Bo and I have only been at our current yard for a few months however it really just isn’t right for us. I moved there as I thought it would benefit my young horse as she was becoming increasingly difficult however in the end I made the difficult decision to sell her.
That meant it was just Bo and I left at the yard and due to the lack of facilities (there is no arena or area to work), I felt it important to move somewhere where we could progress. The yard we are moving to is literally just up the road from the current yard and is even closer to my house (a 1 minute drive or 5 minute walk!).
I’m super excited to be moving but there is so much that comes with it so it takes a reasonable amount of organisation. Due to being well experienced in moving yards, I have some vital tips to make life easier.
1. Do it in stages
I have moved everything in a day before to a new yard however I find it is much better to move in stages. The first thing I tend to move are the things I don’t use much, for example old buckets, unused rugs, extra haynets etc. Then after that you can start to wittle it down as you get closer to the moving day. I usually do a few runs to the new yard on the week I am moving (if time allows obviously) so by the time the moving day comes, it really is just the essentials left. Oh, and the horse, obviously.
2. Organise as you go
If you decide to do it in stages, organise it as you go. Set up at the new yard the way you would like it to be. I have a cupboard beside my stable at my new yard and I have already started to lay it out the way I would like it to be. Also, take note of things you come across that you never use, get rid of them if you don’t need them and take it as an opportunity to downsize. I accumulate a lot of things over time and a lot of it I don’t even use. You can even earn a little extra cash if you have anything nice to sell too.
3. Sort your new stable
This goes hand in hand with organising as you go, but setting up your new stable before your horse moves makes things so much easier as your horse can move in straight away.
4. Decide on how you are going to settle your horse
This is obviously the most important thing. You want the transition to be smooth for your horse and to reduce as much stress as you can. Therefore, make sure you have a plan in place for your horses arrival. Are they going straight to the field or are they going to be stabled when they get there and turned out later? Find out where your field is and who is in it beforehand. Also, make sure you have all your travel gear set aside ready to go. If you don’t need to be scrambling about at the last minute then you will be more relaxed and so will your horse; set a time and stick to it.
It’s also a good idea to get some help on the day to lighten the load so perhaps enlist the services of one of your friends.
5. Meet your new yard friends
It’s always nice to have an idea of who is at the yard and who their horses are so try to tie in with them when you are moving your things. It will make it feel less daunting and help you to feel less like the ‘new person’ if you have spoken to a few people and gained a good first impression before you move. You never know, you could meet your new horsey best friend!
So there are a few tips I have for you about moving yards. It can be a daunting thing if it is somewhere completely new but if you are organised you’ll breeze through it!
Happy Horsing!
BBequine
BBequines 