DIY yard Q. An "am I being unreasonable" type thing.

I'm absolutely staggered at the number of people on yards who have to feed everybody else's horses as well as their own, and even more staggered at the number of people that have never been on a yard that doesn't expect first up to feed!

I wouldn't even consider going on a yard with this rule - my time with my horse is precious, and I chose to have the one because one is all I have time for.

I'll help anyone out who's in a fix about turning out, bringing in etc etc but I certainly don't have the time or the inclination to feed and hay the 28 horses on my yard before I go to work, and I wouldn't dream of expecting anyone else to do mine - she's my horse, my responsibility. Furthermore, the "early shift" on our yard rock up about 5.00am, and I certainly wouldn't want mine fed at that time then have her wait till 8.00am before I got there to turn her out - she'd be climbing the walls!

This!!!! Never even heard of a DIY yard doing this and certainly wouldn't be on one. How odd! It's almost like the person who gets their earliest is being punished for being an early bird :p
 
This!!!! Never even heard of a DIY yard doing this and certainly wouldn't be on one. How odd! It's almost like the person who gets their earliest is being punished for being an early bird :p

As I said before its not a huge deal if its just putting the bowl over a door - we do it. I was new to the whole DIY thing and assumed it happened everywhere - it works really well. Yes people ask when their horse was fed but never to moan about it being late - just so they know if they have to muck out first or can ride first.

It is also done at weekends in the livery yard attached to our DIY yard - there it does cause a little grumpiness and one person slinks in, feeds their and slinks out leaving the horses upset with watering mouths!

For my part I love all those keen faces waiting for their brekkie. I am vaguely interested at how much or how little they have and the strange things people put in ie sliced banana, soaked barley rings etc. Maybe in 5 years the novlety will have worn off.
 
I am YO of DIY yard. I feed morning feeds for any livery who wants this and leaves them prepared. This is a 'free' service I'm very happy to do 7 days a week. I live on site, I'm up early anyway so can shuffle out in my pjs. I get to check the yard /fences etc AND get to see happy horses first thing.
 
I am YO of DIY yard. I feed morning feeds for any livery who wants this and leaves them prepared. This is a 'free' service I'm very happy to do 7 days a week. I live on site, I'm up early anyway so can shuffle out in my pjs. I get to check the yard /fences etc AND get to see happy horses first thing.

That's different to everyone "assuming" another livery will do it...
 
At my last yard we had to do this as the horses were all in an American barn stabling. However, at the DIY yard I'm on now everybody feeds their own horses and none of the horses mind as they all know their owners and have their routines.
 
What a joke, I would be fuming at the attitude from the other liveries! It's a stupid rule too.

Just tell them you are a paying customer just like they are, and they have no right to treat you as staff. If they want their horses fed at a certain time then they should employ a reliable person who can guarantee the time they arrive.

I am confused about the girl who used to arrive at 9 too, do you think she might have been in the same situation and is now glad someone else is doing it?

I'm surprised no one arrives before 10 too! Do they not work?!
 
At my yard we all feed our own horses when we get there, they're all chilled with this, no door banging at all. We all help each other out when work means we can't get there which is great and takes the pressure out.
I wouldn't have time to feed them all and get to work by 7.30!
 
OP I think you have some seriously selfish people on your yard! First person up feeds does not mean that no-one else has to turn up at all!!! It means that everyone is expected to go up and take care of their own horse(s) at a reasonable time in the morning, and the first of these chucks the feeds in. It doesn't matter who this usually is because if that person is late/ill/has a life, then someone else will turn up within the next hour and do it instead. So there is no need for anybody to text anybody. If the others aren't holding to this then neither should you!

If these people haven't time to do their own horses then they need to pay for part livery, or assisted.
 
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