‘I set the rules’
Laura Clayton has kept horses at home since she bought her first pony aged seven.
“I was fortunate that my Nan and Grandad had a house with land and stables where they also kept their own horses,” explains Laura. “I have kept all of my horses at home, save for a stint on livery at university.”
■✓ The pros “The obvious main benefit is that you set the rules. There is no one to dictate how I should manage my horses or their routine,” says Laura. “The other obvious benefit is the cost — I went through a phase of ‘accidentally’ buying horses and had five at one point. I would never have been able to afford this if I was paying livery every month, but when they’re at home, you don’t have that burden.
“When I kept horses on livery at university, there were strict rules about times you can or cannot be on the yard, what you can wear, how long your horse can have turnout for, plus the price, at £56 per week, got quite expensive.”
■✗ The downsides Laura confesses that one of the main disadvantages of having horses at home is the lack of support from other horse owners.
“My parents will feed for me, but if they’re not in, I can be quite stuck,” she says. “Being on a livery yard there’s normally someone offering services or a friend who will help out.
“Likewise, on a livery yard you have people to bounce ideas off, whereas at home you can’t really do that. I also ride by myself 99% of the time and don’t have a school, which means I have to box or hack to local ones.
“Despite all that, it’s lovely to just walk out of the door and see your horses there.”