Am I right to be angry?

Cazzah

Cazzah

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...personally, I think so but would welcome your thoughts!! This could be a bit long so apologies in advance.....

I had my baby 11 days ago and prior to that I had turned my TB away for a couple of months over the winter on DIY livery. The YO refused to let me give up my stable as she said that they had too many vacancies so I agreed to keep it even though it wasn't being used over the winter (I really only use it to tack up or keep him in if we have an early start for an event).

A fortnight ago I started getting indications that I was about to give birth so called the YO and asked her to make sure he was fed, watered and checked on a daily basis (this is a service offered by the yard). She said she'd be happy to do it.

Anyway, I was finally well enough to go to the yard yesterday (had a pretty horrid labour
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) and when I got there I find that he has no water whatsoever
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so then I have to go and fill this up - of course closest taps all frozen so have a right trek to get water. I then walk past my stable to find that another livery has put their horse in there (after asking said YO if OK). I have no real problem with loaning my stable but am really p*ssed off because no-one asked me and I have been in regular contact with YO whilst not able to go down. I am even more angry because I found out that this livery has some undiagnosed virus.

I need to address this issue and am thinking that it would be better to put something in writing. Do you think that this it would be reasonable to state that I do not intend to pay for my stable this month as it has been used without my consent and to insist that it is thoroughly disinfected and a new bed laid before I resume paying? I'm not sure what to do about the water incident as it was late afternoon when I went down and he wasn't due to be fed/checked until about 5pm
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. I am still inclined to mention it.

OR

Do I give notice and find a yard that have a clue about horsecare and customer service?!
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If you and your horse are otherwise happy there I'd go with first option as moving this time of year may be more of a problem than you need with a small baby and 24/7 t/o may be harder to find (depends on your area). You can always move later if things don't improve.
 
i'm not normally the voice of caution but i'd have a word in person first- just keep calm and explain why you are annoyed- the water could be explainable if he was due to be checked soon after your visit, but i'd be very annoyed about the stable- just say that you don't see why you should have to pay etc etc and see what YO says- then make a decision about moving depending on their reaction....
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Yes I think you are right to say you will not be paying for the stable whilst it is used by someone else and not with your permission. After all its a service you are paying for it doesn't matter if YO thinks its ok she should realise this.
 
If leaving a horse without water is the normal standard of care on the yard then I would look at other options.
It could be with the stable that the YO didn't want to bother you because you will have enough to do with a new baby? I agree you shouldn't have to pay and the box should be disinfected, but maybe a chat with the YO if you get on ok would be the best way forward?

(congrats on your baby by the way
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)
 
I would probably go with first option if everything else is ok.And no wouldn't expect to pay for a stable would expect livery whose horse is in it to pay the difference on grass livery to stable and yes would also want it cleaned and disinfected at no cost time/money to myself.
Water thing would probably put down to one off thing and let it go.
 
I would be annoyed on both points, but I wouldn't be putting anything in writing at the minute, unless you want to write down just how frustrated, angry, tired, fed up, etc you are (I imagine, I've not got kids but I would think 11 days post birth I would not be all sweetness and light!), then tear it up and throw it away and start again!!

Unless this is on top of other problems I would not be giving notice just yet. You need to speak to the YO and find out what has actually been going on while you've been unable to get up. Was the water a one off thing - had the trough frozen/buckets been kicked over, etc. or was it more that water had not been put in with the horse at all? Water has been freezing where I am in under an hour at times as the temperature was so low, so while it has been broken several times a day, it has frozen over inbetween times.

With regard to the stable issue, again, discuss and negotiate with YO! They might not have thought you would have minded not being asked while you were busy with the baby, but you don't know if they were misguided but good intentioned, or just a bit dim, until you ask!

If you don't like the answers and feel you can't trust them with your horse then yes it's time to leave, but certainly in my area grass livery is very hard to come by and unless unavoidable I wouldn't want to be looking right now especially in your circumstances.
 
You certainly do have a right to be angry. The YO should have loaned out one of the vacant stables not one already paid for.

I think it is reasonable for you to withold payment for the stable as someone else is using it and it should be thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and rebedded prior to returning to your possession.

It is also worth mentioning the lack of water at the time of your visit, perhaps the YO would like to time her checks to ensure the horse has access to water 24/7.

I would not recommend moving yards right now, it would be more disruptive at an already busy time (with a new baby) + 'better the devil you know'.

Congrats on the new little one.
 
I'd be quite annoyed, but I would speak to the YO before making any decisions.

With regards to the box - I think I would also ask that the livery who's using it to pay the bill especially as you were asked to pay for it even though you wouldn't be using it.
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If there were so many vacancies which meant your YO asked you to pay for your box, why could the livery who is using it, not use a box that is vacant and not paid for by an existing livery?
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I think everyone has given really good advise. I once lent my stable to a livery and he paid for the stable for the month. I don't think it is at all unreaasonable to not pay and request the stable be disinfected and rebedded. I am assume you are all DIY in which case you may have to ask the other livery to do this. Speak to the YO about the payment and ask the other livery about bedding etc. If the livery gets stroppy tell YO and ask they find another stable immediately.
 
Sounds like this is a very badly managed yard.

With the current weather conditions it should be a priority that the water troughs should be unfrozen first thing each day and the ice broen up on the surface so that the horses can drink from them

I am amazed that your yard does not make everyone have a stable for their horse in the event of the horse being ill or them all going down with a virus.

No one else should be allowed to use your stable at all.
 
as a livery yard owner i would be really angry to and i can assure you on my yard this would not happen as i have 3 quarentine boxes!!
i would like to think that my liveries feel they can approach and talk to me about anything good or bad to do with or not the yard!!!!!
looking at it from your point of view i would move!!!!!!! however if you are happy there and you feel like you can approachthe yard director or livery manager then address the issues and try to resolcve the problem amicably if nothing changes and you dont get your months livery wiped off then i would find you self a more well represented yard with a first point of call oh yes where are you based !!
 
I think you're well within your rights to be annoyed and If I were you I'd voice my concerns in person to the Y/O BUT before you do that I'd have another livery yard up my sleve just in case y/o was bad enough to ask you to leave the yard...
 
I agree with above. Every right to be furious and yes write a B*tchy letter and tell them your unhappy with the situation. As for the stable I would be asking for another stable and letting the infected one stay where she is! I would not want the risk of my horse catching something!
 
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