alsxx
Well-Known Member
Apologies in advance if this is a long one, but really need some opinions!!
I keep my two on DIY livery on what is an otherwise mostly full livery yard, but for quite a long time have not been very happy there; silly things really but have niggled on for about 18 months now:
- The DIYers got chucked in a field a rather long way away from yard back in the autumn (takes me 15/20 mins to get there and back and up a really big hill). Said field has no running water so you need to bucket it halfway up the hill - I am the only one who bothers even though share the field. The other night I went to top up the water to find that the trough i fill it up from was bone dry, there are horses in this field. The pipes had been changed around at the bottom and i could not get the water to come out at all so have had to bucket the whole way up which was not fun and practically killed me!! To get to the field you have to lead the horses through another field full of horses which invariably ends up in chaos and hooves flying everywhere.
- We have to use 'yard farrier' - i recently found out he is not even a registered farrier (i wasnt surprised as have never been happy with his work). Their feet were done on weds and when i got down there that evening and looked at them, my gelding's feet (he is unshod) looked like they hadnt even been trimmed! He has either a) not trimmed them, or b) run a rasp around the edges of his feet and that really is it! There have been a few occaisons before when i have wondered whether he was actually done but just paid up but now i am absolutely fuming as like i said he has either not done them at all or done the most appalling job. I cant say anything to him/question him though - dont really want to psot on public forum why just in case!!
- I have lost count of the amount of times my hay has been used - when questioning YO tactfully about this she flatly denies it even though her staff have admitted using the hay!! So i still end up paying for what i havent even used. Not to mention all my stuff walking off - daft like buckets, haynets, whips etc but so irritating when you have to go out and buy new ones!
- The guard dogs LOVE jumping up at the horses as you are leading them in (think lion jumping on zebra's wither/neck to bring it down and you have it spot on!!) to the point where my Mare is now ridiculously viscious towards dogs.
Anyhow, i have been looking for about a year for somewhere else as after we bought our first house this yard is now 6.5 miles away plus i've never been that happy there. I have finally found somewhere and am thinking i want to go for it, but its quite a big decision and want to make sure i make the right one!!
Pros:
- takes me the same time to get there (but it is 8 miles away now....)
- XC jumps on site
- Oldencraig EC is 'hackable' as are other shows/hunter trials - i dont have my own transport right now and have not been able to go anywhere at all as a result - riding 5 mare really needs to get out and about!
- i can bed on straw and therefore save some ££ not bedding on shavings (we have to use shavings at present)
- i can use whatever Farrier i like
!!
- i just liked the yard, it was on a farm but nice and tidy and just felt good (yard right now its a bit of a dump TBH considering)
cons:
- it is further away when i could do with saving money on petrol
- no horsewalker (we have one at present yard)
- only has the one school (which is indoor floodlit), where i am now it has 3, 1 which has jumps in (the indoor though is terrible and thats the only place for me to ride during week in winter, this one does look better)
- its not on BF's way home from work and he does drop in and do them for me occaisonally (maybe once every couple of weeks) or if i go away for work.
So really just after people's thoughts - i'm quite worried i may be jumping out of the frying pan, into the fire - this is the first place i ahve managed to find in a year and i dont want to go for the first place i see, yet i may not find anywhere else for another year! Overall its going to cost me an extra £1.50 a week although he did say i could possibly pay less for one of them during the summer as he would be out 24/7 so that potential cost saving could cover the extra petrol.
Never mind cookies for getting this far, probably need something a bit stronger
!!
I keep my two on DIY livery on what is an otherwise mostly full livery yard, but for quite a long time have not been very happy there; silly things really but have niggled on for about 18 months now:
- The DIYers got chucked in a field a rather long way away from yard back in the autumn (takes me 15/20 mins to get there and back and up a really big hill). Said field has no running water so you need to bucket it halfway up the hill - I am the only one who bothers even though share the field. The other night I went to top up the water to find that the trough i fill it up from was bone dry, there are horses in this field. The pipes had been changed around at the bottom and i could not get the water to come out at all so have had to bucket the whole way up which was not fun and practically killed me!! To get to the field you have to lead the horses through another field full of horses which invariably ends up in chaos and hooves flying everywhere.
- We have to use 'yard farrier' - i recently found out he is not even a registered farrier (i wasnt surprised as have never been happy with his work). Their feet were done on weds and when i got down there that evening and looked at them, my gelding's feet (he is unshod) looked like they hadnt even been trimmed! He has either a) not trimmed them, or b) run a rasp around the edges of his feet and that really is it! There have been a few occaisons before when i have wondered whether he was actually done but just paid up but now i am absolutely fuming as like i said he has either not done them at all or done the most appalling job. I cant say anything to him/question him though - dont really want to psot on public forum why just in case!!
- I have lost count of the amount of times my hay has been used - when questioning YO tactfully about this she flatly denies it even though her staff have admitted using the hay!! So i still end up paying for what i havent even used. Not to mention all my stuff walking off - daft like buckets, haynets, whips etc but so irritating when you have to go out and buy new ones!
- The guard dogs LOVE jumping up at the horses as you are leading them in (think lion jumping on zebra's wither/neck to bring it down and you have it spot on!!) to the point where my Mare is now ridiculously viscious towards dogs.
Anyhow, i have been looking for about a year for somewhere else as after we bought our first house this yard is now 6.5 miles away plus i've never been that happy there. I have finally found somewhere and am thinking i want to go for it, but its quite a big decision and want to make sure i make the right one!!
Pros:
- takes me the same time to get there (but it is 8 miles away now....)
- XC jumps on site
- Oldencraig EC is 'hackable' as are other shows/hunter trials - i dont have my own transport right now and have not been able to go anywhere at all as a result - riding 5 mare really needs to get out and about!
- i can bed on straw and therefore save some ££ not bedding on shavings (we have to use shavings at present)
- i can use whatever Farrier i like
- i just liked the yard, it was on a farm but nice and tidy and just felt good (yard right now its a bit of a dump TBH considering)
cons:
- it is further away when i could do with saving money on petrol
- no horsewalker (we have one at present yard)
- only has the one school (which is indoor floodlit), where i am now it has 3, 1 which has jumps in (the indoor though is terrible and thats the only place for me to ride during week in winter, this one does look better)
- its not on BF's way home from work and he does drop in and do them for me occaisonally (maybe once every couple of weeks) or if i go away for work.
So really just after people's thoughts - i'm quite worried i may be jumping out of the frying pan, into the fire - this is the first place i ahve managed to find in a year and i dont want to go for the first place i see, yet i may not find anywhere else for another year! Overall its going to cost me an extra £1.50 a week although he did say i could possibly pay less for one of them during the summer as he would be out 24/7 so that potential cost saving could cover the extra petrol.
Never mind cookies for getting this far, probably need something a bit stronger
