# Random question about livery yards!! Please give any advice you maye have!!



## Melx

Hi everyone,

This is a bit of an odd question which I am hoping someone has the answer to? 
I have come to the conclusion I am well and truly sick of livery yards!!! I have had Star 7 months and we are on the 4th yard and I hate moving her around so much but I just cant seem to find the right place!!
We are currently at my friends house which is about 15miles away so costing me a fortune and I am really struggling to afford having her so far away, Also we have now got a new livery and she is the owners best friend, I have been totally phased out and I am finding it very hard to work Star as there is always either someone in the school, Jumps out filling the whole school, I dont get invited on hacks (dont like going alone and dont know the area) and we now have next to no grass as tbh there is too many horses on the limited amount of land there is now.
My main interest is Star and tbh I am not happy right now and this does effect her as she needs to be working 6 days a week and she is dropping weight already because of the winter approaching and having no grass left I think is the main problem. Also all of their horses stay in all winter, I dont want her in all winter but she panics when goes out alone.

I am considering looking into renting my own land but to be honest have no clue on costs and anything else that may be included in renting some where.
I am sure there are good yards out there but I dont want to move her again and have the agro of not getting on at new place either!

Any advice would be much appreciated!!


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## flosskins

I reached exactly the same conclusion as you as I was fed up with being dictated to about what I could and couldn't do with my horses, and the yard owners best friends getting preferential treatment. at one yard I was at the yard owners friend decided she wanted my stable - hey presto I had to move to the smallest free stable with a leaky roof!

I found 2 acres of land to rent about 1 mile from my house in a pretty secure location, built stables on it (they don't have foundations or anything concrete so don't count as permenant structures, therefore no need for planning) but you can also buy mobile field shelters and stables online quite easily. I fenced it and love being there alone (there are other people renting other parts of the field but I don't have to have anything to do with them unless I want to) and really enjoy being able to turn out when I want, leave out when I want etc without my horses stressing or anybody having a go about it. 

In this area you would expect to pay about £10 per week per acre, hopefully with water but probably not electricity (a few lights run perfectly well from a lorry battery) so I don't know if that would work for you as you may want a school and somebody to hack with but I knows its just right for me at the moment.


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## Melx

It is just ridiculous tbh! Since the new person arrived our feed/tack room has been changed into one of her stables so all of my stuff is outside my stable getting ruined, They both sorted out pallets for hay etc to go on and I wasnt even told about it and was having to carry it from the barn dailey. Everything has been changed and all our prior arrangements have changed and I moved there on the understanding of everything we had previously discussed and now that has changed.
I just dont like being told what to do with her as you say and every yard I have been to this has happened and it really does touch a nerve with me.
I am not a big fan of hacking tbh so all I want is a field to jump in, school or fenced off field area for flat work and a stable for night time! 
Also her being so far is worrying me now we are approaching winter! I want to know I can get to her if needed and if we have bad snow again I will never be able to get there for days!!

I am paying so much on livery and also a fortune on petrol I am thinking it would be cheaper just to get a little yard and maybe have a livery there!


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## pamela Renfrew

Wow.... I am so lucky at my yard. There is over 25 acres of land. For 2 horses, 1 pony and my Lloyd.... There is a huge school with lights... All the stables are about 16 x 16.... so huge....All the haylage and hay you want... plenty of outbuildings for tack, feed, grooming etc...I can come and go as I please..... plenty of hacking around and only 20 mins by trailer to the beach.... All for £30 per week..... I also had a stable built at the side of my house last year so because of all the snow last winter, Lloyd was home for 5 months.....I have a little concrete yard and a 1/2 acre paddock which is adequate in the winter.... but at the end of the day they are herd animals and lloydy likes to be with his pals in the open fields.....Good luck in finding somewhere perfect for your little star..... Pamx


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## Melx

You are soooo lucky!! I pay £30 a week for stable, school and field! I had horses years a go and was at one yard only with no problems but this time around every where is so bitchy and so many rule and regs you dont know where to turn next!!
Yards around here are awful because it is all competition between people, whos horse is better, whos horse jumps highest, whos horse looks the best etc.
I am just the sort of owner who wants to have fun, end of!! Would love to be able to spend the whole day at the yard with the people there and messing around with the horses but verywhere I have been to it doesnt seem to be that friendly! grrr need to sort something!!


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## poshmog

Would'nt be happy about that ,after all you agreed certain things ,and surely it should be disccussed with you before its altered....well thats what I would do.

I've got the opposite problem ,bent over backwards to help out and got s!!!t on from a great height
Friend told me somebody stuck ,needed a stable ,so jiggled mine around and said ok ,was alright at first ,then she didnt get up in morning ,so I put him out ,then didnt come up when I got mine in ,sooo not wanting to leave him out on his own ,put him in ,then somebody that we both knew was moving into the yard next door but there wasnt a space for 2 weeks so I said ok pop in front field ,moved all mine around to accommadate.
Well ,these two got as thick as thieves ,but I thought would settle down again after the 2 weeks ..wrong ,I've ended up out of pocket ,cos the pony that was on mine has been sold ,and the pony her kids were riding of mine having agreed to share costs ,has been cast aside ,cos she's going to ride hers next door!!!
Oh and the absolute top hat on everything is the ponies these kids are riding are both only 2!!!


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## VickyF

Don't like my yard much either there are 2faced people and too many horses for the amount of grazing.Not allowed a nameplate on stable door either ,farmer doesn't like them.You have to buy massive bales of hay off the farmer as not allowed to bring your own on.The horses have to come in for winter but really a shetland should be out all year!


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## Melx

Yards have to be the worst thing about horse ownership! They are so bitchy and the worst part in my eyes is the fact they all feel that they hav the right to judge how you look after your horse! I am just thinking looking for Somer where to rent will be the best option because that way everything is how I want it! 
What ever happened to the good old days with yards full of happy people spending all their time having a laugh and having fun with their horses!


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## Sleeping_Lion

I live right next door to a livery with an outside menage, lovely fields and stables, which has just recently been taken over by a new young lass, Jenny. She does a great job with the horses and it's great to see the spaces being filled up very quickly. One of the horses, Daisy, came here after having it's leg broken at another yard, she had been kicked by another horse out in the field, and it took a year for her to fully recover. Her last couple of months were overseen by Jenny, who now has her turned out every day, and is getting her back to fitness as well as giving her owner riding lessons. I really admire this young lass for taking on such a challenging business at her age, she's only in her early twenties! Plus, the bonus is my big daft Labrador, Indie, LOVES horses, and gets to meet them every day! :thumbup:


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## Zayna

If I was ever lucky enough to have my own horse I'd rent a nice big field and put up a couple of shelters. No way would I want to be on a yard with everyone breathing down my neck!!


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## nic101

i must be very lucky then :

i pay £45 a week which includes/hay/straw/shavings/indoor/outdoor/xc course/and a fab yard owner. if you break down the £45 its about right for a DIY yard with just stable n grazing.

tbh if your that unhappy rent your own land...... i almost did before i found this yard....


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## Melx

There are no yards around here with those facilities and that much included in a price like that!! You are very lucky and I am slightly jealous lol :thumbup:

I am having a look about because if I found somewere for the right price which was a bit bigger and has a few more facilites I would look into starting livery as a lot of people around my way are looking for yards right now! 
It is the worst time of year to be looking so for now I am just biting my lip until something comes up!!


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## tonette

When I first bought Caddy I was in livery we stayed one month! a teenager was hitting Caddy on the head with a head collar in the field because he was following her. I went out and about and generally just asked at farms and any land I saw that was grazing but was empty I asked around who it belonged to. That was how I had my first place 5 acres and 4 stables for just me and my friend, then I moved where I am now I am on my own with my 2 horses, I have been there for 7 years....... My advice would be get out there and have a look and if you see anything that looks like it was grazing land find out who it belongs to and go and ask. You will get loads of people saying no but you could end up with a yes :thumbup:


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## Melx

Well good news!! The yard I was at years and years ago with my ponies has had a space come up!! Better yet the whole yard has been re-done and it is the cheapest place around and 2 mions from home! 
As much as I hate yards I never ever had any problems there and had so many great recommendations about it this time around! When I went and had a look all of the liveries were very friendly and chatty, Always a good start!

It has loaddsssss of grass and paddocks that have been left all year to be used as winter paddocks. The way I am looking at it is that all the time I was there before I had NO problems at all so no need to have this time! It is not a yard with lots of competition between liveries as everyone is there to have fun and get along and one of the liveries even offered to come and get her! 

Cant wait  Sooooo happy that my luck has finally sprung into actions!! :thumbup:


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## pamela Renfrew

Well Done... Hope you are both settled in soon and having fun.... Pamx


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## tonette

:thumbup:Now you can relax and enjoy your horse and have some fun


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## Melx

I cant wait  Il will keep you all posted, will be moing at end of month!!


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## JennyConnor

Due to living on the Isle of Man we are very limited to where we can stable our horses.

Luckily, I keep my horse with 3 others on private livery at stables about 5 miles from my house. I own 1, Keren owns 2 and the owner loans 1, so it's really quiet and non-bitchy!!

We have 8 indoor American Barn style stables for 4 horses, 1 very big tack room, huge floodlit outdoor ménage, brilliant hacking and lots of flat turnout. All that for £25/week.

Disney loves it where he is and I've never seen him so relaxed.

I would always recommend looking round for a stable where you and your horse are happy


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## Melx

That must be brilliant for you having all that room but also to share it with a few friendly people so not toally alone!
If only there was such a thing near where I live lol


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