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Post by cookie on Dec 13, 2011 0:16:16 GMT 1
Any experiences?
Geneva has been mentioned as a possible relocation for us... Very tentative but I'm wondering what similarities and differences there might be in terms of keeping my pony.
Are there livery yards as we know them? I expect land would be crazy expensive. Do the Swiss have bridleways, any idea what access is like?
So many questions in my mind... Any knowledge/ experiences gratefully recieved.
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allyny
Olympic Poster
Posts: 791
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Post by allyny on Dec 13, 2011 8:46:34 GMT 1
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Post by marianne on Dec 13, 2011 12:33:46 GMT 1
I was working in Switzerland (Zurich though) when I got my first horse 10 years ago. The yard I found had a huge indoor school - was used for competitions - but tiny individual turnout; basically horse would just get up to trot and have to skid to a halt. That was academic at the time though as we arrived in December and there was no turnout at all.
So definitely think about indoor facilities if you're yard hunting! I can't comment on hacking out or bridle paths as that's likely to be a local issue.
I would also suggest looking at yards just across the border in France which are likely to be a lot cheaper - though the same driving distance - from any yard you find in/near Geneva. I did actually stable my horse in France for 6 weeks while I sorted out import issues with the jobsworthy Swiss officials ! With hindsight should just have stayed in France as that's where I ended up eventually :-)
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Post by jen1 on Dec 13, 2011 13:52:19 GMT 1
it always makes me think clinical, message dan guerra he lives there and ask him, he likes his horses living natural as possible so he might be able to help
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allyny
Olympic Poster
Posts: 791
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Post by allyny on Dec 18, 2011 11:27:40 GMT 1
Any news cookie??
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Post by cookie on Dec 19, 2011 10:26:46 GMT 1
Lol, ally your links higlight the first problem. My lack of French! He he Hmm, we won't know anything further until the new year. Would need to live within communting distance of central geneva... I have a welsh cob who will live in or out but not really do individual t/o and lives to hack, in due course would like to aquire a lead rein, who could be a companion. I know the Austrian valleys fairly well and fantasise about a little plot of land with a field shelter below the house  but that's a pretty rural area I visit, not close enough to a major city! The dream is very idyllic, skiing when not riding and such a lovely outdoor, multilingual lifestyle for my LO. If anything more comes of it all I will be sure to keep you all informed |
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allyny
Olympic Poster
Posts: 791
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Post by allyny on Dec 19, 2011 11:41:58 GMT 1
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Post by cookie on Dec 19, 2011 12:11:41 GMT 1
How perfect is that!? If something like that were an prion I'd be booking the tickets. Let's see how it pans out OHs job is the deal breaker... |
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clarita
Elementary Poster
Posts: 65
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Post by clarita on Dec 19, 2011 12:45:48 GMT 1
Hi Cookie
I have lived in Geneva for the last 10 years, have my own horses (7 of them - gulp) and play polo here. I also grew up there as a kid with my own pony and all I can say is....you will LOVE it.
Heres a little low down. Most horses are indeed kept at livery. This is because land is super expensive, so few have the ability to go it alone. Livery is pretty expensive - normally its full livery...I dont know of any DIY yards (not to say they cant be found), but salaries in Switzerland tend to be considerably higher than UK due to cost of living so hopefully that will compensate. The downside though is due to the cost of land, turnout is not that easy to find at many yards - they may have a few paddocks that you can use on a rotational basis but 24 hour is very rare. However, there are literally 100s of places to choose from - I have heard a statistic that the Geneva area has more horses per head than any where else in Europe.
Hacking is generally fabulous - where I am (near Versoix, 20 mins from Geneva), there are bridleways with little jumps set up, and a ´piste de gallop´ that runs through the woods with a sand surface so the horses can go flat out. The main difference I found is if you want to compete. Here you need to pass certain exams to compete - even at a low level - whether dressage or jumping for example. One other thing to be aware of is that the cost of vets and shoeing is pretty horrendous compared to UK. All horses have to be chipped, passported and from next year registered and importing horses can be a bit of a pain. The paperwork is rather complex as CH is not in the EU - however, any good transporter should be able to sort this out for you. Feel free to PM me for any more info about the Geegees or indeed any aspect of living here. It can take a while to adjust but honestly, once settled, very few want to leave. The standard of living is wonderful - safe, clean, everything works, you have the lake in the summer (much hotter than UK, lots of sun : -)) and the mountains in the winter. It really is a very very lovely place to live.
Clarita
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Post by cookie on Dec 19, 2011 12:53:13 GMT 1
Clarita, thank you so much for your post That does sound wonderful. I'm not interested in competing tbh, but hacking is important to us. Interesting about vets fees as we do have an old injury that might cause trouble as he ages (one reason why I'd never part with him). He does come in at night all year round as likewise within the m25 anything else is difficult to find. What an exciting post! Thank you! |
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but that's a pretty rural area I visit, not close enough to a major city!