Acceptable or not?

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Wobbly1

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If you are full livery is it acceptable to not have your own stable? For example one horse uses the box at night and another during the day? Would you expect to be told this was the arrangement?

Thanks
 
I'd think it was a bit odd & definitely expect to be told about it. Although, I guess if you're not mucking out - it might not make that much difference?

What would happen in the event of illness/injury or infection though?
 
Yes unless I owned both horses and they shared a field possibly if they shared normally, that arrangement would be totally out of order due to the risk of cross infection and nasties like pinworms and lice
 
Did you want a stable before you sent to the yard? Are other horses stabled and if so are they paying more than you? In my opinion if you didn't know you weren't going to get a stable its not right.
 
I would expect to be asked if that would be ok and offered a lower rate, in the past have had 2 of my own horses share a stable on that arrangement and paid reduced costs for one horse
 
I have paid for full livery all summer, no discount with my horse being out overnight.
My horse and one other are the only ones still out at night. The horse in my box is in at night and out during the day. There are more horses than stables but this was not the case when I originally came to the yard. I have not been asked.
 
I assume your horse will be in at night at some point soon as we're coming into winter, so what will happen then? I'd ask the yard owner what their plans are.
I think it should be one stable per horse, what does the YO expect you to do if you've brought your horse in to ride or groom etc and you want to leave him for ten mins to do something elsewhere if you don't have a stable to chuck him in?
 
I, thankfully, have my own private yard so not personal experience.
However, this arrangement has worked well on a livery yard near me. Obviously, the horse owners are fully aware of the criteria when liverying there. It also has ample turnout-and does grass only livery- as well isolation boxes should they be required.
 
Personally I wouldn't move onto a yard offering full livery if they expected me to share a stable. However, if it was summer and I was on a yard where a grass livery needed a stable for some reason then I'd be prepared to help out
 
Absolutely out of order. If I randomly decide to keep my horse in (off the grass, for example, if he's looking bloated), I want my stable free, plus all of his rugs and half a grooming kit are in there. I'd be very unhappy if that wasn't the deal when you arrived and what happens when the horses are all in overnight for winter as many horses will be?
 
Spring Feather said:
It sounds like you are being taken advantage of OP.
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This, I would tell them you require him to be kept in overnight for some reason, make up one that seems feasible such as going to a competition, riding before work and see how they respond, my full liveries don't always have the same box over the summer period but they always have one available to use at any time and I would not expect two liveries to share, if anything has to share it would be two of mine.
 
If i am on full livery I expect the stable for be for my (my horses) use only, unless otherwise arranged. If I am sharing, I expect a rate reduction. However, since I am anally retentive I would not want to share. I would want a stable (the same stable) free for my horses use every day 24/7 no other horse to go in the stall = no risk of cross infection and opportunity of 24/7 box rest
 
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No, I don't think that it is acceptable at all, unless it was made clear to you that you only have the use of the stable at certain times and the rate per month reflected this.
 
No chance - what about infections etc?

Our yard doesn't really do grass livery, but occasionally takes the odd horse in during summer, but they have to be gone by bring-in time in autumn, but like the others, I'm always happy to help out if one of them needed to come in for any reason.

There was a time I was without a horse after my mare died, and they needed a stable for a couple of days. I was already paying a nominal rent to hold the stable, but they reduced it even further that week, and they only used it for one night in the end.

It's even worse if you had your own stable to begin with and they changed the rules later on. Do you have a contract?
 
Do you mean a day box system .
Where the horse spends the night in one stable and moves to another during the day if so then yes it's defiantly acceptable .
It used to be the way on very posh yards the horse moves to a clean box during the day or one yard I worked on used the grooming boxes for horses we needed in during the day .
It allows you to manage the mucking out without the horse being in a dirty box and allows the stables to air and the floors to dry if the beds are up.
It means you don't have grooms mucking out boxes with horses in then which is good on health and safety grounds .
If that's what they are doing I would be more than happy
 
Wobbly1 said:
I have paid for full livery all summer, no discount with my horse being out overnight.
My horse and one other are the only ones still out at night. The horse in my box is in at night and out during the day. There are more horses than stables but this was not the case when I originally came to the yard. I have not been asked.
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Unacceptable. You are paying for use of a stable - when you use it should be up to you. Also agree with those who flag risk of cross infection, etc.

P
 
diamonddogs said:
No chance - what about infections etc?

Our yard doesn't really do grass livery, but occasionally takes the odd horse in during summer, but they have to be gone by bring-in time in autumn, but like the others, I'm always happy to help out if one of them needed to come in for any reason.

There was a time I was without a horse after my mare died, and they needed a stable for a couple of days. I was already paying a nominal rent to hold the stable, but they reduced it even further that week, and they only used it for one night in the end.

It's even worse if you had your own stable to begin with and they changed the rules later on. Do you have a contract?
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Yes I did have my own box. Four horses moved to the yard over the summer and now not enough stables for all that are there. I do have a contract but there is nothing about stables in it.
 
Goldenstar said:
Do you mean a day box system .
Where the horse spends the night in one stable and moves to another during the day if so then yes it's defiantly acceptable .
It used to be the way on very posh yards the horse moves to a clean box during the day or one yard I worked on used the grooming boxes for horses we needed in during the day .
It allows you to manage the mucking out without the horse being in a dirty box and allows the stables to air and the floors to dry if the beds are up.
It means you don't have grooms mucking out boxes with horses in then which is good on health and safety grounds .
If that's what they are doing I would be more than happy
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No not a day box. More like a time share! Mine in the box during the day and the other at night. It's another livery who is in the box at night but they don't visit often. Not sure what they would say about the set up. Apparently new boxes are being built but don't see that happening before the winter?
 
Wobbly1 said:
No not a day box. More like a time share! Mine in the box during the day and the other at night. It's another livery who is in the box at night but they don't visit often. Not sure what they would say about the set up. Apparently new boxes are being built but don't see that happening before the winter?
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So if this is long term have you asked what is going to happen in the winter, if you are paying for full livery you really should be getting a decent service which includes exclusive use of a stable, as should all the other full liveries, it certainly doesn't sound as if either owner is getting what they are paying for.
 
Not sure where you are but in the North East its cold and damp at night so I would want mine in, today it is a lovely bright day so I would want him out - I wouldn't be happy if full livery facilities didn't allow it. I would want the availability of a stable in casse of leaving in for farrier etc.
 
Not acceptable at all, especially if that wasn't the arrangement when you arrived and you weren't consulted about it.

Even on DIY livery I'd expect my own stable exclusively for my horse. Like the others have said, have they considered the risk of cross infection? And what if yours was injured and needed 24/7 box rest?
 
Goldenstar said:
Do you mean a day box system .
Where the horse spends the night in one stable and moves to another during the day if so then yes it's defiantly acceptable .
It used to be the way on very posh yards the horse moves to a clean box during the day or one yard I worked on used the grooming boxes for horses we needed in during the day .
It allows you to manage the mucking out without the horse being in a dirty box and allows the stables to air and the floors to dry if the beds are up.
It means you don't have grooms mucking out boxes with horses in then which is good on health and safety grounds .
If that's what they are doing I would be more than happy
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No, she was clear that her horse has the box during the day and someone else's horse is in the stable at night.

OP I think the yard is double dipping! If you are paying for a stable it should be yours 24/7, 365 days.
 
I'm possibly slightly going to be a voice of dissent. The yard I work at does this - some are on night turnout and others day turnout, and as we currently have the top yard (the livery yard) full during the day due to owner's preferences, some of the night time stabled horses use the boxes that have been occupied during the day.

The bottom yard, where the yard's comp horses are, all share stables with half in during the day and half at night. However, quite a few of the liveries prefer these stables, so are free to bring their horses down to the bottom yard to groom and tack up before riding. So it isn't quite as 'set in stone'.

There is 150 acres of turnout here, so overstocking of land isn't really the issue ;) and at night-time the stables are definitely not all in use, it is the day use of stables that is busiest. So box resting would not be an issue at all, or keeping in before a show for example.

If it's a genuine stocking issue, then yes, by all means complain. However if it is part of the routine and how things are run, then you have to decide whether the routine suits you and your horse, because whilst yards do try their best to please, a full livery yard (especially one like this that is also a pro comp yard) can't change the routine for every single horse, or you'll never get anything done.
 
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