Are stalls a no no??

[minkersmum]

If i take the plunge and buy my own horse the livery place near here does only types of assisted diy not true diy. the only affordable option for me would be their cheapest option (170 per mnth) which is a stall not stable. A stable would be (250 per mnth) too expensive for us. I would be buying a hardy type of beast maybe a highland or hairy cob or something, maybe one who usually lives out anyway so would a stall be ok.

I can see why a stable is better, but its not affordable for us and if the animal in question used to not having the comfort of a stable is it less of a shame iykwim.

Is it like having a dog. If you buy a dog that has lived outside on a run it wouldn't be cuel to then keep it outside in a kennel, but if you bought a pampered pup who used to sleep in its owners bed it would?? Just trying to get to grips with these things.:rolleyes:

Thanks in advance

[macavity]

Hi Cant you find a field to rent cheaper? rather than livery? NO WAY STALL!!!! no way stable - freedom!

really if you cant afford the difference...££££ maybe now isnt the right time to get a horse? - insurance, dentistry, injuries, tack repairs, feed, illness..
all high cost items...and we never know when they come at us!

not trying to put you off but realistically horses break the bank - all banks!!

approach a local farmer - quite often they will let you have a paddock at half the rate and the pony can live out.

horses need freedom to move, shelter and companionship - this is A MUST PROVIDE!! so to keep your horse happy and healthy I think this is a minimum...

alternativley - share with another person?

good luck!

[minkersmum]

Hi macavity

The reason i couldn't afford the 250 per mnth is because i'm allowing for all these extra things you mentioned. I think i have to draw the line somewhere and 250 plus all the extras is too much. If i could get basic diy (and do more myself) i would but the place near me only does assisted diy.

The field thing is a possibility but then it'd be on its own.

I have room at home for a stable and fields surround me where i could maybe get grazing but on its own and i need to way up whats more important.

The livery place is also the riding school where i have lessons, its a big yard, lots of horses and very busy. I thot seeing as this will be my first horse it's best to keep it at livery so i can pick up tips etc. Plus they know me there and i could still have the odd lesson if need be.

There are a few horses round about in fields but i think one is a field of horses that don't seem to be ridden for whatever reason and the other is a family i know who have a few that they compete on. Being a novice, first horse and not very confident i'd rather be somewhere i feel comfortable.

Not sure if they can live out all year at the place near me, i don't think any do. It wasn't given as an option in the price list.

I suppose i could advertise for somewhere nearby maybe someone with their own who need company. Its just the being a novice and a first timer and older, it makes me feel very self concious and that is one reasoni want one of my own rather than just lessons , so i can potter and do my own thing to build my confidence not feel like a *** infront of the experts!

[learningcurve]

Hi, I am unsure what a stall is.

Why not ask if your stables has a live out option.

[KJW]

The only problem with "out all the time" is that if you do get harsh weather (as I'm sure you do up there) and the horse is sick or feeling the cold, it's nice to have the option to bring them in. Would the livery allow you to put a field shelter up? I think that might be a better option than a stall (by which i take it you mean a kind of narrow area in which the horse is tied?). The problem with stalls in my opinion is that they restrict movement and this can cause stiffness. In addition, I've had many horses who would not be happy to stand tied all night.

[X-Rosie-X]

the riding school ponies at the yard i'm on have stalls. they live out all year round, and come in for lessons for a few hours a day for a feed and hay, then go back out. i dont think leaving the horse tied in a stall for a few hours a day would hurt, just to keep it out of the cold. you can rug up well so it can live out.

[joey_olop]

I wouldnt want my horse to live in a stall overnight/during the day-my old RS had a few stalls for the ponies & they were kept in there max an hour a day.
They are too cramped IMO & only should be used for waiting periods/grooming & eating.

[minkersmum]

maybe i'm misunderstanding the livery information then. It does read as if they are in the stall for at least a few hours and maybe overnight in winter. But maybe i'm just reading it wrong and making too many amateur assumptions. Maybe the stalls are for those who live out. Doesn't make it clear if thats the case, and is 170 quid a mnth not really quite expensive for living out.

[leno289]

i personally think £170 month for what would be terchnically grass livery very expensive

[nattyhorseluver]

Whats a stall? Sorry for the dumb question! :o:)

[lynnemh]

i would not allow my horse to be kept in a stall; can you imagine being forced to stand upright in one position for up to ten twelve hours a day? ( ie. overnight) your best and cheapest option is to find a grass livery; there will be one somewhere near you.

[titch_]

Whats a stall? Sorry for the dumb question! :o:)

Like a thin stable, A horse cannont, lay down in them.

[tamsinnx]

There are ways in which a horse can lay down in a stall.
If you get a block of wood (not too light, nor too heavy) and attach it to the end of the leadrop once it has been passed throught the tie up ring (but not tied)
it will keep the rope taught at all times, but will also allow the horse to move around to a certain extent and even lie down. When the horse gets up/moves closer, the wood drops to the ground again and still keeps the rope taught.
Is it a website you are reading the info off? If so i'd be happy to have a look for you, and see if i can interpret what it means.
Hope this helps xx

[Haffi H]

I would seriously look at othe options , where i live £170 would be considered a lot for stable and grazing. I pay £70 month for stable , grazing and lots of it, use of show jumps etc etc included. I do realize i am on a good deal and other areas are mor expensive , but what they are asking seem s a lot anywhere.
H

[tamsinnx]

I'm based in cheshire, and both of my horses are on 'Part Livery'
This means that Mon-Fri they are mucked out, fed, brought in and turned out, groomed, rugs changed, feeds made up.
And Sat & Sun i am on complete DIY.
My yard has a 44x40 arena, a hot/cold washbox, a 30x20 lunge pen/arena. All weather turnout, 60 x 40 dressage paddock, full course show jump paddock, farm ride, 40x20 dressage paddock. It costs me £55 per horse, plus haylage at £7 for the mare, and £5 for the pony and £7 per shavings. Per month this costs me a total of £276 each.
Where i used to be, I was on part livery, however it was done differently.
Every day they fed, turned out and brought in. I had to muck out, make feeds, and haynets. 2 bales of shavings were included. that was £65 per week. However they only had a 30x19 arena which constantly flooded.
The yard i am currently on charge £27 per week for complete DIY. and full use of the facillites. x

[leno289]

£170 a month is for a stall and grazing not a stable and grazing

i have 3 acres - 1 x stable 1 x field shelter 1 x tackroom all fencing maintained by landlord - water troughs etc - ok no electric but lighing via batteries and via generator - no school but absolutely fantastic hacking and fields are rideable for just about 9 months of the year

Price

£120 month for both horses to be there

[minkersmum]

Thanks for replies.

I think it must mean grass livery and the stall is used for bringing them in for a bit during the day to be groomed fed etc otherwise a bit cruel. But still expensive.

Phoned another place i came across tonight, its about 13 mils from me (bit concerned it is up very steep hill onto really exposed area that might be hard to access in the winter here as snow gets really bad) but they are 20 a week grass livery plus use of sand school and 25 a week diy(stable grass use of school)

For a stable and grass at the place nearest me its 45.50 per week 14.2 and under and 56.15 for over 14.2 BUT this includes the stables rugging, concentrate feeds fed by them but paid for by the owner, haylage in winter fed by them and paid for by them, turned out and brought in by them , use of indoor and outdoor school and economical use of straw. And i know i can get there in any weather. Thinking now maybe i just have to fall in love with a 14.2 weight carrier!

[Wally]

A good stall allows the horse to lie down.

A friend of mine has a few stalls that the pones and up to 15hh use.

[GGs]

In the past one of my loan ponies (from RDA) was kept in a stall over winter. She was turned out during the day and suffered no ill effects from this regime. Other ponies at the same stables have also used the stall and again they were fine. I think you are right in choosing a busy stables for your first horse as the experience of those around you prove invaluable. The horse/pony will probably also settle better if there are a number of others around.

[Julz]

If i take the plunge and buy my own horse the livery place near here does only types of assisted diy not true diy. the only affordable option for me would be their cheapest option (170 per mnth) which is a stall not stable. A stable would be (250 per mnth) too expensive for us. I would be buying a hardy type of beast maybe a highland or hairy cob or something, maybe one who usually lives out anyway so would a stall be ok.

I can see why a stable is better, but its not affordable for us and if the animal in question used to not having the comfort of a stable is it less of a shame iykwim.

Is it like having a dog. If you buy a dog that has lived outside on a run it wouldn't be cuel to then keep it outside in a kennel, but if you bought a pampered pup who used to sleep in its owners bed it would?? Just trying to get to grips with these things.:rolleyes:

Thanks in advance

Where abouts in the Highalnds are you? I go on a highalnd pony forum, and there'll be loads of people who could help you out with cheaper livery, and also if they know of any highlands for sale... PM me if you want to know more.

tbh, if you get a highland or a hairy cob, you probably wont need a stable or a stall, unless it's just for tying purposes, in which case a roomy stall will be fine... if it's roomy enough, you could always just blockup the open end, and have pony loose in it anyways.. so long as pony can turn round easily enough. Highlands can live our all year round and many of them rugless.

[Julz]

i personally think £170 month for what would be terchnically grass livery very expensive

I agree..... we pay £130 a month and this includes a loose box. I also think that £250 for turn out and a box is extremely expensive...

a stall is a narrow or sometimes wide but long bed that the pony needs to be tied up in... it cannot turn round, but can either lie or stand up in, and faces a wall.... how exciting.

[joosie]

Providing the horse gets regular riding and turnout to allow him to stretch his legs and socialise with other horses, there's no reason why being in a stall has to be an unpleasant experience. With a nice big haynet to munch on and something soft underfoot your average horse isn't going to be particularly stressed out about it, even for several hours at a time. It is possible for horses to lie down in stalls and even to turn around depending on the size. Many horses will just go to sleep if they don't have the option of moving around.

I worked with horses in Italy for two years and am now in Portugal, and stalls are used a lot over here. I have seen it done properly and it's a handy way of managing horses at a yard with limited facilities. BUT I have also seen it done not so well - for example I was recently at a yard where the horses were tied up on cross-ties in narrow stalls pretty much 24/7, apart from when they were being ridden, with no turnout at all and no option of lying down. That's not acceptable to me.

In Italy we had a stabling shortage over the winter and had to keep two ponies in one stable with a partition between them. They both had to be tied up so they didn't bite or kick each other (they weren't exactly the best of friends!). But they were ridden roughly twice a day and had short frequent periods of turnout where possible, and had enough room to lie down and even have a roll. They wintered like this for about two months and the experience didn't do them any harm at all.

[minkersmum]

Thanks for replies, i think it does tend to be expensive at the place i go. The lessons are definitely the most expensive i've come across, but worth it to get my 'fix'.

I think livery expensive there too because they do quite a bit for you, because its a busy yard and its run like clockwork. They like to keep to the routine they have, fair enough.

It does also include 'economical' use of straw and haylage in the winter.

[old_woman]

i would not allow my horse to be kept in a stall; can you imagine being forced to stand upright in one position for up to ten twelve hours a day? ( ie. overnight) your best and cheapest option is to find a grass livery; there will be one somewhere near you.

A stall, properly used does NOT force a horse to stand upright in one position!

Horses are well-able to lie down and move about to a limited degree in stalls; stalls being in rows and not individual, they also offer more of a sense of companionship and society to the horse.

I think most horses would far prefer a properly-managed stall with ample company, than the solitary isolation 'enjoyed' by many horses in looseboxes.

Of course stalls were and should be used only for horses who spend many hours each day out of the stable, either working or at grass. They were and still are are a very efficient and successful way of keeping large numbers of working horses healthy and happy for a long working life.

A stall is also a useful, space- and energy-saving alternative to a loosebox for a horse who may need occasionally to be kept in for a couple of hours - to dry off before riding, to warm up or cool down, or as part of dietary management for example. It is little different, except insofar as it is safer and more comfortable, than the horse being left tied up under cover somewhere.