A WWYD yard post

[Copperpot]

Long story, sorry! My friend and I share a lovely little yard. We have 3 horses each and help each other, share feed and hay etc. I look after her horses and vice versa. I trust her implicitly with mine.

Unfortunately she is having to leave. Her dog killed the YO's dog recently. And quite rightly the YO has banned her dog from the yard. The atmosphere since hasn't been great plus she used to let the dog run about whilst poo picking to save time.

So YO is going to put an advert up for grazing for 3 horses. We have field shelters, water, electric etc.

Cue me worrying someone will come along who is awful or who won't want to fit into the routine me and friend had going, stuff like if I fed mine I did hers at the same time. I've always been on livery yards and don't want to loose my little slice of heaven where there is no arguing or nastiness.

My OH has suggested I offer to rent the whole lot myself. Get another horse and basically make the money up that my friend was paying to keep her 3 there.

Would you? Or would you see who comes along and hope for the best?

 

[Arizahn]

It would depend on finances and time available. Very tempting, if you can really manage it, but will you miss having company?

<you have an OH who supports you having more horses??!>

 

[Apercrumbie]

Hmm tricky one. If money is of no concern then part of me thinks just rent the whole yard so you don't have to worry, the problem being that you won't have anyone to help you out occasionally and when you're ill etc. Maybe ask to be there when the YO interviews new people?

 

[Copperpot]

I can afford it and I can pay another friend for help when I need it. And OH has said he will help with the time side of things and even ride the new horse.

I was thinking I may get lonely though. But better to be lonely than stuck with someone awful. And I could always get a sharer for one of the horses to hack out with. I mostly hack alone anyway as work 3 out of 4 weekends and am off more in the week.

It's a tricky one. Interviewing prospective candidates may be a good idea. I sound awful lol. But I love my yard and would hate to feel about it how I did about some of the livery yards I was on.

 

[YorksG]

The set up may have appeared to work for you in the past with your friend, but she obviously wasn't that responsible, if she had an out of control dog there. I absolutely agree with the YO that she should leave.

 

[Arizahn]

Another thing to consider is whether the YO would want to rent it all to one person - maybe they would prefer to have more than one in case someone has a change of circumstances or moves house etc? They may be concerned about having all their eggs in one basket. Worth having in mind if you do decide to offer.

 

[Copperpot]

Very true. Maybe I should just wait and see who turns up.

YorksG, I never implied my friend shouldn't leave. If I was the YO I would do the same. Her OH got the dog and it's been nothing but trouble. I feel sorry for my friend that she is left to deal with it whilst he is away. But that's not the point.

And the set up didn't appear to work. It has worked for many years.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

I would say don't expect the new person, if there is one, to fall into the same routine as your friend did. Were I to move onto a yard with someone established, I would not want to be involved with looking after her horses, sorry. Me and a friend share chores, but we only have one each and they're best mates. Three is a lot to look after, especially if the new person has less.

Hope it all works out well for you

 

[Copperpot]

This is what I am thinking. And I would get why they wouldn't want to. YO says she wants 2 or 3 horses. So it wouldn't be someone with 1. The way the yard is set out all the horses can see each other and I just feel it would cause problems if we both did things at different times. I've never been in that situation before as previously always been on livery. Although I'm sure my horses would get used to any new routine pretty quickly.

When I moved there I had 1 and did my friends 3 and some days I did think wow what a lot of work! 6 is a pain sometimes!

Another friend of mine rented a lovely yard and when they built more stables, the person they rented too was not nice to share with and my friend ended up leaving. I guess I just don't want that to happen to me.

As far as the YO is concerned I think it's just money. They don't need it but obviously it's nice to have. So I think if I offer to pay X amount I will get to have the lot to myself.

 

[hairycob]

How about renting the whole yard but looking for someone else to sub let to. That way you would have control of who you have to live with.

 

[fawaz]

OR have you considered that the YO may get up to three other people with a horse each? You can't really expect others to fit in with you. Its not your land and so its not really up to you unfortunately.

 

[Copperpot]

No she won't do that. She only likes 2 owners there at a time. She doesn't like a lot of people around. She has enough land for 10 plus horses, but that would mean multiple owners and she won't have that.

I don't expect others to fit in, hence why I'm considering renting the whole lot.

 

[Copperpot]

How about renting the whole yard but looking for someone else to sub let to. That way you would have control of who you have to live with.

I did think of this and she has said if I have any friends who want to come with their horses ask them. Everyone I know only really has 1 though. I did think that if I rented the lot and found someone in the future that needed a place, I could give up my share and they could take it over.

 

[be positive]

No she won't do that. She only likes 2 owners there at a time. She doesn't like a lot of people around. She has enough land for 10 plus horses, but that would mean multiple owners and she won't have that.

I don't expect others to fit in, hence why I'm considering renting the whole lot.

Why not tell her how you feel, she obviously doesn't want lots of different people on her property herself so probably understands that having someone new could be difficult, she may be more than happy for you to pay more to rent it all or to have you involved with finding a new person, I am not sure she would be so pleased to find you sub letting as she may feel she wants to have control over who is coming and going.
Finding a person with 2 or 3 may take time anyway but it does sound an ideal set up for the right person.

 

[Greylegs]

I think the only way to manage this is to rent the whole yard yourself and then, with the full knowledge of the YO, look around for another person to share with who is happy to also share the horse care jobs. If the new person comes in knowing that that's the deal, then you won't have the worry of wondering if the new arrival will fit in with the arrangements you've enjoyed so far. They need to know what the deal is before they agree to come. And you and your OH can manage the care of your three in the meantime.

If the new person has three then they'll be used to the work load and may appreciate being somewhere where the other person is happy to help out.

 

[Copperpot]

Greylegs I think you are totally right. This is what I will propose today. And I can make up the shortfall in money until the new person comes.

I'm more than happy to look after someone else's horses. I never go away (too many dogs) and my friend who I currently share with has a few holidays a year where I look after hers. So I'm not after someone doing more than me. I only work 4 days a week and always come down 3 times a day on my days off and do my friends horses then. And always before or after work when I am working

Plus am I'm off in the week so much I get hers in for vet and farrier too.

 

[pip6]

Ditto greylegs. There are a lot of nutters out there, who may seem reasonable at interview. Last thing you want is an unhappy situation down there.

 

[Arizahn]

Hope it works out well for you

 

[Penny Less]

I understand your concerns about another livery that might want to do things differently. This is why I have two horses in a two horse paddock. Having shared with people in the past who didn't poo pick or didn't want to strip graze if they didn't have fatties. As you have three it would be quite a lot for someone else to share duties with. The best idea would be for you to rent the lot.

 

[Copperpot]

We don't share fields. I couldn't. My friend only poo picks a few times a week and I do it every day. There's 2 big fields. We have one each with a double field shelter in each. And each have a bare post and rail paddock for the fatties &#128522;

The only duties my friend does for me, is chuck 3 buckets of feed down, open a gate and sometimes chuck ones fly rug on if it's morning. In the evening the same except chuck the hay I have left ready into his bare paddock and close the gate.

But if I was on my own obviously I could pay someone to do that the days I can't.

Thanks for your advice everyone and the good wishes &#128522;