Am I mad or are people lazy (sorry long!)

[Blackhawk]

How does the way other people look after their horses affect how you look after yours? If it doesn't, then it isn't really your business what other people do with their horses. I imagine your YO ensures that they are all well cared for.

I am on full livery after always having my horses on DIY, or kept at home. Why? Because I work in a job where I'm not guaranteed a finish time. I could have every intention of finishing work at 5pm, and still be there at 8pm. I would rather pay to know that my horse has a routine, and that he is happy. This way I also always know exactly what I'm paying through the winter, and I don't have to worry about costs running away.

I have done plenty of 5am starts.

Your way works for you and your horses, which is great. Don't criticise others for how they choose to care for their horses.

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

A happy yard is made or broken by the people who use it, I've always found that yards where everyone is on DIY are very friendly and everyone helps out each other, sharing evenings/mornings, Sunday lie ins etc. The problems seem to arise when there is DIY, part and full all going on at once.

I did once share duties with a friend, I turned out and mucked out, rugs etc, as she could only do evening stables as her (over 50!) husband demanded she stayed in bed and had s** every morning!

She's now at a different yard on full livery!

 

[Lady_Bug]

[ QUOTE ]
I really hate your attitude - in fact its this attitude thats made me move from some yards in the past.

The kind of people who think that they're the best owners ever and if you're not getting up at 5am and killing yourself for your horse then you're not a good owner, or you're neglecting your horse.

If people pay for the horse to be cared for by the YO, who gives a damn? Horse is still cared for, gets a regular routine, makes their life easier.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree 100% with the above.

As long as the horse is being cared for, who cares who does it? It's up to the owners to decide what livery arrangements suit them best and sort it out with the YO.

You worry about your horse and let the other liveries worry about theirs. It's this sort of attitude which makes the horsey world/livery yards such bitchy places.

 

[WishfulThinker]

My horse is on DIY. He is turned out fo rme and brought in. I the rest. I don't go up in the morning for the simple reason of traffic! Rush hour here can start at 6:30 for the 1st rush then its quiet till 7 then quiet till 8. I would have to go to yard, then home to shower then work - just not feasible to me to be honest. If my OH lived with me I deffo would not be getting up extra early to do what is included in my bill.

 

[sturgo]

Well, If the service is offered then I cant see a problem with people using it. People like to do things differently.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

You don't have to be a martyr to your horse & be there to do everything. As long as arrangements are made to do the various chores if you can't get there then I cannot see the problem. You chose to be there & do everything yourself for your horse, commendable, but what is wrong with owners using the service the YO provides...& boosting his/her income in the process. Just because they don't all do things your way does not mean they don't care for their animals.

 

[lilym]

thats the point of being on a yard with services suerley??? you are clearley very dedicated and i take my hat off to you fitting eventing around shifts, but regards the other horses as long as they are fedd, wormed and looked after (feel for horse 3 though) why worry yourself?? live and let live, enjoy your horse in your way and let others enjoy theirs in their own way......as for people only coming up once a day, i only go once in summer YO checks mine in the morning for me, they are out 24/7 anyway....

 

[BeckyD]

Agree completely. I would love to do my horse every day, and if I got up at 5am I probably could. But, the "benefit" of turning out and feeding and changing rugs in the morning for a horse that's 25 mins away and a further 40 mins from work when I'm only 20 mins from work when I'm at home, seems relatively small. Plus it costs me more in petrol to do it myself. Big round of applause to those who do manage it. But each to their own, Ronnie's well looked after and I have a great YO who I trust completely to do the right thing for him.

It doens't have to be laziness, just appreciation that I can't fit eveything in to my life that I need to and if I did try to fit it all in I wouldn't have a boyfriend to come home to.

 

[WelshRareBit]

I dont think it makes people lazy!

So long as someone does look after the horse who cares who it is? Cetainly not the horse, its the 21st century and Id rather see someone PAY to have their horse done, than not do it at all because they cant fit it in!

 

[Chex]

I only have a problem with this when the yard is strictly DIY only, but liveries expect others to do their horses because they can't be bothered. Of course this is partly the YO's fault for not putting their foot down! But if its a paid service then I don't see the problem. Its not how I choose to look after my horse, but I can see why others do.

 

[DiablosGold]

[ QUOTE ]
A happy yard is made or broken by the people who use it, I've always found that yards where everyone is on DIY are very friendly and everyone helps out each other, sharing evenings/mornings, Sunday lie ins etc. The problems seem to arise when there is DIY, part and full all going on at once.

I did once share duties with a friend, I turned out and mucked out, rugs etc, as she could only do evening stables as her (over 50!) husband demanded she stayed in bed and had s** every morning!

She's now at a different yard on full livery!

[/ QUOTE ]

I've found completely the opposite! DIY - bitchy, horses done at different times etc etc. My yard is assisted DIY, and we're all lovely

 

[Lill]

QR You might think i'm lazy as i never go to the yard in the mornings even when my horse is in over night. He is on a private yard and only him and 2 others come in at night in the winter now so YO (guess you'd call them!) turn them all out in the mornings and i come down and muck out and put them all to bed Weds-Sun evenings/afternoons, YO's do them on Mon and Tues as i can't make it those days

works fine for us, has done for past 4/5 years!

 

[AmyMay]

QR - Speedinut, I think you are fantastically dedicated. You obviously take your sport, and your hobby very seriously.

I think it's perfectly acceptable to ask for help - many of us do. And having spent 10 years running myself ragged doing absolutely everything for AmyMay - I must say it was lovely when someone started turning her out for me in the mornings.

However, I must say - your yard sounds like the exception, rather than the rule. With no sense of commitment or responsibility from some of the owners. It's not a yard I would want to be at.......

 

[the watcher]

QR
In a perfect world maybe all of us on DIY should be there at the crack of dawn and at dusk everyday putting our horses first. I have a child and his needs have to come first, he may not be a baby now but I have to be around in the mornings to ensure he is up for the school bus and still get to work at 8 - so either a very early start with the horses or a rushed turnout on the way to work, likewise in the evening after an 8-9 hour working day the priority is to get home and cook dinner - I don't have the luxury of hanging around the yard into the evening schooling my horse.

I also work shifts, so late shifts give me more time to turn out/muck out/ride/do chores but I have to fit that in with housework, shopping and preparing the evening meal so it is in the slow cooker or just needs reheating later.

Given a 36 hour day I too could be superwoman at the yard, but I don't see that happening any time soon.

 

[FMM]

QR to OP
You don't actually sound as though you enjoy the time you spend with your horse. Perhaps I have read it wrong. I have to say, when I was younger (and even less tolerant than I am now) I used to love spending as much time as possible at the yard. But as you get older, get more responsibilities (including children) you have to prioritise. I think perhaps you need to chill a little and stop worrying so much about what everyone else is doing.

Have to say that I would not be that impressed with someone waking my horse up at 5am when they woldn't be getting breakfast for another two hours. Most livery yards would not accept people turning up that early.

So, not only do I have my horse on full livery, but I also have a cleaner once a week, and a childminder to look after my son when I am at work.

Look at all the people I am keeping in employment!!!

 

[Gorgeous George]

I am a new owner and still finding my way with my routine, I am on assisted DIY (supposedley part) at the moment, but because I work irregular hours and the way the yard is run the routine can be pretty haphazard at times. This is why I am moving to a yard that has full livery (gosh I must be terribly lazy!) and a routine for George., and shock horror once a week I won't see him! He couldn't care less who, feeds, mucks out or turns out and it means I can spend more time with him, it doesn't mean I am lazy or that I love my horse any less. I have a full-time job, and an OH who isn't horsey and I do actually want to spend time with when we're both awake! Also my family all live 3+ hours away, so when we visit it means a weekend away and I need to know that George is ok.

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

[ QUOTE ]
speednut - what do you think about people who are on FULL livery? Should they not own horses? What about people who only get to see their horses of a weekend? Sorry but I do not think these people on your yard are lazy, I just think they time manage their days differently. If my YO only charged £1 to turn out then hell, I would let her do it for me EVERY day!

[/ QUOTE ]

ditto,.

I only see mine over the weekend - stressful job, don't drive etc H on RDA work during the week, I then spend the weekend fussing, covering for sickness and holiday at the yard. h lives out.

 

[M_G]

As long as someone is caring for the horses does it really matter who feeds/turns out /mucks out..I am sure the horses dont care who does it....and it would be nice to have a lie in on occasion.

 

[crabbymare]

As far as I'm concerned, as long as the owner makes sure that the horse is in a suitable routine and properly cared for by a competant person then they are being responsible.
Laziness does not come into it.
If the owner works to pay someone else to look after the horse its down to them as to how many times a day, week or month they see the horse.
Personally i would not want anyone else to do more than the minimum possible with mine hence I am on DIY and they only really have to keep a check on them while I am at work, but thats whats right for me, I'm not going to tell anyone they are wrong or lazy not to see theirs every day.

 

[honeymum]

QR

I think I must be very much like Tia's liveries in that I only see my pony about once every 4-6 weeks, mainly because it is a 280 mile round trip. She is at my mums yard and I pay the same amount for her as the other liveries pay for theirs. However I could not afford to have her even on DIY where I live as I would have to include petrol etc and it just would not be feasible. I have looked around for yards and the most reasonably priced one would mean a 90 minute round trip twice a day, as well as working full time and exercising my dog. I also feel at her age it would not be fair moving her 140 miles by box and away from all her friends.
Honey does not seem to mind who turns her out, rugs her up etc as long as it is done. She is 29 years old and not rideable any longer, however she is happy being a field ornament and goes out for most of the summer to a friend up the road as a lawnmower so thereby saving me livery bills.