Your Horse Live

Went Friday, the carpark was deathly quiet, only 8 or so rows of cars but did seem to be people wandering about. Managed to get a fair few bargains and things I needed so all in a good day. Seemed smaller than other years and a good few old faithfuls missing.
 
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ElleSkywalker said:
Went Friday, the carpark was deathly quiet, only 8 or so rows of cars but did seem to be people wandering about. Managed to get a fair few bargains and things I needed so all in a good day. Seemed smaller than other years and a good few old faithfuls missing.
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We thought the same, shopping didn't seem as good and smaller. Didn't have to queue to get in for demos with standard tickets on the Friday which was unknown. No Silvermoor stand to stock up my treat supply either!
 
really disappointed, i went last year and was absolutely in my element, so many bargains! this year i found the shopping really naff, a lot of my favourite stands were really small and had very little on offer. not sure if i’ll bother going back next year tbh
 
We went Friday and commented on how quiet it was. Yet speaking to one of the feed ladies on a trade-stand she said she thought it was busier than previous years. Quite a few trade-stands missing that we normally buy from. Nags Essentials, Silvermoor. Did get some great rug bargains from Lemieux though. Our biggest disappointment was someone we have seen who does the local equine car boots buying a job lot of rugs very cheap from the Horse sanctuary area then putting them for sale for lots more money on social media. Thought that was appalling.
 
KC31 said:
We went Friday and commented on how quiet it was. Yet speaking to one of the feed ladies on a trade-stand she said she thought it was busier than previous years. Quite a few trade-stands missing that we normally buy from. Nags Essentials, Silvermoor. Did get some great rug bargains from Lemieux though. Our biggest disappointment was someone we have seen who does the local equine car boots buying a job lot of rugs very cheap from the Horse sanctuary area then putting them for sale for lots more money on social media. Thought that was appalling.
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you should name and shame.
 
We went yesterday - shopping was great, not too busy and it was a great atmosphere. Food prices were extortionate though!

The best part for me was Geoff Billington and Oliver Townend. They were absolutely brilliant!

I will probably get shot down for this but the other demos were quite disappointing. A few, more than I'd expect, btv and lame horses but most disappointing was the natural horsemanship demo which wasnt what I was expecting at all.

I'd go again but I wouldn't watch those demos again if they were on.
 
It was a bit of a let down tbh and seemily quiet. I watched the Laura, Ros and Nicola demo and barely anyone else watched it which surprised me. I rushed there so I could get a seat and watch but didn't need to bother. I also had front row parking and that has never happed before I’ve always been a fair few rows back and I wasn’t there that early I think it was about 8.45am.
 
I used to go years ago, with friends mostly, but the last few years with my partner as its not that far from where I live.

But last time we went the prices had shot up. They charge a huge amount to the stall holders and of course they then have to reflect that charge in their goods in order to break even and then make a profit. They froze stand prices as well as ticket prices in 2021 because people had missed out the previous year due to covid so I assume they are trying to recoup this loss year on year.

I've had some amazing bargains over the years from there, especially the Horse Health stand with all the half price stuff they were selling which drew so much business their way. I was never really interested in looking at the demos and things, it was always for the shopping.
We did get some tickets once from some friends as partner worked at the local riding club and we were able to get ringside as well as the collecting ring, which I thought was really interesting.
 
I went this year and last year, but I probably won't go next year. I quite enjoyed it last year, but not so much on Sunday. I watched the Ros, Nicola and Laura demonstration on first in the main arena and thought it would have been quite useful for anyone competing at the moment. I also saw the end of the Geoff Billington and Oli Townend interview on the TV stand and the last demo of the day by the Pony Club, but decided to leave before the end as the day was drawing in and I wanted to be back before dark.

If you don't watch at least one of the demos then its just a shopping trip. Although they have done away with the second ring.

I thought the car park was pretty empty too (car park 5), although when I asked the trade stand people if they'd had a good show they all said they had and it was very busy for them.

I have been going since the very first one, nearly every year, and although it is now three days so much less crowded to get around, it is a shadow of what it was - which frankly can be said of nearly all any large scale show or event. There was one less exhibitors' hall than there used to be. Obviously the event and the trade stand owners suffered through Covid, same as every other business.

As usual there were masses of rugs, riding clothes but there was a definite lack of the smaller stands.
I know someone who used to go, not to make direct sales, but as part of their marketing budget, but it has just got too expensive and I feel that must apply to many of the stands that are now missing.

I went to get some new chaps - got those - some breeches and a certain High Viz coat, but didn't get those. There were masses of riding tights but I wanted something thicker but not competition standard, and the High Viz coat that a friend bought last year I didn't find. My size in some Ariat boots was sold out.
 
I’ve no reason to go now as don’t have a horse and don’t have any contact with horses now.

Used to go way before it was Your Horse Live, when it was the Equine Event.

It was such a good show with amazing stands and some fantastic demos with some top riders. My favourite being Pippa & William Funnell and the year they had the Metropolitan Police showing how they train their young horses.

The first years of YHL were good also but then sadly it got busier and busier, demos the same people all the time and to watch demos you had to get up and re queue for each one unless you paid extra.
 
The Equine Event at the NEC in March is very like YHL used to be, lots of smaller independent people with an idea or concept they are trying to gage interest in along with other larger business, also it's generally free with give aways from retailers and the NEC themselves you just pay for parking so if you take 5 people in car makes it a very cheap day out.
 
I used to go but got fed up with the crowd management for demos and queuing, fed up with all the people and the feeling there were not such good bargains as good stalls didn’t go. I started going on Fridays but won’t go because of all the showing now as not interested in the slightest in that.
 
ElleSkywalker said:
The Equine Event at the NEC in March is very like YHL used to be, lots of smaller independent people with an idea or concept they are trying to gage interest in along with other larger business, also it's generally free with give aways from retailers and the NEC themselves you just pay for parking so if you take 5 people in car makes it a very cheap day out.
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I went to this last year and thought it was rubbish compared to YHL - no where near as many bargains
 
LEC said:
I used to go but got fed up with the crowd management for demos and queuing, fed up with all the people and the feeling there were not such good bargains as good stalls didn’t go. I started going on Fridays but won’t go because of all the showing now as not interested in the slightest in that.
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I wanted to go but didn't for this reason. It's such a stupid system. I don't want to pay for a ticket only to have to arse around getting up and down out of my seat, if I get one at all. I went a couple of years ago and was really impressed with the shopping, sounds like it wasn't so good this year so not so disappointed I missed it now!
 
IrishMilo said:
I wanted to go but didn't for this reason. It's such a stupid system. I don't want to pay for a ticket only to have to arse around getting up and down out of my seat, if I get one at all. I went a couple of years ago and was really impressed with the shopping, sounds like it wasn't so good this year so not so disappointed I missed it now!
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They used to be much more relaxed about demos and you could sit and wait for the next one. But now you are shifted out and have to queue up again. Makes me cross. Either have more seating…. Or run the demos twice on the same day and people book themselves in. You would think in this modern age of apps etc it wouldn’t be that hard. I am not paying £90 or whatever it is for an allocated seat as just doesn’t justify it for a 20 mins demo and you might only want to see 1/2 of them
 
LEC said:
They used to be much more relaxed about demos and you could sit and wait for the next one. But now you are shifted out and have to queue up again. Makes me cross. Either have more seating…. Or run the demos twice on the same day and people book themselves in. You would think in this modern age of apps etc it wouldn’t be that hard. I am not paying £90 or whatever it is for an allocated seat as just doesn’t justify it for a 20 mins demo and you might only want to see 1/2 of them
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I think the £90 is the VIP it was around £45 I think to have comfy seat all morning or afternoon. Which is still way to expensive for what it is. Also I’m sure they used to have a standing area you could watch from.
 
I have been a few times but I wasn't impressed. I only watched one demo. I didn't think the shopping was great, there didn't seem to be as many stalls as previously. It was very quiet as compared to previous years. I probably won't be going again
 
My mum and I went after giving it a misss for the last 8yrs.

Definitely won’t be going back and I think it has had its day tbh.

We had been going from day 1 of being the equine event, there were loads of bargains, stands and fab demo’s. The best being the police horse demo.

This year hardly any of the great stalls and prices were ridiculous to get in.

I do think with online buying stalls just can’t warrant the prices to go. Such a shame.
 
For a standard ticket with no reserved seat it was £27 for an adult (as an OAP I paid less).
But there was no queuing for the demonstration I wanted to see.

But for all the reasons above I won't go next year.
 
A saddle fitter colleague of mine and I emailed three times between us last year to enquire about a stand, no reply.

AH Saddles had a stand for a few years, it wasn't hideously expensive but, apart from the final year when we managed to get inside space, we were opposite Old Mill on a very narrow aisle (the only one that width) in the freezing cow sheds. We spent all our time having to deal with people hanging out on our stand waiting for their friends to finish shopping opposite, often with massive shopping bags so they really got in the way. Hard work!
 
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