the yard move dilemma - do I or don't I ? Help !

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Ruskii

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Jun 21, 2000
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I've been at my yard for a long time, lots of little niggles over the years but I have just got on with it. Horses are in a herd in a large area and get on well. 10 min from home - no school, but fab hacking.

I've had my name down at a yard 2 main from home. I could walk there. Vacancies are RARE as it's cheap. Any way the time has come where I have got to the top of the list and I get a phone call. So I go and view it.
I will be given a 2 acre field to manage as I want. Field maintenance is included, it's a sloping field which I have been warned does get boggy in one corner however given the size, layout and only one horse I'm confident I could keep him on it all year with correct management. I can ride in the field (many other liveries have put small schools up) and fab hacking is still .5 mile away on quiet lane.

I would have no stable though, I currently have one at the moment and I have used it sometimes but not that often. However if it works at the field, farmer has no objection to a field shelter going up as other liveries have already done so.

Why am I having such a wibble about moving my horse though ? I guess I feel bad was he was in a herd (currently in a slimming world patch) but this would mean being on his own. He would have aa horse on one side and see plenty of others all around him though ... am I being selfish to consider this ? :(
 
Would you be allowed a field companion for him or are you only allowed one on the field? This seems to be your only concern. Don't know if you are near any of the horse charities and could take a little one.
 
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Could you speak to others at the new yard and see if two of you could put yours together an rotate your grazing between both of your '2 acres'.
I am not sure if I would consider having mine on his own - but if you could share and rotate with one other livery it could work. Maybe someone with a horse who needs to watch his weight too.
 
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hmmm does he seem clingy to his herd? is he a bit of a 'loaner' anyway? I would get a little shetland and move lol

though do you like being in the 'yard' environment with friends around you etc? i know i would miss the company if i moved tbh
 
This set up sounds very similar to mine, except our fields are a bit bigger (3.5 acres) and YO doesn't permit riding or schooling in the field.

It's a great arrangement if you can link up with another livery, run your horses together and share chores. It wasn't so great for Ziggy when he was on his own, although he's not needy - he was much happier when I got another horse.
 
Including me there are 4 liveries on our yard and we all have separate paddocks, so the horses are in view of each other but no-one has to share their field. (My two are in separate paddocks as pony is on restricted grazing) I don't think I would want mine to be in a herd, one you have the risk of arguments amongst them, and two who does the poo picking? We have one lazy g!t of a livery who never poo picks his paddocks ever!! As suggested could you not take on a rescue companion, or play it by ear and see how your horse goes, he may surprise you and cope with just being in sight of others. Good luck in what you decide.
 
I am not a huge fan of herds either - don't like being squashed by over-enthusiastic and nosy horses when I go to collect mine, I like feeding in the field and they get clingy with each other in herds. Personally, individual turnout where they can nose and groom over a fence is my preference. To me, the new set-up doesn't sound as good as the one you've currently got though, apart from price? Schooling in a sloping field is not ideal. What are the main advantages?
 
I think if he is happy in the big herd you can expect some behavioural changes and maybe issues to pop up once he realises he's going to be alone. I am not a huge fan of big herds, but, I do think they need another horse in with them or at least close enough to groom and reassure each other when things crop up.
I also wonder if you might miss the other yard for the people? Or will there be others to join in with if you move? Winter can be lonely managing your own set up.
 
Mine is a loner and really it's the only reason I considered it. Fortunately my horsey OH can help a lot with chores and helping me with him, I have always found the time to be biggest restraint when I go up the yard with having a young child and working 5 days a week. I suppose in an ideal world he would be fine in the field and I can ride / exercise him in it (am currently not riding at the moment due to other reasons) but I can still help get him fit by doing things in his field with him, I can do that where I am now but NO riding / exercising in the fields as YO would think nothing of reading me the riot act !
My husband did raise some good points this morning when I was talking it over with him, I would have to poo pick the field (currently do this in the summer anyway when he is in his slimming world patch) however over the winter I wouldn’t as I would open the entire field and let him graze that to treat the grass as standing hay almost. I won’t have any electricity nor anywhere to shoe him undercover, should it be peeing down. (However from where I poked around at the main farm yard where the stables are I couldn’t see anywhere that undercover area for a farrier unless they did it in a stable ?) But the other horses that live out must have somewhere they use for their farrier ?!
Funny you should say about your set up Jane&Ziggy as it reminded me a LOT of what you have and I remember you turned part of your field shelter into a stable for Ziggy when he needed it didn’t you ? I had thoughts that if this field works over the winter, I would look to buy a field shelter and treat it the same way. I suppose I’m just nervous over HOW boggy this field could get in the winter as some of it is soft underfoot now and clearly leaves an imprint if you drive into the field but there has been horses on this field before.
If I leave my current place there is no going back, I have a great stable there and the liveries are fantastic people but I never ride out with them though as I am a bit of a loaner in that detail as they all ride out for long rides and for me a good ride is 45 mins ! (Again due to time restraint).
Why is there nothing straight forward in life ? :mad:
 
The first winter here without hard standing and leccy was not pleasant. Our farrier is fab and did his best but there were times when I felt very disheartened by lack of facilities. Now we have electric and proper stables etc I wouldn't like to go back to what we had. Not trying to put you off and I obviously don't know where you are but where we are the winter can be soggy, windy and horrid. Without proper facilities I started to dread the farrier coming. In the end we shod Joe in the front garden but getting him up there through the bog was a challenge.
 
we don't have anywhere undercover for our farriers/trimmers, though we do have a dry non-muddy area by the stables where they are done.

How many horses has this field had on it before it became empty?
 
I wouldn't move. I moved to a yard where Tobes was on individual turnout and we had come from a large gelding group turn out.

Tobes HATED being alone, he was horrible to deal with, and I felt mean. When he and the ginger TB broke in together, it was the best thing for both of them. They are both MUCH nicer to bring in, we can bring one or the other in and they are fine with being apart.

I also couldn't manage without a stable - I did years ago, had lots of ground and no stables, and we coped, but it wasn't much fun doing everything in the pouring rain.

But lots of people do and quite happily have horses alone, not even surrounded by other horses, and lots of people are fine with no hard standing or cover.
 
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I wouldn't move to individual turn out. While my horse is happy out on his own (he spent most of last winter out overnight alone), I always want him to have some company for at least part of the day. Also, a stable is very handy in emergencies and you never know when an emergency may arise.

Ideally you will need to rest a 2 acre field for at least a few months of the year - especially one that gets boggy in winter. Are you able to move to an alternative field while yours is rested?

It doesn't sound like a great move to me, but you have to go with your gut feeling.
 
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MP has a good point there about the resting part. When our two landed here I only have two acres that was properly fenced and they lived out during the day and in a shelter at night, but it was dreadful by the end of winter we were practically marooned as the track leading down to it was so boggy as well.
 
Hellooo! Nice to "see" you!
I think I might go for it if you could indeed put up a shelter and if there was a possibility of pairing up with another livery at some point so you could share and then rotate into each others field as that would give company.
Plus as another super good doer owner 2 acres would be plenty for me and I would want to keep the grazing quite poor.
Alternatively if it was that cheap I would maybe think about a little pony for a small someone else (!) who would then be your companion as well as available for nice family pony rides.
 
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I wouldn't go without a shelter, it is just too impossible if pony is sick or vet or farrier visits in the pouring rain.

Also I'd be very cautious about the drainage. I forgot you have seen my field. If you recall it's sloping and on sand and could hardly be better drained, but this last winter (unusual I know) even with nearly 8 acres between 4 horses we had to use my livery mate's field as the "sacrifice field" and it was totally trashed and has only just recovered. I don't think I would take a poorly drained 2 acre field unless I could go shares with someone else so that I could rotate the grazing properly.
 
Having said that (and I know this doesn't make it any easier for you) I love having my own patch, and the closer to home, the better, in my book.
 
flump1967 said:
Hellooo! Nice to "see" you!
I think I might go for it if you could indeed put up a shelter and if there was a possibility of pairing up with another livery at some point so you could share and then rotate into each others field as that would give company.
Plus as another super good doer owner 2 acres would be plenty for me and I would want to keep the grazing quite poor.
Alternatively if it was that cheap I would maybe think about a little pony for a small someone else (!) who would then be your companion as well as available for nice family pony rides.
Click to expand...

Ah, the pitter-patter of tiny feet. I am of course referring to hooves! ;)
 
It is a very difficult choice really. Personally I would be opting for the two acres and the freedom to keep your horse how you want...and if you could pal up with another livery to better make use of company and available paddocks that would be ideal. When I lived in England I didnt have any stabling and my horses lived out all year round and my farrier was quite happy to shoe out on our (very quiet) lane, and fit us in according to weather conditions!:)

But I was never a great one for schooling etc, hacking out was always my most important criteria, so nowhere to school was not an issue, compared to miles and miles of off road hacking and nearby beaches. I did also have the luck of a very nice neighbour who would always lend me a stable if it was really necessary for a vets visit or a mildly sick or injured horse. The field shelter compromise sounds a good idea.:)
 
Given the size of the field, (I know I'm sorry I come across as a know it all but I've done it before for him but on another field) 2 acres would be do it for him all year round as he is a super good doer and the whole field could be opened up for the winter to save it being poached, not all all the field is boggy we are just talking about one corner of it, the top part I can see would never get to soft it's too steep which is where my OH (builder) said easily a field shelter could go it, the field could be rested and yes the farmer did say he could find me somewhere else over the winter if it got bad.....but did equally say if I think I could manage it then it would help him out as well.

I'm sorry I know I seem like I've got an excuse for everything that people are trying to help with and it's fab as it's showing I haven't not thought of that already and is testing my contingency and 'What if x, y or z ?' plan !

I did think of a companion .... as for the cost of two spaces it would be a 1/3 of what I am currently paying :rolleyes: But I know this would be grounds for divorce for OH :D
 
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