Itchy Feet - is the grass really greener?

[nicolaj]

Don't know if it's the time of year or not, but keep thinking about moving livery yards!

I suppose it's the dark nights, being unable to ride in the week as no floodlights on menage, but then would I ride more with a yard with floodlights/indoor school? I don't know.

Feel like just chucking money away for no pleasure really.

Having to pay extra for farrier/chiro/dentist vists (not the treatment) but for the bring/in hold, whilst many yards include this in the livery price, especially as I use the same as YO.

Having to pay extra for care on bank holidays when in theory I have already paid for the service. (I know there are a lot of arguments regarding BH and livery yard's not wishing to take this up here).

On the plus side the YO is very good and knows my mare and her little issues and how she can be, and she has helped me so much with this mare, that I feel unfaithful and disloyal even thinking about another yard!

They know me and my 'issues' Lol!!!

Plenty of grazing all year round.

No bitchy people.

OH thinks I am possibly mad!

I suppose without visiting a few places, I'll never know...

I don't know I'm all confused!:help: And in a :spin:!

 

[juliecwuk]

granted i have never been on a 'proper' livery yard, but i have never known about YO's charging additional livery costs on a bank hol - is that usual? ive never heard of it before. I also have not known YO's to charge to hold the horse for the vet, my YO doesnt charge (not even the full liveries) for either the bank hol fee or the vet holding fee....

To be honest with you....i am on a yard with a floodlit school. i moved there a year ago because i wanted a school, apart from the general drainage issues with the school (and therefore freezing) i could have prob used the school in the eves throughout alot of last winter - but i only ever used it once. I am not very motivated in the dark and the cold, ok so granted i generally manage to get my mid-week horsey fix by squeezing in a hack during the day whereever possible, but that isnt every week, i tend to insist on riding on the weekends and then occasionally hack during the week if i can get there before dark.....

maybe you are more motivated than me - but i just seriously cant be bothered in the dark and cold!

make a list of pros and cons for your current yard, it doesnt hurt to look elsewhere and see whats available. I did that a year ago, moved and am very very happy where i am (ok there are negatives, but nowheres perfect!)

 

[nicolaj]

maybe you are more motivated than me - but i just seriously cant be bothered in the dark and cold!

LOL!!! To be honest I suspect that would be the case in the darkest winter nights. But I supose I;m thinking of the autumn evenings and early spring when the weather is okay, just getting a bit on the dark side.

Yes, for Xmas, Boxing and New Years day, £25 for full care and £5 for a turnout/bring in. The other Xmas BH's £18 for full care. Costing me a small fortune as visiting my sister this year.

 

[bitsnpieces]

I think this is a really crud time of year just in general, the weather so far has just managed to kill everyone's ideas of doing anything productive with their horses. I totally understand your frustration but as an owner with a two strong minded and quirky ponies it is so upsetting to be on a yard where they aren't understood. It really is worth it's weight in gold if the horses are happy where they are and people "get" them.

We're past the shortest day of the year now so roll on lighter evenings!!!!!!!!!!

 

[trieste]

I got so fed up with all the mud on the farm we're on a few weeks ago. So I went to look at a livery yard, it had a purpose built menage, stables, plenty of storage, you could buy hay and straw from them, lots of of off road hacking, woods with jumps in. Was £32 a week.

We have no storage, have to import hay which has to go in my ponies stable! No menage, lots of mud its cheap £15 a week.

Livery yard downside, fields not good drainage, would have to use sacrifice paddock, need to organise and share with others - couldn't turn out for the day and go to work, pony would spend most of the day in her stable.

Whereas on the farm pony lives out with friend has access to field shelter, field is great for the majority not muddy - mainly the track to get to it, well balanced chilled pony even if not ridden.

I was glad I went to see the Livery yard, it made me look past the mud and lack of facilities and made me appreciate how happy my pony is living out 24/7 and the low rent. Made me realise we don't have bad weather for most of the time and I could actually afford to hire a menage every week and still not end up paying £32 a week - every week.

So go look and see, you might find somewhere fantastic or at least realise you're actually better off than you think, like I did.