Dividing poo.picking

F

funnyfilly

New User
Joined
24 June 2009
Messages
7
Visit site
I can't figure this out, so looking for help. I own 3 horses and they share a field with 2 other horses, each owned by separate people. The horses are out in the day and in overnight.
We usually.pay £25 a week poo picking. Ii usually pay for 3 weeks, then the other owners pay a week each on a rota, which has worked well.
At the moment my horses are only going out for 4/5 hours a day max, as one of mine is at high risk of lami, and the one at risk gets really stressed, then will colic if my other 2 don't come in, so all 3 of mine have to come in at the same time.
The other 2 horses are out for 9/10 hours a day. Am I right in thinking it's not fair I'm still paying £75 each rota, and the others are paying £25, when there's are out twice as long as mine each day, so in effect I'm paying for there horses muck. If so how would you work out what is fair for each person to be paying over a 5 week period. Bit confusing, which is why I can't figure it out.
I've broke it down to my 3 are out a total of 111 hours a week, and the other 2 are out a total of about 112 hours a week.
I'm thinking looking at it like that I should be paying £50 every 5 weeks and the others should be paying £37.50 each, or have I still got that wrong. I just can't figure it out
 
I think it boils down to this. If your management makes other people's bills go up and down, then their management has the same impact. It can get tense and unpleasant quickly. I don't however understand why the other owners only pay 12.5% each as sure each horse produces muck and therefore should be in the rotation? The fair thing would be 20% per horse. Or if you're doing it by week, 3 weeks you, 1 week other horse 1, 1 week other horse 2.
 
I can see in a way where you are coming from ff but you do have 3 to just 1,twice. So I think you should be paying 3 x 20% of each week,which comes to the same as your usual 5 week rota i.e £5 per horse per week on 5 week rota.
You can't really work out accurately and/or forecast at what time each horse will produce a poo pile, so I don't think it's possible to change fairly!
My maths teacher always told us it would be a useful subject !!
 
If you are each only paying the equivalent of £5 per week per horse that's a bargain. I also have 3 horses, no way would I be able to get someone to poo pick the field after a week for £15.

Count your blessings, the good will of your field mates may also be worth more than a couple of quid somewhere down the line so for that reason alone I wouldn't start nit picking.
 
The only reason im querying it is because of a serious achilles Injury, I'm only on ssp at the moment. It's already costing me extra in hay, so looking to cut costs where possible.
As you can imagine I'm struggling keeping 3 horses with my only income being ssp. Im waiting to see if my income protection will pay out, but as the injury happened shortly after I took the policy out, I'm not sure if they will.
I'm trying to avoid getting into too much debt, as ssp doesn't even cover my diy livery, let alone all the extras, such as hay, feed and bedding. My horse is borderline laminitic at the moment, despite not being overweight, and being the slimmest in the field. My farrier has advised restricting her turnout to see if that helps. When his back in a few weeks, we will see if it's helped. If it hasn't then there time out will decrease to 2/3 hours a day, or none at all.
Obviously.if there not going out at all then I wont be paying for any poo picking. But if there time out is reduced to 2/3 hours a day, then I don't see why I should be paying the bulk of the poo picking, when my horses won't be doing much. They will only be doing about 2 poos a day each max, as opposed to the others being out for 9 hours. They will definately not be doing as much
 
It really isn’t quite that simple. How far do you take it… poo picking an 11hh is far easier than a 17hh even if they’re out for the same length of time. And what about when one comes in for half a day for the farrier? Or one goes out a few hours late because it’s been ridden first? It’s just asking for pettiness.

Edit: cross posted with the post above.
 
It sounds like the amount charged by the person doing the poo picking does not change based on long the horses have been out and is a flat rate? In which case I don’t see that you can opt out of paying unless of course your horses aren’t being turned out.

However if you are struggling then worth having a chat explaining that.

Would splitting over 5 weeks rather than 4 and each of the other people taking their turn paying on each rotation rather than every other on 4 weeks help slightly as think that would be a reasonable suggestion to have everyone paying an equal share?
 
The poo picking doesn't cost any less because your horses are in a bit more I assume? So I don't see why there would be any grounds for you to reduce your contribution.

Sorry you are struggling financially - are any of your three horses able to be rehomed or loaned maybe to give you some breathing space? Three horses on ssp is going to be tough
 
if you feel like you're not getting your fair share, could your poo picker skip out your stable while they're there too?

but to be fair, if i could find someone to poo pick for my 3 for £25 a week, i'd bite their hand off! I poo pick twice a day, and get 2/3 barrows a day (and one of mine is only a mini shetland)
 
But yes, not worth arguing over. Perhaps if one horse was on box rest for a significant time the proportions could change to reflect the new arrangement, but not worth upsetting the current arrangement for this.
 
I'd continue to pay what you normally do. As others say it really is splitting hairs not to do so.

Sorry things are tight financially, but that's what contingency savings are for.
 
I think you might be upsetting the apple cart if you try to ask people to pay more or differently.

But depending on how well you all get on you could split the poo picking 5 ways (ie 5 horses) so £5 per horse per week. You'd then be paying £15 per week rather than a lump of £75. Would that help your cashflow/finances until you are back working again?

I used to shared with 3 other people and we all put a nominal amount in pots for water and maintenance every month and the bill were paid from this pot as they happened/arrived. t worked well for us, but you need to be a bunch of people who all agree or can agree not to fall out if you disagree.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top