Do you put that horses need to be vaccinated in livery contract?

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Ali27

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We have got potential new people looking round yard tonight and I'm just rejigging contract. We have put that horses need vaccinating. Would that put you off? Most people I know vaccinate their horses routinely and we have just had warning from local vets to say yard with 6 TBs in Shropshire have got equine influenza. This might seem snobbish but I always think that people who don't vaccinate, cut corners with other things and those are the type of people we want to avoid. Should I take people's word for it or ask to look at passport? Also, how do we enforce contract which says 4 week's notice is needed?
 
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I see that as a positive. I'm reassured when YO's ask for details of vaccinations, public liability insurance and worming. Though not always true, it is fair to say that it can be an indication of owners who don't bother with vacs being more likely to cut corners in other areas.

I've walked away from a couple of places because they seemed to have owners who frequently bought horses from the sales and sold on after a few weeks. These horses weren't vaccinated and were a higher risk to resident horses on the yard.

Enforcing a notice period on a contract is easier if you get references from previous YO's And the local horsey network,so as to avoid problem liveries in the first place. One YO had to resort to tying 6 horses up at the gate and demand the owner collected them. Sounds extreme but owners were neglectful, owed thousands and stole people's tack.
Don't want to put you off though...:)
 
Ali27 said:
Would that put you off?
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On the contrary - it would encourage me to move to you. Our yard doesn’t even isolate newbies these days and it’s a constant worry with the turnover rate. A yard with no rules is a yard with no standards imo.
 
every yard i have been on has checked the passport either when we put a deposit down for stable or when the horse arrived... one even took photocopies of vac's page and markings for their records!
 
No it wouldn't put me off at all!! It's something that didn't cross our minds when entering new iivery - luckily the other livery is very OCD about that kind of thing.. however a new livery (who came after us) brought an un vaccinated horse onto the yard.. we did point out that she ought to have vaccs if she's out and about hacking and competing as it risks all of ours as well. She had it dne a week later.

:)
 
I would be happy with it in contract however bear inn mind there can (rarely) be cases where horses cannot have the flu jab on vets advice, my big chap nearly died and head horse vet at RVC said he shouldn't have the jab again. So in that exceptional circumstance with evidence from an expert horse vet you should waive the rule, but it really is only in that scenario. (my other horse is jabbed btw and big chap still has tetanus)
 
Thanks for all the helpful comments! Glad there are lots of other people who think the same as me! There is only myself, daughter and two sisters on yard and we all are ocd in our horse management eg vaccinations, insurance, worming, poo picking, coming up twice a day to check on them etc. Just want to make sure that we can find other like minded people for the owners who are so lovely and helpful.
Any ideas on what to do if someone signs contract agreeing to pay/ give months notice but leaves without paying it/ giving that notice?
 
Yes my contract says the minimum vaccinations that are required for the horse to reside on my farm. If owners want to vaccinate beyond that, that's fine too. The only ones I allow to not be vaccinated are the ancient old retired horses as I know the problems that can arise from vaccinating these old dears.
 
If you've got a contract that says 30 days notice I suppose you can always take someone to the small claims court if they don't comply - probably best to phone the BHS legal helpline at that point. One livery tried to leave without giving any notice at my last yard & the YO blocked her lorry in with the tractor & refused to move it until she came back with the cash - that worked!
 
We would of course take a horse that on vet's advice shouldn't be vaccinated. Isolation is also a good idea too for new horses! Haha - you guys all sound like perfect liveries! Do you want to move to our yard?
 
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