Christmas Livery

[Emmangel]

Just being nosey here, what do other peoples' yards do at Christmas.

My yard have said they will feed, hay and water only - no turn out or mucking out on Christmas Day and New years Day (full livery yard). Is that normal ?

I will turn out/muck out myself rather than leaving the horses in pooh all day. I know it's everybody's Christmas but I would expect my horses to be skipped out. Am I being a bah humbug ??

 

[_OC_]

I am full livery as well....been told the only thing that does not happen is there is no turn out.
Yeah your Bah humbug.....TBH a skip out would not hurt, but then every body is entitled to a Christmas day....difficult one because if you were a nurse then you would not leave a patient in a mess, would you.....Tricky!

 

[Lammy]

That sounds terrible! If they're up there anyway to feed/hay/water does it really take that much longer to turn horses out? I definitely wouldn't be happy with that. Even if they weren't turning out I'd expect them to be mucked out at the very least.
I'm on DIY and so will go up to do mine as usual but will offer to do the other girls in the morning as she has kids, hopefully in return for something like New Year's Day morning...as I won't be under the limit by 9 so would have to walk. Saying that a few years ago I did go to sleep at 6am and got up at 8am and biked tipsily to do the horses...the smell of crap really sobers you up!!

 

[Dumbo]

I work on a full livery yard and the horses stay in. No muck out but feed and hay as usual. They get extra bedding Christmas Eve then a thorough muck out on Boxing Day.

 

[muddy_grey]

Not bah humbug at all. All full livery yards I have been at before the horses are still mucked out. Mostly don't get turned out, but that is fine.

 

[Casey76]

That sounds terrible! If they're up there anyway to feed/hay/water does it really take that much longer to turn horses out? I definitely wouldn't be happy with that. Even if they weren't turning out I'd expect them to be mucked out at the very least.
I'm on DIY and so will go up to do mine as usual but will offer to do the other girls in the morning as she has kids, hopefully in return for something like New Year's Day morning...as I won't be under the limit by 9 so would have to walk. Saying that a few years ago I did go to sleep at 6am and got up at 8am and biked tipsily to do the horses...the smell of crap really sobers you up!!

I'd say, yes it does take that much longer to turn out. On or yard of 24, it takes 10 mins to feed, about 20mins to hay, and upto 2hours to turn out; if you add bring in as well, that's 4 hours out of the day that the staff could be spending with their families.

My yard has the same every Sunday, though they do get skipped out. It doesn't hurt to be kept in for one day.

 

[3OldPonies]

Can't see any excuse for compromising welfare just because its Christmas sounds v. lazy to me. Well done you OP for sorting out your own horse, shame about the lack of turn out though - the horses don't know its a special day for humans, they'll just be bored to tears and not understand why.

 

[Nicnac]

Is this in your livery contract? If not, I would be rather peed off. The horses don't know it's Christmas (or Sunday etc.) so why should they be left in and not be mucked out? If it is in the contract, then I would do my own horse that day including turning out.

 

[only_me]

Assuming you mean that the livery yard won't turn the horses out but horses can stil go out if the owners put out? And that the livery yard won't muck out but the owners can?

Tbh I think feeding/hay is enough for the livery yard to do - they are entitled to get a Christmas break too.
I'm sure most owners of horses at the yard could call up in am and turn out and then bring in in the evening.

 

[Emmangel]

Hmmm seems a very mixed bag of opinions

I'm not complaining - more interested to know what others do, what is deemed as normal/acceptable. I agree it's the staff's Christmas (our yard staff work really hard all year), but also the paying customers Christmas (I work a 50 hour week all year to pay my livery) and also the horses Christmas too so three sides to it.

However, I chose to keep the horses so I will be therefore making their day as normal as possible by turning them out. My welfare comes after theirs. I also agree it's just one day but my young boy goes out his mind, and my older horse will have big fat legs.

 

[wills_91]

Ye everyone is entitled to a break but if that's the kind of business you chose to be in... I wouldn't mind if mine didn't get turned out but wouldn't be happy for her to stand in crap for 24 + hours.

 

[3OldPonies]

If you're in the business of providing a service, then you know that you are going to end up giving up time at weekends, on bank holidays and at Christmas, Easter etc. Especially when you are in charge of animals that service should continue as normal, if you don't like it, and yes of course everyone is entitled to a break, either do something else or work out a contingency so that the service does carry on as normal. The care of the animal should not be compromised.

 

[saddlesore]

When I was full livery the horses were done as usual, however we paid a £10 additional charge. We perfectly happy with that

 

[Kezzabell2]

Hmmm seems a very mixed bag of opinions

I'm not complaining - more interested to know what others do, what is deemed as normal/acceptable. I agree it's the staff's Christmas (our yard staff work really hard all year), but also the paying customers Christmas (I work a 50 hour week all year to pay my livery) and also the horses Christmas too so three sides to it.

However, I chose to keep the horses so I will be therefore making their day as normal as possible by turning them out. My welfare comes after theirs. I also agree it's just one day but my young boy goes out his mind, and my older horse will have big fat legs.

but what if the other owners do not turn there horses out! will yours be out on its own? I think its really bad that they wont muck out

I have mine on DIY so nothing will be different for me

 

[Shavings]

last year i was on a different livery yard to this year

last years yard was this
no yard staff where on and did nothing (i was full livery at time also) but 1 of the staff was coming to do h er horse and for a payment of £5 she would feed him , hay and skip out morning and night, all i had to do was leave haynets ready and breakie + dinner , i did go up in the afternoon the yard was quiet and crisp, i took my lad to the school and let him loose in his new boots

this year i am on a new yard and nothing has been said yet but we dont have my OH's little one for Christmas this year so i will do him happily as he wont be with us for presents

 

[Emmangel]

but what if the other owners do not turn there horses out! will yours be out on its own? I think its really bad that they wont muck out

I have mine on DIY so nothing will be different for me

I am hoping that I can find others to turn out with. If not, I will have to settle for turning them out in the indoor school for a stretch whilst I muck out....

 

[julie111]

I wouldn't be happy having to keep my boy in all day just to make life easier. I am lucky my yo will turnout and bring as normal.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I would expect a horse on full livery to be mucked out and turned out as usual.

 

[LHIS]

Unless it's in your contract full livery should be just that. I suppose a little surcharge is reasonable, but I have little sympathy for the 'it's their Christmas too' argument because they chose to do that job. And like others have said, the horses haven't a clue it's Christmas, and they'll be left to stand and lie in their own crap. I wouldn't be happy with it personally, I'd go and sort my pony out myself and probably do the others (at least muck out) as I couldn't rest easy knowing they were all in dirty stables.

 

[Batgirl]

It all comes down to what is agreed and what your relationship with your YO is like.
On our yard full liveries get the normal service bar turn out (started an hour later as I do feeds and hay everything so thye can have Xmas morning with their kid). Those of us on 5/2 it is a DIY day anyway and we are welcome to turn out while we are there but must bring in when leaving (this i fro everyones piece of mind so there are no escapees etc - giving the YO's a rest for one day a year!)

On my yard I like to give the YO's a break and I actually muck out several boxes on top of my own to make their life easier in the morning and some of our full liveries in the passed have come down to muck theirs out when they don't have to. In return I usually don't have to go down Xmas afternoon when my family are round but recently my aunt always wants to go visit anyway...)

 

[YorksG]

Do livey yards pay double time for christmas day? The reason care homes etc can't get the quality of staff they need, is because of poor pay, and they do pay unsocial hours pay. If livery charges aren't high enough to do that, then the service will be poor.

 

[Lambkins]

I have worked at big yards on Christmas and small private yards ..
The big yard was the most fun.. We put up a sign .. Christmas Day we will feed hay water skip out sweep down etc .. But no turnout or excercising will be done by us and yard owner will finish off pm . BUT all horse owners were invited to join us in the morning for mulled wine , mince pies and horsey help .. Most owners came and pitched in .. And those that couldn't ( for whatever reason) donated snacks , chocolate , cakes etc etc .. We had a fab Christmas morning .. 🎄🍷

On the private yard .. I was there on my own .. Did the horses on my own and it wasn't fun 😏 but I was well paid

 

[honetpot]

If you're in the business of providing a service, then you know that you are going to end up giving up time at weekends, on bank holidays and at Christmas, Easter etc. Especially when you are in charge of animals that service should continue as normal, if you don't like it, and yes of course everyone is entitled to a break, either do something else or work out a contingency so that the service does carry on as normal. The care of the animal should not be compromised.

But they should charge you extra for it. Everyone else gets paid extra, usually double time for Bank Holiday.
I used to have a friend who worked for various yards where liveries would turn up before Christmas so they would not have to look after them and then move out after.
Equestrian jobs are so poorly paid, you are lucky if you get minimum wage and then you want them to work Christmas. I would be charging £25 per horse extra.

 

[pippixox]

when my horse was on full livery years ago (now I have 4 on rented land so all me!) they did not turn out Christmas, apparently due to insurance?! they also just skipped out, not a proper muck out.
don't get me wrong, as a groom on Christmas day you do want a break, however, horses don't disappear on Christmas! I personally love doing mine on Christmas day. They go out and have extra treats. I like the fresh air in between eating way too much!
care homes have to provide identical, if not more care, on Christmas day, such as putting on a proper lunch. normally staff get one year doing Christmas day and the next year off. however, I know with small yards without a lot of staff that would be hard to do.

 

[pippixox]

I do agree it would be nice to pay extra. most jobs do double time. I I paid someone else to do mine I would happily do a Christmas bonus.

 

[DD265]

Ours (full livery) is business as usual.

The only difference on Christmas Day is YO will stipulate a 3-4 hour visiting window - then they don't have to worry about bringing in at random times in the afternoon.

 

[Micropony]

Ours is same service as any other bank holiday, I.e. all basic services done but if you want your horse turned out or exercised you need to do it yourself.
I think that's perfectly reasonable, but wouldn't be happy if horse wasn't mucked out, unless it was made very clear in the livery contract so I knew from the off I would need to make arrangements if I was planning to be away over Christmas.

 

[ihatework]

On a full livery yard I would 100% expect the horse to be mucked out unless you had signed a livery contract to say otherwise. I think no turnout is acceptable.

That's not to say I wouldn't go up and see to my horse if I could, just that if I couldn't I'd expect the basics to be done for me

 

[Apercrumbie]

I think you are being a bit bah humbug personally, although the no turnout would bother me. I wouldn't mind a horse not being mucked out for two nights once in a while as long as they had a good deep bed.

I suppose in an ideal world turnout would still be on offer but at an extra charge. It takes ages to turnout a whole yard so I understand the workers not wanting to do it on Christmas Day, and I certainly wouldn't do it without being paid well for it. However, I really like seeing my horse on Christmas day so if you aren't too far from the yard, could you pop up yourself and give him a bit of turnout then?

 

[Luci07]

Odd responses. I have been on different yards as a part livery for years and the horses were never turned out on Xmas day, some would muck out, some would not. I never ever had an issue with coming up to work my horse before Christmas day kicked off or giving the staff a bit of a break, or mucking out if necessary. This time I am on assisted DIY and I will assume no turn out (its a major job in itself bringing in and turning out) - no big deal. Will do horse as normal and work him as well. Yard staff deserve a life as well and Christmas day is not the same as any other time of the year! Will really not hurt to chip in if you are really concerned about your horse..