DIY Vs Full Livery

[redredruby]

I would change his bedding & feed. The yard also regularly "forget" to give him his medication, unless I remind them everyday. T/O is fine. His feet are not picked out daily, and he is often put into a different field without my knowledge. One morning in the summer I turned up early to catch in and ride, but couldn't find him. So generally, they do look after him well, he is happy, but it's the little things.

Not giving medication is unacceptable and a care issue.

Have you raised this and the other issues with them? If yes, and nothing has changed I can completely understand why you would want to move.

Maybe a part DIY would be an option so you still only had to go up once a day?

 

[redredruby]

I get what you’re saying but the horse doesn’t know it might e.g. be in danger from missed medication or failure to notice a field injury whereas the owner would. At one yard I used to make up a small feed myself to give expensive supplements as I was convinced mine were either not being given or were in fact being given to other horses.

When I’ve been on livery a lot of the time I’ve gone up most days to check he’s ok anyway. Even with that though it was still obviously less work and I do miss it sometimes especially not having to go twice a day and the freedom it gives. I’ve got two now so no chance of affording it!

FWIW I think you can bond just as much with a horse not on DIY. Mine still looked out for me a greeted me even though I didn’t muck him out. They know who their human is.

I agree that missing medication is not acceptable - I wasnt aware this was part if the issue when I initially replied.

 

[Greylegs]

To me this is totally a matter if finding the right yard. If your horse I’d happy and settled where he is, why would you move him?

My lad is on full livery at a great yard, where they feed whatever I want him to be fed, his bedding, hay etc are managed properly and he's happy and settled. I just don't understand the "lack of control" issue at all (but then I'm probably lucky!). If your yard is doing it right, then you should have enough "control" over what happens to your horse to be comfortable that he's being properly looked after, fed etc. Your horse couldn't care less who mucks him out and fills his hay net. And if the yard don't quite do these things precisely how you might do it, then is that really such a big issue? At my yard, we don't have allocated turn-out, regularly rotate fields and he's rarely in the same one two days running. This is not an issue as they all get regularly poo picked. I am able to specify what he's fed etc so again, not a problem.

I go to the yard when I want to but don't have to go every day if i'm busy. In reality, I go every day, but if I'm on holiday, for example, I have no worries about his care.

With DIY, you have to go every day (twice), your time is tied into a horsey routine and your life is controlled by the needs of your horse. Add to that the mess, muddy wellies, the time needed to muck out etc etc and other drawbacks, I'd say, if you can afford full livery, then do it.

With regards to the cost, at my yard, I've worked out that adding the cost of the equivalent local DIY (don't offer it at my yard), hay, bedding, feed, supplements, wormer etc .... then dividing the remainder by 30/31, I am paying the yard around £6.00 per day for all the work. Do that calculation for yourself and see how it compares.

 

[Surbie]

I would change his bedding & feed. The yard also regularly "forget" to give him his medication, unless I remind them everyday. T/O is fine. His feet are not picked out daily, and he is often put into a different field without my knowledge. One morning in the summer I turned up early to catch in and ride, but couldn't find him. So generally, they do look after him well, he is happy, but it's the little things.

Forgetting medication is totally unacceptable. The lack of hoof picking is sloppy. My horse has crap feet and that would send me round the bend.

I've only every been DIY with the option of occasional assistance. It works for me because I know when he is off colour even slightly and can act quickly. I'm on a full livery yard with fantastic care and attention to detail. I wouldn't hesitate to switch him if I needed to/could afford to, but you have to be able to trust the YM and their staff.