Another Turn out rant...

[Dreamer515]

But this is really annoying me so....

I have 2 horses on DIY livery, I work Mon-Fri 6:30 - 4:30 I do my horses before and after work. They usually go out everyday (Unless extreme weather) and come in at night. but with the icey weather I haven't been able to get them to their field. the tracks are like an ice rink and it is not worth risking a broken leg as it is a long track. the yard is also very icy so I haven't been able to get them out of their stables for a few days. I put salt grit down and some idiot sweeps it back up even though I have told them not too. the yard owner has also told them not too but they want to put bird seed down and are worried the birds will eat the salt instead and they won't put it down on the grass area. (another rant in itself)

So my boys have been in, getting grumpier and grumpier, I was hoping to get them back out over the weekend as the temps are meant to rise but now I have been told that it is an in weekend due to the rain.

One is retired so obviously I will be riding the one that can be ridden over the weekend but the retired one will just have a walk in hand and a pick of grass.

I am not looking to move yards but I am so frustrated! it also doesn't help that another livery at the yard is saying how happy she is that her horses are in all the time and is trying to convince me that my 2 are happy being in and not being exercised. everything that I say she has an opinion on and it is her way or the highway, I do ignore her most of the time and I am pretty laid back but if she tells me one more time how happy my horses are when they are messing about and making faces I feel I might hit her. they are usually very well mannered (the yard owner keeps saying they are the best mannered TB's she has ever met) but they are starting to loose their minds and so am I. I have tried putting toys in and different simulations for them but they donbt pay any attention to them.

I have cut their hard feed right back to nearly nothing as they aren't doing the work to warrant it and they have adlib hay when in.

I am not looking for advice, just needed to rant somewhere.

 

[Lipglosspukka]

Well I have advice.

Tell her to f*** off and mind her own business.

 

[CMcC]

I hear your rant. Violence is never the answer but cursing her out would make you feel better and may shut her up (temporarily). If it helps you are right and she is wrong.
It will be over soon.

 

[Polos Mum]

This cold is a nightmare - I've not known it go on this long for years - you have my sympathy.

If it's any consolation I have mine at home - they are out and I am reading the frozen rut thread in terror and keep looking at them expecting to see legs hanging off. Even when you are free to make all your own decisions it's not necessarily any more stress free!

 

[stormox]

Mine are in - they are just going to have to put up with a bit of lockdown as am I. It wont last for ever, and it will soon be light enough to ride after work.
These are unprecedented times.
I was on a yard once where someone led their horse across the yard and it slipped and broke its pelvis so I wouldn't tisk leading on ice.

 

[meleeka]

I’m just hanging onto the fact it’s nearly spring. Hang in there, it’s temporary and you are doing the best with what you have. You can’t change someone’s opinion who doesn’t want it to be changed, so just do your thing and try not to be affected by others.

Mine live out normally and they haven’t left the hardstanding for days as it’s so hard and rutted. They are also grumpy so no better off really. My hay is currently rubbish, not dusty, just course so I’m just putting piles in the yard and not clearing the waste up, so that it stays ice free.

 

[Baywonder]

Next time the other livery is spouting off how happy her horses are being in all the time, just say "oh, so I take it you would be happy confined to your house 24/7 too?" ?

 

[atropa]

The thing about the birdseed is incredibly effing annoying, your YO should be having a much sterner word with that particular fellow livery!

I feel your pain, mine have been in for most of this year so far - not because we aren't allowed to turn out, but because they keep coming in catastrophically lame with bruises and abscesses. I think we managed maybe 10 days turnout at the end of January between lameness? It's awful, I hate having them stuck in, feel like I have them in prison even though at the minute it's for their health.

 

[little_critter]

I bet the rats are loving that birdseed!

 

[Fransurrey]

Sweeping up salt to put down birdseed is nuts. I feed the birds at my yard, but I have hanging feeders and the only thing that goes on the ground is mealworms.

No consolation I guess, but mine didn't even move from the shelter for 4 days when the snow hit last week. I'm mucking out twice a day - for horses that live OUT. Just to make it more fun, a rabbit has made a burrow at the back of one shelter, so I'm losing bedding and poo down there regularly. I'm not sure if that might irritate them more, though. :-D

 

[Muddywellies]

Birds seed????? This will cause you an almighty rat problem ?. Some people.....
Have you explained exactly why the salt is there? They need to listen to what they are being asked as the salt is there for everyone's safety. And the bird seed thing needs to stop pronto.

 

[Wishfilly]

This would really annoy me too- the grit thing even moreso.

Maybe point out to the YO that if the grit is swept up and someone has an accident on the yard, they might be liable- that might encourage them to be more firm with the livery sweeping it up?

As to the person telling you your horses are happy, can you get away with being blunt to them? I'd be tempted to say something like "I know my own horses, and they are not happy. Please stop saying they are."

 

[Dreamer515]

The birds are a pain in the rear end, they are wild pigeons and we don't really want to encourage them to nest in the barn as we have had quite a few baby birds fall down and die or drown in water buckets. but she won't be persuaded. I agree the yard owner needs to step up and say more to her but she won't. we have yard cats and too be fair I have only seen one rat in the 5 years I have been there, not saying they aren't around as obviously there are bound to be rats near farm yards / horses but the cats do their job quite well.

I have told her to mind her own business in both polite and impolite ways but she carries on making little digs. I have told her the grit is down to help with the ice but as she doesn't see a problem with the horses staying in so she doesn't care.

I hate having my boys in 24/7 but have no choice at the moment. they will just have to suck it up for a few more days until it is safe to get them out but I can't help but feel guilty.

 

[dorsetladette]

Birdseed lady is clearly barking! And the lady with all the opinions probably has the most miserable ponies who have switched off due to being stabled so much.

When we had really bad winters and the yard froze we used to trip our wheelbarrows on the yard after mucking out. With enough stables mucked out we could usually make a track from each stable down the middle of the yard to the school or the top field so everyone could have a little bit of turnout.

 

[doodle]

That’s the thing with livery yards. Everyone has an opinion on your horse whether you ask for it or not. Robin is out today as he has a knock to his leg and it is swelling standing in. Sometimes best of 2 bad situations needs done.

 

[ester]

birdseed?! WTF?!

 

[Scotsbadboy]

So hit her .. with something heavy, right round the back of the head

 

[Widgeon]

So hit her .. with something heavy, right round the back of the head

That's rather harsh - surely if the OP waits long enough birdseed lady will end up toppling over of her own accord on the birdseedy ice?

If it's any consolation OP, I'm another one who would say that at least one of your fellow liveries sounds more than averagely eccentric.

 

[Fred66]

Are the birdseed lady and opinionated lady the same person?
Do you get on well with the YO ?
If yes then I would suggest that a word with the YO along the lines of “I am reaching the end of my good will and are you able to insist that she stops sweeping up the salt and stops feeding the pigeons (especially near the stables), because if you don’t I will and you will be nicer than me”.
Re unwanted advice then a polite thank you for your opinion that might work for your horses but doesn’t suit mine. If she repeatedly says the same thing, then first time is “so you said yesterday and my answer hasn’t changed” and if this continues suggest she visits the Doctor as she may well have early onset dementia as she is obviously suffering from memory loss !!!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I'd be really cross with YO, who should have more sense than to allow the birdseed woman to sweep up the salt or to spread birdseed around. Encouraging wild pigeons? They are as bad as rats!

 

[Hallo2012]

how big an area do you need to cover to get off the yard? narrow roll of old carpet or membrane? then you can smugly unroll...tip toe along, re roll, give her the finger and leave lol!!!

someone i know has taught hers to step on to an old rug then stand, then she puts second rug in front and they move on to that, wait, and she moves orignal rug etc....wouldnt work with my impatient sod though!

wont work if its a really long trek

 

[smolmaus]

I love birds and I am a huge softy when it comes to feeding them but that lady is off her flipping rocker. Get a goddamn bird table and stop tempting fate with a broken pelvis, equine or human!!

Maybe point out to the YO that if the grit is swept up and someone has an accident on the yard, they might be liable

This might be a way to go. Make up a story about a friend of a friend getting a 20k payout after a slip and fall and the grit will stay down!

This completely scientific and not at all ambulance-chasing website is scaring me into gritting my front step for the postie tbh!

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I'd chuck more salt on top of her birdseed, if the birds do eat it may help slightly with that problem and sounds like the best way to deal with this woman is to passively aggressively fight fire with fire

 

[wiglet]

I feel your pain OP, feel free to rant!
When I was on DIY, snow and icy conditions were my nightmare. At one yard, the YO forbid us to put salt down because her dogs would lick it and poison themselves. Nor could we put any kind of grid down because it would irritate their paws. It was forbidden to leave horses in because she needed the whole yard to let her dogs roam around (horses pulled faced and snapped at them when they jumped up at their stable doors) so, we had to make the slippery journey to the fields everyday... in darkness because we weren't allowed to use the yard lights - we had to use head torches. Never again.

Hopefully the milder weather will hit soon and your problems will be over... for now

 

[AmyMay]

Why are some YO’s so spineless ??‍

 

[Bernster]

The bird seed bit and sweeping up the salt is just ?

 

[holeymoley]

Sounds like bird seed lady is wahoo.

No winder you’re doing your head in. Surely YO should be having a word and stipulating that the grit must be left for safety reasons.

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

That would be so annoying. I tried dumping wheelbarrows of used bedding to make myself a track to the field but then I got fed up of sweeping it up. I now go with laying 2 old rugs and my normally opinionated awkward spooky horse surprised me and happily waits on one rug while I lay the next one in front of us, maybe he thinks he's finally getting the respect and royal treatment that he's always wanted. He even stands like a rock if I accidentally go off the rugs and slip and end up hanging onto to his mane to stay upright, (I have balance issues and can fall over just looking at ice never mind walking on it)

 

[dreamcometrue]

Sweep up her birdseed as soon as she puts it down ?

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

Secretly mix the grit in with her bird food and let her get on with it !
( Thus killing two birds ....? )