Disillusioned with the Horse World

[tristar]

don`t know what to suggest at the moment, but i do know its a difficult mind set keeping horses in ireland and there is definately a culture of bulling, and it can be a very lawless place, ie the law is written but not implemented. maurice macabe springs to mind

the worst part of this to me seems to be how it all undermines a persons sanity, how they begin to doubt themselves, and the injustice when the victim is made to look like a baddy

 

[EstherYoung]

Would moving the horse a bit further away on full livery be an option? Seeing the horse a bit less but not worrying so much might be worth the pay off. Or looking for a private yard and employing someone to do morning duties?

The best and least psycho yards I've been on have been the smaller, private type.

 

[Ellietotz]

Could you rent a private yard for just you or share with a friend and hire a freelance person to do the jobs?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I don't know anything about Irish law but could you get a restraining order against the fiance, to stop him following you and your horses around? If you could, I would move the horses to your friend's yard before starting the process. Otherwise, I think the suggestion of full livery further away sounds good.

 

[Megan V1]

Could all the liveries withhold payment until the owners clean up their act or would it be possible for you all to take turns to feed the horses and buy your own feed and hay and take that off the livery fee. Doubt they would be able to get new liveries in to replace you if they knew what was going on there.

 

[ElectricChampagne]

Feed an hay is very expensive here, and difficult to source and I don't see the owner co-operating if I am honest.

I think people do know what is going on as I had a friend call me to say she heard about the crap in my yard in another county - which is well over an hour's drive from my yard.

 

[Megan V1]

if all the liveries were ordering food/ hay is there a supplier who would deliver in bulk? I think you all need to make a stand together or you are not going to get anywhere.

 

[ElectricChampagne]

We have made a stand and are already not getting anywhere though. You may as well bang your head off a brick wall.
Most are looking elsewhere for livery and none are finding anything with a few good yards after shutting up shop, there is very very limited options out there unfortunately.

 

[m1stify]

We have made a stand and are already not getting anywhere though. You may as well bang your head off a brick wall.
Most are looking elsewhere for livery and none are finding anything with a few good yards after shutting up shop, there is very very limited options out there unfortunately.

There are definitely options out there where are you looking?

 

[tristar]

could you get down to, its quick from heuston to kildare, redhills seems a decent well run yard with lots of turnout, or by car its just outside kildare town lots yards round newbridge, both just off motorway

 

[laura_nash]

thanks for all the replies. I'm based in Ireland in the capital. The way Ireland works is there is very little job opportunities in my field outside of this area. Most people spend hours commuting from rural areas to here to work. for me this just doesn't work.

Are you sure all the jobs actually need to be in Dublin? It obviously depends on the type of work, but my job was advertised as in Dublin purely because it didn't occur to anyone involved that someone with my skill set might want to live in Ireland but not in Dublin. When the recruitment agency approached them with my CV and plan for remote working (including rented desk at shared office nearby with decent broadband) they were quite happy for me to work remotely from home (Headford way) and travel down to Dublin once a month or so as needed.

 

[ElectricChampagne]

There are definitely options out there where are you looking?

Done deal, online searches, recommendations. Most yards are either full or have no turnout which doesn't suit my horses

could you get down to, its quick from heuston to kildare, redhills seems a decent well run yard with lots of turnout, or by car its just outside kildare town lots yards round newbridge, both just off motorway

I'm afraid thats just too far for me with a 1hr 10 minute drive back home, and with the roadworks on the M7 currently it will be much much longer. So Its not an option. cost of fuel for me makes to too expensive too and I could only go on weekends

Are you sure all the jobs actually need to be in Dublin? It obviously depends on the type of work, but my job was advertised as in Dublin purely because it didn't occur to anyone involved that someone with my skill set might want to live in Ireland but not in Dublin. When the recruitment agency approached them with my CV and plan for remote working (including rented desk at shared office nearby with decent broadband) they were quite happy for me to work remotely from home (Headford way) and travel down to Dublin once a month or so as needed.

yeah unfortunately where I work is a strictly managed secure location in Dublin that requires me on site. I get the odd opportunity to work from home, but not often.

 

[ElectricChampagne]

I just wanted to give an update on this.

I left the yard mentioned in my original posts. The same weekend, three others left. None of us gave notice and it was only after we had left and got talking to each other we all realised the extent of how bad it actually was.
Since then others have also left, again giving no notice.

Basically horses were being turned out with no water in the fields, having not been fed that morning. The fencing disintegrated with broken white tape down everywhere and one horse ended up needing vet treatment due to barbed wire being caught around his leg. Thankfully he had the cop to stand still.

Even horses in stables were not being given water and when approached the owner rolled his eyes and told the person they were being unreasonable. So no water in the fields, no feed and no water in the stables either. Its a horrendous place. the dog was running riot in the arena, chasing the horses down and nipping their legs. The owner found this funny. The dog took more kit out of the tack rooms and has destroyed it. One livery left over it.

I've since heard the owner has started illegally building additional apartments on site to rent out, without planning permission, in an area where building is not permitted.

Anyway I found a very very small private yard that doesn't normally take liveries on and managed to move. The two horses are getting top care and I don't need to worry about them at all now. They are happy and very healthy and I have had a massive weight lifted off my shoulders.

I don't think I will go near another livery yard if I can help it though, its gone so nasty here over the last 10 years.

thank you so much to each and every one of you that gave me advice and tried to help. It did help me think outside the box a little and made me realise its not all bad out there.

 

[Yokosmom]

So happy that things have worked out so well!

 

[ElectricChampagne]

Thanks Y, I can safely say I feel the same too!

 

[oldie48]

Well done for sticking it out and finding somewhere decent for your horses. Good luck for the future!

 

[ElectricChampagne]

thanks O, fingers crossed it gets easier from here!

 

[DD]

Thats really great OP, so glad its worked out for both you and your horses xxx

 

[sportsmansB]

Oh thats great. I remember reading your original posts and wishing there was something you could do. Well done for finding your way out of it all

 

[TPO]

What a relief that you managed to move and find somewhere suitable. Wishing you and your horses many happy years at your new yard

 

[ElectricChampagne]

thanks everyone! I can't tell you how relieved I am. I was really at my wits end over it all.

I'm so happy it worked the way it has and its opened new doors for me thankfully.

 

[HLOEquestrian]

Just read the whole post and I'm so glad you have found somewhere. What a relief for you, it's absolutely horrendous that livery yards operate like this.

 

[tristar]

oh great so happy for you

hope you can now enjoy your horse time

 

[dogatemysalad]

Great update. I really felt for you because you were trying to do your best for your horses . So glad you kept trying to find a decent place for them and yourself, instead of just accepting the unacceptable.

 

[ElectricChampagne]

Just read the whole post and I'm so glad you have found somewhere. What a relief for you, it's absolutely horrendous that livery yards operate like this.

what makes it worse is that they get away with it. Horse welfare is not top on the list for this place...

D - you are so right about accepting the unacceptable - I was talking with my new yard's owners about the very same thing and they said they came across similar issues - including at the yard I just left and one of the other yards I had been at. very similar issues to what I was having.

Its not just me, which I was beginning to think it was in the first place!

 

[Reacher]

Pleased for you and your horse - previous yard sounds awful, should be reported to the authorities

 

[ElectricChampagne]

Pleased for you and your horse - previous yard sounds awful, should be reported to the authorities

Heres the thing there are none that give a toss here unfortunately, which is why there are so many crappy yards. Its a disaster. Laws are not enforced here and there's a huge "a begorrah it'll be grand" attitude here. Not the best.

I just hope more and more people vote with their feet - he seems to get people in and they leave after a while. I think he is happy with that business model and belittles children, and backstabs liveries that have complained on the yard to others. Then bad mouths everyone that has left, blocks them on social media to stop them giving bad reviews.

Anyway I am delighted to be out. Putting it all behind me an chalking it up to experience. thankfully