Yard WWYD

[ApolloStorm]

This is a bit of a yard A yard B situation.
Horse and I do both like the current place but it’s little things that get to you and build up!
Been to see the second yard today and was quite impressed!
Horse is a bit of an “average doer” needs good grass to maintain his weight but doesn’t get endless buckets of feed!

Current yard A
Pros:

Good guaranteed turnout 10ac winter in over night /4ac summer 24/7 but had to bring in during day last year ( 5 geldings currently)

YO lovely

Mostly nice liveries

Indoor 30x17 and deep surface - not maintained

Jumping paddock only in summer

Free trailer parking

Hay& straw inc

We are both Settled currently here

Strangles testing takes place

Own tack room

Cons:

Always end up getting bales down and doing stuff yourself cos nobody bothers to fork muck or maintain/care for it always ends up being me & one other livery

Hacking average - lots of road work

Yard not really maintained well

Poo pick 4 barrows in summer - not everyone does it


YARD B :

Pros:

Pristine

Maintained well

Outdoor floodlit 50 x30 (not underwater even in current poor weather

Turnout good ( unconfirmed acreage, and is def less than yard A but everything seems a good weight and turnout still in use even after heavy rain) in overnight winter out 24/7 summer

Good hacking off road

Nice airy stables

Haylage and straw inc and grown onsite

Already know a few nice people on there - from previous livery yard

Cons:

£20 pcm for trailer parking

Poo picking in the WINTER ?! But 2 barrows pw year round - seems that everyone does it

Storage not amazing - would have to rethink current stuff!

Fear of the Unknown - have a feeling YO might be a bit strict!


Any thoughts would be welcome as I’m totally stumped!

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

The way you have written the review of yard B makes me think you are already leaning towards it.

If I said Yard B now unavailable and no vacancies so it is off the table, would you be gutted and be joining a wait list / looking for others...or would you be relived to not have a decision to make?

 

[ApolloStorm]

The way you have written the review of yard B makes me think you are already leaning towards it.

If I said Yard B now unavailable and no vacancies so it is off the table, would you be gutted and be joining a wait list / looking for others...or would you be relived to not have a decision to make?

I think I would be relieved to not have to make the decision! Which is why I’m so stuck, plus current yard is really taking its toll with a wet winter!

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

I think I would be relieved to not have to make the decision! Which is why I’m so stuck, plus current yard is really taking its toll with a wet winter!

The weather is due to improve this weekend and summer arrives next week (if you're in England & Wales, not sure about other areas, I wasn't paying attention)

Your answer suggests to me that you are comfortable where you are and moving yards may be a case of frying pan into fire.

Take the summer to have a look around for somewhere else before next winter but maybe don't rush for the first available, you have all summer to think about it.

 

[ester]

The arena and hacking situs would be enough for me to move.

 

[Fjord]

I think yard B sounds better. Maybe the strict YO is why everyone pulls their weight?

 

[Fieldlife]

If turnout is okay now, yard B, no question. A deep small indoor versus a good full size outdoor. Limited hacking versus Good hacking. Well run, versus relying on a few people to do most of the chores. And you know people who are there and happy. None of your cons are particularly significant for yard B IMO.

 

[Love]

Another who would pick yard B - the cons you mention for it are pretty standard (at least on the 3 livery yards I have ever been on)

 

[Barton Bounty]

I think B sounds like a great option. Do you use your trailer often? Is there anywhere else you could store it?
I think the cons are stuff liveries should be doing on a daily or weekly basis anyway. I always poo pick my field for cleanliness and germ purposes.

 

[SEL]

I think the past few weeks are a good indicator of whether yards genuinely turn out in rough weather.

I poo pick all year round so that's no bother for me and indicates the YO cares about the fields. What's the turnover like at the yard? If liveries tend to hang around then YO's rules are usually reasonable

 

[webble]

Yard B unless there a huge difference in price or distance

 

[ApolloStorm]

I had thought with the wet weather would be a good indicator of how the turnout is managed - I don’t mind the poo picking as such but in winter might be a pain!
In summer I probably use the trailer every 2 weeks or so - less often in winter, so really ideally would need to be onsite for convenience.
It’s about the same distance just the other direction - and roughly the same in basic cost just obviously the trailer storage cost ontop!

 

[ihatework]

To me it’s a no brainer - the arena, the hacking and the maintenance- Yard B

 

[Barton Bounty]

Hacking would do it for me too. I moved from a really good yard , on the beach , sandy dry fields to somewhere that is more rural , worse turnout in winter, but BBs mental health has been so
Much better

 

[ester]

I’ve always poo picked in winter, how onerous it is depends how bad the gateway gets

 

[quiteniceforacob]

Yard B - you’ll save in vet bills by not riding in a deep arena!

 

[HelenBack]

I'm another who would go for Yard B, it sounds much better all round to me.

If it helps I was on a yard that sounded very similar to your yard A for several years. It was alright but the school was a bit rubbish and badly maintained and the yard was generally not very well looked after etc etc. There were loads of minor niggles and I spent a lot of time being frustrated but I put up with it because it wasn't bad enough to make me go and I was afraid of going elsewhere in case it didn't work out. Eventually circumstances conspired and I plucked up the courage to leave. I'm very glad I did and I wouldn't go back to my old yard now unless it was an emergency. My new yard is very basic and far from perfect but I'm much happier there. Having done it once I also now have the confidence to be able to move on again if I need to. Sometimes I think fear holds us back and we end up stuck in a situation we're not really happy with. So I say be brave and do it and there's every chance you'll be glad you did!

 

[irishdraft]

I think yard B sounds better. Maybe the strict YO is why everyone pulls their weight?

agree with this

 

[PSD]

Yard b for sure. Hacking and a decent arena are the main reasons why I recently moved, the main bonus was winter turnout though. However at the moment our fields are closed to dry off for a few days because they are literally under water. There’s nothing worse (for me) than being a paying livery and having to do most of the maintenance and chores. I understand if it’s perhaps a sole use yard then it’s different, but as a livery I’d expect bales to be put out (unless you have to source and use your own) or at least expect everyone to do their fair share.

Yard B may have a stricter YO but perhaps that’s why it is run so well, then again my previous yo was anal about most things (couldn’t tie your horse outside your stable, no door signs, nothing outside your stable etc) yet the yard itself was a dump and run down - fields were a mess, fencing was rubbish and the arena was very deep and uneven. So it isn’t always the case!

But you won’t find out until you take the plunge, the hobby is far too expensive to keep horses somewhere you’re not happy with.

 

[Dazzer]

I think you need to prioritise exactly what is important to you. The mess, deep indoor school and roadwork at Yard A would tend to make me keen to move to somewhere like Yard B

 

[dottylottie]

100% yard B! i think a “strict” yard owner is a good thing, it’s YO’s who let people crack on that seem to have the problematic yards (not all of them ofc!). I think there’s a difference between strict and unnecessarily picky though - ask your friends on that yard which one this YO is lol. i have no issues being told to poo pick/fork muck up/generally be tidy because i do it anyway, but i wouldn’t enjoy being nitpicked haha

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I think yard B is better as well.

 

[MiLeTa]

Another vote for yard B- for me, the off road hacking would be the clincher, but I suppose it depends on how much you do. Overall, it just sounds like somewhere you would be able to enjoy going to, and the cons you have put for it don't really sound that bad.

As for less storage, when I moved yards a couple of years ago, the new place had a fraction of the previous yard, so I bought a few lots of plastc storage boxes and have them stacked in the conservatory. They take up surprisingly little room!

 

[ApolloStorm]

Seems pretty conclusive on Yard B!
Just to grow a pair and actually move yards now!

 

[GreyDot]

Definitely Yard B, and £20 pcm is just 66p a day!
Plus - you could store stuff in your trailer or just have a good sort through and keep seasonal stuff at the yard and the rest in your garage or at home.

 

[Michen]

I had thought with the wet weather would be a good indicator of how the turnout is managed - I don’t mind the poo picking as such but in winter might be a pain!
In summer I probably use the trailer every 2 weeks or so - less often in winter, so really ideally would need to be onsite for convenience.
It’s about the same distance just the other direction - and roughly the same in basic cost just obviously the trailer storage cost ontop!

Hehe sorry but.. just get on with it Re poo picking! It’s for the horses own good in the long run. I’d be glad it was being enforced.

 

[Ratface]

Yard B, for all the good reasons already itemised above. Quick, before you lose the opportunity!

 

[splashgirl45]

Yard B, I always poo picked all year round, strict YO is a good thing, this is why the yard is pristine which is how it should be… and good arena and good hacking make it a no brainer

 

[McFluff]

I think sometimes we can get a wee bit like a boiling frog, so by the time we notice how much compromise we’ve made, we’re half cooked. I was in a similar situation, little niggles annoying me, but not enough to move (or overcome the fear of moving). In the end it wasn’t my choice, my yard closed. Now I regret not taking charge sooner, a yard with good arenas, well maintained and hacking is worth the risk. The fact that some of your old liveries moved there (and are still there) speaks volumes.
good luck with your move

 

[Fjord]

Oh and regarding the storage, I had to get rid of a lot when I moved yards last year, due to space, I haven't missed any of it. Go for it!