Access to electric sockets on livery yard?

[chocolategirl]

Hi, I was just wondering if all you guys that are on DIY livery have, or expect to have free access to an electricity socket and would you expect to use it for whatever you needed it for? Just curious as we have just built a new stable block but haven't put any sockets in yet and am tempted not to bother due to the abuse of use the sockets used to get in the old block! For example people charging up mobile phones, using power tools to carry out work on horse boxes etc. our clients pay less than £4 per day to stable with us, and for that get really good facilities. is it unreasonable of me not to allow free use of electric sockets do you think? I'm guessing those who keep their horses on livery will say yes, but can I have some opinions please from yard owners too?! Thanks!

 

[AdorableAlice]

You do need a socket or two. How will a vet xray/scan or use power tools on teeth, how are you going to clip etc.

I suppose you could have a dedicated box with power and keep it locked.

You could write into the livery contract no power to be used for personal use or put your fees up slightly.

 

[9tails]

There are a couple of electric sockets on our yard but we have to hunt for them. Not every stable block has a socket but when one's horse has an abcess and needs a poultice I think a kettle is pretty much a must on any livery yard. It doesn't matter if the only socket is in the tea room, I admit to having plugged my phone charger in there one morning I'd forgotten to charge overnight.

 

[Annagain]

There's one on our yard - right outside my stable, which is handy, but means my stable gets used for clipping every horse on the yard.
There's one double socket in the big tack room which we use for boiling kettles as no hot water, but not very often.

I don't think we abuse either socket - we only use it for genuine horsey needs eg clipping and power washing the stables. Could you not put a sign up asking them not to abuse it or failing that can you put it on some sort of coin meter, even if it's just 10 /20p it'll make people think twice about using it and a lack of change will prevent over use!

 

[EventingMum]

Difficult, I allow my liveries to use sockets but do keep my eye open as to what they are using them for; I have no problem with clippers and the odd phone charging etc but would be wary if they consitently used them for other things. Fortunately I haven't had any real issues except one member of staff who thought I was unreasonable in objecting to her running an electric heater all day in the staff room as she had bought a puppy that she "had" to bring to work each day. When I objected she announced that she would just bring in her own electric fan heater then if I didn't want her using mine!!

 

[Sparkly Snowdrop]

Could you not put in sockets but have them connected to a coin meter? That way people have to pay for what they use.

 

[chocolategirl]

There's one on our yard - right outside my stable, which is handy, but means my stable gets used for clipping every horse on the yard.
There's one double socket in the big tack room which we use for boiling kettles as no hot water, but not very often.

I don't think we abuse either socket - we only use it for genuine horsey needs eg clipping and power washing the stables. Could you not put a sign up asking them not to abuse it or failing that can you put it on some sort of coin meter, even if it's just 10 /20p it'll make people think twice about using it and a lack of change will prevent over use!

Yes this could maybe be the answer! I don't want to seem mean but it really does tick me off when I see people using it for things other than clipping, kettle boiling, etc, but I also don't want to put charges up as this punishes everyone including those that rarely used the sockets ? Thanks for replies so far!

 

[soulfull]

I've always had free access whether I've paid £20 or as now pay £35. I expect to be able to do work on lorry

 

[Annagain]

I think you can get one that works on tokens - you could then give people a token 'allowance'. Once they've run out they'll have to buy more from you - that way you're not being totally mean (not that you are anyway) but you're controlling exessive use.

 

[ihatework]

I think it would be unreasonable not to allow access to electricity sockets for routine horse management issues - clipping, xrays etc.

I think using power tools for mending a lorry is a little cheeky, but I suppose that is just a case of asking them politely not to.

 

[9tails]

Difficult, I allow my liveries to use sockets but do keep my eye open as to what they are using them for; I have no problem with clippers and the odd phone charging etc but would be wary if they consitently used them for other things. Fortunately I haven't had any real issues except one member of staff who thought I was unreasonable in objecting to her running an electric heater all day in the staff room as she had bought a puppy that she "had" to bring to work each day. When I objected she announced that she would just bring in her own electric fan heater then if I didn't want her using mine!!

LOL!

I've always taken my trailer home to work on it, wouldn't dream of using yard power. But I have used a mains drill to put up tie rings etc.

 

[asmp]

I'm on a cheap DIY yard and use electricity to boil the kettle for making up feeds and when I need to clip. Owner did get a bit narked when one girl decided to heat up the water in her dog grooming van (plus she'd filled the water up using the farmer's water which is on a meter)!

 

[Dubsie]

http://rdlmeters.com/mt100-token-operated-meter.html are not expensive, and would be easy to give out so many free tokens or free tokens when asked for eg vet visit

 

[putasocinit]

Put a wooden box around it with a lock and when livery needs it, they ask you to open up and pop 50p in the jar.

 

[legend22]

I think it would be unreasonable not to allow access to electricity sockets for routine horse management issues - clipping, xrays etc.

I think using power tools for mending a lorry is a little cheeky, but I suppose that is just a case of asking them politely not to.

This.

 

[SuperH]

I'm on a private yard, however if I was on livery I would expect to be able to use a socket if I needed to as part of the price. If I was paying extra to have my lorry/trailer parked there I would expect to be able to do maintenance on it, again as part of the price.

 

[wallykissmas]

Personally I think it's a bit tight to not have sockets for clipping, charging a mobile I wouldn't see as an issue as it's safer to hack with a mobile and a dead phone isn't a lot of use. As for charging tools I would allow it the one time but ask in future it's charged at home.

You can prevent them for taking the juice but also giving them a basic need to be able to stay safe and clip their horse.

 

[martlin]

I'm a YO, there 4 sockets in the horse barn, I don't think I have ever seen a livery using them, having said that, I don't have DIY liveries and none of my current liveries does their own clipping.
There is a kettle, electric heater and a microwave in the tea room, they rarely get used.

 

[Honey08]

I think you should have one or two dotted around for clipping and vets use etc, but I wouldn't be happy with people charging mobiles at a stables - mobiles on charge are a big fire risk. If people want to charge their mobiles at the yard they can buy and adaptor and plug it into their car cigarette lighter.

I also wouldn't want people doing a lot of work on lorries or trailers on the yard either - I wouldn't want screws and nails etc being dropped where everything is parked and horses are walking. People pay to STORE their boxes/trailers at the yards, if they want to do work on them they should take them back to their own houses while they do it IMO.

 

[WelshD]

Why not ask the liveries what they think?

They may agree to a small increase in fees to cover electricity or you could agree that they can use sockets for free provided they don't do x or y or take the mickey.

 

[webble]

I think it would be unreasonable not to allow access to electricity sockets for routine horse management issues - clipping, xrays etc.

I think using power tools for mending a lorry is a little cheeky, but I suppose that is just a case of asking them politely not to.

Agree with this. I dont think charging a phone is wrong either. I wouldnt want to be at the yard or out riding with a flat battery just in case

 

[JCW]

I am a diy livery and I wouldn't dream of charging my mobile at the farm. I think I have only ever used the electric to boil a kettle once or twice. I believe that at my stables they charge extra if you want to use the electric for clipping.

 

[Maisy]

Personally I would rather pay another couple of £ a week on my livery bill and not be worried if I needed to use a plug, whatever it was for! We drink *loads* of tea on our yard so the kettle is nearly always on! I don't recall ever charging a phone there, but I wouldn't want to feel that I couldn't....

 

[kerrieberry2]

I have power in my tack room and in 2 of the 4 stables! the farmer doesn't restrict use but I only use it for the kettle or clippers!

I've often needed hot water for the vet etc, so you do need at least one power socket!

 

[Spit That Out]

Each barn has sockets in the tack rooms, you have to supply your own extension cord to lead out of the room and they are used for clipping, vets and farrier. I don't think anyone would use it to charge a phone as it's too out the way of the stables.
However in the kitchen there are sockets for the kettle & microwave but again I don't think I've ever seen a phone being charged and there are 60 liveries!!
If you had to work on your lorry or trailer then I'd expect to be able to plug a power tool in!
The biggest power drain is people leaving the school lights on so either put them on a timer ours you have to push every 45 mins or a pay as you go.
My last yard sold electric cards that you pushed in, they were £5 a card and you topped up as you needed to...stopped the lights being left on!!
It costs more to run anything that needs to warm up like a kettle and would be more bothered about the costs of plugging one of those in rather than a mobile phone that uses very little!

 

[chocolategirl]

http://rdlmeters.com/mt100-token-operated-meter.html are not expensive, and would be easy to give out so many free tokens or free tokens when asked for eg vet visit

Thank you so much for that!😊

 

[chocolategirl]

I'm on a private yard, however if I was on livery I would expect to be able to use a socket if I needed to as part of the price. If I was paying extra to have my lorry/trailer parked there I would expect to be able to do maintenance on it, again as part of the price.

We don't charge for parking lorries or trailers 😊

 

[chocolategirl]

I think you should have one or two dotted around for clipping and vets use etc, but I wouldn't be happy with people charging mobiles at a stables - mobiles on charge are a big fire risk. If people want to charge their mobiles at the yard they can buy and adaptor and plug it into their car cigarette lighter.

I also wouldn't want people doing a lot of work on lorries or trailers on the yard either - I wouldn't want screws and nails etc being dropped where everything is parked and horses are walking. People pay to STORE their boxes/trailers at the yards, if they want to do work on them they should take them back to their own houses while they do it IMO.

Thank you! Glad somebody else is speaking sense!😊