DIY yards - BRING IN TIME

I find the rule about not leaving a horse on its own mental! I appreciate horses are herd animals and I endeavour to keep them with at least 1 friend all the time but if I removed their friend and they created I am afraid I would be just leaving them alone until they get use to it, it is a basic manner in my opinion that all horses need to learn, their friends may disappear but they will always come back!. My 2 year old became very clingy to the herd so I have been separating her out during the day and putting her out her own while I am at work. A week ago she called all day according to neighbour was sweaty when I got back to the yard but it is an important lesson she has to learn, this morning when I left she wandered off perfectly calm and immediately started grazing and not bothered at all. I will now start mixing times up and leaving her separate at different times and just odd day here and there until she is fine with it whenever I choose to.
 
not all horses have the mental capacity to 'work it out for themselves' and in addition most YO would go spare at the state of their fields afterwards. Mine is fine in a paddock on his own so long as he can see some of the others about he would absolutely not be happy if he were the last out there on his own (better if he were first out but watching everyone else walk off is a no no.

we have a 2pm bring in time during the winter, those that can't do this pay for bringing in. With my field sharer we tend to just help eachother out - if she were doing mine all the time and I couldn't do favours elsewhere I would be offering payment and in your situation would be asking for some.
 
You've got my sympathy, OP. I used to be the two horse owner with one mare being left behind. In your situation I would arrange with the other livery that on certain days/weeks you will bring in her horse and on other days/weeks, you bring in one of yours and she brings in the other plus her horse. That way she'll have to do her share of 'bringing the last horse in'.
 
Hippona said:
DIY = just that.

See to your own horses, if there's an issue with the last horse being left out that's between YO and relevant owner.

It's not your responsibility to see to anyone else's horse....it's the owners, and if they are working they need to make specific arrangements :)
Click to expand...

This.
 
If only 2 out and one is yours, bring both in. Common sense really. I have 2 in the same field so it's a non issue now.
 
Fransurrey said:
You've got my sympathy, OP. I used to be the two horse owner with one mare being left behind. In your situation I would arrange with the other livery that on certain days/weeks you will bring in her horse and on other days/weeks, you bring in one of yours and she brings in the other plus her horse. That way she'll have to do her share of 'bringing the last horse in'.
Click to expand...

I see the logic of what you are suggesting but I am not sure that this would really work for me to be honest. My two have to come in and go out together and it has been part of their routine for several years. And I'm not really looking to off load any of my own commitments to my own horses or even do any deals, I pay for turnout every day and I am there every day to bring them in, and if for some reason I couldn't be then I would just pay the yard to do it after arranging it with them. I do have a problem leaving a horse out on its own and as we have a rule about this at the yard I don't feel at all comfortable about doing it. If I did that would be the problem solved as I would just leave her horse to get on with it. But it's not something that I can do. The last other horses are in at 5.00pm and then there is a window of 1 hour where I can't bring my own horses in unless I want to also bring this other horse in. Unfortunately I can't manage to bring mine in before 5.00pm otherwise I would and it would then be someone else s problem. But it doesn't seem reasonable for either the yard or this person to expect someone to have to do this on an almost daily basis and there are days where I don't have the time to wait for someone to turn up of faff about doing two trips to the field and back. Granted that the yard doesn't have a bring in time deadline but it seems utterly ridiculous to make someone else s horse my responsibility just because they 'can't get there'. As I've said earlier you as the horses owner have to decide for yourself whether a DIY yard is going to work for you and I think if you feel that you can't meet some of these commitment then you as the owner need to take responsibility for that and pay the yard. I'm sure the yard would not be happy about having to bring a horse in every night and not getting paid for it.
 
If they are regularly the last person there and its an issue, then that owner should make arrangements, or pay someone.

Its not so bad when its one of yours and one other, you can bring them in together, if they behave.
But like you when you have two of your own, you then have to make a special trip to get the last horse!
Very annoying.
I've known people take advantage like this too!
 
I really don't think it would be unreasonable to raise this with the YO, particularly if services are offered given that you pay for turnout and you have 2 horses to bring in anyway. I wouldn't want to wait after work every day or make 2 trips to our field (currently down the road and round the corner).
 
wow.....my yard must be one of the only diys that none of us mind bringing a horse that is the last one out.

two owners don't mind theres left as they are fine but the rest panic. some of the people at my yard work shifts, nights, don't finish work till 6 at the latest, yes we have assisted if needed but no one grumbles about bringing in one extra we just help each other out.

a few of us if there is three left out have been known to bring all three in together (though only do this if you trust the three to behave)

we have no set bringing in times at all.
 
Agree not fair to the horse being left out so for those that dont have arrangements in place, i would have a diary and each day said horses are brought in the person bringing in writes it down, at the end of the month the YO takes the diary and charges the livery 50p say for bringing in said horse each day and adds this to the livery in their bill and hands this bringing in money to the livery doing the bringing in. Horses houldnt suffer because some folk cant get there, i always like to think what would happen if it was me and i couldnt get there to bring mine in and hope someone will remember the times i have helped them.

Horses learn when the other horse is going to be ridden and brought back to the field, what they have a problem understanding is when they know going in will lead to being fed, thats where they get stressed, they think they are missing out
 
Slightlyconfused said:
wow.....my yard must be one of the only diys that none of us mind bringing a horse that is the last one out.

two owners don't mind theres left as they are fine but the rest panic. some of the people at my yard work shifts, nights, don't finish work till 6 at the latest, yes we have assisted if needed but no one grumbles about bringing in one extra we just help each other out.

a few of us if there is three left out have been known to bring all three in together (though only do this if you trust the three to behave)

we have no set bringing in times at all.
Click to expand...

Think you are missing the point a little! The owner of the horse in question is NEVER able to get there in time to bring her horse in beofre the fields are empty, she knows this, the OP has two of her own, the field is a good 10 minutes away, the OP simply resents this issue being made hers.

Are you saying that on your yard this would be acceptable?

On mine we do all help each other and I have had my mare dropped into her stable and have done the same for others. I have a long commute so on the days I know I am in danger of eing 'late' I ask someone to bring in, this is either paid or I have discussed sharing the load with a field mate and me doing her turnout a couple of days a week.

No one would act as the owner is acting to the OP, it's just not on.

Personally I would think about paying to have your bought in for a few days and then seeing what happens to the last one, does the YO approach the woman about charging, does she make other arrangements etc. That may bring the issue to a head.
 
We tend to bring in if a horse is out last, but absolutely no-one takes the mick and the staff will do it if we tell them there's only one left, regardless of if the horse is on DIY or livery. However, one yard local to me has winter turnout a good 20 minute walk away and I'd be fuming if I got my two in and there was a lone horse left!
 
Could the horse be put in a field closer to the stables to make life easier for everyone, e.g. Horse could stay out as sees other horses, closer to bring in to stable from field. Owning horses is supposed to be fun, sad it isnt always the case
 
It still amazes me how many owners don't work and can bring in whenever they like. I think i've always been last up the yard at night but it's still only 6-6.30 ish! A yard with a strict 5pm bring-in time would annoy me and IMO the longer they can stay out the better!

I've got two but in separate fields. One is on part livery and one on DIY but both are turned out for me and I bring both in. My mare will happily wait on her own (more grasstime!!) but my gelding is a worrier and will bomb about (and after all the hardwork that's gone in to trying to sort his problems out, I'm trying to minimise the risk of further vets bills) so another of the part livery horses stays out with him and I bring both in by prior arrangement with the YO and owner. The field is right on the yard so it's no bother.
 
was on a yard where one lazy bu**er used to come up at 2.30-3 every day to avoid just this issue as hers was first in, used to annoy me and i wasn't even in the same field.
Current yard we do have this policy - but it seems that works unless its my horse that's left on it own then they just leave her screaming and carrying on.
The last horse i brought in from the field for its owner was fine - but her other one that she had hold of booted me in the legs and nearly broken them -so i don't bring in anyone's undisciplined horses anymore simples!
The horse that booted me now has such a reputation it has to stay out as people won't turn it out either as its tried to boot a number of them. Our yard has a similar turning out to bringing in situation - usually ends up with same couple of individuals doing them all every day.
 
PollyP99 said:
Think you are missing the point a little! The owner of the horse in question is NEVER able to get there in time to bring her horse in beofre the fields are empty, she knows this, the OP has two of her own, the field is a good 10 minutes away, the OP simply resents this issue being made hers.

Are you saying that on your yard this would be acceptable?

On mine we do all help each other and I have had my mare dropped into her stable and have done the same for others. I have a long commute so on the days I know I am in danger of eing 'late' I ask someone to bring in, this is either paid or I have discussed sharing the load with a field mate and me doing her turnout a couple of days a week.

No one would act as the owner is acting to the OP, it's just not on.

Personally I would think about paying to have your bought in for a few days and then seeing what happens to the last one, does the YO approach the woman about charging, does she make other arrangements etc. That may bring the issue to a head.
Click to expand...

Well actually that is a good point about me paying the yard to do it for a short while - as you say it might bring things to a head.

I'd never want to punish her horse for the fact that she's never there which is why I feel that I just couldn't leave him out on his own. The other problem that makes sorting it rather difficult is that by this time the yard manager has gone home. If she were still working at that time I would simply go to her and she would then have to deal with it. But there is often no one around. When I spoke to the livery and she cut up rough with me that was one of things she said - why didn't i go back to the yard and get someone else to do it. But there hadn't been anyone else on the yard who could have done it. This had meant that I'd had a 10 minute walk down to the field and then a 10 minute walk back (all in heavy rain I might add) and then spent 20 minutes on the yard waiting for her to turn up/trying to get someone else to ring her. I wouldn't mind but I had made a specific point of going down earlier to get my horses in as I knew it was going to be heavy rain and it was all basically a waste of time,and I spent the half an hour just faffing about in the rain . Having tried to speak to her I guess I just feel incredulous that someone can just think that if they can't be there to do something it just becomes someone else s responsibility. I've never minded doing an odd favour for someone and would never want to make a horse suffer because of the actions of its owner but I just don't want it to become my job to do this horse on a regular basis. It just seems really selfish to me especially when she has the option to pay for a bring in.
 
WelshD said:
I don't see why the panic at some yards of a lone horse being out....maybe I am daft but to me they should be able to cope and indeed all of the ones I have had and have known have been fine and have been made used to being out alone by increasing the period they are left for, to me its part of their education.

To me a horse should be left out for the owner to deal with, most people work nowadays so a bring in time of 5pm (for example) to me is unreasonable especially in the summer

If I were a YO my rule would be 'bring your own horse in, if it tears up the ground I will charge you for that so you'd better make sure yours isn't the last one in if it cannot cope with being alone'

In this case if the horse is a quiet sort I would ask the YO if it can be left out so that the owner is forced to deal with it
Click to expand...

As was demonstrated at our yard last week, because horses can seriously injure themselves in panic.

A very young horse was left out by itself (and it later came out that owner had asked the livery who left it out to bring it in with them if was ever left alone) and he took down half the fencing (electric top wire and barbed below) and took a 5 bar gate off it's hinges in panic as he tried to jump it and got stuck. He was shredded from stifles down, and front cannons as well. Poor thing. He was very lucky - a friend had a Connie do the same thing and get stuck and it was PTS as one hock was pierced and the other broken.

My horse is fine on individual turnout, and is fine to leave alone - and I do believe that most horses can get used to short periods alone as long as they are able to see other horses. However assuming any horse can be left alone is very unrealistic and dangerous, especially young horses.
 
there are only 2 of us on our yard (both diy) we just agree what time we will bring in so neither horse is left on their own....the other lady has to go into the office one day a week and does not get back till late so I bring hers in on those days.....I am happy to do this as I know that she would do the same for me.....
 
Well then if its that much of a problem and you cant bring the three up together then just either pay YO bring in or tell YO that she is left out so.they can bring that horse in.a few times of this and she should get the message.
 
if a horse will not stay out alone then it is up to the owner to make arrangements with another livery to bring theirs in when they get their own, or arrange for it to be bought in by YO/YM/staff. personally I would not want most of the people at my yard handling my horse
 
I would definately go with PollyP99's suggestion about paying to get yours bought in for a week, a pain I know, but if the yard is good in other ways it may well be worth it.
 
There was a phase of the last horse out always being the same one, and always having to be brought in by someone other than the owner. He's gone now but it was annoying (esp because we have three, so it's a lot of trudging when you factor in an extra one) though there's no way round it really!
 
We're the same - we help each other out, but it's quite rare for someone to have to bring the same horse in every time. Our yard's quite well organised, in that your field is allocated according to your visiting hours when you first move on to the yard.

It's Number One rule on our yard that no horse is ever left by itself unless it's just for a few minutes if you're on your own on the yard and don't want to bring in two together (this is frowned upon but some liveries will anyway), but again, it's very unusual for NOBODY else to be there. Strangely, most horses are allowed out on their own in the mornings...

Mine's OK on her own in summer, but in winter when it's dark she'd freak!
 
OP I really feel for you. This is totally not on by the horse's owner. If there is a facility to pay the yard to bring in, and she knows that hers is going to be left on its own then she absolutely should be paying them.

Could you have a word with YO / YM and explain what's going on and ask that if hers and yours are the last ones in, can they bring in hers (but leave yours) so that you don't have to. She will then have to pay.

Otherwise I like the idea of paying them for a short while to bring yours in as then they would have to deal with the situation themselves (though sod's law says the owner would probably turn up on time then!).

You should not be blackmailed into having to do this and quite honestly I wouldn't want to be doing it for 50p a time either!
 
amymay said:
At my previous yard if the owner hadn't arrived by 5.00 to bring the horse in, it was brought in for them by YO and they were charged.
Click to expand...

Yes this is what happens at my yard. Other liveries are not allowed to handle other clients horses without permission directly from the owner as they are not covered by insurance so if there was to be an accident, they could find that the 'favour' they did turns round and bites them on the ass! If I have to bring horse in at last minute without notice though, I now charge 20% on top of the usual price as often I have gone home started cooking tea or am in middle of getting a shower when I get a phone call to come and bring a horse in. Very annoying as after all, you know roughly what times people on your yard tend to bring in so you should be more organised. I don't think it's being mean spirited at all if you refuse to bring in for others, especially if it's a common occurrence.
 
See I'm a total DIY person but I would never balk at bringing in someone's horse. I would just take th both at the same time. It's not something I bother about.

I also work funny shifts and have to work my horse round about those. I turn out and my YO brings in but if I had to bring in then he would just have to stay out by himself which he is fine with until I get there. I think horses should learn to be fone on their own then there wouldn't be this moaning from people about leaving the last horse out.
 
BubbleDog-why should the other livery work to your time. 5pm is incredibly early for anyone who works to afford their horse..
If you want them to work to your time turn it around - you are currently unhappy that the third option is for YOU to alter your times at the yard -but that doesn't work for you so why should changing times work for the other owner?
Have you spoken to YO about it?
 
I'm with SusieT. I'd love to be able to bring my own horse in when I get there after work, but the other horses will have been in for up to 3 hours and I'd likely have a very injured horse by that time. So my dad does it for me on weekdays. If a horse is stressed on its own tearing up the field and screaming, I'd not hesitate to bring it in. If it was calm either grazing or standing at the gate, I'll leave well alone. Most liveries will do the same, as well as bring in an injured or sick horse during the day and call the owner.
 
I haven't read the other responses OP but I tell my liveries when they come that no horse us to be left out alone and if any owner finds themselves regularly bringing in another horse I will step in and do it, charging the horses owner. I am clear that no client should feel put upon and it is my responsibility to manage that possibility and situation should it arise.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top