Argh - shutting gate at yard/rant

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zoeshiloh

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www.stowmarketanddistrictridingclub.com
We have a set of double wooden gates at the bottom of the driveway to the yard where I keep my horses. The owner asks that these be shut if no one is on the yard, but as they are a good four hundred meters from the yard itself, they can be left open whilst people are actively coming and going (make sense?)

Well, last year, I forgot to shut them when I left one night, and got absolutely blasted by the YO's husband (rightly so, not complaining) and he barricaded the driveway so we all had to walk down the drive to see our horses the next day. Since then I have been over cautious, even driving back up the yard when I suddenly think "oh no did I forget to shut them" (I haven't forgotten yet).

There is one person on the yard that it seems is just too lazy to get out of her car and close the gates when she leaves the yard. Last night I got to the yard after she had left, there was no one on the yard and the YO had gone out, yet the gates were wide open. I closed them when I left the yard last night. The same person was first up the yard this morning - she drove in, fed her horse, then went home, leaving the gates open again. When I arrived, the gates were wide open! She does this on a regular basis, and as we all have set working hours etc, we all know who is leaving the gates open. I asked her to make sure they were closed once, which resulted in her bf becoming really petty and shutting the gates all the time when he knew I was still on the yard, just so I'd have to get out my car to open them, drive through, get out my car and close them. I don't mind doing this (we always used to keep the gates closed and this was the normal system) but when it has been done delibrately to try and jar someone off, I just find it petty.

She never seems to get into trouble over leaving the gates open, and I am worried in case I get the blame one of the days that she can't be bothered. She just seems to get her own way on everything, and when I dare to stick up for myself, I get shunned and ignored. I don't want to go running to YO and complain, as she likes this person, and all she would do is write a note in the yard diary asking for the gates to be kept shut or something similar, and the self-obsessed livery would not realise it was aimed at her.

Sorry for rant, just getting so fed up - love the yard, love the YO, love most of the people, just this one girl really gets to me!
 
I would change the rules to closing the gates behind you each and every time, that way it clears up any confusion. Thats what we have to do at our yard and I am always thankful if someone falls off on the gallops etc and the horses are oose on the yard!
 
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I would change the rules to closing the gates behind you each and every time, that way it clears up any confusion. Thats what we have to do at our yard and I am always thankful if someone falls off on the gallops etc and the horses are oose on the yard!

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That always used to be the rule, but since this new person has been on the yard (just over a year) it hasn't happened. YO doesn't mind as long as gates are closed after last person has left. As its not my yard, I don't think I would be listened to if I suggested going back to the old system. I completely agree with you though, as there have been a couple of near misses, despite the yard/school/fields being a good distance from the gate.
 
Thats a shame, some people only learn when something bad happens
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silly woman, its not that hard to be responsible!
 
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maybe suggest it to YO?

but then i am a paranoid person and obsessed with shutting gates!

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Have done in the past and it wont be enforced. I agree with you - I'd rather have the gate closed all the time. But then like you I am paranoid, and it seems to others on the yard, safety is not something they worry about as "it will never happen to me".
 
This woman is really getting to you and it's probably not worth the aggrevation especially as everything else at the yard is working out.

Take a deep breath every time before you look at the gate and try to ignore what she does! If YO accuses you of leaving it open, calmly correct him.

Think of all the good things about the yard!
 
This really p*sses me off at our yard, irritates the YO too (she has written soooo many notes on peoples bills about it).

I don't care if you're 'just putting mine out on the way to work' - my horse is in the field by that gate - have you seen how fast they can shift when they want too? It wouldn't take them the 10 to 15 mins to get out (if they weren't lazy!) that it takes you to put your horse out!!! Grrr
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Shame but I know how you feel, there are a couple of people on my yard who think they are beyond closing our driveway gates too, despite us being very close to a main road. They also open the yard main gate to drive their cars onto our very small hardstanding yard (even when there are horses on it) just so they can turn their cars around and don't close the gate behind them after that either. Really gets me angry as my pony is only two years old so I make sure all gates are closed at all times.
 
this is one of my pet hates...not having gates shut I always fear about things after Merlin managed to get out of stable and leg it up the track...onway towards the road...luckily I was there and heard hooves and knew instantley it was him...thank god he was only going to field....there are gates at both ends of the yard but because the YO is too drunk and couldnt give a flying hoot bout the horses aswell as being lazy herself insisted that the gate is NOT to be shut at any time....she also lived onsite but it would mean that she would have to get her fat ass out of the car to open and shut it....but thank god my lad stopped at the field gate or she the YO would have got a bit of a slapping to say the least....I soon left the yard....now on one where it's electric and you have to get out of car to enter the pin to enter....
 
Why on earth doesn't the YO just go down and shut the gate himself at a set time each evening? It's what mine does. No room for confusion then. Or the gates remain shut all the time.
 
Well, liveries didn't shut their field gate at the weekend, and then complained to B that blue was in their field - um i put him in his field its not my fault they are incapable of shutting gates so he wandered into theirs!
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They too are guilty of leaving the gate to the road open
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Hang on you say if you mention it to the offender she will shut the gates as per the old system.
You want to go back to the old system as it was better.
So why not mention it to the offender? Doesn't matter what she thinks, you end up with the result you were after.
 
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Hang on you say if you mention it to the offender she will shut the gates as per the old system.
You want to go back to the old system as it was better.
So why not mention it to the offender? Doesn't matter what she thinks, you end up with the result you were after.

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No - offender doesn't shut gates, she gets her bf to shut the gates, and he doesn't come up everyday, so would only work part of the time. I honestly think she is too lazy to clamber out of her car and shut them. Still, worth a try though, perhaps they would get shut more than they do now, lol.
 
I could be wrong about this but I thought it as a health and safety regulation that gates that prevent livestock from escaping private land should ALWAYS be kept shut?
 
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