ARGH! So unreliable!

Are there any local livery yards that take 'holiday' liveries? There's a few places near me that do that so might be worth looking in to.
 
Sadly if you want someone trustworty and reliable then you need to pay accordingly, otherwise there is always the risk they will let you down. It might be difficult to find someone else at this late stage (and you'll certainly have to pay well for the convenience) so could you bite your tounge and see if your friend (who knows the mare/ routine/ yard etc) would do it for £100? (less than £10 a day and over bank hols a pretty good deal).
A third party will probably be £8-10 a day plus travel time plus double on bank holidays.
 
peanut0611 said:
That's what I'm thinking :S It's just frustrating as it tends to happen quite often, people will agree to take care of her, and then a few days before they actually have to put in the effort they bail out!
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Please do not shoot me down in flames.... but I have never had this problem, in all the years i have had horses - but i accpet that when someone else is doing mine - then they do them as they do theirs and not how I do mine.

I will do anyone's horses bar one person - I would not even attempt to do hers - it is a full time job - I feel sorry for the girl as she cannot get cover so cannot go away now - but its no wonder - the expectations of what she wants are too high, and I would be scared to be sued if anything went wrong.

Now I am not saying you expect to much, but it does sound like folk are being put off, or someone has had a bad experiance with you and yours in the past - do you keep adding stuff to the list ? this is one area that drives me mad.... can you just fetch Florrie in.... then the next day... can you pick hooves out.... oh and check the weather and put x rug on if its....., to can you take her boots off and wash them.... oh and tie her net up, and top up the waters, and put fly spray on, and if you could make sure her boots are back on in the morning, and pop her x or y rug on please...

I know its not ideal but sometimes you have to say ----- i will leave him with you, the vet is on x number, please do not hesitate to get the vet, turn out, keep in and rug to what you feel is the right thing to do.

Good luck i hope you can find a compramise
 
If you're in the south west I have a friend who is a professional pet sitter & does horses as well. She is totally trustworthy & insured. No idea if she is free over Christmas, but if you are in this area I could put you in touch with her.
 
That would drive me nuts for her to cancel at this stage. Whilst not ideal, I'm looking after a mate's horse on Christmas day because that's what we do all year: how does your mate know it's going to snow?!
 
So you want someone to look after your horse for the ENTIRE festive period? Then you need to take it to a yard that offers holiday livery & pay. I can't believe you'd even ask a friend to be honest. Fair enough, she shouldn't have let you down like that but still...
 
My instinct is telling me that you weren't paying her enough. Its not fair that shes let you down but remember it is christmas! Are you overly particular with your standards? Not that its a bad thing but it can be quite off putting!

Perhaps she didnt really want to do it in the first place and was too frightened of your reaction to say anything? You mentioned having a temper!

Bottom line, youre going to have to seriously fork out for this or cancel your trip, sorry to be blunt!

I wouldnt do the xmas period for anything under £50 a day, unless you are a permant full livery. :)
 
Just reread your post, and i thought you were only away a few days, not a fortnight! Its an awful lot to put on any friend i'm afraid.

Just pay the going rate for a proffessional.
 
If you go away every few months I would recommend moving to a yard that had staff you could trust to look after your horse when you need them to. Asking a friend to look after your horse that often and for two weeks over the holidays is a bit much.

She was very, very wrong to let you down like that at the last minute, and I would be furious in your position, but long term it would seem that the yard you keep your horse at now doesn't suit your lifestyle particularly well? It's not fair on your mare to leave her with incompentant people that often when you are away.

I hope you find holiday cover - and I hope your "friend" realises how unfair she has been letting you down like this so soon before your trip! Really not nice :mad:
 
I do hope that you get this sorted out - maybe you have someone who could have her on a horsey holiday - we regularly used to get friends ponies whilst they were away - I have a friend in a million who let me have 2 weeks off each time I had a baby and now that I no longer have a horse myself, I am still on her emergency list, look after hers while shes away etc . . . . . BUT

She is a OCD maniac who likes things done right (ie her way!) - who gets fed first, how much straw etc etc etc ! Now when I look after her charges, its all down to me - I will probably get the headcollars mixed up, it might be an hour later when I get them in than they are used to - but I am afraid she has to just suck it up. They will be fed, put out, mucked out, got in again and fed. (Albeit the mare that kicks like a donkey might not get its rug changed as often as it should, I would never leave it cold, wet or uncomfortable).
 
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