How do you find a stable?

[riderriddle]

All the ones with arenas seem to have a waitlist, how long might this take? maybe Im looking at a bad time of year with people swapping from grass livery .. cant start horse shopping til I find a stable or Ill have no where to put them.

Yes bad time of year due to people now looking for stables for winter. Best thing is to go and look around a few, get a feel for which one you prefer and then get your name down on a waiting list. How long it will take depends on the churn at the yard, although people do come and go, any yard with a high churn should ring warning bells! Our yard has no spaces and the waiting list is usually around 1 year but this is because its a good yard so doesn't have a high churn. A yard up the road always has vacancies because it isn't run well and the owners are numpties.

Yes someone at my current place's last stable was took the week before I had asked - offered a cash deposit but said they now had a long list. Nervous to try other places as who knows what drama unfolds there, all the good ones have no space. timed it completely wrong just have to hold tight and be patient it seems

Many places are closing due to high costs, electric etc. Staff costs have already risen and people find it difficult to get good staff.

My excellent yard is cutting back massively due to all this

Yes Ive also notice also reducing their diy intake opting only for full livery clients which personally I don't like as like to do the caring chores myself its part of the enjoyment for me

I was on a yard which recently got rid of DIY. I think having lots of different horses on different routines isn’t actually great for the horses, and there are always the repeat offenders who turn up at 11am on a Saturday with their horse going mad because everything else has gone out and theirs is stood in with no hay. Or one that’s stood out for hours after everything else has come in running up and down the fence line, and understandably after a few goes of giving them the benefit of the doubt people are no longer willing to “help out” every bloody weekend

Ours insist on assisted DIY, which is basically feed and turnout/bring in so everything is basically in roughly the same routine which I don’t hate.

It seems quite prevalent these days and I hear a lot that DIY is increasing not worth it for yard owners and there are usually 1/2 people who are shit and cause disproportionate issues for other clients.

But with regards to finding one I’d find one you like and just sit tight on a wait list.

Yes when I say DIY I mean with assistance, also agree regarding people who leave in / out late have thrown in haynets and turned out for others on too many occasions to count but I suppose Im one of these soft sorts who dont mind if Im about

I'd maybe consider asking on facebook- you might be able to find a friend of a friend who would consider a livery, or similar, or go by word of mouth recommendation.

I agree it's also not the best time of year, and also that some yards are struggling in terms of being profitable.

I managed to move my pony at the end of summer, but I got lucky as he's relatively small and can live out, so doesn't need a full size box on the yard. I could also give a reference from someone known to them, so they knew I wasn't a complete idiot.

I know at a former yard they got bitten by a few people who'd bought inappropriate horses for themselves/their kids, as well, so the YO got to the point where he'd only take on established combinations!