Even though i'm on full livery, I have to...

why doesnt the yard offer to do them at a price - mine is for £50 a day - which puts most (but not all !) people off!!! there is a list which people need to put their name down now so they can plan staff numbers. Or why dont you get together with a few other liveries and take in turns, i am doing xmas morning turnout (am new girl on the block) and then the others in my field are bringing in. At the very worst poo pick the stable for a day and do a thorough clean the nest (will get rid of boxing day hangovers!) Im going to do mobile grooming next year and earn a bit of cash! good luck! xxx
 
Personally it wouldn't bother me as I don't mind doing the boring chores! However, if you are paying for fully livery and the yard is supposed to be fully responsible for your horse, I can see your point. One first class livery yard that I knew didn't used to muck out over the Christmas period (five days)! They just gave them hay, feeds and topped up their water. I would expect your yard to do this as a minimum really!
 
I moved to part livery this autumn and will be down xmas day ( as am used to doing on DIY) Going to muck out some of the others on my row too. Its xmas, share the workload!
 
It's very hard when your told at quite short notice, have to work part of the day, have others horses at other yards, want time with your family plus pay the same price! I wouldnt mind paying a bit more at all if possible but this is not an option.
 
Are you at a small livery yard? I only had 15 boarders at my yard in England and it was pretty much standard practice at all the other small yards in our area. The large competition yards offered cover for people who couldn't do Christmas Day, however they did charge extra for it.

Over here I have way more horses and as they are all on full care anyway, with owners who don't come up very often, I do all horses on Christmas Day, same as every other day; however they are all out 24/7 so all I have to do is give them their hard feed and no mucking out.
 
I have had my livery yard for just under 10 years now, and it has never entered my head to get the liveries to do their own horses, for me it is part of the job and christmas day is just like any other day, except i don't do any riding, i just turn them out in the morning, muck out,get everything ready for the evening and then go back in the evening and put them to bed.
I think if they did their own and all turned up at different times etc etc the horses would wonder what on earth was going on!! Personally i would actually rather do it myself.
 
I would expect it to be done TBH. If I was paying full livery for an animal that needs looking after 365 days a year, then I would expect them to provide christmas cover. After all Christmas day is just another day for the horse. I think my point is that as a nurse, if I had to work Christmas day then tough. Surely a groom should be the same. Also, wouldn't the extra cost of Christmas wages normally be factored in to the price you pay anyway?

Jojoscrooge x
 
I think it is perfectly reasonable for full liveries to help on Christmas Day if they are not going miles away. The yard my horse is at they actually prefer if no one comes up on Christmas Day - I think they find it easier to sweep through the whole yard without falling over loads of people having a natter. However, should they ask, I would actually enjoy doing my horse and taking time out from the family duties!
 
I am on a competition yard and my pony is going onto Part livery from dec. 1st. This means that they do everything for him apart from riding him which I will do. This is not because I am lazy but because my horse prefers living in and is a wimp. If the yard offered DIY I would take it.
They have 5 staff. 3 work over xmas holiday and 2 over New year. I will be working on the 3 sundays around those two. Even though I pay LOOADS for them to do it, I will still do it myself as I enjoy bonding with my horse and having time away from family.
The grooms work the hours they wish those days as long as the usual chores are done. They normally go at 5am and are mucked out and done most things by 8am and then come back at about 5 and so a check and skip and feed and go by 7ish. They then get most of the day with family and everything is done.

I do think you are over-reacting. Once a year is not much to ask.
 
dont think an hour out of your time would kill you for one day. I have got at the mo prob 20 to muck out by myself xmas day ,boxing day and new years day not including my own.I do this nearly every day there are another 50 or so horses on the stud too to muck out think ya self lucky you just got one! oh the joys of working with horses.
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Mine is on full livery and if I gave notice then he would be done on Christmas Day, but it would be just a quick skip out. We have a mixture at our yard, some people are on DIY, some have few things done, some have full livery just when they are ill or away and some a few days a week. There are only a couple of us that on full livery all the time. However funny enough, lots of people want their horses done on Christmas Day! So it's kind of an unwritten rule that we all do our own apart from if you are away, can't get there etc.
I never moan about doing mine - I think it's only fair that the girls that work there get some time to spend with their families - just like the rest of us!
If we can only get there in the mornings then we leave feeds and haynets outside the stable and YO puts them in at relevant times - maybe this would be a solution for you Horsey_Gal, then you'd only have to go up there once?
 
you are Over reacting tad a bit... every xmas all the liveries get together... last xmas few of us turned out, few of us to muck out, few do the hay, few makes up the feeds, one (lady who had op on her wrist) makes the teas, we even do the YO's son's own 2 horses.... happy bunch of people, very nice atomsphere. YO and son brings them all in but leaves TO rugs on except in some cases. There is no extra staff on this yard apart from YO and his son who's has been very helpful, they deserve the day off... never seen them go away for holidays, never seen them off sick, never seen them complaining.. they spent so much love into our horses. They also gets pressies from our horses too. It's gonna be same again this year.
 
I think if you are paying for your horse to be cared for 365 days a year and that is what you choose then that is what you should get.

I cant tell my clients to look after themselves over Christmas.
I have chosen my line of work so therefore if it means working christmas then so be it.
Those choosing to work with horses or run a livery yard, surely take into account that Christmas happens once a year and plan accordingly.
 
I agree, if you are paying for full livery then the horses should be looked after by the livery staff even on Christmas Day (unless it has already been written into your contract that this isnt the case).
Ours are on full livery but just get a skip out & feed / hay /water etc, no full muck out or turnout.
 
I can see it from both sides. You all want the day off, most of us would love to have no chores to do at chrismas (I would rather muck out than cook christmas dinner though)!!!

But it should be written into your contract which days are not covered. If it mentions this already then you are over reacting to something you should have known already,

However if there is no mention of it then I would say that you are entitled to be unhappy. If you dont choose to muck out any other day of the year then why in gods name would you feel differently on Christmas Day???

(thats not a dig by the way)!!
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I am interested to find out what sort of livery you are on that all of you who say that they expect the liveries to turn DIY on Christmas Day.

When your horse is on full livery, it means just that. Most of the livery owners don't know exactly what feed to use, don't know how much hay or haylege to give, will not know exactly what rugs to put on at what time, where to get extra bedding, where to find the supplements. The list goes on. And it is not that they are not interested - their horse's requirements are discussed, but as a specialist yard, each horse is assessed regularly and feed etc changed as required.

Full livery is SO different to DIY. They won't know which fields we want the horses out in (all the horses go out either separately or with their best friends). The whole thing would be carnage if we let everyone come up and do it themselves, and although many of the liveries DO come up on Christmas Day and help, that is only if THEY want to and not because they have no choice.
 
When I worked as a groom I worked Christmas & New Year if the rota fell in such a way that I was due to work. I still work Christmas Day.
I agree that you should expect the care for your horse to be exactly the same on Christmas Day as any of the other 364 (365 in a leap year!!) - thats what you pay for. For many people doing their own horse simply isn't an option - it's got nothing to do with being lazy, or not wanting to join in the atmosphere or bond with your horse while mucking it out - it's about lifestyles & what suits you best. If that's full livery & thats what you pay for then thats what you are entitled to expect.
 
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and your begrudging people having the day off to do what they want to do with their own families.
I cant put this in a way that would sound nice but....
you sound very bratty- Just get out of bed and do it yourself...

It may be nice for you to spend abit of time with said horse on xmas day

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Wow that's a bit harsh and totally judgmental!!!!
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Where did the OP state she begrudged families getting together at Christmas???? We all have our own reasons for why we care for our horses in certain ways, including the type of livery. I have never understood the contempt shown towards full liveries on here sometimes?!

If I was paying for an expensive full livery service then I would expect my horse to be done 365 days a year, even if it meant paying a premium on special days like Christmas.
 
I have never had the luxury of full livery, I have my own little yard and have to do it all myself, but I do think if you are paying for full livery then that is what you should get.
People pay a lot of money for this service and fair enough grooms may want a day off but I am sure people working in other industries who have to work christmas would also like it off.
 
Is this another disagreement with your Dad and his wife HG? Isn't this where your horse is kept? Have to say, I was under the impression that you didn't have anything to do with this horse right now as your Dad had pretty much claimed ownership of it.

Sorry, but I'm sure you can understand my confusion.
 
I look at this from a different angle. Anyone working on Xmas/Boxing/New Years day are entitled to either 2 days off in lieu or at least double pay. I believe that it is there choice & can not be forced into any or either arrangement. So the question is, are you prepared to pay the premium for these Public holidays? For me I compare it to trying to find a decent restaurant or hotel on Valentines or Mothers Day & Xmas. Prices spiral, & people pay. So why should it be any different for Liveries.
I would always feed hay & water am & pm for any liveries over a festive period.
 
I'll sit on the fence on this one !!!

If you are paying for full livery then I would expect the horse to be done 365 days per year unless of course you are told up front that certain days are excluded.

I wouldn't object to paying extra for my horse to be done on Christmas/New Year and likewise if I was around I wouldn't object to doing my horse myself.
 
I guess it depends how you were asked. I would be miffed. I always had to work Christmas day when I was a livery yard groom. We wouldn't have dreamed of expecting them to muck out their own horses..
 
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Is this another disagreement with your Dad and his wife HG? Isn't this where your horse is kept? Have to say, I was under the impression that you didn't have anything to do with this horse right now as your Dad had pretty much claimed ownership of it.

Sorry, but I'm sure you can understand my confusion.

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Oh yes, I forgot about that
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Is this another disagreement with your Dad and his wife HG? Isn't this where your horse is kept? Have to say, I was under the impression that you didn't have anything to do with this horse right now as your Dad had pretty much claimed ownership of it.

Sorry, but I'm sure you can understand my confusion.

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Oh yes, I forgot about that
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Hmmm,the plot thickens,lmao!!
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I have to muck my boy out xmas day and every other day,lol,however the YO is turning out and bringing in and still mucking out the full liveries,i certainly wouldnt expect her to on xmas day!Besides i love toddling off at 10.30 am every xmas morning and filling my lads face full of carrots,love it!!!
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My stallion is on full livery - and at this stud/eventing yard full really means full: grooming, exercise, schooling, absolutely everything, 365 days a year. I barely ever even get a chance to run a brush over him - and I wouldn't have the foggiest idea where to find the feeds, brooms, or any other equipment!

I'm not a lazy cow - I would actually love to look after my horse myself, but I have a stupid beastly illness that means I am often not even well enough to go and see him, let alone muck out or groom or anything.

Although obviously I am paying for this 5-star service, the livery charges are very reasonable, and I do very much appreciate the hard work all the girls there put in to keep my boy well and happy. Every time I visit the yard (usually about once a week when I am well enough) I bring a big box of doughnuts or cookies or chocolates or some sort of treat for the stud manager and the staff.

Right now I'm trying to work out what to get them all for Christmas!

I wouldn't be upset if I were on a yard that asked owners to do their own horses on Christmas Day, providing this was in the contract or made clear well in advance, so one had time to organize cover if one couldn't get there for whatever reason.
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I have to say I would not be happy about it if I was paying for a full livery service. They are running a professional livery yard and frankly it goes with the territory, something I was told by my liveries when I ran a yard and wanted to take a short holiday (did not employ staff) These were DIY liveries as well!!
 
You are absolutely over reacting. All the liveries at our yard muck in and muck out on Xmas day and then afterwards, the YO gives everyone breakfast of scrambled egg, salmon and bucks fizz. How much do you think your YO would have to pay their staff to come in and work on Xmas day. That would ultimately go on your bill. Do you never muck your own horse out - it's so fulfilling to bond with them. Try it (and not just on Xmas day).
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You are absolutely over reacting. All the liveries at our yard muck in and muck out on Xmas day and then afterwards, the YO gives everyone breakfast of scrambled egg, salmon and bucks fizz. How much do you think your YO would have to pay their staff to come in and work on Xmas day. That would ultimately go on your bill. Do you never muck your own horse out - it's so fulfilling to bond with them. Try it (and not just on Xmas day).
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Bonding with your horse does NOT mean mucking them out.
Being on FULL livery means full livery. I imagine you are talking about part livery or DIY?
 
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