Questions to ask when viewing a new yard....

Vicki100

Vicki100

Well-Known Member
Jun 12, 2009
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West Mids
Im going to view a new yard on saturday, starting to feel really nervous and excited now....

Ive never really done this before, ive only been on one yard since owning him.

So what kind of questions do i ask?? what do i look for???

Ive got a small list of questions to ask so far...
-Turnout?
-Turnout in winter?
-How many liveries?
-Friendly or bitchy??
-Good hacking?
-Storage??


Errrm thats all i can think of atm, so any help would be great :biggrin::biggrin:
 
haha im stalking your new threads! lol!

id be asking about:

Local hacking - ie the condition/number of local accessible bridleways, use of farmers fields, any permissive access routes

School - do you have to pay for private hire, how often is it private hired and how do you go about doing it, are there specific rules for the use of the school

Supplier of hay/bedding - ie does he supply hay if so how much, what quality

Tack room - use of and security

Enforced overnight stabling?

Worming routine?

Condition of fields in winter, are some rested?

Other yard rules - ie bringing up dogs etc? are there lots of kids on the yard?
 
Do you want to see up to date vaccination records
Do you have a worming programme
What are you rules on poo picking
Are the mares and gelding kept seperate
Are stables fitted with rubber matting
Is there a curfew on times (some yards don't like people on the yards before or after certain times)
How many horses to a paddock
Do you lease private paddock (so that only your horse(S) use it).
Are there specific turn out hours
Do you permit 24/7 all year turnout (not many do)
What security measures are there
Do you provide storgae space for feed, equipment
Do you provide a contract
If not could I have one
Can I use my own farrier/dentist/vet etc
Do you provide horsebox / trailer parking, if so do you charge
Do you privide Hay, Straw and Shaving, if so what do you charge
What options of livery do you provide (DIY, Part, Full) and what are the prices
Can I be shown around
If they have an arena outdoor, indoor or both, is there a booking system
If oyu have your own jumps etc can they be brought onto the yard, if yes where are they to be kept
Can you have your own riding instructor, osteopath, chiropractor etc

If ragwort is present, how is this dealt with
Who do I contact in emergency
What is the emergency proceedure in case of fire, accidents etc
Do you offer any services, i.e turnout, feeding, etc and if so what are the charges.
Are other pets allowed (ie dogs)
Any other specific rules and regulations that I need to know about


There are bound to be more but these are just off the top of my head. It may seem a lot but after experiencing problems at many yards here in Northampton I am much more direct and ask everything I can think of. If the yard owner gets miffed or can't answer or tries to fob me off then I look elsewhere.

Cheers

Demson
 
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Diffo ask about:

Winter/Summer turn out times IE if they have to come in end of Oct and back out beging of April.

If they are in a herd, who often are the herd menbers changed (hopeful not at all)

Is there assisted Livery at all (should you need to go away short notice etc)

Poo picking - if in a herd are they fields harrowed, should they be picked etc

Ragwort - who is responisble for clearing it.

What are the yard rules.
 
The type of question that was important to me when I moved yards was whether people have strong opinions on rugging, shoeing etc as I don't do either & I didn't want to be a 'problem' amongst other people if they were all TBs who were shoed religiously every 6 weeks & rugged up to the eyeballs.
 
Thanks everyone, ill have to write all these questions down lol! im going to look like a reporter! :giggle:

Kimmyc - thanks for the goodluck! eek nervous :giggle:

Roxysmum - thats the kind of yard i want to avoid LOL, my barefoot little native wont look great amongst aload of TB's :giggle::redface:
 
Roxy's Mum said:
The type of question that was important to me when I moved yards was whether people have strong opinions on rugging, shoeing etc as I don't do either & I didn't want to be a 'problem' amongst other people if they were all TBs who were shoed religiously every 6 weeks & rugged up to the eyeballs.
Click to expand...

This is why i love you Roxy!
I have two heavy Cobs and they can come in to the stables whenever they want to ( I have my own yard)
But i know horses are hardy creatures and can live without rugs and without shoes , rugs etc.........!

Goodness me, the horse carried men to war, and also, the soldiers wore about 3 stone of amour! and we worry about weight!!!!!!!!!!
 
Cleanboots said:
This is why i love you Roxy!
I have two heavy Cobs and they can come in to the stables whenever they want to ( I have my own yard)
But i know horses are hardy creatures and can live without rugs and without shoes , rugs etc.........!

Goodness me, the horse carried men to war, and also, the soldiers wore about 3 stone of amour! and we worry about weight!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly Cleanboots LOL! :giggle:
 
I know a few details, OH rang to book in a viewing and only rembered a couple of questions...

Its DIY liverey....what does that include usually??? Im on just DIY now, is there a difference between DIY and DIY liverey??

I *think* its all year round turnout, but they all come in at night. Doesnt bother me as i like him in either in the day or the night. hes a porker so doesnt need to be out all day & night.

It has an indoor areana...yay...but how do the rota's work?? do you have a maximum amount of times a week you can use it??

You supply your own hay/shavings too.

Im happy to change farriers to fit in with theres, do you think that would be okay?? do 'normal' farriers do just trims??

Id like to keep the same vet, how would that go down??

So much to think about lol!!
 
With diy livery it should just be the same as you are on now.

Stick with the same farrier and vet as always, unless u want to change of course!

I use totally different podiatrist and vet as everyone else on the yard because I prefer them. Plus o turn out unrugged 24/7 when other people r stabling at night!
 
Cant stay with current farrier :( hes just got a new job teaching apprentice farriers so hes had to give all his clients up apart from my current yard who hes squeezing in on sat morns.

Shame as he was brill!
 
Vicki100 said:
Roxysmum - thats the kind of yard i want to avoid LOL, my barefoot little native wont look great amongst aload of TB's :giggle::redface:
Click to expand...

For me this was one of the most important questions as it is something I feel strongly about & moving from my old yard to another that was more professionally run, I was stressed about how my 'natural' horse, for want of a better description, would be received. I hate confrontation & the last thing i wanted was people telling me I should change my ways for the 'better'. Luckily, it has never been a prob & there are plenty of other horses who are kept in a similar manner to Roxy. There are also those who aren't but there is never any conflict. Each to their own & the horses are happy :happy:
 
Everyone else has been very thorough . . . just a couple more things to think about:

- Latenight checks? Are they done and by whom?

- What's the mix of liveries like? Are they all dead competitive types, all happy hackers? This is more important than you might think - you want to be somewhere where you don't feel "out of place." Also, are there people to hack out with who are happy to go at the same pace as you . . . whether that's fellow speed-demons or "on-the-buckle/feet-out chat and walk" types

- Not a question, more something for you to take a look at while you're there . . . will the physical set up of the yard, stables and fields suit your horse? Kali is quite an insecure and nosey boy and loves the fact that he can see EVERYthing both from his stable and standing tied on the yard . . . and I mean everything - he can see both gelding fields, he can see over his walls and door to see all the other horses in his section of the barn, he can see the school, the jumping field, the lunging pen and most of the yard. At our previous yard, he couldn't see anything and it drove him nuts/made him very unsettled. Also, Kal prefers an "open" outdoor arena . . . no bushes/trees, etc. that obscure his view/might be hiding places for tigers and bears. Your horse is probably different, but will have his/her own quirks and preferences and it really is worth taking those into consideration.

- How knowledgeable and hands-on is the YO? Our new YO is fab because she's always around if you have questions/need advice and is not only very, very knowledgeable, but approachable and kind too.

- Is there somewhere to have a quiet cup of tea . . . I didn't realize how important this was to me until I was at a yard where there was nowhere to sit and have a 10-minute chat with fellow liveries . . . we have two - there's a table and some lovely chairs in the tack room (there's also a sink, kettle, fridge, etc.) and there's also a picnic table next to the outdoor school (oh, and we have wine in our fridge ;)).

- Does YO (or anyone else) organize any regular activities . . . group fun rides, clinics, competitions, etc.? Again, might not be important to you, but I certainly appreciate the flatwork clinics and lecture/demos my YO sorts out for us.

- Are there any group discounts offered by vets, farriers, dentists, etc. who visit the yard? We have a healthy horse package offered by one of the local vets . . . they visit every Wednesday (so no call-out for non urgent stuff), there's a small monthly fee and that covers all vaccinations and 10% of all treatments.

It's also worth finding out who are the liveries to treat with caution, who is trustworthy/reliable, etc. Every yard has its "personalities" and it's good to have inside information so you can avoid the pitfalls.

Good luck!

N
 
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