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

We have our own yard where most of our horses are kept and one is kept on full livery on a show yard.

I will expect to see to the horses on my yard but not the one on livery.
 
You're paying for a service like any other.

If you stuck your granny in a nursing home you wouldnt expect them to tell you all the staff were haing xmas day off and you had to look after her yourself would you? Of course, you'd visit, but if you're paying for something you should get it.
 
Well since you're meant to see your horse every day anyway then I dont see the problem with mucking out while you're there?! I never get a day off from doing mine!

If you really have a problem with it, ask around the other liveries and see if someone wants to be paid to do them all on Xmas day?
 
Many yards do that I'm afraid so that staff can have a day off (well-earned!). I love seeing my horse on Christmas day so wouldn't object. I have also heard of full livery yards that shut on Christmas day and you can't see your horse. I wouldn't like that so much as I'd worry they'd be leaving it unmucked out just because we weren't there to see it.
 
I haven't heard anything about our xmas day/boxing day/new years day arrangements yet, I would go there anyway as I like to see flash and escape from the family, I don't think I'd be bothered, all the hard work they do over the rest of the year, they deserve a break. Having said that, they live at the yard and I live half hours drive away, and if I'm going out new years eve I wouldn't want to drive the next morning....
 
I think the difficulty is when like me your family don't live locally (over 3 hrs away) some years they come to me but other years we go to them and I wouldn't be able to do George. Thankfully at my new yard I'm on Mon-Fri full livery and there will be no extra charge for christmas/boxing day. The arrangement is that the horses will be skipped out twice a day, they won't be turned out (just on the horse walker for a bit), they will get an extra small feed at lunchtime with a splash of Guinness in it, and will be hayed and watered. I am more than happy with this and think my new YO is a saint (needless to say she will be getting a nice christmas pressie from me!). At my old yard if you needed your horse doing on christmas/boxing day it would be one skip out, no turnout and not much hay - £25 extra each day!
 
Out of interest, why are you 'meant ' to see your horse everyday.

Visiting your horse everyday doers not reflect the level of care he recieves.

The horse we have on full livery is in very capable professional hands and i do not 'need' to see him everyday.

We love him dearly but we are emotionally independent of him and him us to not have to.

We have youngsters that need our time and if you are paying for a full livery service then there are very good reasons for people to choose that option.

We are more than comfortable with our horse being schooled/ridden by someone else. Not because we cant do it ourselves because we are more than able to. We visit him twice a week, my daughter schools him or hacks him out.
 
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I honestly don't think you have ever been on a yard which is totally full livery with 3 members of staff living on site, as well as the yard owner, otherwise you would understand better. I have done everything from total DIY to assisted DIY to having them at home, to being on full livery to having them at my sister's yard (on full livery). When I finish riding, I always ask what rug to put on as out of about 10 rugs to choose from, THEY are the ones who will be there 3 hours after I have left adding rugs where necessary, removing where necessary.

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What an extremely patronising statement - you have no idea what type of yard I've been on!
 
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Sorry Susan but I did chuckle too
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. Probably because when I muck out the horses are way out in a field galloping around and I am stuck inside a stinky stable alone.
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I was going to say something similar; when I'm mucking out, PF is usually elsewhere, so I don't see how I could possibly bond with her that way...
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nobody can look after your horses as well as you can yourself.
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Oh, I do agree with you there. We have 2 grooms for 25 horses so sometimes they're just not as thorough as I am
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Although the other 24 owners are all rubbish so their horses are MUCH better off NOT being looked after them!
 
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I thought she only had one horse....and it lived at the Dads yard? The others she has are just ponies aren't they? And they live in a field don't they?

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I cant keep up, so many stories!
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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.

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Well when I had Flint at WestonLawns he was on Full livery so it would only be contempt for myself!
We are all different I suppose but if i was ever down the yard and the groom was mucking him out I would always help her out, But I would help anyone out.

I dont see why the big issue either from what Tia has posted, I was under the impression that her dad had the horse??! conflicting stories or to many of them.
Lets put it this way...on christmas day I WOULDNT have a problem going down and doing my own horse.
 
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Well when I had Flint at WestonLawns he was on Full livery so it would only be contempt for myself!
We are all different I suppose but if i was ever down the yard and the groom was mucking him out I would always help her out, But I would help anyone out.

I dont see why the big issue either from what Tia has posted, I was under the impression that her dad had the horse??! conflicting stories or to many of them.
Lets put it this way...on christmas day I WOULDNT have a problem going down and doing my own horse.

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Oh, Flintus, why can't you be less judgemental...try to emulate lzt....
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I dont think Im judgmental at all!
Full livery is great but come on, one day isn't going to kill the bird is it, unless she doesnt know what a dirty stable looks like and collapses in shock!
 
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Oh, Flintus, why can't you be less judgemental...try to emulate lzt....
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I speak as I find Shilasdair.

I didn't say Flintus was a judgemental person, I referred to his comments on the thread.

But nice to know where you are at
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Oh, Flintus, why can't you be less judgemental...try to emulate lzt....
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I speak as I find Shilasdair.

I didn't say Flintus was a judgemental person, I referred to his comments on the thread.

But nice to know where you are at
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As if...
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I dont think Im judgmental at all!
Full livery is great but come on, one day isn't going to kill the bird is it, unless she doesnt know what a dirty stable looks like and collapses in shock!

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I was teasing lzt....
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And you never know....one day's mucking out could prove fatal...if her horse is as dirty as any of mine
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She's only a horse!

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OMG DD, on here that is tantamount to admitting horse abuse, run, take cover!

FWIW my horse will be done on Xmas day - I'm on part/full livery (they don't ride but do him every day). He won't get turned out though, which seems fair, and won't kill him for one day!
 
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Peeing myself now. A couple of years ago, one of our liveries bought their horse in, gave him a good grooming, until the actual owner turned up and claimed their horse. Actually, it was the best groom he had had in ages!

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LMAO! I've seen liveries at my yard do that! Sometimes they even ASK which is their horse!!
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I dont think Im judgmental at all!
Full livery is great but come on, one day isn't going to kill the bird is it, unless she doesnt know what a dirty stable looks like and collapses in shock!

[/ QUOTE ] It wouldn't kill me either, but I don't intend to do it!! I will be with my mare for a few of hours on Christmas morning as always - wouldn't miss it! But I'm there to see her, groom, ride and give her something especially nice to eat. If I was mucking out, she wouldn't be getting a few hours of my undivided attention would she? Thankfully, serices are not withdrawn on my full livery yard at Christmas!

That said if I really liked a yard and it was built into the contract that liveries did their own at Christmas, it wouldn't put me off being there. Its either in the contract or it isn't though. My husband works in a Prison, it would be nice if he could be home for everyone of the Christmas Bank holidays, but it comes with the territory that he can't be. People who need care, and animals need care every day of the year and people employed to provide it have to accept that!
 
I'm on part livery and my horse is being mucked out for me on Xmas day. I'm really glad about it with Xmas lunch to cook and extended family to keep happy. So call me lazy if you want!
 
Things have changed! When i ran a livery yard and only gave up 3 years ago , all our horses were on part livery eg I did everything for them apart from grooming, riding and exercising, on Christmas day I just got up an hour earlier than normal, horses were watered, fed, while they were eating I put the hay ready for the night , when finished eating, I turned them out, mucked out , beds down (rather than leaving them up to air) straw put in, hay and night feeds, so all I did later was bring horses in and check rugs... its a normal day to the horses, so don't see why they should be left stuck in the stables
 
Wow! This thread has made for interesting reading, especially as a newbie on the board.

I have worked on yards in the past and had to work Xmas Day. It has never bothered me in the slightest and I (and any other member of staff who has to work) accept that it is part of the job and that's that. We don't do a full day's work (ie: no riding/turnout), but the horses are all cared for and those that have special requirements are tended to.

I have also had the pleasure of being on full livery (although I'm one of the very annoying ones who is constantly checking on things as I've worked on yards and have definite ideas on how I need my horse looked after!). When family commitments have not prevented me from going up on Xmas Day, I have gone up, dealt with my own animal and helped out with the rest. I simply love going up and being with the horses on Xmas Day, but unfortunately this is not always possible.

I completely agree with those who have mentioned the fact that livery is a service and you get what you pay/sign a contract for. I particularly liked the nursing home analogy - no one expects to have to go and feed/wash/take care of their ageing relative on Xmas Day?! Patients in hospitals/veterinary surguries are not kicked out on Xmas Day because the nurses/doctors want a day off?!!!

I find the attitudes of some on this thread very disrespectful and to be honest - downright rude. To be told that one is 'selfish' or 'lazy' or 'needs to get a life' because one expects a service to be provided that is provided every other day of the year is simply thoughtless. Equally to make people, who work extraordinarily hard and accept that they will not have time to do the horse(s) and so do the best thing and put them on full livery so they are well cared for at all times, feel as though they have done something wrong in making this decision is just appalling. What works for some does not work for others and no one should be vilified for the decisions they make regarding how their horse is looked after - as long as the horse is healthy and well cared for.
 
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I'm on part livery and my horse is being mucked out for me on Xmas day. I'm really glad about it with Xmas lunch to cook and extended family to keep happy. So call me lazy if you want!

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I'm never one to turn down an invitation;
'lazy lazy lazy!'
Thanks
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