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

stargirl88

stargirl88

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I'm not sure if this is more of a Q or a whinge :o

I'm on DIY. I have been at this yard since the summer.
There is a girl on the yard who does the liveries, gets there at 9, and has done for years as far as I'm aware.

The unwritten yard rule is that whoever gets there first, feeds. Since about october, I've been there at 7am. So I've been feeding EVERY day. Including xmas and NY (these were volunteered as I knew I'd be there!)

But now, once last week, I was late and got there at 10 due to emergency vet thing with my dog. I know my mare would live to see another day if I wasn't on time as I feed her late in the evening (whereas their horses have finished their dinners by the time I go). However, when I arrived, one other livery had only just turned up, and asked me where I'd been.:confused:

Then yday, I didn't reset my alarm and woke up late. I did my horse and just threw hay over to the rest of them because I was REALLY late. I then get a text at 12pm - by the next person who turned up - asking me why I hadn't let anyone know I wasn't feeding, and that I need to text them. The girl who does the liveries now no longer bothers to get there at 9 because I've been feeding (only just discovered this) and was busy this morning so just didn't show up.

Am I wrong to be ever so slightly p*ssed about this? I've not agreed to be relied upon to feed their horses, nor do I want to be. Nor do I see why I have to make arrangements if I cannot feed their horses for them (the vet thing was an emergency - I don't think I even had my phone on me to let them know.....)?!

Or am I just being over-sensitive? It's been a long week :( still, cheers for surviving this far :eek:
 
you are a DIY livery, if you arent there first you dont feed, they shouldnt rely on you all the time to do their horses for them when you have to go up a different time of day.
 
I think you're right to be p*ssed off. What would they do if you left would the poor horses just not get fed? Most diy yards I've been on have had a rule that all horses should be seen to by 9am which I think is fair (slightly later at weekends), otherwise you get lazy owners not turning up until late morning whilst their poor horse has to stand in it's stable hungry. Is the girl you mentioned being paid to be there? Do the horses not get to go out until really late either? I think you should have words with the yard manager/owner, it's great that you help everyone out by feeding but they shouldn't rely on you to do it, it's not fair, and I'm amazed no one else gets there before 10!
 
We have the same rule at our yard, and whoevers there first always does it. It is usually the same person, but if one of us beats her there/ she's really late for some reason, we do it.

I'd be angry at them if I were you... Its not like youre paid to do it...

DIY :rolleyes:
 
Well on our assisted livery yard whoever gets there first, hays all horses, but feedi g is up to owners to arrange if they can't get there. We have a white board to leave messages on or text someone. If you have been doing it without complaint and others just assume you will do it, then if you can't make it I would let other liveries know soonest. Maybe step back a bit. Do yours leave others to sort theirs.
 
By feeding I assumed at first you just meant whoever is there first throws in bucket feeds that have been left ready, which is fair enough, but haying them all too is taking the mick imo. And as far as you not going up is concerned, they are all cheeky gits. While I personally like the first up feeds rule on diy, which I take to be literally putting a bucket in, unless I've made specific arrangements for someone to do mine in my place, I don't consider it to be an excuse to go up later. And neither should they. Could you have a chat to yo about it?
 
Hi i think you have every right to be a bit p***ed , i am on diy and if i get there frist i feed but i am not expected to everyday or even at all and i never ask anyone to feed mine (i have a door banger so only i feed her or she gets worse) .
perhaps you should ask for payment :) say £1 per horse per day :)
 
It's a stupid rule, I've only been at one yard that does this but there was only a couple of horses so ok and noone relied pn anyone to do it. All the others get fed by their owners or by the groom at diff times and never had a problem. Mine doesn't get breakfast so doesn't expect it anyway. Intact I laughed when the yo at a yard I was going to suggested to feed breakfast so she didn't feel left out! I don't think you are being oversensitive, I think you've been too nice by feeding them and everyone has been taking the p. I'd just remind them it is a diy and you aren't responsible for feeding them if their horse gets funny about it then they will have to get up earlier and take their turn at feeding!
 
I'd be cross too. I've been on a few yards with this rule and I always say before I arrive that I can't do it. I'm only interested in looking after my own horse. Why should I get up 15min earlier to feed 30 horses that aren't mine? If I was willing to get up 15min earlier before work I'd spend the time lungeing or something. I'll look after a friends horse occasionally and by prior arrangement, but that's it.
 
I have just left a yard, which was actually full livery but as I always got their first I always fed all the horses, every single day of the b week. Drove me nuts, it may only take 15 minutes but that was 15 mins I didn't necessarily have to spare.
 
If a yard owner fed every morning they would charge for the service. Could you point out to the yo and the other liveries that it is unfair that you do it, or maybe suggest that they did something the other end of the day for you?
 
My DIY yard has a similar arrangement - whoever is up first feeds. However, all feeds are left ready in a bin in the barn walkway, and all horses are together in a barn. It is just popping a bucket over the door, no other checks...

There is one person who is usually there first, but if for any reason she isn't there early, whoever gets in first just feeds. I think some people, myself included, sometimes do come up a little later eg at weekends if we know they have had plenty of hay to last, and they're happy as they've had breakfast, as there is always one of us who is working/hacking etc so there early. Our yard has a rule that all horses must be attended by 10am, regardless of being breakfasted.

Putting in hay etc, and people not bothering to come up because they assume that you will have done it is just not on - is there a charge for morning care etc? For example, at my yard, breakfast is whoever is there, but if we want the YM to do anything, it is £2 to either turn out, or do hay & water if staying in. Perhaps suggest something like this?
 
Personally, I would not want any one to feed my horse in the morning, unless on full livery or previously arranged, on DIY it is exactly that do it yourself, I only decide when I get to the yard whether or not I am going to ride or if i will ride in the evening and if someone fed Taz and I got there once he had been fed and wanted to ride and couldn't it would annoy me, I much prefer a yard that you dont feed everyone elses horse, less hassle and less problems,

I think its shocking that people have been asking you why you havent fed when there have clearly been people their before you
 
treacle_beastie said:
IIntact I laughed when the yo at a yard I was going to suggested to feed breakfast so she didn't feel left out!
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I had to start feeding mine breakfast when I moved there, because people were giving my horse random feeds if I didn't turn up before them, as they didn't understand that she didn't get one. :rolleyes:

The livery girl isn't paid to feed from what I know, but considering how she has been there for so long and always done it..... but that's her choice not to charge. (I don't think she is employed elsewhere). The hay is left outside the doors, but some do have haynets and it's just an arse-pain!

Turnout has just been completely stopped so making sure their horses are turned out isn't a bother anymore!
 
I'm on a small yard where whoever gets to the yard first gives the hard feed to whichever horse has breakfast.During the week I'm usually the first up,but at weekends i allow myself a lie in (08:30) so other people feed before i arrive.We only give hay if someone has a prior arrangement,otherwise the rest is left to individual owners.I think the yard are taking the p..s,and the girl who is presumably paid to work there is getting lazy and relying on you.
 
whoatherejig said:
If a yard owner fed every morning they would charge for the service. Could you point out to the yo and the other liveries that it is unfair that you do it,
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I rang the woman who sent me the text yday and told her I don't want the responsibility. I don't mind feeding, simply because I'm there, but on the basis someone else will actually turn up.

She just repeatedly told me to 'tell someone if I'm not going to be there'. I don't think she got it.
 
I make sure that all horses at my yard are fed breakfast at the same time - personally I don't think it's great horse management to feed at different times - stomach acids brewing in anticipation of food etc. but I have ended up having to get to the yard as early as my earliest DIY livery or she would have to feed them all, currently 8, and I would rather just start their day properly and crack on as I am not a fan of horses trampling round ruining their beds whilst waiting for hay/turn out etc. But, we do still have an understanding that whoever arrives first will feed, in the event of them getting there before me.

In your situation I think people have been lazy and have come to rely on you, which is unfair, but it is the case nonetheless so I can see that they may be a little cheesed off that horses hadn't been fed - maybe time for everyone to discuss and come up with a plan that suits you all.
 
just tell them you wont be there early any more and let them sort their selves out.
this is done at a yard my daughters pony is at (mine used to be there too), only 2 people in the same block have asked if i mind doing it, one person complains that i dont do it but she is so rude she does not even say 'good morning' so i feed three in the block the rest can sort it out amongst them, i work so pop in to do what i need to do not fanny about looking after the horses for the people who cant be bothered to get out of bed, as a general rule if people ask i am happy to help out but i dont want to do it all the time
 
I would just say you don't have time to hay all these horses. What a cheeky cow she is! How many are there. I hate doing hay for my own no way would I do hay for everyone else's day in day out. In fact do it for a few weeks then say you have developed a terrible allergy to hay and can't do it :D

When I was on DIY livery we would feed the others in the block but not the whole yard and mostly everyone was there before work anyway!
 
They are taking the mick!

I am on DIY and there is one livery who feeds everyone's horse in the morning as she is there first. Everyone leaves a bucket outside and she made it clear she wouldn't put hay in, even if it was left there.

I was usually the next one on the yard (my horse now lives out so I'm not anymore) and I would put hay in if left. If the horses hadn't been fed I would only wonder if she was ok, I wouldn't be annoyed that they hadn't been fed.
 
Exactly one of the many reasons why I think the 'first one up feeds' rule on DIY yards is stupid.

OP, I'm surprised at the attitudes of others on the yard that think because their horse has had a bucket feed its ok to leave the horse until 12!!

Moan away OP, I would be moaning too.
 
Oh I couldn't be doing with an arrangement like this. If I was on DIY livery then I'd do my horse/s myself. I wouldn't want anyone else doing mine and I defo wouldn't want to be doing all the other horses there. Why don't you just tell them not to do your horse and you won't get involved with doing theirs?
 
Do It Yourself - clue in the title I would suggest ;).
If it was a case of throwing a bucket of feed over a stable door then I probably wouldn't mind doing it but starting messing about with hays as well? Not a chance! To be honest I'm surprised you've done it as long as you have (or maybe you're just nicer than I am!!) but I would definitely be having a word with the yard owner/manager. It's not your responsibility to basically be checking every other horse on a morning as I'm assuming when you put the hay in you at least make sure they have a leg at each corner and aren't thrashing around in the middle of a colic fit and so to be honest you're providing a service which you need recompense for either in the form of payment/discount on your livery or the favour returned for you. If it was a case of you and one other had an arrangement where one of you did weekdays and other did weekends so you could have the occasional lay in then fair enough but doing it every day is taking the mickey!!
 
I just joined in with it because that was what they did, and I didn't want to be the odd one out who was an antisocial cow and didn't chip in :p even if I am one! I just mutter crossly to myself while I chuck all the feeds in and hope the ones with hay nets don't charge out the door and piss off into the field again :rolleyes:

Well, I'm glad I'm not Miss Miserable and you can see my point... I reserved a box at another yard but I think I might leave sooner than planned!
 
OP why not send the difficult woman a text stating "I will not be feeding any horses in the morning ever again, except my own" then ignore any reply she makes. Hopefully she will get it then! And if she doesn't, at least you've tried. Why should you have to start phoning or texting others if you're not going down early to feed? Phone calls or texts are time and money. They're treating you like staff, instead of the paying customer that you are.
 
I was surprised to read the OP feeds everyone else's horse, but shocked to read how many of you have to feed!

I've never been on a DIY yard where one person is expected to feed and/or hay anyone else's, let alone all of them!

I feed my own horse, and if anyone asks me to do their feed as a favour I will, and my friend who knows what to feed will sometimes drop her bucket in the stable for me to save me a few minutes as I do my horse on the way to work. I prefer to feed my own horse at my own time (except for the one person who knows what she has) but wouldn't have a problem with a slice of hay thrown over the door if my horse was getting impatient (rare, because I always arrive at the same time every day, give or take a few minutes).
 
I would just say "The yard rule is that first up feeds everything. I wasn't first up that day, so whoever was up first should have done it :)"

And leave it at that.

If they pushed me, I'd say that I was happy to guarantee feeding and hay, but it would be at a cost of £2 per horse per day :p
 
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