Do I expect to much?

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dorsetladette

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I've mentioned in another thread that I was thinking of getting someone in to help catch up with my poo picking after being ill at xmas and the weather weather being horrid every weekend for the last god knows how long, I just haven't been able to catch up with it.

Anyhow, found a local girl who I know of, so wasn't a complete unknown. She (and mum) came and looked at the job and agreed to come and do the job for me. And I agreed to pay £10 and hour (going rate around here appears to be £10-12 an hour) We agreed she would do it one afternoon while I was at work. Told my friend who lives next to the field about her coming as she keeps an eye on the horses/fields for me.
Friend saw poo picker arrive with a lad (presume boyfriend) at about 10.30 and leave somewhere between 12.30 and 1pm. Friend did mention that they weren't exactly putting there backs into it, but I didn't really think much of it at the time.
So, I received a text that evening stating that the poo picking of that one paddock had taken 5 hours and that she had terrible blisters and the much heap in that field was now massive.
Now, I know how much muck was in that field and I was expecting to pay between £25-£30 for it. I've agreed to split it with my livery (its her paddock which was done first, another story) and chalk it up to experience. I won't be using her services again.

Its got me really cross though, if I was doing something for someone I always do it to the best of my ability and in a timely manner. I like to think of myself as someone people can trust and in return expect that from other people too. By my age I really should of learnt that I can't judge everyone by my own standards, but clearly I haven't. Think I'm just disappointed really.
 
People always disappoint I’m afraid ? and no, I don’t think you expect too much, but after running multiple businesses for many many years, I can tell you, this is sadly a common theme ?
 
Myloubylou said:
If they were both poo picking then that would be 5 hours?
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Yep - that is why I've paid the money over, but I is not what was agreed. I also don't believe there was 5 hours worth of poo picking done/there going by the amount the poo pile has increased.

I suppose I should of asked her to do it while I was there, but then I may as well do it myself if I'm there. Lesson learnt!
 
chocolategirl said:
People always disappoint I’m afraid ? and no, I don’t think you expect too much, but after running multiple businesses for many many years, I can tell you, this is sadly a common theme ?
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I think I'm a bit disillusioned by the human race. I always go above and beyond and then get let down by others.
 
5 hours ? how big are your fields/how many horses and how long since it was last done?
I don’t think you are asking too much and I also think it’s rude of her to effectively double charge as she bought someone with her to help but didn’t mention them also being included in the hourly rate/pay calculation!
 
sherry90 said:
5 hours ? how big are your fields/how many horses and how long since it was last done?
I don’t think you are asking too much and I also think it’s rude of her to effectively double charge as she bought someone with her to help but didn’t mention them also being included in the hourly rate/pay calculation!
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The paddock she did is about 1 acre give or take. Its long and narrow with a muck heap in one corner and gently slops towards muck heap (no pushing heavy barrows up hill). It not been poo picked for about 3/4 weeks and has one 15hh cob in it.

I think I'm right to be disappointed?
 
I have been on my own for a while with the horses as I found 'people' tend to get my back up or disappoint.

I've tried dipping my toe back into the horse world again these last few weeks with a positive attitude (I want to have some fun with my boys) but this is yet another example of why I live in my own little world and do things the way I do.

AM - I have the use of a tractor and my own set of harrows so when the ground finally drys out enough I will be harrowing - in the mean time I'll just keep plodding on clearing a little extra everyday.
 
Is your horse out only during the day? Mine would do 4-5 during a day and about 15 each over a 24 hour period. That’s a lot of poo to collect and lots of trips to the much heap pushing a wheelbarrow through mud.

Personally I’d have to be starving to poo pick for any money it’s given me tennis elbow just doing mine regularly.

I’m not sure £50 is that bad if they cleared it properly.
 
[QUOTE="dorsetladette, post: 14212132, member: 113558"It not been poo picked for about 3/4 weeks and has one 15hh cob in it.[/QUOTE]
How long does it take you to do on a daily basis?
 
A month's worth of poo on a 1 acre patch of what I imagine is a bog sounds pretty grim. I imagine there was a fair bit to clear. You didn't have to pay the boyfriend if it wasn't already agreed, so I don't think you can be annoyed about that.
 
Arzada said:
[QUOTE="dorsetladette, post: 14212132, member: 113558"It not been poo picked for about 3/4 weeks and has one 15hh cob in it.
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How long does it take you to do on a daily basis?[/QUOTE]

When my 2 were in that paddock it would take me roughly 15/20 mins to clear every other day.

Ponies are all out 24/7.

Think I'm disappointed as I walked the field the day before and was surprised that the job wasn't as big as I first thought. 90% of the droppings were in 2 area's. One lot quite close to the muck heap and the other about half way down the field.

Don't forget we've also had some very heavy rain and storms in the last few weeks which has washed a lot of the manure away/into the ground. if this had been mid summer and the birds had spread it all out then I could understand.
 
Next time, if there is a next time, set a rate for the job.

If the boy(friend) was also poo picking the time she was there then it isn't unreasonable to pay for his time too provided they were both working and not just gassing a lot of the time.
 
If I’d been asked to clear a field I’d be scraping all the poo up not just the perfectly formed recent piles and that would take longer. Also in my fields the birds and I think dung beetles are already breaking down piles within 24hrs. So I have to scrape them up if I’ve left it a couple of days which takes longer.

A set price would be better if you pay anyone to do it in future. Plus agreement on the standard expected.
 
I honestly don’t think it’s that unreasonable. Poo picking is an awful job, especially in this weather and at this time of year, so I’d say it was worth £50 (split two ways) to help you get on top of it and spare you from wading through the mud with a wheelbarrow yourself ??‍♀️
 
SpringArising said:
A month's worth of poo on a 1 acre patch of what I imagine is a bog sounds pretty grim. I imagine there was a fair bit to clear. You didn't have to pay the boyfriend if it wasn't already agreed, so I don't think you can be annoyed about that.
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Not grim at all. And certainly not a bog. Just not able to get a tractor across it like most places. Its sandy soil and drains very well. There was a 'fair bit' to clear hence agreeing to use a service. I could have cleared it myself in a couple of hours, but chose to use her services. I estimated around £25-£30 for that paddock.

I've paid, I'm just disappointed with the outcome, especially as they were seen in there 'not really working'
 
chocolategirl said:
People always disappoint I’m afraid ? and no, I don’t think you expect too much, but after running multiple businesses for many many years, I can tell you, this is sadly a common theme ?
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I agree. One thing i have learnt is that with a lot of helpers you have to be there or say you'll be back soon if you want an honest job done. I now pay for someone to poo pick with me as it just seems to work better that way. Its a pain but I've had my yard for twenty years and employed a lot of helpers for stable work and sadly the majority have let me down. I think one of the problems is that the money isn't great for them so they have to take on quite a few jobs to make it pay and because its heavy work they have to ration their energy with each job. I can understand it but its annoying when you are paying and then you end up either re-doing or finishing off the job yourself. If you do find someone you can trust, then hold onto them because they are few and far between.
 
You don't mention whether the job has been done properly? If yes, then you need to pay I think as you agreed £10/hr and it seems you had 2 people who did 2 1/2hrs each so that is 5hrs at your agreed rate. If it has not been done properly then I would say so and would aim to agree to pay what I thought was realistic, and not use them again but you have to agree that with them or they may well badmouth you as the unreasonable one. Having said that, I wouldn't trust someone completely new unless they were a properly verified professional and would certainly be there to keep an eye on them until I knew they were competent. You say she came with her mum so I am assuming here she is probably a local teenager earning some pocket money? If that is the case I wouldn't expect a teenager to have the work ethic or stamina of a professional and so would reduce the offered rate accordingly. I wouldn't pay a random teenager £10 hr unless they proved to me they were quick and thorough. I would also be careful in advance that I knew who was actually doing the work and I would only pay the person I had agreed to pay! So, in future, I'd be careful to check the understanding as to who was doing it. I'd also be clear, if I agreed an hourly rate, how long I expected it to take and I would specify whether I preferred them to stop after that time, whether or not the job is finished, or carry on and finish for extra money. Hindsight is a marvellous thing!
 
Leandy said:
You don't mention whether the job has been done properly? If yes, then you need to pay I think as you agreed £10/hr and it seems you had 2 people who did 2 1/2hrs each so that is 5hrs at your agreed rate. If it has not been done properly then I would say so and would aim to agree to pay what I thought was realistic, and not use them again but you have to agree that with them or they may well badmouth you as the unreasonable one. Having said that, I wouldn't trust someone completely new unless they were a properly verified professional and would certainly be there to keep an eye on them until I knew they were competent. You say she came with her mum so I am assuming here she is probably a local teenager earning some pocket money? If that is the case I wouldn't expect a teenager to have the work ethic or stamina of a professional and so would reduce the offered rate accordingly. I wouldn't pay a random teenager £10 hr unless they proved to me they were quick and thorough. I would also be careful in advance that I knew who was actually doing the work and I would only pay the person I had agreed to pay! So, in future, I'd be careful to check the understanding as to who was doing it. I'd also be clear, if I agreed an hourly rate, how long I expected it to take and I would specify whether I preferred them to stop after that time, whether or not the job is finished, or carry on and finish for extra money. Hindsight is a marvellous thing!
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Yep Hindsight, I feel like I live my life thinking if only I had done/said this,that or the other LOL

So, she came with her Mum as we are familiar to each other from riding club etc. poo picker is 19/20 ish so not pocket money age teenager and has a baby so for all intents and purposes an adult. Her mum was going to come and help with my bigger field. The plan was that this was going to be an on going thing, so she's done herself out of ongoing work as well as the rest of the job we initially spoke about/agreed.

Poo picker has not told me that she had another person on my property, I just know this as a friend over looking the field saw him in there with her.

I have paid her, and only said that I'll let her know about the big field as it was a lot more hours/cost than I was expecting.

Lesson learnt!
 
Well it takes me about 10 minutes a day (without really rushing) to do my paddock with 3 horses who are there for 8 hours a day - and this is on the basis that it is done daily.

So I suppose that is the same as 1 horse out for 24 hours.

10 minutes a day x 30 days is 300 minutes / 5 hours (although of course it should be shorter as you can be more efficient doing it all in one go)

Anyway on the basis of this it doesn't sound so unreasonable. I think it is unrealistic to expect a young girl to be really 'putting her back into it' - just doesn't happen.

If there is a next time I would arrange while you are there, or just agree a flat fee to do the whole thing once or twice a week.

Personally I would give them another chance as it is not so easy to find people for such jobs. Just make sure that you are there, and also make sure that you are fair and reasonable, because in my opinion no one can be expected to run from poop to poop with great gusto for 5 hours!
 
Asha said:
i agree with JJS. This time of year for poo picking is awful. The fields are wet and the poo is heavier. I harrow mine, as I hate poo picking during the winter .
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I cannot understand why anyone poo picks at this time of the yearl Our horses are on a trash paddock which hasn't been 'poo picked' since we got here 25 yrs ago. Admittedly the horses haven't been out as much as usual in this dreadful weather that we have been having, but they have been out for some time almost every day, I think there have been a couple of days since Christmas when they have stayed in because it was so wet. We walked round the field (about 1 acre) yesterday and commented that there was no obvious muck. It has all washed away/in. Which imo is much better than moving it, as all the nitrogen etc goes back into the soil. We cross graze with sheep, so not overly worried about worms on the field.
 
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