Bah!! Is this getting petty?? What would you do? *Mini rant!*

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WishfulThinker

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WARNING! This turned into a rant as I wrote it - read on if you dare!

A friend has noticed that her feed is disappearing at a rate far quicker than ever before, and its driving her nuts! We have decided that the best thing is to make up each feed in a bag and number it (I seem to think I read about someone doing that on here?). I am also going to be doing this as folk just use my speedi beet when there is no sugar beet made up. There have been a few other people reporting feeds disappearing quicker than usual.

So what would you do, other than bagging up the feed?

Sorry if that doesnt make much sense, we are both very gumpy with being walked over my the teenagers at the yard - used as taxis, equiptment to be borrowed etc. So we are putting out feet down and have decided that if we are moody they will leave us alone!! That or they start paying for every lift, adn everything they borrow!

Both my friend and I live in our own flats, pay rent/bills/ ct/ run cars/ have to work and do all household stuff and they dont seem to get that our favours cost them time and money
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I am beginning to see why my father is so grumpy!! If they were relatives I wouldnt mind, but they are not! Ive taken to doingmy horse as fast as possible and leaving when its a quiet spot so that they dont see me and ask for a lift otr I just take ages so that they have to go before I go! THe biscuit was seriously taken on Sat when Not only did I have to cut my ride on MY horse short cos I stupidly said I would pick one of the kids up from their lesson as someone else couldnt, but they asked to go to the shop on the way back, then when I went to tend to my horse who had be hurridly put back after his ride, I was then recruited to help them take in the horses - I DONT WORK AT THE YARD!!!

Is it too much to ask to be able to enjoy my horse without being relied upon by children before I actually have any of the wee devils myself!!

I need solutions other than portraying myself as a grumpy old cow!! How do I explain to them that ££ doesn't really go that far and I cant jsut ask X Y OR Z to lend me some!! I spent s omuch replacing stuff and on petrol that I have no ££ for the next 2 weeks until pay day and so will have to go out for my friends 25th and drink water and cant go out for the meal
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That is the main thing that is upsetting me!

Bah!! Im only 24 and I feel about 40!!!
 
I used to chain and padlock my feedbins to stop people stealing it! I hate being asked for lifts, favours etc - I just can't seem to say no
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. So you have my sympathy lol
 
O dear. Same thing is happening down our yard although thankfully not in my barn! (feed being used that is)

We all know who is doing it, lets just say an older couple dont work (both on the sick!) and have 2 horses but cant afford to keep both of them properly so nick food etc etc. We cant prove so it continues, however one of the girls in their barn has asked the YO to make her a lockable cabinet which hes doing at the mo. She will get a shock next time she tries to steal food!

Cant you just say to the kids that you dont have time to ferry them around and dont they have parents to do that??
 
dont bother explaining to anyone you dont have to justify yourself just invest in a huge lockable bin/chest and put a padlock on it that way nothing has to be discussed. No one will question your actions unless they are the ones taking your feed
 
They just don't stop and think of their consquenses.

Buy one of those summer furniture storage boxes that lock (about 30) and keep all your feed in there - or an old freezer and fit a lock
 
Yup we are going to tell them that. One of the kids used to get lifts from one of the guys that works there, but he just assumes that we will do it now.

I wanted to suggest to the YO that he spends some ££ and gets those big feed hoppers - the metal ones with the lockable lids, but I would highlight that they will be tidier and help stop rats etc.
 
[ QUOTE ]
O dear. Same thing is happening down our yard although thankfully not in my barn! (feed being used that is)

We all know who is doing it, lets just say an older couple dont work (both on the sick!) and have 2 horses but cant afford to keep both of them properly so nick food etc etc. We cant prove so it continues, however one of the girls in their barn has asked the YO to make her a lockable cabinet which hes doing at the mo. She will get a shock next time she tries to steal food!

Cant you just say to the kids that you dont have time to ferry them around and dont they have parents to do that??

[/ QUOTE ]

This sounds very familiar!!!
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I agree just say politely to children that you dont have the time or money to keep doing for them. Or could you not get hold of their parents and explain to them? Say you wouldnt mind if the paid for the petrol and different things they use!
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Do you know, I had one YO who was constantly stealing my feed. I ended up keeping my feed in the boot of my car and making each feed up as I required it.....until I got the hell outta there that is!!
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only option is to lock everything, since you can get locks in all sorts of shapes and sizes etc now a days just about anything is lockable.
I used to like combination locks as you could see they'd been tampered with, gave me a warm glow knowing I'd kiboshed their plans
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Get yourself a lockable bin like what's been said and just say NO to the kids. You'll only have to do it a couple of times and then don't be overly friendly with them and they'll soon take the hint!! It's not just the money it's costing you, but they are clearly interrupting the time you have with your horse, fine if they were your own, but they aren't!!
 
I had the same problem at one point, solved it by getting metal dustbins, then ran a chain from one bin handle round lid handle to other bin handle. My feed stayed put after that.

Only other thing that would be fun would be to have a secret security type camera or webcam set up without letting anyone know, too expensive to do in reality but would love to see the persons face when they saw the film
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This used to happen to me when i was stabled at a riding school.
How did i try and stop it, bagging up didnt work for long, on the bins i could, i got chain and padlocks (actually the little number suitcase ones so i didnt have to mess with keys) but the best thing i did -
Put a note ontop of the feed in the bin - saying these feed contained medication and was only to be consumed by my horse - who needed the medication - it could make other horses ill if they had it and didnt need the meds. Needless to say - it stopped - and only people who had been in my bin - when they shouldnt saw the note - so if they asked why he was on meds - i asked them why they were in MY feedbin
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Kids dont steal my feed....they would not dare (comp mix and high oil alfa a, I think their ponies woudl take off!!!) HOWEVER have had feed go missing in the past and have known who takes it, so I go and ask them for it back!

If I didnt know, then chaining your feed bins is a good option, that or putting a bucket on top of your bins to block easy and quick access with a note saying "I KNOW ITS YOU AND DONT THINK I AM NOT GOING TO TELL YO BECASUE I WILL......SO I WOULD THINK TWICE" In it.

However, with the kids, I do them favours...such as if I help them with riding, they skip out my horse. If I take them to the shops, they have to treck and get my horse in. I have even clipped for free in return for a weeks worth of skipping out and feeding my horse in the evenings. If I school their horse, they sweep the yard outside my stable.

They know that you never get something for nothing....and I get to pass on all the crappy jobs to them.
 
Practise this sentence "No, I can't do that I'm afraid, I'm busy." (Or, I want to do some stuff with my horse, or ride or whatever).
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Oh, and don't say sorry...
 
[ QUOTE ]
However, with the kids, I do them favours...such as if I help them with riding, they skip out my horse. If I take them to the shops, they have to treck and get my horse in. I have even clipped for free in return for a weeks worth of skipping out and feeding my horse in the evenings. If I school their horse, they sweep the yard outside my stable.

They know that you never get something for nothing....and I get to pass on all the crappy jobs to them.

[/ QUOTE ] This is exactly what I was going to suggest - make them do chores to earn their lifts etc. And I would try and get them to do the chores BEFORE you give them the lift so they don't just 'forget' to do them.
 
I put a small mouse trap in each of my bins, then watched out for fingers with plasters on! As for ferrying other peoples kids sbout, forget it!! That's why I'm childless! Tell them to get lost & buy their own stuff, walk, cycle or get there lovely mummies & daddies to drive them.
 
Dont mistake being assertive with being nasty or grumpy, you dont need to get nasty to stand your ground and say no, a book called "when I say no I feel guilty" is full of excellent ways to deal with underlings, overlings mums dads car dealers shopping assistants ect ect, has lots of great helpful useful advice for SAYING NO.
 
There is a website called Chelmers, I found them when I was looking for a sandschool leveller but they also make small metal feedbins which fit 2-3 bags of hard feed in for £39 which I think is a bargain, was thinking of buying a few for my yard, might be an answer to your problem but check you can put locks on them and lock everything up. The best way is to have a straight forward conversation with the kids and explain why you can't help them anymore. Other alternative is to move to a more adult orientated yard.
 
Unfortunately, like me, you have made a rod for your own bat by bending over to accommodate people all the time and they start to expect it of you. Eventually, when you feel they are taking the pi$$ and withdraw favours you get called all the names going.

After saying 'NO' the first time, it gets easier the second and third
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As for a hidden camera - if you were to install one, by law you have to have signs up making people aware that CCTV is in operation! It may be an idea to purely put the signs up anyway which may act as a deterant.
 
See our yard is mainly kids/teenagers but our yard owner has some rules such as, you shouldnt ask for things such as rides/lifts let people know your situation but if they dont offer dont ask. Feed wise padlock them if you have too
 
Hey Beau.Think its like that on all yards to some extent!!Its gone on at ALL yards I've been on.Thats why now I lock nearly everything away now -I say nearly everything cos daughter doesn't see why she has to put stuff away in our bunkers etc.Tho haven't had a prob with any of our stuff going walkies as yet know a few who have!!.
We used to use an old chest freezer(seal removed) at a previous yard and chained the handles together.Kept more than one type of rat out!!
As for the lifts.Yep been there too.
Just get like a grouchy so and so
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if it helps but once you say your 1st NO! it does get easier.I speak from experience - had mug written all over my head,used to do 2/3 runs in lorry sometimes,trips to local shops etc.If going anyway and have space fair enough but don't do it specifically
 
Old YO used to nick mine and sisters food, we knew as its TopSpec and fed at a set amount per day and when a 20kg sack is supposed to last Pidge 33 days and it doesn't well someone else is delving in! Get some lockable bins or do what we did, left a snotty note in bins telling them to get their theiving mits off our feed and that they owe us £xxx for food already taken
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Funny how the only food that never went missing was the TopSpec super conditioning flakes that looked like oats, guess they didn't want their horse to go hyper then
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Well friend has bagged up feeds, I will be doing mine another night as had no time tonight. She has suspicions on who it is, would be funny if it is said person as funny how they could afford expensive horse and livery yet not feed! haha.

I also have a locker all my tack stays in and I store human food in - for late nights at yard, and I had a massive tube of smarties in it as I get lightheaded a lot so need sugar - well there was half of what I left in the tube >:( so was not happy!

Today is not a good day!!
 
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