What should you wear when looking around a livery yard and....

laceyfreckle

laceyfreckle

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May 27, 2007
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Essex/Suffolk
what questions to ask?

Do i go in jodhs and jodh boots or do i go in jeans and t-shirt/polo shirt?

Is it ok to 'pass by' livery yards and see if there is anyone about to talk to?
I have got appointments at one but there are others nearby.

How long before moving should you look at a livery yard? (need to move by 1st sept but not sure if looking a bit early but don't want to end up with nowhere to go once winter gets closer!

What should i be looking for? If you don't know the area or horsey people there at all how is best to tell which is good??
 
I found it best to chat to people on the yard and I went in whatever I happened to be wearing at the time (including a dress!!).

I stopped in unannouced as otheriwse you cant get phone numbers or information. I would also start looking now - yards tend to get busier here in lead up to winter as people want stables.
 
if i was passing and just grabbing a quick chat and information i would go in whatever i was wearing at the time.

If it was a potential yard that i was keen on i would go back in appropriate footwear etc to get a good walk around fields and check everything out.

I wouldn't leave it too late to start looking the earlier the better - more time equals less stress in my opinion and more options to choose from

I would be looking for a friendly relaxed yard and would be just generally taking in the environment - how are the horses acting, how well kept are stables, maintenance. I would get to chat with the liverys, ask them what hacking, local comps are like.

I would want to check things like rules - i heard some yards that only let your buy hay,feed etc from them directly and i personally wouldn't like that. I also am not keen on very strict yard times, or specific farriers, vets that have to be used.

I do like rules though and would just need to make sure they did the boxes of the types of ones i liked

good luck
 
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anything goes! if it was the kind of yard where people pay attention to what you're wearing i certainly would not want to livery there!! at our yard, if someone showed up in full equestrian attire, we'd run for the hills i suspect :wink:
 
notpoodle,well think if you saw me you might wonder if I was a bag lady as tend to be a tad tatty :redface:.Probably look more as if I've come begging rather than livery.Certainly wouldn't entertain dressing up to go to look at a yard,would just make sure I'd got some solid short boots on so I could inspect closely ( in fact don't think it would enter my head to be careful of what I wear,I am what I am )
 
trust me, rather baglady than 'equestrian' - i always felt more at home on yards full of trackie bottoms and skanky old fleeces than I did in 'toggi land' :giggle:
 
aaah, thanks all! Well I think i did the baglady attempt proud, so very pleased it is more acceptable lol :smug:

I did go trying to look reasonable but ended up being more baglady like on arrival. Helped a lot by the torrential rain which It seemed I was slightly immune to until i looked at the bottom of my jeans from the knees down!

Anyway - livery yard visits was a bit of a mixed bag really - will post more tomorrow!
 
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OH and I did some visiting of yards. I'd been riding two or three years, so didnt know a lot of people with horses, so roughly in the same position as you.
We didnt wear riding clothes - Our walking clothes and boots more likely as we would call in on yards we passed when out walking or combine a walk if we drove out to a yard. We always walked the bridle paths to see what the hacking was like, where one could canter and how muddy it was.

When calling in, we didnt expect to be shown round at that moment only to arrange an appointment if we thought it would be good to go back.

We found yards via word of mouth - including enquiring of riders we met when we were out walking.
Also via the BHS and yellow pages.
We then looked at their website if they had one to get an idea of costs.

If I were looking for a yard now it would be different as I now know people who work on our yard and have horses of their own at livery elsewhere. However, one thing I notice is that people (and I am talking experienced long term riders) seem to move from yard to yard as circumstances and prices change.
 
I found wanted adverts always did well, and I always put in the the advert asking for any suggestion from other riders :) As a result I've found several private paddocks that are rented from, that are never advertised. I've not had to use them, but it's always handy to know of a few places if ones current livery yard starts to not suit the requirements anymore.
 
Ruskii said:
I found wanted adverts always did well, and I always put in the the advert asking for any suggestion from other riders :) As a result I've found several private paddocks that are rented from, that are never advertised. I've not had to use them, but it's always handy to know of a few places if ones current livery yard starts to not suit the requirements anymore.
Click to expand...

Thanks,

yes i put up some wanted adverts in the local tack shops too and the lovely lady in the tack shop gave me some numbers of some livery yards i didn't know about/don't advertise too.
 
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