john1979

I just try to be like Matt that's all ( he is my all time hero ) seriously. I will get there day and all that. Need to find a joke book.

Sleep well and any serious questions just ask. Where you moving to again ? Sure it was down this way but been really busy.

John

Beachcomber

It looks as though Janine has probably gone off to look for a forum where she will get more sensible replies.

I am afraid that the only contribution I can make is to say that as long as you don't bring your horses to Andalucía you should be OK.

rugbymatt

some of us tried to point her in the right direction.

trentino

Well, im bringing mine over as soon as I have sold my house in the uk. So there!!

If you can find Freckles, there is someone on her website who is looking to sell land and stables and a house!!

Off the top of my head I think it is called mariolappies or something similar.
Why do you guys alway highjack someones thread!!!!!!

rugbymatt

There was some banter but a hijacking?

Come on!


All that happens when comments like that are made is that someone reacts...........


How do you know the OP minds a bit of banter?

rugbymatt

As I had ALREADY said, try freckles .......HERE.


but you will have to register.

TheArmChairDetective

With one step weve gone from girls not being able to hold onto the beast between their legs to being on one backnice one john

xxfrecklesxx

HI,

im here, feel like the horsey expert now LOL,

bringing your horses to Spain wont be a problem, they adapt well, ie heat, feed etc.... the vets are good, the only thing I had problems with was finding a good farrier, so mine are are barefoot now and I self tryim (and I never thought my big mare would EVER go barefoot) there are good farriers out there though so dont be put off.

transporting them over is easy, I used John Parkers (see horse and hound)

you dont need as much land as you probably think either, as the grazing is not the same, so you dont have to go on 1-2 acres per horse,

mine live out 24/7 all year round, in the UK they were stabled 1/2 and 1/2 but seem more chilled and happy out, thoguh they do need shade,

anywany ive rambled enough to boerethis 'non;horsey' lot,

please PM me,

as I bet you will have 100's questions, and I have loads more advise,
im happy to help,

Jenny

rugbymatt

Jenny its best that the questions are answered on here to be honest, lately there have been a couple of horse related questions and it may just help people.



I can second any feelings for John, he used to be based next to the vets I worked at before the move down to Dover......http://www.johnparkerinternational.com/

janinem1974

THANKS JENNY and to the guys with USEFULL contributions to the thread!lol!
i eventually got through them all to reach the end and reply!!! lol!

Jenny, as much information as possible will be more than welcome.
I have just contacted JP for a quote so thats helping.
I have 2 arabs, 2 TB (one cross who is a very poor doer and at 18.2hh - its even harder!)
They now live out in UK year round and i agree they have never been happier (all them years of mucking out - what a waste!)
As i dont ride as often as i should, i also self-trim!
My aim is aprox 10 acres, as i have my tribe of dogs plus if i need to build or renovate a house and im looking at Valencia / Catalonia areas purely as i believed the climate will be more suited for better grazing?
Im extremly flexible as to area as it more important i find somewhere idea for them.
Im having LOADS of conflicting advice on the land im looking at from different agents:
Planning, Water, Irrigation, etc. any info here please ??? clearly water is very important.
elec im not worried about due to turbine,solor and generater.

Thanks to everyone else for the light comments and the varied 'interesting' read!

TRENTINO, please let me know how you get on.

THANKS EVERYONE janine

xxfrecklesxx

Hi,

well if the horses live out thats great, they do need the shade in the summer as it does get hot,
Feed, you can get quite a few different feeds now, (more than you could 4 years ago when I came over) mine now have a spanish mix, 11€ for a 30kg sack, (made by nanta) and sugar beet is available too 15€ for 40kg (why do the spanish make the bags SO heavy!!)

I worked out the cost of keeping mine the other day, ive got 2 horses,(both good doers) 2 x 2 year old colts (on more food than their mums)and a welsh sec A pony (18 years old) and it costs me about 60-70€ a week (inc jabs and wormers) to keep them all, also got 2 other mares, but their on loan to a friend

No hay (unless youre lucky) we get bales of alfalfa, (i pay 4.50€ a bale delivered) its richer than hay so you cant feed it adlib like hay, so I give mine straw too. (which I buy off the farmer who rents my land, I pay 1€ a bale for that, but can cost 5-8€)

The vets I find are very good, and less expensive, there is a very good animal hospital in San Vincente in Alicante, had to take my foal there 2 years ago, and he is a big strapping lad now!! the vets do seem a bit up to date in some ways.

Farriers, well your fine there,

Im inbetween Alicante and Valencia, in a place called Bocairent, but up a mountain, and yes we get more rain than on the coastal areas, but it does mean I get grazing for about 1/2 the year. the winters for me are COLD, and i get snow, (so dont think of selling any rugs) but most days are sunny, so you might need a rug on at night, but have to whip them off in the day. the summers and very hot. so fly masks/spray are a must.

Tach shops are ok, and you can get most things here now that you get in the UK, and what I cant get I buy on ebay

water/electric etc...... well ive got mains nothing!!!! water for the house comes from a well, as does the water for 2 of my paddocks, (different well)the other 2 paddocks, I just run a hose from the house, and my electric is solar and genny.

Planning im not sure about, as it depends where you live, im not allowed electric fencing , (as im in a national park) though I do have it, and as im slowly (and at a huge expense) changing it to wooden fencing, they dont seem to mind.

not many horse shows, and the ones that are seem to be just for the 'spanish horses' grrrr no good when you have appaloosas like me
there are dressage comps though if thats your thing. And riding does seem very male doninated unlike the UK, and they love their stallions, we sometimes get invited to show off the appaloosas at the horse shows, (as they are so rare here) and the spanish do seemed suprised that me and the daughter are on 'mares' and that they are barefoot

The hacking is great and no one seems to mind where you go!

the drivers are like the UK, some pass wide and slow, others are idiots

and for all the 'horses should'nt be on the road' people, no we dont want to ride on the road, but sometimes we have no choice, so if passing a horse PLEASE PLEASE pass wide and slow, having a horse that spooks at something in the verge, go throughs your windscreen is not fun for you or us , and after having a horse killed by a lorry, while I was riding her, I know what im talking about

the horses really seem to adapt to the heat/food etc... . though the only thing I will say, IF you are putting your hosse in livery, watch what they are fed, the spanish fed alot of straw, and 'dry' mix, they dont wet the food with water or sugar beet, and I have know I few get colic (including my own when in livery)

as for property, there are a few on my site, go to mariola appy link below

if you have any more questions please ask,

Jenny

DebsyW

I thoroughly agree. I pass as wide as possible for my own safety as well as theirs... I don`t want to be killed by a horse going through my windscreen. The riders have to travel on the roads to get to the bridlepaths and I understand and respect that. What I don`t like is young, teenage girls riding 3 abreast (2 abreast for safety, I`ve heard) at peak traffic hours and laughing at the motorists and telling us to ***** off. In circumstances like these it takes a lot for us to respect their `hobby` and if it wasn`t for us being a nation of animal lovers then I`m sure there would be a lot of horn-blasting on passing.

xxfrecklesxx

hi,

yes even I get annoyed at some horse riders, when I was in the UK and drove passed riders, nice and slow, and they could'nt say thanks, that used to really pi*s me, i understand, whats its like being on a young horse I cant take your hands off the reins, but i nod and a smile would not go amiss, I used to ride out with a guy, who NEVER thanked drivers, I used to thank everyone

I understand 2 abreast, (and for the non horsey) sometimes if on a young nervous horse, you ride 2 abreast so the older confident horse is on the side nearest the trafiic, giving the younger one confidence, plus it stops it spooking into the traffic.

DebsyW

Hi,

I`m not really a horsey person, although in my youth I did ride once or twice. I don`t mind them not saying thank you.... if they were anything like me then they will be too busy concentrating holding onto the reigns for dear life than to let go to wave a `thanks`. What I don`t like is the arrogance of the teenage riders thinking that they own the road. They`ve started to use the footpaths near me now and it`s very very dangerous both for them and the children who play. More and more space is being given to the horseriders, and I don`t mind, as long as they use it safely. There are 40 different farms with stables where I live, so it`s beginning to be problematic. There is talk - tongue in cheek - by residents, of horse-rider culling. We all like horses... it`s the riders we have problems with. I don`t mean to offend but it is a big problem at the moment.

leighbloke

I've never really understood the need for horses to go on the road?
I never imagine it to be a pleasurable experience - for rider or horse?