Access to your horses on a livery yard

[Gingerwitch]

Have you ever been on a yard where you are not allowed there on a certain day of the week or between a certain time ?

I am not talking about when a horse is being pts - and the yard asks everyone to stay away so the horse and owner can have a private good bye, or if the yard owner or a member of their family is seriously ill or its the day of a funeral.

I am talking about a yard that says you cannot visit between 12 and 4 on a Sunday, or you cannot see your horse on Christmas day until after 1pm.

 

[JennBags]

No, and I wouldn't.

There was a 10pm curfew at one yard I was on, but I wouldn't countenance being told when I could/could not see to my horse.

 

[Sheep]

No, normally at a previous yard gates would be opened from about 7am in mornings and they'd prefer you to be away and locked up for about 9pm, unless away at an evening show.

Current yard doesn't really have any official hours, it is located directly across the lane from the YOs house but it has its own entrance through locked gates - all liveries have keys, so in theory we can access the yard at any time, within reason.

 

[Supertrooper]

The yard I initially had D on told me there was no restrictions on what time I could go to yard and then the day after I moved him there said oh actually nobody is allowed on yard until after 8am. I'd already told them I started work at 8am and to say I was angry was an understatement. We moved two weeks later, partly because of this and also because I'd said he couldn't be next to mares due to being gelded late, again no problem and then without me knowing they put four mares bang next to him and then complained when he got wound up and the mares came into season!!

We are now at a really lovely yard and are much happier!

 

[Rosie'smum]

Old yard no real restriction in the morning unless silly early then just let them knw so turn alarms off. At night it was 9pm again so can lock up.

Current yard no restrictions at all as ong as lights are turned off

 

[criso]

Most of the yards I have been on have had opening hours however not where you cannot visit during the daytime which tends to be the busy times.

 

[Patterdale]

I am talking about a yard that says you cannot visit between 12 and 4 on a Sunday, or you cannot see your horse on Christmas day until after 1pm.

It's their yard, their choice - especially if it is also their home.
I wouldn't like it, but then I would exercise MY choice to go elsewhere.

 

[Boulty]

Yep I used to be on a yard that locked up at about 7pm every night and was shut on a Tuesday (was a RS as well so that was the horses day off). Technically there was someone about mucking out in morning and I guess if you took your tack etc home you could have gone down later on (only YO and a couple of staff had keys). It was full livery in winter so horses still all got done obviously.

Current yard no restrictions at all (apart from having to dodge the dogs early in a morning) and yard previous to that didn't have any either as such (but I would have felt obliged to let YO know if I was going to be down very late or early so they didn't worry about it being a random intruder stomping around)

 

[PolarSkye]

Never been on a yard with restrictions . . . all have had someone living on-site, though, so out of courtesy I would (and have) always let YO know if I would be up particularly early to go to a competition or home late. I did ask current YO about Christmas when I went to look round because her house is very close to the barn, and other family members also live on site.

Also, I wouldn't be putting the school lights on at unsociable hours either - the school is right next to YO's house and the lights would be a disturbance. But that's just manners.

P

 

[Penny Less]

If as someone above says the yard is someones home I would be happy with the restrictions. I would not like people coming and going at odd hours unless informed first. Also they are entitled to peace at weekends and Christmas.Our yard is literally right outside the owners front door so they have a right to privacy.

 

[Burmilla]

I once looked at a lovely yard, owned by a highly qualified IHRA, who told me that no one other than the grooms were allowed to see, let alone ride, their horse on Mondays. It was the horses' 'quiet day'. Well, fair enough if it was a riding school/trekking centre, but this was full livery for private owners, who were/would pay at least £600 pw for the privilege. I was working part of every day, often needing to change shifts to cover for emergencies/staff shortages. I did not think being told I could not even see my horse on Mondays was reasonable. I didn't go there.

 

[Montyforever]

Current yard would tell yo if i was going down at unsociable hours purely because she would want me to text to let her know all was fine when i left there's no restrictions, even if gates are locked i know the codes.

Previous yard, it was only under special circumstances. For example when my mare was colicky, went down at 8pm, then again at 10 and found she still hadn't pooed so popped up to the house as they had a guard dog and used to just let him wander late at night to let them know i was there and was going to walk her round the school for a while. They had no problems provided there was a genuine reason for being up there so late. And obviously needed to know incase the vet needed access, and to make sure they kept dog muzzled/in.

Yard before that .. Well anyone could walk in at any time and it wouldn't be noticed (we did a stake out, made an absolute racket because it was pitch black and yard was never clear!) and he hadn't even heard us! (10ft away from his caravan?!)

I think there's restrictions and unreasonable restrictions. Need to have a basic time that everyone tries to stick to but is flexible in emergencies.

 

[ester]

No and it would drive me mad so I just wouldn't livery there. Have worked previously at a RS and livery where monday was day off day so they all got to go in the field and chill for they day and when on such a busy yard I do think it was nice for them to be able to do so and liveries tended to do the same. Don't think that would worry me so much as I could plan round that if everything else was amazing.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Only once. We weren't told until after we'd moved our 3 horses there. We left very quickly.

 

[BlackRider]

Most yards I've been on, have been about "reasonable access" and you have to respect it is somebody's home.
However, the 1-4pm closure on a Sunday I would not be happy with!

 

[kez81]

I was at a yard that had opening times of 7am til 9pm as the owner lived onsite and had young children. I thought that was fairly reasonable opening times being a mum So was happy with that. During summer holidays she extended the evening hours up to 10.30 too. If you had to be there earlier it was fine as long as you let them know and didn't make a racket. There were never any other restrictions on coming or going except on rare occasions when ground works needed to be done or something. I do think having a reasonable daily opening and closing time is a good idea if owners are onsite so they get some quiet time and privacy but would not accept being dictated which day off a week my horse has to have or which vet or farrier or even which instructor I can bring in or even what tack I can use on my horse ( yes I have been to a yard that had tack rules, needless to say I didn't move into that one!) .

 

[w1bbler]

Left a yard, 1 of the many reasons being she complained I was always there in the evening (about 6-8pm) - well I work, when else am I going to ride. I never knocked on her door or asked for anything, she preferred her other well trained liveries who only rode in the morning (it was full.livery)

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Have you ever been on a yard where you are not allowed there on a certain day of the week or between a certain time ?

I am not talking about when a horse is being pts - and the yard asks everyone to stay away so the horse and owner can have a private good bye, or if the yard owner or a member of their family is seriously ill or its the day of a funeral.

I am talking about a yard that says you cannot visit between 12 and 4 on a Sunday, or you cannot see your horse on Christmas day until after 1pm.

We have a kerfew not before 7am or after 8.30pm unless previously agreed. This is told to people when they view and sign a contract saying they are happy with these terms.

We do not however have any kerfew during the day time whether its Christmas day or a Sunday.

12 - 4pm kerfew sounds ridiculous on a Sunday

 

[Ibblebibble]

no but i do know of one where liveries have to feed at 5pm, no exceptions, and then be off the yard. i couldn't deal with those kind of restrictions which is why i rent my own place.

 

[LillyBeth]

Really of all the days to restrict access to your horses, the weekend is the least appropriate/acceptable IMO! What about people who are working in the week so like to spend all day at the weekend with their horses? Or going to shows?

Most of the curfews sound fair up here (i.e. between 7am and 9pm) as just manners, but cannot understand the sunday restriction.

 

[soulfull]

I respect a YO choice to restrict hours so long as they are up front when someone is viewing. However I would never choose a yard that had restrictions that didn't cover 365 days 7am- 9pm. With allowances for shows etc

 

[el_Snowflakes]

Think mine opens about 7/7:30 & it closes at 9pm, however this is flexible if we are preparing for a show or if horse is unwell of course. There's restrictions on Xmas & Boxing Day (2pm close if I remember correctly) which is difficult for those who work shifts but liveries help each other out. It can be inconvenient but at the same time it's the price you pay for having the YOs living on site. They work hard to accommodate us all year round so it's only fair to respect their privacy.

 

[char3479]

While I agree you should respect a yard owners privacy and not rock up for tea and biscuits at will, they can't have their cake and eat it. A livery yard is a profitable business and the customer's wishes should be accommodated. If you're paying a huge amount to keep your horse there, you should be allowed access whenever you wish, regardless of whether their house is next door. Sunday afternoons, early mornings & late evenings are when the majority of the population have a bit of free time. And it's far more likely to deter thieves if people visit at irregular times.

 

[hairycob]

I need to be away from the yard by 7 when they are in at night so I can get washed & changed for work. In summer when I don't stink I can go straight from yard at 8 but need to be in saddle 6.30ish. Don't get back until gone 6 even going straight to yard. There is a yard in our village in a great location but in winter opening hours are 7-6 so monday to friday I wouldn't see my horse.

 

[RoughcutDiamond]

First yard was 9am-9pm Monday to Friday, and 9am-5pm at weekends. I could tolerate it initially because I was self-employed and basically organised my work around pony. Then a change of circumstances led to me doing shift-work - 10 hours often running over. I managed for 4 months with difficulty, then hit a 10am-8pm shift Mon-Thurs one week. I asked if pony could be full livery for 4 days (we were DIY) and was told no, either one or the other. I wasn't willing to pay over £2k more per year for a once in a blue moon period where I actually needed full livery so that was that. Christmas and New Year had restrictions on them too, if I remember rightly you had to be OFF yard by 1pm. Full liveries, even if the weather had been awful and therefore horses had been kept in, were then chucked out regardless for pretty much the whole Xmas-New Year period.

Now on a smaller, friendlier yard with access (within reason) 24/7

 

[MileAMinute]

We can go anytime - but out of courtesy to the YO I'd send him a text/call if I was going to be there at an odd time for whatever reason.

My friend's yard shuts at 7pm which I find madness. It is a riding school with around a 1/4 on livery so I can kind of understand it to some degree but in the summer I wouldn't even be thinking of going back up until then!

 

[el_Snowflakes]

While I agree you should respect a yard owners privacy and not rock up for tea and biscuits at will, they can't have their cake and eat it. A livery yard is a profitable business and the customer's wishes should be accommodated. If you're paying a huge amount to keep your horse there, you should be allowed access whenever you wish, regardless of whether their house is next door. Sunday afternoons, early mornings & late evenings are when the majority of the population have a bit of free time. And it's far more likely to deter thieves if people visit at irregular times.

At the end of the day, their land, their decision. If the rules/facilities etc are not suitable for you no-one is making you board your horse there! In respects to security, if someone is present on the yard after 9pm our YO knows its someone who shouldn't be there.

 

[Moomin1]

I can go whenever I like. I'm on a tiny private livery with only one other livery and her young daughter there. YO is none horsey and doesn't get involved. The only thing I do do is ring him to let him know if I am going to be there at really odd hours ie very late at night or in the middle of the night just so he doesn't panic if he sees someone skulking around the yard in the dark. The first night my mare went out 24/7 this summer a few weeks back, I was up there every four hours through the night to check her (she can be a bit gas colicky when she first goes out), and sitting in the field in the dark watching her in the middle of the night!!

 

[Hippona]

While I agree you should respect a yard owners privacy and not rock up for tea and biscuits at will, they can't have their cake and eat it. A livery yard is a profitable business and the customer's wishes should be accommodated. If you're paying a huge amount to keep your horse there, you should be allowed access whenever you wish, regardless of whether their house is next door. Sunday afternoons, early mornings & late evenings are when the majority of the population have a bit of free time. And it's far more likely to deter thieves if people visit at irregular times.

I agree with this.
Previou yard was very good....6 30 until 9pm however if you needed access at other times you just had to let YO know.....she lived on site. No problem out of those times for shows, vets, horse viewings....as long as knew what the dogs were barking for and who was coming and going. I've never heard of yards restricting access at certain hours or having days off.
Got my own place now so I please myself

 

[DD265]

On Christmas this year YO had had an operation the week before and as he had somebody working the yard for him, he asked those of us that would visit (not many, it's full livery) to come between 10am and 12pm so that the person working could crack on and get away to their family. It was nicely explained so not an issue.

I wouldn't personally turn up at the yard before 8am without letting YO know beforehand and they ask that nobody turns up after 9pm (if somebody is finishing up after a hack or whatever fair enough) as they live on site and like to settle the horses down for the night.

If I needed to be at the yard at 11pm as long as YO knew that wouldn't be an issue, but as it's full livery and I don't compete then that would only happen if something was wrong so we'd both be there anyway.