider there’s two
- £10 lunging
- Extras include ( groom hire , full groom , clipping , groom hire , plaiting , bathing & tack cleaning )

Yard two offers me the major bonus of a friend lives next door and can help with youngster and compete him on my behalf.

Advice greatly appreciated and any pros and cons issues I may not have seen . Thanks

 

[holeymoley]

I thought yard 1 sounded good until you mentioned the hacking was straight out to a busy road. It would be yard 2 for me.

Also yard 2’s negatives are things which you could pick and choose as you wish so not entirely detrimental.

 

[shortstuff99]

Yard 2 is the best one by miles, for pretty much the same money you are getting a lot more for it.

 

[AmyMay]

Yard two sounds fabulous. Yard one sounds ok, but too cheap.

 

[rextherobber]

Does Yard one only have roadwork? Is there no off road hacking at all? Yard 2 sounds wonderful, but I don't like the no turnout in bad weather - that could be a month!

 

[Baywonder]

I would prefer Yard 2. The facilities, hacking, security - in fact everything there sounds much better.

I fear Yard 1 would not give you the back up and support you may potentially need in the future, coupled with the main road and security issues it would be a no for me.

Just take a look at the list you have written - Yard 2 has the most pros by a long stretch!

 

[Lipglosspukka]

There really is no contest

 

[Mary3050]

Thanks yard 2 was what I was thinking. But can anyone see any issues I may not ie. winter turnout . Thanks

 

[AmyMay]

Thanks yard 2 was what I was thinking. But can anyone see any issues I may not ie. winter turnout . Thanks

You need to check what their definition of bad weather is.

 

[Mary3050]

You need to check what their definition of bad weather is.

We asked and they said when it’s extremely wet, heavy rain fall, heavy snow . Which is pretty much when mine don’t go out . They get an hour or two in the turn out pen .

 

[Louby]

The only thing I cant see is how far away yard 2 is, appologies if Ive missed that bit. But apart from that IMO theres no contest, Yard 2 sounds fab!! I wish we had choices like that in the area I live in

 

[brighteyes]

Where is Yard 2 - I want to book a stable!

 

[Barlow]

Yard 1 I thought was ok until you mentioned the hacking, and then i read about the tack “room” ?

 

[mossycup]

Yard 2 is a no brainer

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Yard 2, hands down!

 

[Mary3050]

Yard two sounds fabulous. Yard one sounds ok, but too cheap.

That’s actually pretty expensive around here as didn’t include shaving or hay . Thanks

 

[Lintel]

Two?

 

[claret09]

£35.00 to be schooled by international dressage rider sounds really cheap

 

[Ossy2]

You write as yard 2 is the yard for you. My issue with yard 2 would be the opening hours 7 till 8, with my work I tend to only be getting to the yard in the week at 7 so would only have an hour to get ridden and back off again.

 

[SusieT]

yard 1 sounds run on a shoestring
yard 2 sounds better thought I'm not clear on turnout for youngster

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

I wouldn't put mine anywhere there was no all year turnout.

 

[Supertrooper]

You need to check what their definition of bad weather is.

Exactly, could be that the horses barely go out all winter. For me any chance of no turnout on any day would be a huge negative

 

[Mary3050]

Does Yard one only have roadwork? Is there no off road hacking at all? Yard 2 sounds wonderful, but I don't like the no turnout in bad weather - that could be a month!

You write as yard 2 is the yard for you. My issue with yard 2 would be the opening hours 7 till 8, with my work I tend to only be getting to the yard in the week at 7 so would only have an hour to get ridden and back off again.

Thanks it wouldn’t be a problem me and they said they do it for security as some of the horses are worth a hell of a lot of money so they need to know who’s coming on if it’s dark etc

 

[Mary3050]

yard 1 sounds run on a shoestring
yard 2 sounds better thought I'm not clear on turnout for youngster

I wouldn't put mine anywhere there was no all year turnout.

Exactly, could be that the horses barely go out all winter. For me any chance of no turnout on any day would be a huge negative

Most yards local to me don’t turnout in such weather. My current yard has no turnout in the bad winter months. My horses have been in for 8 weeks when I moved I was told a turnout pen was being built . This turnout to be for the owners horse only . So they have been on the Walker daily which isn’t ideal . At least the new yard the horses get a minimum of 1 hour in turnout pen, horse Walker and they can go out in winter paddocks when the weathers not horrible. She said it’s when it’s snowed or it’s rained heavy and there’s a risk of tendons being pulled . Both are fine with me

 

[Mary3050]

£35.00 to be schooled by international dressage rider sounds really cheap

Yes I thought the schooling was cheap as one of the grooms is a very talented rider too . They said it ends up being about 45 mins as it depends on what the horse needs .

 

[ycbm]

If yard two's "double fenced grazing individual" means horses can only see each other and not touch, that would be a no for me.
.

 

[Mary3050]

If yard two's "double fenced grazing individual" means horses can only see each other and not touch, that would be a no for me.
.

I find it I interesting that everyone come up with different stuff. That’s not really a problem for me as my boys fight over the fence ? also my current yard has lots of short time term livery’s 2 weeks schooling etc . They don’t have set paddocks and it worries me that the horse are “talking” over the fence and may catch something . Because there’s no isolating new horse .

 

[Dia]

I wouldn’t go near yard 1.

If you can keep your horses together in a field then yard 2 but I wouldn’t go if they had to be out by themselves. Otherwise it sounds great.

 

[dorsetladette]

2 sounds good to me. But as they have plenty of turnout options i wouldnt be using the walker or lunging options. So it really comes down to how much schooling i would want help with. Once a week lesson or schooling session would probably be my choice. I'd like to know whether you could have outside trainers come to teach as you may not get on with the professionals techniques. Individual turnout would concern me but if there is a large change over of horses id be happy if my horses could stay together maybe.

 

[Mary3050]

I wouldn’t go near yard 1.

If you can keep your horses together in a field then yard 2 but I wouldn’t go if they had to be out by themselves. Otherwise it sounds great.

Thanks mine have to go out individually. As ones very riggy as he was breeding stallion and plays rough. He will jump on mares . The other is very selective or he bites . Basically I have two very unsocial horses . They are happy to be next to each other . Thanks I am going yard 2