looking for a new yard, help

[MitchyInge]

can't imagine finding somewhere that would put up with my never mind the horses' bad habits, but have to

top tips? I don't want to move them again if I overlook something obvious and it somehow becomes unworkable

[Saggyoldclothcatpuss]

Maybe rent a small yard for yourself?
I really couldn't be on a livery yard with loads of other people, I'm to picky and judgemental. I also hate people interfering with my ponies. I know your a bit further up from me in Suffolk I think, but round here there are loads of nice little paddocks around. When I needed to move recently in a hurry, I just drove round looking for empty fields and knocked on doors until I found someone willing to rent. I've now got a lovely defunct churchyard with trees all round and walled boundaries. Pop on a stable or two, job done!

[olderyetwider]

I love our big yard, with lots of other people around, but each to their own! Most of the other owners are fantastic and friendly, and the owners deliberately keep it a bit scruffy to put off the serious competitive types!

I'd make a list of everything that's important to you (closeness to home, cost, facilities, off road riding, DIY or full livery etc) and decide what you could live without and what you couldn't, then go to see everything you can find.

For me, priorities are off road hacking, all year turnout, care in mornings, and an indoor school (life saver this time of year!)

Poor you having to move, do you have to do it soon, or have you got time to shop around?

[MitchyInge]

By the new year, feels pretty quick to me! It could be the best thing for us, I'm not driving at the moment so somewhere within walking/cycling distance would be great. Also not working so DIY possible and appealing.

Just wish they were not such hooligans. Have never turned them out together - they hate each other. Might have to just rent field with shelter and put a million rugs on Barney and hope for the best? Stressed though :(

[marge2]

Depending on your car, make sure it's accessible in snow!!! And that water is available all year round. I have to drive miles to our yard. I'm DIY so it's a pain at the moment as it's up a steep slope. I am having nightmares getting there. Luckily the water situation seems to be OK - just. But a friend of mine at another yard had to move her pony as there was just NO water to be had when it froze and she had neck problems so lugging tanks of water miles down a snowy lane wasn't possible for her.

[MitchyInge]

taking whatever I can get, as now have 12 days instead of a month - we haven't done anything wrong, it's just appalling luck and circumstance

think might free grazing for the big naughty boy in return for rides, and hopefully if location suits our pony sharer will only be half price for him (sharer pays half) - not best location but am not in position to be too picky am I?

don't even want to think about trying to load them, just had small cry thinking about separating them from their friends :( :( :(

[Pixel]

Argh, typed a long message and it vanished!. Suffice to say the field shelter and rugs option works for us. They are fine. They have vests under their rugs and dry beds and they can move about whenever they want so they aren't cold. We save fortunes on bedding compared with stabling (only used 6 bales of shavings between them so far this winter) so it's worth considering if you are on a tight budget.

Admittedly the water situation can be a problem as the pipes freeze at the mere mention of the word 'snow' but we get round it by being prepared. We have lots of big water containers with screw lids which we fill when the weather turns cold. If we store them with the hay they don't freeze and we have 2 or 3 days worth of water before we have to start panicking. The containers were freebies from a restaurant (used to have mayonnaise in) so it's worth asking around.

Mitchy if yours don't get on you can divide the shelter if it is big enough. That's what we've done as the shetland bullies the cob and traps him in there and won't let him out! I don't suppose they really do hate each other though.

[Pixel]

I know how you feel btw. We once arrived at the yard to find a note stuck to the tack room door. "have sold field and stables, be off in two weeks". This was in the middle of winter too and it was a nightmare finding somewhere for three of them at short notice. We hadn't even known the place was for sale and they didn't have the decency to tell us to our faces so it wasn't a happy time.
Luckily we were 'rescued' at the last minute by a lady who let us have the paddock that she usually kept for her own horses' summer grazing for a few months until we could sort something else out. They had to live out for the rest of the winter which wasn't ideal as they'd been clipped but they were ok with plenty of rugs and food.

[MitchyInge]

it is almost exactly like that, although nobody at fault here, and option to stay but at more than double current rates - am struggling as it is, just had v generous offer for B but I can't sell him, I can't, I would regret it forever even if he does hurt my back!

thanks for sharing your experiences and ideas, it is encouraging. Ultimately am convinced it will probably work out the best thing that could happen for us, but in the short term/immediate - argh! Medically disqualified from driving which is so horribly limiting, both vehicles untaxed uninsured anyway, £££££ traumas. I WILL sort something out though! Keep reminding myself they won't die, they just need hay and rugs and feed and water, only need one acre for now.

[LisaD1]

Where are you Mitchy?

I'm in Surrey and have spare stables/plenty of grazing for £10 a week - pure DIY.

[MitchyInge]

£10! Including stables?

am in Suffolk though, think I might have sorted out grass livery under new regime at current yard - £25 each for 6 acre field, water and unlimited hay in winter. Will have to buy our feed from them but this works out about the same, around £20 a week for both. Don't know yet 1. how I will get there each day to feed, check rugs, water, pick feet etc or 2. how much it will be to have these done when can't get there.

Feel hugely better that immediate crisis has passed, quite like the field on offer (it's not the best but it's not the twenty mile walk in the dark my favourite one is) and it's much cheaper than the £110 a week they cost me at the moment. Must not worry self too much about B sleeping out in this weather or whether or not he will kick the shit out of J. Poor pony is terrified of him! Still, will be easy enough to divide the field if absolutely have to?

[Pixel]

You could divide the field with electric fencing, but would you be able to hook it up to their mains (with transformer), or would they have somewhere you could recharge the battery?. Those batteries weigh a ton and there's no way you would be able to take it home to recharge without transport. If not you can get solar powered ones I think. You would need to invest in something in the summer anyway if they have 6 acres to themselves?

It does sound quite difficult if you aren't sure about how to get there but at least the threat of immediate eviction has gone so that's a relief. You will have some time to look around and see if there is anything else good around and anyway places are more likely to get vacancies in the spring as no one wants to move at this time of year if they can help it.

And £10! Lisa, can we all come?

[MitchyInge]

I'm thinking it can't be more than £1 a thing - feed, rugs, feet? and if my sharer for pony can get there most days I could cover her bit of the livery if she wouldn't mind doing both. Financially I won't be any worse off, though am definitely worse for wear having nearly finished 2nd bottle wine so possibly not making most amount of sense at moment!

The brown one is going to be NUTS without his two three hours a day work in the school though. That is something to look forward to!

[MitchyInge]

The pony will be nuts too. The important thing is not to get too morose about various of their friends moving away, like my first loan horse going all the way to Devon :( hope they are kind to her. They will be won't they?

[Pixel]

Well they won't be quite as nuts surely if they are staying out?

[LisaD1]

Haha, sorry to make you green pixel! and yes Mitchy £10 including huge stables. Yard belongs to an old man who just likes people/horses around, we have to do literally everything ourselves (fencing etc) but it's right on the common and has all facilities (except a school but we have made one in one of the fields). My friend has been there for 28 years!

So glad you have found somewhere :-)

[LisaD1]

Mitchy - I have got about 40x4ft white electric fence posts and a battery operated energiser which I have only used once if you are looking to buy 2nd hand?

Let me know if interested and I will work out a price (reasonable one I promise)

[Pixel]

Lisa, we were at a place like that, it was owned by a lovely man who just liked seeing horses from his window and let us do as we liked as long as everybody got on together. Sadly he was killed on his way home one Christmas Eve.

[LisaD1]

Oh no Pixel, that is very sad.

Our man is old, I hope he makes it to VERY old..