# Livery yards in Spain



## jamid1 (4 March 2011)

I am going to be moving to Spain later this year and was wondering if anyone knows of any good livery yards near Cadiz. I was also wondering if anyone has an idea of how much livery costs in Spain. Thanks


----------



## Firewell (4 March 2011)

Sotogrande? They have a big equestrian centre, might b too far though.


----------



## ISHmad (5 March 2011)

No idea of prices but good to be looking at this early.  Went to Andalusia last year and saw some shocking yards with dreadful conditions for the horses.  There was the odd gem, few and far between.  Fingers crossed you can find somewhere perfect for you and your horse or horses.

A lot of the yards out there didn't offer DIY, only Full Livery and many of them had absolutely no turnout whatsoever.

That said am still very envious, if you find the right yard then lucky you to be getting some sunshine, long days and nights to ride and very friendly people.


----------



## ferrador (5 March 2011)

i am based in s.portugal and shoe over the border , i wish you all the best of luck , you are entering a different world and culture 
chris


----------



## Becca-84 (5 March 2011)

I am not in that area, but round here, yards generally don't do DIY, it's all Full Livery and is normally around 200&#8364; a month. Also, no turnout. Horses live in their stables until ridden or occasionally given some free time in a free arena. There were some horses at the last yard I was at who weren't let out for several weeks at a time  They don't all think about horses in the same way we do so just be careful.

Good luck with your move


----------



## Herts05 (5 March 2011)

Jamid. Agree with some of the posts here. Its a very different way of keeping horses in both Spain and Portugal. (Apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs) In general the only horses that are out permanently are mares and foals - and stallions when they are servicing mares in the field. Remember it gets VERY hot and consequently there's no grazing during the summer months. My PRE hadn't been grazed in a field before he came to me as a 5 year old. When I spent a week training in Portugal at a professional yard, non of the ridden horses were given turnout. 
Better to go out and see it in the flesh first before taking your horse with you, just in case. Good luck


----------



## jamid1 (7 March 2011)

That's for the info and all your thoughts guys...very much appreciated!


----------



## freckles22uk (9 March 2011)

Hi, 

ive been in Spain 7 years now, but im Costa Blanca (inland) first yard I was on was on the coast, and they did get turn out every day, but the yard was owned by english..

Most of the horses are stable 24/7 as they are stallions, and the spanish tend to see mares for breeding only... I think its a macho thing.. though my friend up the road turns most of hers our daily, but shes not spanish..

Ive got my horse at home now, and mine all live out 24/7 all year round, even the stallion, though they need plenty of shade in summer and rugs in winter..

Ive bought 3 over now, my 2 appy mares and a 20 year old Welsh Sec A.. and they adapted very well to living here, the food, the heat etc.....

You might find a yard that offers turnout, its a case of hunting them down, and not all yards are bad, they tend to get well fed, but there not kept how we are used too..

but if you do go on livery... check what they feed, as they often feed lots of straw.. and you tend to get alfalfa rather than hay (in bales) which mine love, and not all feed sugarbeet... I struggled to find a good farrier, the spanish ones I used... well lets just say I went barefoot in the end.. but you get the same in the UK.... 

I have heard that colic is a big problem, but its probably due to the high straw diet, lots of dry feed, and some of the horse being stable all week, then being ridden hard at the weekend, then fed as soon as they are stabled, my friend who has lived here 20+ years was at a yard where a horse died every week...

but hey enough of the bad stuff....

the weather is fab... no mud fever, rain scald... if it rains you know you only have to wait a couple of days for it to be nice again.. and no muddy fields for months on end... no ragwort!! 

got to admit I love it here and wont ever go back to the UK..well not to live...

I have set up a page on FB ... search 'horse owners in Spain'  ask on there for livery..  or anything esle you want to know really...

Jen x


----------



## Dogstar (9 March 2011)

Interesting thread, what sort of things do they do with horses in Spain? Is there any hunting drag or normal? Pleasure rides? Is the veterinary care up to scratch? Assume hat is not avaialble due to dry weather..Sorry am not on FB.  Thanks


----------



## freckles22uk (10 March 2011)

Hi, 

I dont know of any hunting, drag or other wise. Shame really as I would love to go again.

The shows ive seen have been for 'Spanish PRE' horses only, never hear of a mixed shows like you would get in the UK, unless its been run by english run yard for fun, my friend did a pony club type fun day last year for the kids, they had never seen anything like it, musical chairs... sack races, that sort of thing and they loved it. And when you see kids ride, they tend to be on horses rather than ponies. Including the stallions.

Most competitions are dressage, as thats what the PRE's seen to be able to do..(well the spanish think that) and you do get jumping too..mainly for the other breeds, 

I know there is endurance as another friend down south competes in that. 

They do tend to have displays in the bullrings to show the horses off (no bulls) and ive been lucky enough to take part, 4 of us went with our Appaloosas, (very rare here, hence getting invited) and we did a display, walking trotting and cantering in formation (well in a fashion) then did some barrel racing...that was fun... best thing was... all the other riders were male, we were the only females to ride, and me and my daughter were the only ones on mares!.. every thing else was a stallion.. I remember arriving with large car and trailer and having to reverse into some stupid place (no problem) but having spanish guys asking if they wanted to park it for me.... they dont see many english women (or any women) driving trailers... its SO macho the horse scene here... well where I am anyway..


I do see the odd person out on a hack, but not many. 

Vets... from my experience they are very good, the animal hospital in Alicante is very good, with all the upto date equipment, even my local vet is great, ringing me when the jabs are due, only being charged for the jabs and not a call out fee, and when my 2 first foals were born she came to check them, no charge and again no charge as ''she had never seen an appy foal and wanted to come anyway'' 

There are new laws now about owning horses and you have to have a permit, all a bit of a pain, in my case, Im moving house soon, so want the permit for there, but as the house is still in my ex's name they wont give me one until its been changed into mine (which will be soon) BUT if I was still with my ex, then who would they issue the permit too? me the horse owner..... or my ex, the house owner, but who knows naff all about horses.... tell ya, strange rules out here...  and ive no idea what you would do if renting the land/house..

Farriers... good and bad as in the UK, I did have a good one on the coast who was a brit, but living here I could not find a decent one,  so barefoot now..

But the hacking is great, you seem to be able to go where you like, and know one minds, they just give you a wave and say hello...

Hay... I know people who have bought it, but I think its been imported, but I could be wrong, so I buy Alfalfa, which comes in a bale like hay, you cant feed it ad-lib like hay, as its very rich, but the horses love it, I think they get 2 harvest a year from it. I give mine straw (barley)as well, when ive got no grazing, to give them something to chew on.. and stop them getting bored..


well waffled on long enough now....haha


----------

