Yard closing, looking for alternatives... Help!

[Mysa74]

Hi folks
I've been on diy livery for the best part of 30 years, on a total of 6 yards. I never intended to move again but unfortunately I've just been told they're closing my current yard and all of the horses have to be out by the end of November. We all know that autumn is an awful time to be looking, especially since i have 3 to move.
So many yards have closed in my area (20 mins south of Stansted airport) in recent years and there's not much around. I really need all 3 in the same place as they've been together for 15 years+ and I work full time.
I'm continuing to look for stables but am preparing a back up plan in case I run out of time. Does anyone know how I could get water to a field that doesn't have any on tap? It currently doesn't have a field shelter to catch rain and I'm not sure if one would be allowed. It has good hedges. I already have a bowser but it currently sits on a base and is filled with a hose. There is a spring on the land but it's not somewhere the horses could reach and basically just runs away down hill.
I'd love to hear how other people manage if you'd like to share your stories...
Ideas for somewhere for them to live would be great too... Thanks everyone xx

Sorry to hear that you are going through this it sounds very stressful, I have had 2 yards close where I was happy and have been able thankfully to buy some land. Its near home and our bowser tows. A lot depends on how well set up the field already is for horses, fencing or at least big banks of brambles are needed for security and they are a big expense. There is a FB group called horses living out that has a lot of good ideas. Setting up for horses from scratch does take a good bit of effort and cost. Minimum would be the bowser and a big trough and somewhere to store hay and rugs, garden sheds can work for this. Best of luck X

Thank you for your reply.
The field has had horses in the past but has been empty since COVID when the near by yard reduced stables and stopped renting it. Boundaries are solid and I'd probably rip out the not so great internal deviding fences and give the horses more space, there would only be the 3 of them rather than the 10 it had in its hey day...
I can take my bowser and huge round trough, that wouldn't be a problem, just filling it. Although thinking of it I may be able to ask the (empty) yard owner if I could buy water from her, she's on a meter ...
Decisions decisions!

Yes you could do that, depending on the acerage and whether the fencing is safe I would consider leaving the internal fencing in at first with open gates if you need to in order to be able to rest and rotate land or save some for summer or winter, to make poo picking easier and to allow for isolation if one in injured etc. Asking for a water supply sounds a good idea. I only bring up water when our water saving system is empty off the shelter roof, which hasn't been the case for a while

If you want a metered water supply of your own you can contact your local water company. It will depend where the pipes go whether they can get a supply to you. You would then have to pay standing charges as well as the metered fee. You can get a free quote from them to bring it to you though if it is possible.

Also look into a rainwater harvesting syste, especially if you put in a field shelter or shed

System