Do You Have What It Takes?

[clipclop]

I would never EVER want to own or run a Livery Yard.

I used to be in a small yard (Kibob's) and sometimes I despaired at what people expected from her?

Dealing with batty horse owners and their equally batty horses.(Including myself) I actually couldn't think of a worse way to try and earn a living.

 

[Sooty]

If I ran a livery yard I don't think I'd keep ten 3-year-olds in a field together, regardless of whether one of them kicked me! I'd use electric tape and keep them in smaller numbers, or on their own if they were particularly boisterous. However, in the situation you illustrated, if one did kick me I'd probably cry. Then swear. Or maybe the other way round...

 

[vieshot]

1. You have a field full of 10 large and lively 3 year olds. All the horses get on great together and play a lot. You like them and they like you. On an individual basis, you find the handling of these horses very easy, however in the herd situation 1 does not respect your space and will threaten his bottom to you whenever you shoo him on. He does this over a period of time and a couple of times he has kicked out and caught you leaving marks but without seriously hurting you. One day you go into the field and this horse comes joyfully running up to you, you shoo him off and his response is, he spins around and backs up to you to try to kick you with a nice size 6 double-barrel.....what do you do?

ID CARRY A WHIP, LEAD ROPE OR SIMILAR TO CLOUT THE ANIMAL WITH WHEN IT SWUNG ITS ASS AT ME, IT WOULD SOON LEARN.

2. (a) A horse is clearly unwell. You try to make the horse feel better and try to contact the owner. The owner is not contactable.....what do you do?

CALL THE VET, SURELY ITS YOUR RIGHT AS A THE HORSES CARER TO DO ANYHTING THAT NEEDS DOING TO HELP THE ANIMALS IN YOUR CARE

(b) The horse has deteriorated and you still cannot get in touch with the owners. You know the horse is going to die......what do you do?

IVE ALREADY RANG THE VET! I CANT DO MUCH ELSE CAN I!?!

3. One of you livery clients has not paid their livery bill. What do you do?

TELL THEM TO PAY THEIR BILL, IF THEY DONT THEN TELL THEM WHERE TO GO

4. You have 2 friends who board at your yard. Their horses do not get on well in the field together but the owners want them to be in the same field as each other. One of the horses kicks and injures the other horse, the owner has vet out and he deals with situation. Horse goes on individual rest for a week and then becomes sound again.......what do you do?

TAKE THE PROBLEM HORSE OUT OF THE FIELD AND PUT HIM IN A SEPERATE FIELD WITH ANOTHER HORSE FOR COMPANY(POSSIBLEY ONE OF MY OWN) OR ELECTRIC FENCE THE PROBLEM HORSE AND HIS COMPANION OFF IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE FIELD.

5. You have a couple of liveries who come knocking on your door every time they come up, asking questions or just because they are lonely and want to chat. They come to ride their horse every day in the early evening when you are finished your horse-chores and have moved indoors to spend time with your family.......what do you do?

TELL THEM I CANT CHAT BECAUSE IM DEALING WITH MY FAMILY. SIMPLE.

 

[MillionDollar]

[ QUOTE ]
LOL!! I did think about you too when I wrote this.

I'd be interested to hear your replies in a couple of years time as although what you have said makes sense as a non-yard owner.....a couple of them really are not practical and fall short a little. Don't believe that contracts are even read, let alone understood, let alone followed .


[/ QUOTE ]

It definitely will be very interesting!

Very true about the contracts but if anything happens at least I'll have proof.

At least I know I've got the temperament for it- very patient and I'm very good at just listening and nodding my head, LOL, without getting involved.

 

[JaneMBE]

1. You have a field full of 10 large and lively 3 year olds.. One day you go into the field and this horse comes joyfully running up to you, you shoo him off and his response is, he spins around and backs up to you to try to kick you with a nice size 6 double-barrel.....what do you do?

I wouldn’t have 10 youngsters together…. They would be sectioned off. It’s bad enough with two!
As for the evil one, I would whip his ass. After yelling and crying a bit!

2. (a) A horse is clearly unwell. You try to make the horse feel better and try to contact the owner. The owner is not contactable.....what do you do?

(b) The horse has deteriorated and you still cannot get in touch with the owners. You know the horse is going to die......what do you do?

Treat as my own. As with livery (if/when I have them) it is written in contract that if owner is not contactable, I would do everything I could and if need be end the suffering.

3. One of you livery clients has not paid their livery bill. What do you do?

Send the heavies round? In contract would be written that action would be taken if payment not received. Said action would be, written warnings that would involve removing the horse if not paid after 28 days or something. Would hope that I could talk to them and help if struggling. If, after a further 28 days I would like to think I could take horse and deliver to owners house and say, there you go, no pay no stable/field. Try and get money back, but as has happened with lost money it stays lost (in my case)

4. You have 2 friends who board at your yard. Horse goes on individual rest for a week and then becomes sound again.......what do you do?

If I couldn’t get through to them that actually this is a ridiculous situation I would separate with eleccy fence so they were together but not able to do damage. If friends didn’t like it I would have to say, it isn’t working, these are my rules, best you find somewhere else.

5. You have a couple of liveries who come knocking on your door every time they come up.......what do you do?

Put a sign up stating my hours of duty, and an emergency only number. Have to have a life outside the business.

That’s what ideally would happen. Whether or not I would have the backbone to carry some of them out? I am a lot tougher these days, so maybe I could!

 

[juliebrewer]

ohh I think I'd sell up and buy a yard all to myself!!!
I've heard of worst horra stories than that!!! Its a nightmare for the YO. I do have sympathy for them.........

 

[Super_Kat]

1) I would make sure I carry something to wack it with sould it try to turn it's arse on me and if I went into the field and it tried that I would get out of the way then use said something and wack it.

2)
A) I would make sure the owners signed somehting that said should the vet be required and I can't get in contact with them I can call the vet and shouldthe horse need to be destroyed and I can't get in contact with them I can give the nod. Soooo, I would call the vet.
B) Leave vet to deal with it.

3) With hold horse until they do if they still do not pay up after athe bill runs into a certain amount the horse would be sold.

4) Strongly suggest that the horses are seperated bu if they want them together I would accept no responsibility for damage.

5) Ignore them

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

1. You have a field full of 10 large and lively 3 year olds. All the horses get on great together and play a lot. You like them and they like you. On an individual basis, you find the handling of these horses very easy, however in the herd situation 1 does not respect your space and will threaten his bottom to you whenever you shoo him on. He does this over a period of time and a couple of times he has kicked out and caught you leaving marks but without seriously hurting you. One day you go into the field and this horse comes joyfully running up to you, you shoo him off and his response is, he spins around and backs up to you to try to kick you with a nice size 6 double-barrel.....what do you do?

2. (a) A horse is clearly unwell. You try to make the horse feel better and try to contact the owner. The owner is not contactable.....what do you do? <font color="red"> treat as if yours </font>

(b) The horse has deteriorated and you still cannot get in touch with the owners. You know the horse is going to die......what do you do? <font color="red"> get doctor out to it ! or take it to A&amp;E !!! LOL </font>

3. One of you livery clients has not paid their livery bill. What do you do? <font color="red"> hide their horse if nice, if not beat the owners up !!</font>

4. You have 2 friends who board at your yard. Their horses do not get on well in the field together but the owners want them to be in the same field as each other. One of the horses kicks and injures the other horse, the owner has vet out and he deals with situation. Horse goes on individual rest for a week and then becomes sound again.......what do you do? <font color="red"> tell them they are crazy women, seperate the horses, they can go somewhere else if they want them together !!!! </font>

5. You have a couple of liveries who come knocking on your door every time they come up, asking questions or just because they are lonely and want to chat. They come to ride their horse every day in the early evening when you are finished your horse-chores and have moved indoors to spend time with your family.......what do you do? <font color="red"> turn lights off - do not answer door or phone !!!</font>

 

[Tia]

[ QUOTE ]
5 - is hide an option?????

[/ QUOTE ]

OMG!! You have just sussed me out.......I have been known, on many occasions to hide from a couple of my boarders

.

 

[Tia]

Interesting replies everyone

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I do find the answers where the suggestions are for the yard owner to spend EVEN more money on sorting out problems.....adds a touch of spice to my somewhat boring questions

.

Sometimes I do wonder if people know exactly how much a number of these suggestions actually cost and how much extra hassle is involved.....and do they really think that the livery money anywhere near covers this cost?

 

[Judie]

1. 10 in a field, don't have a problem with that, would take naughty pony out once a day and teach it some manners, if it bothered me that much.

2. Treat as my own, that would be the understanding of the livery arrangements

3. Would have a word and make it perfectly clear that things need to change, I would have no reservations about starting small claims procedure whilst the horse was still in my care.

4. Horses kick each other, if it was a one off let the girls get on with it, if not try and find a solution

5. I would expect to be available as much as possible, that is what I'm being paid for but would have a quiet word if some one was abusing that, i.e coz they've lost a bit of tack etc, but would expect to assist in an injury or such like.

Whilst I empathise with YO, surely they can't expect to have perfect liveries, perfect hassle free horses??? I think you need to have boundaries and when they are crossed you must be able to speak to the livery concerned, like wise if the YO doesn't keep within the said boundaries the livery can have their say to.

Communication is the key on any yard, once this breaks down all hell lets loose!

 

[Happy Horse]

I'd be a rubbish yard owner. I am far too intolerant of people and have very high standards that it would probably be unreasonable to expect people to keep to! Anyway:

1) I'd probably scream and swear, lob a headcollar at it and shut it in it's stable with no tea!

2) I'd call the vet

3) I'd have it PTS. I'd try and contact the owners but in the event I couldn't I would happily make the decision.

4) I'd let them sort it out between them.

5) This is why I'd be a rubbish yard owner - I'd moan and whinge!

 

[Tia]

LOL!! Well I have to disagree with you - I think, judging by your answers, that you would be the PERFECT livery yard owner.

 

[Doublethyme]

1) Presumably having a lead rope to hand, it would get a wallop on the backside, but like others have said would hope not to let it get to that stage.

2) In both cases would definitely have a clause in agreement stating I had control over vet decisions if owner uncontactable (I would also insist and expect this as a livery)

3) Presuming terms have been made very clear at the outset (and a late payment fee included), I would contact the client by phone/face to face with a polite request for payment, then follow with a written request and then take legal action. However, if I ever run a yard (not something I have a burning ambition to do for all the reasons stated by the YO's above!), I would do as our YO does, make it a condition for having horse at the yard from the outset to set up a monthly direct debit/standing order for the livery in advance. Any extras to be paid separately - then you only get left with the "extras" bill, which shouldn't be so crippling.

4) If the horses were full livery and completely under my care, then I would inform the clients that the horses are separated (would imagine it takes enough time looking after a full livery yard, without having daily dramas that could be avoided!). If DIY, then would give them opinion and make sure they understood that it was at their risk, but let them leave together if they wanted.

5) Would have a very clear policy and notices stating contact times outside of emergency and to be honest me being me, I just wouldn't open the door (do that now at home if someone comes I don't want to speak to!!).

Our YO (DIY) is brilliant, very professional and her other full livery yard is run to the same high standards.

However, just to balance the discussion up - what about all those completely batty yard owners out there? I've certainly met a few in my time, who seem to think that their liveries are not paying customers, but that they are being supremely generous in "allowing" them to keep horses at their yards, change the rules daily (or even hourly!) and are most definitely its "my way, or no way".

 

[Tia]

[ QUOTE ]
However, just to balance the discussion up - what about all those completely batty yard owners out there? I've certainly met a few in my time, who seem to think that their liveries are not paying customers, but that they are being supremely generous in "allowing" them to keep horses at their yards, change the rules daily (or even hourly!) and are most definitely its "my way, or no way".


[/ QUOTE ]

Good point. If I had one of those....I'd move

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