Do I have the WORST liveries in britain??

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Rochelle

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OMG!! Have had the week from hell with some of them! Started off with one of them not paying me for the second week in a row (they usually pay me on time, weekly) so as I like to bank it all on a Monday I texted her to see if she could drop it off for me ( I knew I wouldn't be seeing her again until the following weekend). She replyed " Can you come and get it from my work on Monday"?? Erm, No!

Then it turns out two of the other full liveries have been "treating" their ponies to EXTRA feed after they have been for a hack on a weekend!! These ponies are both small and only work at the weekend. I feed all the horses together on a morning and evening and for god knows how long these two have been getting a second "breakfast" and then a tea at the end of the day??!! One of them is a youngster with a novice rider who I had to explain to that tying upto a wall while they tried to mount was a really bad idea?! Theres no hope for some people and they are the type to not welcome any helpful advice! Why do people over feed excitable ponies who only get exercised at the weekend? They turned up at the end of the day with a couple of bags of feed so they can feed them as much as they want now? I can see an accident waiting to happen but they didnt take a bit of notice of me yesterday when I tried to help them?!?

Rant over hehe!
 
You've done your best some people will not be told and have to learn the hard way.

Sine you've tried to help you can now stand back and smirk to your hearts content.
 
Rochelle - you need to talk to Llwyncwn if you want Pain In The Backside liveries! And, sadly I count myself as one of those! Poor Llwyncwn! I regularly throw OTT hissy fits over teeny little things as I'm ALWAYS convinced my horses are gonna fade away and die horribly (within HOURS, mark you) if not bubble wrapped 24/7! Keep smiling...most YOs are brilliant and their people skills have to be United Nations standard!
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oh my god - sometimes do you ask yourself why you do it ???

The girl who hasnt paid i would tell her that as of today her horse will be on Field livery till she has paid !!!

the 2 others you have tried to help so i wouldnt worry about it !!
 
Understand about being paid thing totally!!! You should definately get some sort of direct debit/standing order set up!!

As for the feed thing... to be fair its their horses so they should be able to feed them what they like.... (even if it is a bad idea!!)
 
Yes of course they can feed them what they like but not take my feed without asking! They are on full livery, they get two feeds a day (of whatever they like) in the price! I just don't agree with feeding horses more than they need. Most of the livery horses on my yard are only in light work and IMO would do much better on ad-lib haylage rather than being fed as much hard feed as they can manage, thats for the horses sake and the riders sake!!
 
Well one full livery yard saw charged a basic rate for services i.e mucking out etc.stable,grazing and school and you bought your own feed/beding.Personally I like this as there are some genuine difference of opinions.
 
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Ask them to pay you by standing order.
Let them buy their own feed.
And let them make their own mistakes.

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It can be difficult to do standing order cos the amount may vary week by week - if the horse has had shoes, or the vet, or whatever. But I pay my livery (monthly) by online transfer direct to the YO's bank account - so even if I can't get up there, she can phone and tell me the amount and I transfer it immediately.

Not sure about letting liveries make their own mistakes, if it is harming their ponies. They are on full livery, so the YO does have some responsibility to ensure that they are not overfed and in danger of laminitis and other problems.
 
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Yes of course they can feed them what they like but not take my feed without asking! They are on full livery, they get two feeds a day (of whatever they like) in the price! I just don't agree with feeding horses more than they need. Most of the livery horses on my yard are only in light work and IMO would do much better on ad-lib haylage rather than being fed as much hard feed as they can manage, thats for the horses sake and the riders sake!!

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You see, I couldn't have my horses on full livery at a yard where the YO thought she could tell ME what to feed them...
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Some people won't be told. One of the horses at the yard where I keep my boy was, according to the mother of the girl who rides it, being stroppy due to living out 24/7 on grass. We tried to explain that horses do get livelier when it is cold but they wouldn't listen. It is only ridden at weekends when it was given huge feeds (to keep the weight on!!). They decided to keep it in, with no company, to calm it down. When I explained that this would make it worse, I was told that they were teaching it a lesson!!!! In the end the horse became so distressed that it broke down the stable and had to be turned out as the owners of the yard couldn't risk it hurting itself or have another of the stables damaged.

I am sorry to say that we now don't offer any help and just let them carry on unless we think that the horse will suffer unduly.

There are an awful lot of stupid, ignorant people out there who think they know best.
 
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It can be difficult to do standing order cos the amount may vary week by week - if the horse has had shoes, or the vet, or whatever

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I would ask them to pay for their livery only by standing order - as this won't change monthly, and then bill them separately at the end of the month for the extra's.

As for making their own mistakes - within reason obviously, and without being detrimental to the welfare of the horse.....
 
Ah but you have contradicted in your first post.... you say about extra breakfast and tea nad not knowing how long this has been going on, then you state they turn up with bags of feed????
Cut their livery bill to allow for the cost of feeding and tell them to supply their own feed.... and then sign a disclaimer saying you are not responsible for the diets, so should they overfeed and there are problems, there is no come back on you!
 
Rocheele, just wait and hang on for the golden "I told you so" moment - so satisfying!!

And if that person misses any more payments, tell her you'll arrange a direct debit or she can find somewhere else!!!
 
Shilasdair, the owners chose which feed they want. If I don't have it already I go and buy it!!! I have NEVER told anybody what they should/shouldn't be feeding their horse (I may advise if they asked me). My point was, they are over feeding two ponies which do not require it. Im not willing to sit back and let people take advantage of me and my yard, I told them they shouldn't be taking food without asking first, if all of my clients were to do this I would have no feed left and be out of pocket! Put yourself in my position and ask yourself what you would do?
 
ArcAngelOvidious, How have I contradicted myself? I said they have been taking extra feed to give an "extra" breakfast. Not an evening feed. It was only after I had a word and said they couldn't take my feed without asking first, that they bought their own feed. This only happened this weekend!
 
And if you are referring to me as being a "stupid and ignorant YO" Thankyou!!!

Next time would you rather me tell you the story of the pony on my yard that got laminitis or colic or started with all kinds of stable vices because it was fed up to the hilt with hard feed it does not need?!
 
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Shilasdair, the owners chose which feed they want. If I don't have it already I go and buy it!!! I have NEVER told anybody what they should/shouldn't be feeding their horse (I may advise if they asked me). My point was, they are over feeding two ponies which do not require it. Im not willing to sit back and let people take advantage of me and my yard, I told them they shouldn't be taking food without asking first, if all of my clients were to do this I would have no feed left and be out of pocket! Put yourself in my position and ask yourself what you would do?

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No they shouldnt be taking your feed without asking at all, you will end up seriopusly out of pocket!...... BUT I would say you dont really have any right to say these ponies are being overfed etc on the grounds that they arent yours, of course you are entitled to your opinion, but I agree with Shilasdair, I couldnt keep my horse on a yard where someone else told me how to feed etc etc
 
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Ask them to pay you by standing order.
Let them buy their own feed.
And let them make their own mistakes.

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That's my feeling on this issue too.
 
Ah, but if you read your original post there is no mention of having a word with them about the feed, there was about tying to a wall... so it honestly read that they were taking your feed and yet appearing with bags of feed too??? thats where I questioned the contradiction!
 
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And if you are referring to me as being a "stupid and ignorant YO" Thankyou!!!

Next time would you rather me tell you the story of the pony on my yard that got laminitis or colic or started with all kinds of stable vices because it was fed up to the hilt with hard feed it does not need?!

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I don't think that was the intention in any shape or form - just a little joke generally.

Sounds like you are a very decent, caring individual - with one or two numpties on the yard. You could do worse than ask them to leave ultimately. Because as you rightly say, you shouldn't be taken advantage of - and if they won't listen to your good and sensible advise then perhaps these novice owners would be better of elsewhere...
 
I haven't told them how or what to feed!! I have told them not to take EXTRA feed without asking or paying for it! The next thing I know they have turned up with their own feed so they can feed as much as they like! If they had wanted more of my feed they could have paid me extra for it (I probably would have had to say I think they are getting too much, but I wouldn't go on and on, at the end of the day it is their choice). If god forbid, they do have an accident it is completely their own fault, it is their choice to feed more so they must face the consequences! I forgot to add in my OP, one of the ponies (the youngster) bolted twice at the weekend on the road. Maybe this will all make more sense now to the people who think I am an interfering YO!!
 
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Shilasdair............Put yourself in my position and ask yourself what you would do?

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Ok
I would discuss it with the liveries, including making up a feed chart for each pony with their agreement (the human owners, not the ponies
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Whilst discussing it, I would ask if they planned to feed an extra feed...and would split the total amounts in three to reflect this, leaving a feed somewhere for the owners to give after hacking. Happy yard owner, happy liveries, no overstuffed ponies
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2. The non-payer, I have no patience with...and if I were you I'd discuss it again, and ask for livery in advance.
3. My comment about yard owners was a reply to the poster above me. You can't disagree that, although there are YO's (presumably like yourself) who are experience, caring, and even qualified, there are a frightening number of YO's whose only 'qualification' was the purchase of some land and a few stables....which doesn't make them instant experts, unfortunately
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I'm sure you've met some of those too....
I have to say, I wouldn't discuss my liveries on a public forum...though...you never see me discussing any of my fellow liveries on here....or my YO...
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I dont think anyone is saying you are interfering, they are merely stating that they could not keep their horses on a yard where they are told what to feed..
Out of interest, what do you feed? Do you cater for different diets or are all the horses on much the same thing? I for one could not move to a yard where the feed is provided as my TB is prone to colic and he is fed on Winergy equilibrium, so all in all what I think people are getting at is the fact that their horses have individual diets and they are of the opinion that the horses are all fed the same stuff.....
Unfortunately should something happen to the horse and it is shown to be on full livery, with yourself supplying the feed, they could turn an incidents around on you and say you were responsible for feeding and as a result of this, this or that happened...
I certainly dont envy you as being a YO or YM must take the patience of a saint sometimes.....
Quite frankly if they are causing this much trouble, wouldn't it be easier to ask them to leave and find replacements?
 
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I haven't told them how or what to feed!! I have told them not to take EXTRA feed without asking or paying for it! The next thing I know they have turned up with their own feed so they can feed as much as they like! If they had wanted more of my feed they could have paid me extra for it (I probably would have had to say I think they are getting too much, but I wouldn't go on and on, at the end of the day it is their choice). If god forbid, they do have an accident it is completely their own fault, it is their choice to feed more so they must face the consequences! I forgot to add in my OP, one of the ponies (the youngster) bolted twice at the weekend on the road. Maybe this will all make more sense now to the people who think I am an interfering YO!!

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Sorry, but all the way through this thread you have said "these ponies are being fed too much" and the like, so in your opinion they shouldnt be fed anymore... I thought as you had said it on here you would of said it to the owners when chatting about them "nicking" your feed.......

If they pay late, or are behaving in a way you dont want on your yard its your right to ask em to leave....... I would
 
We have Alfa A, Original Hi-Fi, Chaff, Comp Mix, Pasture Mix, Build Up Mix, Pony Nuts, Sugar Beet, Slow Release Mix, I don't supply supplements. To be honest that is a good selection for any livery yard. Like I said before if I don't have it I buy it in. Feed is included in the price!

I've had enough of this post now. I didn't post to get twenty questions about my yard and what feed I stock! I just wanted a bit of back up about the two "problem liveries"! Thanks anyway
 
Thats a very good range of feeds and its nice to hear a YO say they will buy it in if its not already in the list......
good luck with the "problems", I'm sure with your tact and diplomacy you'll get them sorted out!
 
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