Yards and equestrian property getting less

Sanversera

Sanversera

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I find this so sad. I've today learned that my late friends small holding is now an air BnB. The stables are demolished and the paddocks turned into areas for guests to wander about in. My other friends place was also sold after her death, stables demolished and the paddock built on,three new houses. Another friends parents bungalow is for sale after their deaths,it has stables and a ménage and paddocks. Unsold after a while on the market. I find this all so sad and depressing. The fabulous boom in horse owners of the 1970s is over, people don't seem to want equestrian property any more,nor small bale hay. Roads have huge heavy traffic nowadays. It's all so very very sad.
 
Yes, you are right. For some places the amount of traffic on the local roads has increased so much so as to make riding an uncomfortable experience (especially if there are three new houses = 6 new cars on the lane) so people are probably looking in areas where there is better riding. Or they go to a yard where there are very good facilities like a huge school.

But I thought a while ago that horse owning had reached a peak.

I get to see some old horsey friends at Christmas time - Pony Club, hunting people - and hardly anyone has grandchildren who are riding.
 
As has been said so many times on here, the cost of small parcels of land that are suitable for equestrian use is high even if there is no development potential. Where there is, I can't blame people for taking the cash (if someone offered me developer money I'd take it). From the point of view of a very small yard with a couple of liveries: not many people are willing or able to pay the price it really costs to keep a horse, except at the top end at a yard with fabulous facilities.
 
Not everyone is getting rid of their equestrian facilities. We bought a rural property in March and yesterday the workmen started putting stables into one of the long barns on the property. It had previously been used as a party barn complete with radiators and a toilet block by the people before us. We ripped it all out and stripped it back. There's something quite satisfying about putting it back to animals.
 
2 riding schools near me have closed recently, neither because the land went for housing.
One is now an adventure centre for tourists to do quad biking, archery etc, they say they couldn't find suitably qualified staff to continue the riding alongside the other activities. The other lost all their hacking because a new road was built, cutting them off from their routes, so they have gone to liveries only & not many of those, most left because the main attraction was access to the beach, which there isn't now.
 
Around us there are several new livery yards. Non have a house attached, just stables and barns. Fields full of horses. When we go out into the country for a drive, we see houses, often barn conversions with a couple of stables. Don't see any fields full of horses.
 
I did put a post on this Forum a few days ago about 'Is it good for a Horses Mental and Physical state to be hacked out' and I was suprised by some of the answers! The question was based on that I hardly ever meet anyone else out hacking. Anyway i shall carry on regardless. What has happened is that the property market is flooded by large rural properties at the moment as people who moved out of towns and cities during Covid, are now bored in the countryside and all moving back to the Cities. Hence loads of large properties on the market which don't sell! On my hacks I often pass properties with redundant stables and sometimes they even still have the names of the horses on the stables that used to occupy them - rather sad!
 
Backtoblack said:
I find this so sad. I've today learned that my late friends small holding is now an air BnB. The stables are demolished and the paddocks turned into areas for guests to wander about in. My other friends place was also sold after her death, stables demolished and the paddock built on,three new houses. Another friends parents bungalow is for sale after their deaths,it has stables and a ménage and paddocks. Unsold after a while on the market. I find this all so sad and depressing. The fabulous boom in horse owners of the 1970s is over, people don't seem to want equestrian property any more,nor small bale hay. Roads have huge heavy traffic nowadays. It's all so very very sad.
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True but disagree with the hay comment. I wont buy the big ones only the small hay bales.
 
The yard I’m on is closing. It’s the second yard the land owner has closed. He’s also given notice on a trainer on the racing yard he lets to them annd I heard he’s going to fill in the gallops. Our yard they’ve applied for planning permission to change to storage units. It’s in the South Downs National park but I expect they’ll get it as very influential. I’m having to move my horses miles away as there is almost nothing now in this area. He’s gradually killing off equestrian activity in this area because he’s such a major landowner.
 
Sussexbythesea said:
The yard I’m on is closing. It’s the second yard the land owner has closed. He’s also given notice on a trainer on the racing yard he lets to them and I heard he’s going to fill in the gallops. Our yard they’ve applied for planning permission to change to storage units. It’s in the South Downs National park but I expect they’ll get it as very influential. I’m having to move my horses miles away as there is almost nothing now in this area. He’s gradually killing off equestrian activity in this area because he’s such a major landowner.
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Most of them go with the easy money and larger profits, don't they.
 
Cloball said:
Field used to be used for horses at the end of my road on the market for 800k <8 acres development potential but no actual planning. I'm on a decent salary with a decent career and don't have a hope in hell of every being able to afford a house with land unless I move to Thurso!
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And you really don't want to do that!
 
PeterNatt said:
I did put a post on this Forum a few days ago about 'Is it good for a Horses Mental and Physical state to be hacked out' and I was suprised by some of the answers! The question was based on that I hardly ever meet anyone else out hacking. Anyway i shall carry on regardless. What has happened is that the property market is flooded by large rural properties at the moment as people who moved out of towns and cities during Covid, are now bored in the countryside and all moving back to the Cities. Hence loads of large properties on the market which don't sell! On my hacks I often pass properties with redundant stables and sometimes they even still have the names of the horses on the stables that used to occupy them - rather sad!
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Equestrian property round here sells super fast unless there is a major issue with it - often for multiple millions
 
PeterNatt said:
I did put a post on this Forum a few days ago about 'Is it good for a Horses Mental and Physical state to be hacked out' and I was suprised by some of the answers! The question was based on that I hardly ever meet anyone else out hacking. Anyway i shall carry on regardless. What has happened is that the property market is flooded by large rural properties at the moment as people who moved out of towns and cities during Covid, are now bored in the countryside and all moving back to the Cities. Hence loads of large properties on the market which don't sell! On my hacks I often pass properties with redundant stables and sometimes they even still have the names of the horses on the stables that used to occupy them - rather sad!
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A lovely property near me sold to non horse owners. Their paddocks are being rented out for sheep grazing but the state of the arena makes me want to cry.
 
There is a beautiful place near us, took 3 years to sell it at 1.5. American barn, walker, 20 x 100 school, 24 acres. If you had to criticise it, it would be impossible to get a Scania or similar down the lane to it. No chance of it every getting planning for development. Many people must be worried about ever rising interest rates and mortgage hikes. Even the bog standard estate house around us is taking a while to sell this year.

The riding schools and livery yards that are rapidly getting sold for development are the victims of cost of living and livery yard owners having had enough of needy liveries, especially after last winter. There are endless adverts appearing from owners wanting to move before winter to secure winter turnout. I think yard owners are tweaking contracts in fear of another winter drowning or simply getting out altogether.
 
Needtoretire said:
The riding schools and livery yards that are rapidly getting sold for development are the victims of cost of living and livery yard owners having had enough of needy liveries, especially after last winter. There are endless adverts appearing from owners wanting to move before winter to secure winter turnout. I think yard owners are tweaking contracts in fear of another winter drowning or simply getting out altogether.
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Strange because I have advertised 3 livery spaces. Genuine 24/7 turnout all year round. Part grass livery, horses live out and are fed and checked. No poo picking, mucking out, or need to buy bedding. We only bring in during the foulest weather and not for more than 12 hours, for ones that don’t have a field shelter. Maximum of 7 horses on 18 acres. Expensive area and no other yards within 15 miles offering the same. And I have only found one livery so far.

Personally I don’t think it’s expensive but the people who have asked about it - if they gave feedback - say it’s too much. I’m asking £325 per month including the feeding and checking (but not the cost of food and hay).
 
Abacus said:
Strange because I have advertised 3 livery spaces. Genuine 24/7 turnout all year round. Part grass livery, horses live out and are fed and checked. No poo picking, mucking out, or need to buy bedding. We only bring in during the foulest weather and not for more than 12 hours, for ones that don’t have a field shelter. Maximum of 7 horses on 18 acres. Expensive area and no other yards within 15 miles offering the same. And I have only found one livery so far.

Personally I don’t think it’s expensive but the people who have asked about it - if they gave feedback - say it’s too much. I’m asking £325 per month including the feeding and checking (but not the cost of food and hay).
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£75 a week is reasonable for what you are offering. A dog couldn't be boarded for a tenner a week.
 
3 livery yards by my parents have been sold for building in the last 2 yrs. it has definitely pushed prices up at other yards as they are becoming so few
 
Abacus said:
Strange because I have advertised 3 livery spaces. Genuine 24/7 turnout all year round. Part grass livery, horses live out and are fed and checked. No poo picking, mucking out, or need to buy bedding. We only bring in during the foulest weather and not for more than 12 hours, for ones that don’t have a field shelter. Maximum of 7 horses on 18 acres. Expensive area and no other yards within 15 miles offering the same. And I have only found one livery so far.

Personally I don’t think it’s expensive but the people who have asked about it - if they gave feedback - say it’s too much. I’m asking £325 per month including the feeding and checking (but not the cost of food and hay).
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This sounds reasonable, but does depend on other facilities? Is there a school, good hacking? I'm north but pay 250 for pure DIY with a small indoor, hot wash 247 summer turnout, all weather turn out pens in winter good quality hay/haylege included. Can hack around the farm, and hacking off the farm good but a bit of road work (quiet lanes) to get there
 
Abacus said:
Strange because I have advertised 3 livery spaces. Genuine 24/7 turnout all year round. Part grass livery, horses live out and are fed and checked. No poo picking, mucking out, or need to buy bedding. We only bring in during the foulest weather and not for more than 12 hours, for ones that don’t have a field shelter. Maximum of 7 horses on 18 acres. Expensive area and no other yards within 15 miles offering the same. And I have only found one livery so far.

Personally I don’t think it’s expensive but the people who have asked about it - if they gave feedback - say it’s too much. I’m asking £325 per month including the feeding and checking (but not the cost of food and hay).
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Whereabouts are you? In this area provided you had access to decent hacking you’d be inundated with people. If no hacking or school then you’re limited to mainly retirees / unridden horses which reduces the pool of liveries looking for that kind of arrangement.
 
Backtoblack said:
I find this so sad. I've today learned that my late friends small holding is now an air BnB. The stables are demolished and the paddocks turned into areas for guests to wander about in. My other friends place was also sold after her death, stables demolished and the paddock built on,three new houses. Another friends parents bungalow is for sale after their deaths,it has stables and a ménage and paddocks. Unsold after a while on the market. I find this all so sad and depressing. The fabulous boom in horse owners of the 1970s is over, people don't seem to want equestrian property any more,nor small bale hay. Roads have huge heavy traffic nowadays. It's all so very very sad.
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We want it; just some of us can't afford it 😄. I'd love my own land.
 
Sussexbythesea said:
Whereabouts are you? In this area provided you had access to decent hacking you’d be inundated with people. If no hacking or school then you’re limited to mainly retirees / unridden horses which reduces the pool of liveries looking for that kind of arrangement.
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Oxfordshire. We have average/good hacking with minimal roads. I don’t think it’s amazing but maybe that’s because I am just a bit too used to it, visitors always like it. We do have a school and jumps. Maybe it’s more down to my advert!
 
A lot of yards/farms near us are owned by the council and rented out. The council are now selling their farms and tenants can't afford to buy them, but have put massive investment into them. One I know has 90 horses on it.
 
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