DIY yards- leaving horses on their own?

Most of the yards I've been on have all had a 'never leave a horse out on its own' policy, and actually I wouldn't go to a yard that didn't as my horse would go bonkers left out on his own.
 
Leave it...

I arrange with another livery that i turn hers out in the morning so she can get her kids off to school and she brings mine in at night before it's dark. If i didn't have this arrangement then i would pay the YO to bring mine in.

If you know your horse doesn't like being out on his own then it's up to you as your the owner to arrange for someone (if you can't do it yourself) to bring them in.

There might be someone who's in the same boat as you so perhaps you could arrange a field swap so that horses that stay out late together?

Some people are funny about other people handling their horse, you don't know how that horse will react with you, it might need a chiffney to lead and some people use it as an excuse to come down late as they know there are other people who will bring it in for them and take the pi5s.

It's not a selfish attitude to leave a horse out as realistically it's not your responsibility. If there is a horse out on it's own causing mayhem then get the YO or Yard Staff to deal with it.

On my last yard I had the problem that my horses field mate was in love with my horse. Whenever i wanted to bring mine in whatever time of the day, i had to bring the other horse as well otherwise he would go though the fence. Which meant i had to make sure it had hay, water and a bed down as well as doing my own stable. Believe me, after a while it becomes a pain in the bum and i was glad when i moved yards that i no longer had to take responsibility of another liveries horse.
 
Azmar said:
I believe DIY speaks for itself! Unless specifically asked leave others alone. I would be furious if someone brought mine in.
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Ive never been on a livery yard. My horses have always lived at home. If I had the misfortune to ever be on a livery yard I would be unhappy if someone brought my horses in. I am their owner and *I* will make the decisions for them. If I wanted them in early then I would pay some one to do it and it would be on my instruction not on the whim of some interfering person. Why are there so many horses who can not be left in a field alone?
 
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WOW what a monster post! :D thanks for all of your replies- its nice to hear about different opinions and experiences

I asked the question because last night my horse was out on his own. As it happens he was fine but it got me thinking... this is my opinion on the matter FWIW:
- if i wasn't sure what to do then i would always bring the horse in. Yes if you know the other horse owners you've probably had the conversation about who can be left/ who can't but if i wasn't sure i'd definitely bring in ( i say this because my other horse goes mental when on his own and i couldn't live with myself if a horse got injured and i could have prevented it). Once in i would either text owner or YO to let them know

- i totally agree that some people will take the piss and always arrive late so that someone else will bring their horse in. IMO this is out of order and something that the YO should sort out.

In the incident with my horse last night it wasn't a case that i don't want to pay YO/i don't care etc etc- it was simply that i got stuck in traffic so was much later than normal- i would like to think that people would help fellow liveries out if its an occasional favour??! some of the attitudes on this post are a bit :confused: if i'm honest. i didn't know he was on his own- otherwise i'd have rung and asked YM to leave her house and go and get him and i'd have been happy to pay the £2 fee. normally i'm not one of the last to get horse in. Might also add that until sunday i had two horses (the other has gone on loan) so its been very rare that anyone has had to bring my horse in- so i don't think i'm one of the pisstakers!

those people who don't want ANYONE to handle their horse- i can sort of see your point (am quite possessive myself)- but have to say i like it that my horses are well behaved to bring in because that way if there is an emergency anyone should be able to cope with them...
 
jaypeebee said:
Ive never been on a livery yard. My horses have always lived at home. If I had the misfortune to ever be on a livery yard I would be unhappy if someone brought my horses in. I am their owner and *I* will make the decisions for them. If I wanted them in early then I would pay some one to do it and it would be on my instruction not on the whim of some interfering person. Why are there so many horses who can not be left in a field alone?
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i think because they are herd animals by nature? some horses just won't cope on their own no matter what you try. i have two horses- one is fine on his own, one would literally come through the fence he gets that stressed- so its not as if its something i have 'trained' into them....
 
We have a policy of not leaving a horse out on its own but during the week they are brought in by one person before dark so obviously that one has to wait until the person puts the 2nd from last one in its stable and returns for it. The horses can see the yard and stables from the gate. And until today I assumed mine was alright if he was the last one as in 6 years I've never known him have an issue with it but I heard from another livery he went mad the other night when he was last - even when just for a few extra minutes - was charging about the field. So at the risk of someone else's horse damaging themselves and mine if it was the other way round I would never leave a horse out by itself.
 
If it was a regular event i'd ask YO to sort out but if it was a one off incident then i'd get the horse in myself or if it was one I wouldn't want to handle i'd get YO to come and bring it in. Sometimes people get delayed or an emergency can happen so in those circumstances i'd like to think people would help out. We don't have any policy at our yard but everyone in my field is aware my mare can't be last out in Winter and we all help each other out anyway. Funnily enough when I got up there tonight one horse had been left out, thankfully he was just stood by the gate waiting. Luckily his sharer had come up and spotted he wasn't in because I wouldn't have seen him in the dark and his stable isn't near mine. I know if I had my own yard i'd insist that everything is in before nightfall and i'd get it in myself if they weren't and just charge for it. There have been instances of horses accidently being left out all night! In fact one time my horse was meant to be brought in and she was forgotten. I nearly always go up every night regardless but this one time I couldn't. Thankfully someone else spotted her and brought her in. I dread to think what would have happened otherwise as she was already in a terrible state despite there being another horse in the field next to her.
 
Luckily I know my yard and the horses well enough to know what to do. I drive past the horse field on way to yard so can see who's out. If YM is about I often will take one out to the field and bring mine in, or bring both in instead, whichever she wants.

In Winter YM turns out my boy am and I bring him and his field mate in pm. This is working really well :)

My horse hates being left on his own and will get extremely upset. At other yards he has been left out (and been injured more than once). He is very, very easy to handle.
 
I would leave it if it is a sort that isn't bothered being alone and owner was happy for me to do this.

However if like mine it was one who wasn't happy, I would bring in without hesitation.

Someone else on here said they would do this as there horse isn't happy alone so would like the same curtsey, that would be my reason for doing so, I'm currently on a yard where the are no rules about leaving horses out alone and no one seems to care if they leave someone's horse out galloping up and down the field. So I am super careful about the arrangements I make for her when I can't do her in the eve because of work.

If OH is doing her I generally leave her in - its easier for him to just feed and water her than move her about.
I have a friend (not on the yard) who will also help out if I need early morning help too.
 
Nailed said:
Bring it in. For the sake of a two min job.. its seems stupid to leave it out and risk getting it injured..
Nice attitude Marmalade.. have to say. glad we've not got people with that oppinion on our yard. I don't think they would last very long.


Lou x
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No, I would not leave a horse out alone if it was stressed and likely to injure itself, but if it was to become a regular thing - i.e I had to bring in someone else's horse everytime I wished to ride mine, then I would expect that owner to make alternative arangements for their horse, in other words, if their horse connot be left in a field on it's own they should buy their own companion.

All the horses I have owned myself have been fine left out alone. I have two ponies now, both are fine left alone whilst the other is ridden. If they were not I would find another as a companion myself, I would not expect someone else to provide one for me.
 
Our yard has a contract (best thing any yard can do to make ground rules clear from the start). One of the points is that you never leave a horse out on their own unless previously agreed with the horse owner, most people pair up anyway so there is rarely a chance any horse would be out on their own... but on a couple of occasions I have brought in another horse knowing that the owner would be down in the near future.

I would just pop them into the stable, nothing more. If it is becomming a regular occurance then you would need to suggest payment (either in kind (hay/returning the favour) or cash) if the horse in question is not happy out alone.
 
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