Bit of Fun...what really annoys you on a livery yard?

[FizzyBum]

I've had a stressful couple of weeks with my horse having undergone surgery and now on box rest and i could do with a giggle (and to know I'm not the only one with big bugbears over seemingly trivial things).

If you can't keep your horses at home or on your own land or yard, there are bound to be some really silly things that people do that don't bother most people but induce instant rage in you. I'll start us off...

- People not shutting gates behind them. You'll soon moan if it's your horse / pony who gets loose and ******* off around the 200+ acres of arable and marsh land surrounding the yard. Or worse, the road. (ps I have a little Houdini myself and so know all to well about the delights of a magical vanishing pony).

- Taking a horse straight out of the stable (without picking out feet) and walking clumped up filthy bed all round the yard and outside everyone else's stables.

- People bothering my box rest horse all day and then posting pictures on social media. WHILE I'M AT WORK!!

 

[Clydiegirl]

Other people! that's what annoys me on a livery yard

 

[SEL]

The yard busy body.... (y'know the one who comes up with lots of ways to tell you how you're managing your horse wrong / they've had one worse......)

 

[flying_high]

I've had a

- People bothering my box rest horse all day and then posting pictures on social media. WHILE I'M AT WORK!!

I'd be thrilled if others were entertaining and giving company to one of mine, if were on box rest, whilst I was at work.

 

[FizzyBum]

I would for my other one...but this one is a very odd child! Total Mumma's boy, very territorial and not very appreciative of people poking their heads / whole bodies into his stable unannounced and poking and prodding him (he doesn't like fuss or anything remotely touchy-feely - unless it's from Mum and when HE'S in the mood and asks for it).

 

[ihatework]

I’m pretty damn tolerant and have developed a series of facial expressions that kind of imply what I’m thinking without having to open my trap.

On the whole I can turn a blind eye to most things if it’s not a serious safety or welfare issue.

What really winds me up though is if there is blatant neglect of a horse through sheer laziness and the YO/YM not willing to step in and deal with the situation. Had one of those last winter and it was very difficult to watch

 

[JulesRules]

When people leave their horses tied up on the yard for hours while they muck out their stable and then turn them straight out without doing anything with them.

I understand if people want to do their jobs before riding, but it's when they literally finish mucking out and then turn out. Why don't you just turn your horses straight out before doing jobs rather than making them stand on the yard??

 

[redapple]

I'm on a super lovely yard with (at least to my face) nice people so feel quite lucky. However, it is a bit cowboy and ful of teenage girls (i've also been that girl!) so I sometimes have to just smile and carry on. I'm sure they think i'm boring (im older) but i don't really care! The only one that makes me internally scream is the culture of 'look at my horse's outline' when theyre in (often in a pelham or side/draw reins) bent far behind the vertical with see-saw reins and moving choppily. But they all love it?! I feel bad for the horse's but its probably more a statement on local instructors and a lack of understanding.

 

[Horsekaren]

my pet hates-

Duvet days for horses for no reason what so ever (confirmed not assumed) and not given any hay until gone midday.

Lack of manors and failure to even try to teach them

 

[Identityincrisis]

Am I allowed to say all of the above?! Hahaha I'm very intolerant of others and wish all were as perfect as me

But I think duvet days because it's a bit wet are my biggest bug bear, I understand if fields are saturated

 

[rachk89]

People being rude about your riding or horse. Had someone being rude about me for how I was riding my horse, yet she'd also ridden him and struggled badly and admitted he was too much for her.

Luckily my new yard is amazing. Yo is awesome, cares about the horses, but is also strict and takes no nonsense from anyone. Not in a bad way, she just actually manages the place properly. And all of the people there are really nice and understanding, even of my stupid fear of getting on my own horse. BUT I've noticed that since being here, I'm actually more confident. It's great.

 

[Batgirl]

People standing around talking while others are waiting for a free wheel barrow! Talk AND muck out, or give me your barrow and I'll be done in 5 mins!

People who don't teach their horses manners or to lead properly (I house sit, I don't want my arm ripped off thanks )

 

[Pinkvboots]

Liveries that don't look after there horses properly it really has made me miserable in the past especially the yards where I have worked as you just cant escape it and I have got into some serious arguments with said people over it.

Years ago we had a little flock of teenage girls and they would hack out with tiny handbags hanging on there shoulders and ride in those velour track suits with there bellys hanging out, didn't annoy me made used to make me laugh they did look pretty silly but saying that it was in Essex.

 

[chaps89]

Poo picking not done or where only half the dropping is picked up, just not sure I see the point in doing half a job and why wouldn't you want to look after your land?!

And people not being safe. Saw someone trying to teach a youngster to load the other day. No hat, no gloves. A previous livery used to see to her cob in her flip flops in summer. Just why?!

 

[Lissie2]

Know it alls. People who think their way is the only correct approach x

 

[Antw23uk]

People breathing! But to be fair that annoys me in all situations not just livery yards!

 

[holeymoley]

Thankfully none at current yard or if there is I must be oblivious to them now

-Know it alls/ people who if you've been a days hack up the hills they've been to a day round Badminton
-People who don't think the general rules apply to them. Ie' no dogs. Brings dog up...

Trivial but purely as I have OCD -
untidyness- ie not swept up correctly outside box/ general junk left outside in an unorganised manner


Other than that not really bothered. I either smile or growl if offered unwanted advice however most tend to stay away or ask for an opinion.

 

[Auslander]

From the other side of the fence (yard owner) People agreeing to the yard rule about stuff (3 rugs per horse, One box/trunk in the feedroom for stuff, and one in the tackroom for more stuff) then slowly adding more boxes/trugs/bags, until they have a small skip load of kit - then getting grumpy when I tell them to take it away.

Not keeping the muckheap properly. I've showed everyone, and taken photo's of how it should look, and moaned about it, and threatened to charge a muck heap fee - but it still took me an hour to get it back under control after the weekend

Leaving "poo scabs" on the yard. It's brand new concrete, so I'm a bit precious about it - takes 5 minutes to hose away the remnants after picking up. Ditto washing/brushing mud off, and leaving muddy puddles on the yard.

Mucking out on Monday mornings (part liveries muck out at weekends) and spending hours removing hundreds of bits of poo from clean bedding.

No bothered if any of my liveries see this/identify me, as I've not said anything that I don't regularly grumble about to them!

 

[scats]

People who do not tidy up after themselves. Our YO isn’t actively on the yard anymore, so us livery’s just sort of keep on top of the place between us... but some of us more than others.

Me and a friend were having a chat the other day and we decided there’s 3 kinds of livery yard people- those who don’t even clean up after themselves, those who day-to-day clean up after themselves but it wouldn’t enter their heads to do that bit extra for the sake of the yard (ie. have a little go at tidying the muck heap every once in a while or taking the hay sweepings out the barn to the muck heap) and then those of us who clean up everything! I easily spend an extra 2 hours a week doing the collective jobs to keep on top of the yard- muck heap, sweeping barn/yard, tidying manège etc. It then annoys me when I return a few hours later to see someone has made a complete mess where I have just tidied up...

 

[splashgirl45]

on previous yards, people feeding my horse tit bits over the door and thinking its funny when he kicks and has his ears back and trying to lunge at them when they have run out....i then go up in the evening and find s horse who is now expecting me to give him treats and tries to mug me..

people borrowing my stuff and not putting it back so when i arrive in the dark i cant find my mucking out tools or buckets!!!!!!!

luckily i am now on a yard where that sort of thing doesnt happen....

 

[Red-1]

People stealing my stuff.

People touching my horse (with Splashgirl on this) unless emergency or pre-agreed.

That is about it. If you don't touch my stuff and don't touch my horse we would get along famously.

 

[9tails]

People borrowing my stuff, breaking it and putting it back. Luckily that particular livery has now left, nobody else is stupid enough after the last ruction.

Piles of poo left all around the yard walkways. It's quite obvious a horse has done a dump because it's stopped either while ridden or led and done a dump. They're dry and dark so have been there a while. Pick it up! Those that are spread out I have more tolerance for, but not much.

The half-assed poo pickers. Leaving messed up piles of poo behind in the long grass or smearing it around, it's not that difficult to pick up the whole lot if you use the right equipment.

 

[JFTDWS]

People who use my stuff - without asking and not bothering to put it back.

People who act like you're being unreasonable when you tell them not to remove your stuff.

People who allow their feral, uncontrolled children to run about the yard and into grazing fields, screaming and shouting, and being utterly obnoxious - and more importantly, being a horrendous H&S hazard.

People who are excessively loud generally - talking/ shouting into a phone/ hands free kit all the time. This doesn't bother me so much on large yards when there's lots of background noise, I don't want to hear the ins and outs of your personal life though!

People who interfere with my horses.

People who don't secure their horses properly so they break onto the yard and steal my food / haylage and break things.

People who create mess in such a manner that I have to deal with it - screwing up the muck heap, in front of my stables / areas of the yard which affect me.

I mean, I know stuff happens and sometimes horses break stuff or you can't get stuff tidied because of circumstances or whatever, and if it's a one off, that's fine. But repeat offenders who are just too lazy to do the basics - grrrr.

 

[FizzyBum]

People who allow their feral, uncontrolled children to run about the yard and into grazing fields, screaming and shouting, and being utterly obnoxious - and more importantly, being a horrendous H&S hazard.

THIS!!!! Oh my goodness this! And they overlook the fact that their screaming chavvy is yet again succeeding in spooking / unsettling every horse (and human) on the yard!

 

[PapaverFollis]

People. Everything.

I have learned to let it go these days but I just have to concentrate really hard on my horses and my stuff and keep everything else kind of in soft focus...

Don't mess with my stuff though.

I have to say my current yard is very tolerable. Kind of dreading winter and everyone being on the yard more. My last winter on a DIY yard was awful, everyone just gets on each other's wick constantly. Hoping this place is better.

 

[windand rain]

Not on a livery yard now but my pet hate was others throwing hay over the door because the pony had run out it was on box rest so had 6 small haynets a day each weighed so it had the correct weight of hay for its body weight. More recently someone giving rich hay to a EMS pony becuase it wasnt eatng the soaked hay it had left [could that have been because it was full and sleeping off a belly full] of course it got stuck into new hay when given it its like giving chocolate to toddlers

 

[SEL]

From the other side of the fence (yard owner) People agreeing to the yard rule about stuff (3 rugs per horse, One box/trunk in the feedroom for stuff, and one in the tackroom for more stuff)

Gulp. SEL assumes Auslander means 3 rugs in every weight right? RIGHT????!!!! **owns enough to open her own store**

 

[whiteflower]

People breathing! But to be fair that annoys me in all situations not just livery yards!

😂 This is so me !

 

[Haphazardhacker]

I’m pretty tolerant but things that annoy me are people not cleaning up after dogs, whether it be poo or yet another ball they have ripped to shreds and discarded, usually all over the field.
Also dogs that insist on walking into my stable and drinking my horses water or having a piss.

People not sweeping up after the farrier, especially as farrier likes to do horses outside my stable in particular.

People not keeping muckheap tidy and just dumping it lower and lower down the slope with no thought about how people after them will use the heap.

Got a lot more from where that came from but these are my main ones!!

 

[JFTDWS]

Gulp. SEL assumes Auslander means 3 rugs in every weight right? RIGHT????!!!! **owns enough to open her own store**

I have so much junk, Aus would absolutely hate me.

That said, I could probably get by with 3 rugs / horse. Mostly because all mine are the same size, and share, so that's really 9 rugs which could go on any of my horses at any point