Back to diy we go

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fattylumpkin

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There's no real reason for posting this other than unburdening myself (on all of you poor souls!) but here goes.

I can't stand full livery! And I think it must be because I'm some sort of control freak. The facilities are lovely and the place runs like clockwork, but certain things really bother me, like finding scrapes or nicks on my horse that I wasn't told about, or the way all of her water buckets/feed buckets/brushes/other equipment seem to have become public property on the yard, or when her feed was changed without even asking me (to oats no less) and the yard owner looked surprised that I'd noticed. My horse is doing well enough and she still seems to care that I exist even if I only see her at weekends, but now I realise that I preferred the security of taking care of the stable jobs myself, and knowing every detail of her life more or less. Handing over her care to a professional yard was like a holiday in the beginning, but now I see distinct drawbacks. Mainly that in the eyes of the yard staff I seem to have been relegated to the status of 'owner' who is someone to be humoured when I'm around and then promptly forgotten when I'm not. Also, this might be jealousy talking, but staff who think they know my horse better than me after just a couple of months and who kiss her face and baby talk her (though she obviously hates it) are very hard to stomach.

So it's back to DIY we go on monday. Apologies to anyone reading this who runs a full livery - I'm sure none of you would dream of doing some of the things I mentioned here, but urgh!
 
I would hate this too which is why I think I have the best full livery option around! YO does everything the way each owner wants (within reason) rather than us fitting around her. She's an absolute gem really, and although it's not perfect, I have never once felt that I'm not in control.

I've been made to feel relegated on a previous yard (when I was DIY with services) and it really knocked my confidence. Hope you enjoy going back to DIY.
 
At least you've tried full livery, so you can go back to DIY livery happy that you're mucking out again ...! :D

Hope the move goes well on a Monday.
 
I think I'd be the same OP, no matter how high the standard of care. Wishing you all.the best with your return to DIY
 
Wow.... I'm also a control freak.. but since posting other threads on H&H.. I was thinking getting up at 4.45 Monday to Friday had to stop.. and my New Years resolution was to hunt and go for part livery!

Although... those issues you have pointed out would really annoy me... I'm funny about changing rugs also.. mane has to be brushed on correct side... and the clips of the rug have to face inwards...

So, I assume... attention to detail dwindles??

Well at least its nearly January... but these 4.45 am starts are aging me !
 
In fairness to livery yard staff I think that it must be hard to have attention to detail in the way you would with your own when you're doing a large number of horses and are on a time limit.

Jumping Jack Flash, that does sound exhausting, I think I'd look for part livery too! This winter I've paid a lady at the yard to bring my horse in and put his night rug on of an evening. This has been amazing, so I'd definitely consider part livery or some kind of assistance in your situation!
 
I'm not a control freak, but couldn't stand part livery because I didn't trust the YO and staff to look after my mare. This was due to an incident where she got injured, they didn't inform me, closed ranks so i never found out what actually happened and got peed off when I called the Vet. They also made me feel like I was an inconvenience and that I should hand over the money and then bog off, so the OP's post rang very true to me. It should be noted that I left that yard as soon as I could.

Part and full livery can work very well, but you need trust between the owners and the YO/staff, plus the horse should still be 'the owner's horse' IYKWIM and the owner should be treated as a client, not an inconvenience.
 
i am also a bit of a control freak and dont like anyone doing things with my horse......i was quite ill a little while ago but still did almost everything myself, i did give in and paid the yard to poo pick for me ...i enjoy the looking after as much as i enjoy riding so wouldnt like full livery....
 
I know this sounds very extreme but my friend lost both of her horses when she moved to full livery! I'm not suggesting for one minute that it was the fault of either of the yards but it just proved to me that I would always have to do my horses myself - and I'm not at all picky about the way they are mucked out or how their rug clips sit etc.

Her first horse got a cut in the field and the yard were supposed to change the dressing every day, which they didn't do, so it got infect, and he was then putting his weight on the other 3 legs, one of which he had arthritis in, he was due to have steroid injections but when the vet came out he basically told her that because of the additional weight he'd been putting on that leg he didn't think that the injections were going to work! and after a short time he did have to be PTS

a few years later she got another horse and kept it on grass livery with me, he had a known tendon issue but was sound the whole time he was out. she then moved him closer to home and on full livery and they were to school him a few times of week, she then found out they were just lunging him, which she'd explained he wasn't allowed to do! and one day he was turned out he had a gallop around the field and did his tendon in again! vet suggested 6 month box rest, and after about 2 months he looked horrendous, so they decided it say good bye! he was only 6 :( but I've always wondered if he'd have stayed on grass livery, would he still be with us now?
 
The thing with full livery is that you need to absolutely trust the yard and staff. My best friends run my yard and one of there best selling points is their standard and flexibility of care - they would be mortified if instructions hadn't been carried out.

You also need to not care about some of the little things (not care related but personal taste related).
 
I'm so relieved that it's not just me! Thankyou for all the good wishes on monday, the weather is going to be a bit interesting up here, but it's the best forecast we've got so we're just going to take it slow keep our eyes peeled.

Kezzabell2, that's so awful for your friend :( nightmare situation to be in twice over.
 
I love full livery really but I do diy on the weekend so I get to look after my horse too. I know they look after him well. I don't get told about every cut but he gets a new one nearly everyday. I wouldn't expect them too either as he causes them by irritating the other horses and trying to play with them.

Can see why people wouldn't like it though as it is odd. I didn't like it at first but its necessary.
 
Batgirl said:
The thing with full livery is that you need to absolutely trust the yard and staff. My best friends run my yard and one of there best selling points is their standard and flexibility of care - they would be mortified if instructions hadn't been carried out.

You also need to not care about some of the little things (not care related but personal taste related).
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I think the right full / part livery yard can be amazing. But there aren't that many around, and spaces don't come up often.

The wrong part livery is a nightmare, and DIY is far less stressful than a place doing your horses that you don't trust.

I'm just about to move the other way from assisted DIY with two to a cross between part and full livery.

I am hoping to have a lot more time to ride, work and do stretches and groom my horses! Looking forward to better work, and home and life balance.

Two of my fussiest friends are at the yard I'm moving to, and very happy, and my gut feeling on viewing and asking millions of questions and speaking to liveries, is that whilst a culture shock, it will be fabulous.
 
Full/part livery is one of those situations whereby it is either the most liberating experience or the most stressful experience you can have. I have been on both ends of the scale! Ultimately it boils down to the reliability of the staff doing your horse and the trust you have in them.
 
ihatework said:
Full/part livery is one of those situations whereby it is either the most liberating experience or the most stressful experience you can have. I have been on both ends of the scale! Ultimately it boils down to the reliability of the staff doing your horse and the trust you have in them.
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This is it really :) My choice to move back to DIY is mostly about preserving my own peace of mind rather than welfare issues. She seems fine, but I'm tired of feeling like I pay all that money to hire my own horse from them at the weekends, and if they don't feel the need to tell me about changing my horse's field or her feed, what else are they not mentioning?
 
I've worked in a livery yard so have a certain empathy for the staff, some of the requests made are just madness when you have 30+ horses to look after. That has made me pretty tolerant as a livery owner. However, I had my last mare on full livery and it really didn't work for me, I just felt I was missing the opportunity to properly build a relationship with my horse.

Also, I do think anything veterinary related needs to be followed to the letter, the yard I worked in had a few older horses with specific needs and I used to go in on my day off just to make sure they were done correctly, as sometimes little details were missed in handovers. We had specicific horses to do and on a day off I didn't mind if a horse didn't get a rug change if the rug was dry etc, but if my mud fever boy had his legs washed and not dried I would have a fit, so if those sort of things are not done then as a client I wouldn't find that good enough at all. It's a balancing act in a livery yard between keeping clients happy and keeping all the horses healthy and safe and I do understand things not done just so to a point.

That being said, New mare is on diy and despite me being reduced to tears over mucking out with a chest infection last week I wouldn't go back, the connection is just on a different level I think
 
Drzoidberg2 said:
I've worked in a livery yard so have a certain empathy for the staff, some of the requests made are just madness when you have 30+ horses to look after. That has made me pretty tolerant as a livery owner. However, I had my last mare on full livery and it really didn't work for me, I just felt I was missing the opportunity to properly build a relationship with my horse.

Also, I do think anything veterinary related needs to be followed to the letter, the yard I worked in had a few older horses with specific needs and I used to go in on my day off just to make sure they were done correctly, as sometimes little details were missed in handovers. We had specicific horses to do and on a day off I didn't mind if a horse didn't get a rug change if the rug was dry etc, but if my mud fever boy had his legs washed and not dried I would have a fit, so if those sort of things are not done then as a client I wouldn't find that good enough at all. It's a balancing act in a livery yard between keeping clients happy and keeping all the horses healthy and safe and I do understand things not done just so to a point.

That being said, New mare is on diy and despite me being reduced to tears over mucking out with a chest infection last week I wouldn't go back, the connection is just on a different level I think
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This is exactly why I wouldn't consider full. I wouldn't ever want a horse which I didn't have that day to day bond with. The most enjoyment I have had with my mare is that from being with her daily, talking to her and it has brightened even the darkest days before for me.
 
Moomin1 said:
This is exactly why I wouldn't consider full. I wouldn't ever want a horse which I didn't have that day to day bond with. The most enjoyment I have had with my mare is that from being with her daily, talking to her and it has brightened even the darkest days before for me.
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i don't understand this.
I've had horses on DIY, assisted and full and I can say hand on heart that I have more quality interaction with my horse when she is on full livery. I spend less time shovelling the brown stuff and more time grooming and riding. I make it a point to see my horse every day unless out of the country with work.
 
I understand were you are coming from completely But call me a spoiled brat, I could not do DIY as I don't like the feeling of HAVING TO DO my horses! To me, it becomes a chore and I would loose all enjoyment of having a horse.

Sure I sometimes get to the yard and things aren't perfect, people are ill or on holiday and replacement staff doesn't know you horse as well as regular staff and the YM. But I keep an eye on it and visit the yard/ride most days so can check if all is as it should be. I suppose it make a diffence that I don't own particularly accident prone horses (famous last words) and being native they are a bit less "high maintenance " then some, don't get cold or loose condition quickly. So I guess it is easier to trust people with my horses but yes I suppose that is it Trust as many have said before.
 
ihatework said:
i don't understand this.
I've had horses on DIY, assisted and full and I can say hand on heart that I have more quality interaction with my horse when she is on full livery. I spend less time shovelling the brown stuff and more time grooming and riding. I make it a point to see my horse every day unless out of the country with work.
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Yup agree completely!
 
ihatework said:
i don't understand this.
I've had horses on DIY, assisted and full and I can say hand on heart that I have more quality interaction with my horse when she is on full livery. I spend less time shovelling the brown stuff and more time grooming and riding. I make it a point to see my horse every day unless out of the country with work.
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Because for me having a bond with a horse is much more than simply turning up, running a brush over them and riding. I often muck out whilst my mare is in the stable which I absolutely love. Each to their own I guess. Not everyone wants the hassle of mucking out etc.
 
Moomin1 said:
This is exactly why I wouldn't consider full. I wouldn't ever want a horse which I didn't have that day to day bond with. The most enjoyment I have had with my mare is that from being with her daily, talking to her and it has brightened even the darkest days before for me.
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I am on full livery but I still go up 6 days a week to groom, finish the jobs, give late hay, skip out, prepare feeds etc. I just have a small window of time and I could spend it mucking out or bringing in but choose not to I guess. I do miss DIY because I absolutely loved it, I loved the responsibility and the god awful early winter starts but life just doesn't allow it right now (except at the weekend when I am DIY). I wouldn't say that I spend any less time at the yard being on full, it's just on my own terms and at a slower pace which is great.

I think I'm lucky that my full livery is actually very basic and she still feels completely my own. I know that this isn't the case in many full livery situations. I'm still the only one she whickers at despite not being the one who gives her breakfast :)
 
Moomin1 said:
Because for me having a bond with a horse is much more than simply turning up, running a brush over them and riding. I often muck out whilst my mare is in the stable which I absolutely love. Each to their own I guess. Not everyone wants the hassle of mucking out etc.
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I'm the same, I can spend an hour mucking out, and most of that is just messing with her and chatting to her, on full livery with the last horse I always felt a bit rushed due to my hours, like I needed to finish up quickly so the owner could go home. So I just turned up, brushed off, rode, rugged and went home. Even if I don't ride I spend at least two hours with the new mare on diy.
 
Mongoose11 said:
I am on full livery but I still go up 6 days a week to groom, finish the jobs, give late hay. I just have a small window of time and I could spend it mucking out or bringing in but choose not to I guess. I do miss DIY because I absolutely loved it, I loved the responsibility and the god awful early winter starts but life just doesn't allow it right now (except at the weekend when I am DIY).

I think I'm lucky that my full livery is actually very basic and she still feels completely my own. I know that this isn't the case in many full livery situations.
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That sounds a good mix. :)
 
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