Hello. I keep my horse at home in the UK and to access any off road hacking I have to walk up a fairly narrow winding road for ten minutes. There is three bad bends and no slow speed limit although most people are good, you get the odd very fast driver. There are parts where there is no verges to get out of the way so it feels a risk everytime I take my horse out. It’s not terribly busy as it’s the countryside but alot busier than it was years ago I have no one to hack with and no school. Living in the UK aswell the weather is usually terrible in the winter so I have months I can’t really ride. Would you guys move him through the winter to a livery which is thirty minute drive away or just stay at home? I have nothing suitable to pull his trailer yet to get him anywhere like lessons or shows. I know it sounds silly but my mum loves him and doesn’t really like the idea of him being moved, although she doesn’t ride, is attached to him as I am so I feel bad about this. Thank you x
Always put safety first, for you and your horse.
Sounds like keeping the horse at livery would be safest and also accomplishes your goals for having a horse to do things with.
Easy to understand why your mother loves to have an oversized pet around to enjoy, but is that why you have a horse?
Both of you need to talk this over, maybe your mother can go with you to the livery and spend some time with your horse there, enough to get her horse fix, while you can also spend time there doing your own things with your horse?
Or figure some way to get the horse hauled around, so you can ride in all weather and not have to risk yours and horse’s life on the highway as you are doing now, that seems an accident waiting to happen.
Life is about tradeoffs, there is rarely a perfect solution, but from what you say, keeping the horse at home as you are doing is not the better one, why you are questioning this.
Thanks very much for replying, your words have definitely helped. I think my family are Abit in denial about how dangerous it can be as years ago as a teenager I could ride out for four hours on the roads and see maybe one car, not the case nowadays. They say just put your signs up (I made please slow, young horses signs) but that isn’t always helpful. I am nervous of what we might meet coming round the bend and he’s a young horse so although so amazing for his age he can have the odd scare which sometimes I feel confident about and sometimes not 
we have had three near misses but my mum said that’s very rare. I know that in itself isn’t good for any horse. We can have amazing times alone but my hearts in my mouth til I reach the fields. I can’t even get a trainer out where I live, it isn’t a horsey area sadly. I think some of her issue is with cost but I can afford it and it’s not that expensive it’s only 35 pounds per week at the livery. I’ve never kept my horses at livery so the change is Abit nerve wracking too but your absolutely right. Thank you x
which makes having a horse on street even more dangerous
Having your horse in a livery that has direct access to open ground would be a real plus as winter approaches
So true. Alot of people won’t be expecting to see a horse on the road. It’s only cows and sheep around here. Most drivers are amazing but they can’t see us for dust coming round the bends. Its so windy here too I can’t even hear them coming half the time
Take your mum with you to the stable once or twice a week. More if she’d like to go more often. She’ll be able to maintain her connection with him even if she can’t look at her window to see him for the winter months.
Being safe and being able to enjoy your horse during the winter is well worth the driving time and the expense in my opinion.
Thank you, shes on holiday at the moment for two weeks so as soon as she returns Il sit her down to discuss it. She could be just as involved if she comes along couldn’t she. I think their scared of change too, maybe their age, she said how will he find it leaving the other horses too? (I feel bad about unsettling him in this way but I don’t see a option?) I agree I think it’d be worth it all too, do you board your horse away from home? It would be lovely to find like minded people too, I don’t have any horsey friends so to speak
Your horse will make new friends at livery and will remember his home friends when he comes home for the summer.
Yes, I keep my horse away from home and it’s great to be around like-minded people every day.
Mum will also adjust in time 
OP you remind me of my youngest daughter who once returned from warm up ring at a Class A show, she had withdrawn from the class. When ask what was going on she said those other kids are dangerous and she did not want her horse in the ring with them.
We taught our kids they were reasonable to look out for their horse’s welfare and safety
It is good to see you thinking about your and your horse’s welfare
Could you talk to a local farmer about riding off the road? Sometimes just asking politely, explaining your problem and promising good behavior, results in you being given permission to use their land - it can work: I’ve done it. Otherwise, keeping your horse at livery over the winter is a safer solution than riding on dark country roads, even bedecked in hi-viz and lights.
My concern, however, is that £30 per week is awfully cheap livery. I presume that is grass livery, in which case you would need to be there daily, at least. Where I live in Gloucestershire, full livery is £180-200 per week. Is the yard BHS accredited? Do you know anyone who keeps their horse there? How will you get to the yard over the winter months?
Don’t forget the Horse&Hound Forum is good for questions such as yours.
Editing for my mistake - 35/week is mentioned in a later post. Sorry about that @Willesdon
Where did you get 30 quid/week? The livery in question is a 30 minute drive from the OP’s home, but I didn’t see a price for livery anywhere.
No prob. Not unreasonable price for grass but at the bottom end.
Thanks for replying. I’m in north wales, are prices cheaper here generally?. Well it was £35 or therabouts DIY a year or more ago, probably gone up by now! It’s a decent place I have been for lessons there, not on my horse. A riding school/livery with indoor and outdoor school and stables/grazing. I drive so it’s twenty minutes from my home and 30 from my family’s house. I don’t know anyone there unfortunately only the instructor through past lessons who is lovely and it is BHS accredited. I do use the farmers fields, I did the same as you and asked them, but there’s no way to access them unless you take the lane, no way round it unfortunately. I used the horse and hound forum once and found this one much friendlier personally, do you keep yours at home? Thanks again
It’s Aberconwy Equestrian Centre Llandudno
Lovely part of the country, looks like a very nice yard. For peace of mind, and an easier, less muddy winter with indoor lights… Lots of winter Dressage training for you then!
Thank you I hope so, I bet they won’t have space now after me saying all of this! Neither of us know a thing about dressage but it might be our time to learn what’s your yard like? My horse is originally from Gloustershire funnily! Then he was sold to Hampshire then ended up with me
Right now, I’m horseless, thank heavens. I have Long Covid and haven’t ridden for more than three years. My main horse fix is Fence Judging at both BE and Unaffiliated, which I seem to do far too often this past season.
Oh no I really hope you recover soon! I hope it’s not too bad? Your job sounds really interesting, atleast your still very much involved with horses 
My job is sitting around getting better. I volunteer as a Fence Judge. Always looking for new ones - have you ever considered volunteering with British Eventing. Training given at various locations over the winter.
Good for her, she sounds really sensible. Definitely more important than a ribbon. All about prevention with horses isn’t it
