Am I being unreasonable? Livery yard!

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Cupid

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Sorry to post another thread of livery yard troubles!

I don't want to go into too much detail but feel my current yard is not suiting our requirments. I have recently moved to a new area and probably rather foolishly went for the first yard I looked at, but it seemed great and the girl who ran it was a similar age to me and the facilities where nice.

Now a few months later we seem to of hit a few problems. The amount of turn-out the yard has is very limited and they have spent a fair amount re-seeding the fields, which understandibly they don't want trashed.

I'm going to keep it short and to the point so would you be happy if:

1. Your horse could only be turned out in a 20mtr circle type size woodchip pen? He's going out most days for up to 8 hours but I can't be 100% on this as I work full time and I have to pay her to bring him in and turn him out (another thing I'm not happy about as like to do him myself when I can). Although when I get down to skip out in the evening, usually around 7.30pm he's not too messy which indicates he has been out most of the day. He is being turned out in the pen because again apparantly he goes crazy in the paddocks, which are quite small and gallops around for 2 hours, which I really don't believe and have never witnessed. But my thought is surely the more he's kept in the worse he's going to be when he's turned out? He has at home been used to being turned out from 8.30am to 5pm during the week.

2. I have now been informed that because I work such long hours some days, 8.30am to 7pm. I am down the yard for 6.30am and usually get down in the eve about 7.30pm that during the winter I can only go down one end of the day as I will use too much electricity? I am there for 30 mins max morning and night, I just go down to do his stable, rugs and feed. But it's ok for me to pay her to do this? Although she has offered to do this at a reduced rate, which I still really can't afford or don't want to do.

It's been made quite awkward at times and have made the decision to leave, and even though she was the first to suggest is still enforcing that I give one months notice, which I'm having to see through as cannot afford to pay for two yards :(

I just want what is best for my horse :(
 
Turnout is no.1 priority so I'd move for that alone.
Electricity, & whether you are being unreasonable depends on what was agreed when you moved on. Our farmer has threatened someone in the past because they have every light on for hours with a price increase, but that's because we pay v little, & its made clear when someone moves on that he covers costs so there's no margin for extra costs.
 
I definitely wouldn't be happy having turnout only in a pen every day. With regards to her doing your mucking out and you paying her to do it as she doesn't want you to use too much electricity...bang out of order. You are paying for your horse to have livery which the electricity should be covered for within. She is taking the mick. I'd get out as soon as possible and not look back. Where in the country are you? I'm sure someone can recommend a good yard where you won't have these issues. My yard has 24/7 turnout even through winter and provided we don't leave lights on continuously the electricity has never been an issue.
 
If she knew you worked long hours, and when you would be seeing to your horse, and now she tells you you can only go down once a day, she has broken your contract, and has no right to insist you pay I would think! Sounds like a money grabbing witch if you ask me. Also were you told about the turnout situation before you moved? If not, again I wouldn't be happy, although I can understand there reasons as it has been far wetter than they could have anticipated for this time of year! BUT if there was to be no limit on turnout over winter, then again, its not right, and I would be moving, and not be inclined to pay a full months notice.
 
What a tough situation...

I recently had to ask a livery to leave as she had 2 very flighty tb's that recieved little or no excercise, and really did gallop around all day. I have had to rest their paddock for 4mnths to recover it and has cost me a lot in re seeding and recovery work. I did offer her turnout in the 30 x 50 sand school when the field was very wet as an alternative, but as they dug holes and churned that up too, the situation became impossible. Therefore as yo do know what it is like to have horses ruin your fields, as often any profit made from having liveries can be quickly wiped out by 'field trashers'. However if your lad was not galloping around as claimed it does seem odd. Are other horses treated the same or allowed access to the grazing?

Re the electricity situation, that does sound odd! My liveries have elec and water included and if necessary are 'gently' reminded to turn off lights and recycle water (we have numerous rain butts) for washing down etc. However if you run a yard you have to expect people to use the lights once the clocks change, regardless of your working hours.

Whatever the situation, I think it would be best for your horse to move on. If your contract states you have to give a mnths notice, but you are desparate to leave, I would just pay the mnths livery but move as soon as you find somewhere else.

Good luck!
 
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It depends what was discussed before you came to the yard. If you are only paying the standard £25 a week or so for DIY livery then suddenly finding a client is going to be using so much electricity could make a YO realise she is not going to cover her costs, so I do understand where she is coming from. But if you made this clear before you arrived, then it is a bit odd and you are best leaving.
 
I think the electricity thing was an excuse to push you out, and you should be able to go when you want for the last month, without restrictions. Unless you are leaving the school floodlights on all night, elec shouldn't be a problem!

As for the turnout, I think, again, that this may be to get rid of you! You can understand wanting to keep new re seeded fields safe, but there should be some trash field.

He would be fine for a month in his little turnout pen - ours do that most of the winter and are fine, but he ought to be allowed the odd day of grass in the field.

Hope you can work out a good compromise for the last month and find a good yard.

ps, we did have a livery that bit hell out of our ponies and ripped rugs, so we ended up seperating it as we couldn't think of anything else to do. The owner swore blind it didn't and even when it did it right in front of us both one day she said "it was an accident and just caught it.." She left in the end as she felt it was cruel of us to seperate her horse. Some people don't see/admit what their horses do right under their noses... At least they are trying to give him all day turnout..
 
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she wont sue you for 1 months livery cost, it wouldnt be worth it as it would cost more finding a solicitor and taking it to small claims court, also would take too long, and if she did 6 months down the line as soon as you got the notice or even in court just agree to pay a paltry sum each month, job done, but move she has not stood by her agreement and i think this would stand up in court. as another poster said sounds like a money grabbing witch.
 
Move! Just not worth the stress and upset to try and sort this situation out. Give your custom to another more horse friendly yard
 
I would move, the cost of electricity is already accounted for in your agreed livery fee. I wouldn,t have anybody dictate to me when i could see my own horse. Hope you find somewhere soon x
 
Thanks for confirming what I already thought/feel. New yard is sorted and now just waiting to move really as can't afford to pay for two sets of livery and don't want to cause any confrontation as not that sort of person. It's weird as we have become good friends socially etc but the yard just dosen't suit us and she's not making it easy for me to want to stay.
 
Not being rude but maybe she doesn't want you to stay for whatever reason. Possible, I have a very good friend, but I regard her horse as extermely nasty verging on evil (never thought I'd say that about a horse until I knew this one). As much as I treasure our friendship I'd never be at a yard where I had to turn out with that horse.
 
No offence taken Pip :)

He's a 22 yr old tb, v chilled out, relaxed and just wants to eat mainly! I've never in the 6 years of having him had a problem like this? Maybe the grass is better and with the limited turnout he's going a bit crazy but surely the answer is to turn him out more? He's used to having all day out in the field and I think it's just not suiting him. Which I've said to her is no ones fault it's just the way it is.

She says she dosen't want me to go but isn't offering any alternative or making it easy for me to stay. Alot of the people on the yard are teenages/novices and she can tell them what to do etc to a certain extent.
 
It always makes me laugh when Y/Os get upset about horses trashing fields... If you don't want fields trashed either don't have so many horses on the land that they can't recover or... keep sheep instead....

This is why rules like 'one horse per acre then an extra acre on top' were devised...

I think you are wise to move OP and you have gone a good way about it :)
 
Thanks CBFan :) Friends are telling me not to be so tollerable and to say something but I'd rather keep the peace and just move quietly.
 
Not sure how it is possible for a horse to gallop about for two hours with no visible signs of galloping(sweat,mud spatters,exhaustion, marks in field)
So I would move asap.
Hope you find somewhere lovely.
 
CBFan - in response to your 'field trashing' comment....

The two I had to ask to leave were on their own in a 3 acre field, and regularily did more damage in 24 hrs than all the other liveries put together for an entire winter!

Of course you expect a few skid marks and poached areas, but I defy anyone to see what damage these 2 horses did as acceptable!
 
Hope the move goes well. Has the yard owner offered reduced charges during the summer when you dont use any electric ? I bet not !! Best thing is what you are doing I think, keep things polite and move when you can
 
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