Yards - is this a worthwhile move?

[horsemad32]

Thinking of moving locally, to cut costs and potentially get in more riding.

Currently:
DIY yard
- stabled,
- okish hacking,
- sand school that freezes into ruts and is quite deep at the best of times,
- tack room,
- feed storage,
- mare/gelding separated turnout,
- lights, electric etc,
- hard to get to in bad weather (up small ungritted lane),
- yard farrier who is ok but not great.
- Have to get and store own hay/bedding.
Costs 130 per month + bedding/feed/hay year round etc and two lots of petrol/time as have to go up twice a day.

Possible new move:
Grass livery with emergency stabling available (they have a couple of stables they keep empty just in case),
- amazing hacking (on and off road, can hack to local comp venue, to two sets of woods with all-weather tracks, etc),
- riding area in the field that is hardly ever too wet to use (my friend liveries there so I know that's true),
- tack room,
- feed storage,
- hay provided then billed for as needed,
- can be just my two in a field together,
- just off a main road so can always access in bad weather,
- good yard farrier (comes well recommended).
Costs 80 per month including a feed/check at one end of the day so I'd only have to go up once.

I would save lots of money, and my friend who is there hardly ever can't ride as she can always hack out, whereas here once the school freezes you're pretty stuck (hacking is rutted/muddy tracks). There's no electricity but I'd be going up in the daytime anyway...

 

[Mongoose11]

I don't understand why you are asking . I don't see any benefit to the first yard over the second except lack of electric! Get moving woman!

 

[Tash88]

I think that the second yard sounds better overall, but you need to be totally sure that you would be happy for your horses to live out 24/7 all year round, except for if they need to be stabled due to injury or whatever. Personally I would be a bit uneasy about not having my own stable and I don't think I would move to a yard where I couldn't have one, but that is just my opinion; I like my horse to come in overnight during the winter.

Also without electricity, how will you clip or boil water if your horse has an injury and you need to clean it? What if you need to do overnight checks if your horse colics? I'm probably being too fussy, but these are the things that came to mind.

 

[Bikerchickone]

Sounds like you already know which one you like best so provided your horse is able to cope living out and you've got lots of good rugs I'd go for it.

 

[Irishbabygirl]

Second yard sounds like a no brainer BUT what is the grazing/shelter like? It needs to be pretty bloody good if they're to be out 24/7. If it is, then get moving and don't look back!

 

[FairyLights]

If its just your 2 in the field together what happens to the one left behind when you take 1 out hacking? Could you put it in the stable?

 

[L&M]

Yard 2 but how much acreage is the field? You will need a lot more grazing to sustain them out 24/7, 365 and need to be able to split it for rotation.

For 2 horses ideally you need 3-4 acres, otherwise you may have to spend a lot more on hay so could prove a false economy.

Also is there some natural shelter and water supply in the field?

Hacking sounds fab though so hope it all works out x

 

[AmeliaVDW]

Depends on what you want to do with your horse.

Personally I would want to have use of a stable as and when I want to use one.

But it sounds like you've already made your mind up, and nothing beats having a good friend on the yard with you!

 

[zaminda]

For me yard 2, I had mine on just a field with no stables at all, and it was fine. That said I have no moved somewhere I can tie up undercover to clip etc, which is great, b ut if they have some stables there I am assuming you could do that in them, and that there is hard standing?
I bought a generator, which I clipped, ran lights off, etc, which was never a problem, and now have cordless clippers anyway. I'd be gone!