Experiences of Livery Yards that aren't keen on Sharers/Loaners

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EquestrianFairy

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Is this quite common for YO's to not particularly like the idea of a sharer/part loaners on their Livery Yard?

Do people think it's a case of lack of trust based on a stranger entering the yard etc? (can see this to a point) Or do YO's take the fact sharers/part loaners come part and parcel of having a Livery Yard?
 
My sharers have always been welcome on every yard I've been to. I think it is a little silly for YOs to assume that horse owner will be the only person who ever comes to see to horse (ie when sick, partner/parents might come etc)

While I think it's fine to ask to be made aware of this person - I think anything over and above that is just being difficult :)
 
When I was looking into moving yards a few years ago I came across one which said they wouldn't take on a livery whose horse was on loan to them (apparently because they'd had bad experiences with loans going wrong and them having to sort the horses out) but that's the only time. My horse is on loan and it's never been an issue at a yard.
 
Only experienced one yard that wasn't keen on sharers. It was a small yard and the owner preferred owners with two or more horses and no sharers simply because it meant less people wandering around.
Other than that yard, everywhere else seems to expect sharers as part and parcel of livery yard life. When ever I've had a sharer or extra rider, I check with the YO first and ensure the person is going to be easy to have around.
 
There is a yard around here that charges a £7 'extra rider' fee for every sharer you have. They say it's for your sharer's rider insurance but as we are all sensible responsible people with either BHS insurance or rider insurance as part of another policy this seems like discouragement to me...
 
A few years back I was at a yard where the YO told me she wouldn't allow me to have a sharer. It was 'the rules'. It made life very difficult as I was juggling work and a long-distance relationship at the time, and p*ssed me off as everyone else at the yard had an OH/sister/mum who were all allowed to help out, and I had no-one of that ilk to call on. In the end, another livery's sister started to ride my boy and did help out a bit, but it all had to be unofficial. Apparently that was ok. :rolleyes:
 
I feel that as long as the sharer is introduced to the YO there should be no problem. I can fully understand YO or other liveries being worried when unknown people wander onto the yard. My friend had a horse on a large yard (for a short time!) and there were strange people forever turning up and wandering in the tack rooms and barns.
 
I've never had any problems, it's not really anything to do with the yard owner after who looks after your horse. But then mine have been DIY. One was a small yard one I'm on now is very big.
 
Rachaelpink said:
I've never had any problems, it's not really anything to do with the yard owner after who looks after your horse. But then mine have been DIY. One was a small yard one I'm on now is very big.
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Mine are all DIY, however to a certain extent i think its polite to make sure the YO is aware of whom will be on the land regularly etc. Generally in my experience this is all thats needed on most yards.
 
I can understand perfectly well why a livery yard owner would be less than keen on having sharers - having seen some instances of sharers not turning up when they say they will, either not turning up at all, or turning up at inconvenient times, not knowing yard protocol, routines etc.

Its not that sharers are bad, its just that in the event of one say not turning up when they said they would on a DIY yard and it becoming a welfare issue... and i've seen that happen quite a few times with different sharers - then it becomes YO's problem in not knowing who to contact on what particular day and having to do the work themselves. This is without the extra issue of more people turning up on the yard and the security risk.

I think it would be wrong for a yard to ban sharers, just I can understand why some YOs have a problem - particularly if they have witnessed some particularly unreliable sharers!
 
I have ony ever been at one yard that were funny about loaners/ sharers and thats because they were money grabbers who would not allow anything to be done to your horse by anyone apart from one 'nominated' person. I.E if i was ill and could not get up to have done my horses and my mum, who was my nominee at the time, could not do it either because she was at work i would have to pay the yard to bring in or whatever- even if another livery or friend offered, and you had to pay the yard if you wanted to bring in an outside instructor, then they were just banned altogether. Long and short of it was she didn't trust her horse owners that they weren't paying people to ride or school the horse and posing as loaners/ sharers to get round the charge so she made it really awkward. Left that yard not long after because they wanted £3 for turning out!! :)
 
I'm a sharer myself and the YO has always been welcoming and easy to get along with :) I've been on the yard sharing with the same lady for nearly 10 years now.
I can understand from the point of view of having strangers wandering around, but not to the point of making it difficult for the sharer.
K x
 
I loaned the same horse for many years and was treated like a piece of dirt by one YO. I think it was because she wasn't getting any money out of me! She would be nice as pie if I was paying her to take me to a show or to have a lesson, and then a few days later be back to her usual bitchy self. It was water off a duck's back though, I was there because I liked to spend time with the horse not her, and I actually ended up arguing back quite a lot - I am an adult and I don't need to take c**p off anyone!
The horses' owner was a troublemaker and we ended up moving yards several times and most other places were nice to me - and amazed I put up with the horses' owner! I do think YOs treat owners better than loaners as they are the ones that are paying the £££££ at the end of the day, business is business.
 
Generally the guys and girls who have them at our yard have them for a reason wether it is finacial or extra riding needed etc so I see that being friendly and treating them the same as our actual liveries (very well i hope) helps our liveries and keeps them happy, which at the end of the day is what every RO wants . Isnt it ?
I met them all to check they know the rules, procedures etc but thats it
 
I dont mind sharers as have had them myself for my own and my daughters horses, I had one livery who had 3 while she went off to australia for a year, they were all lovely and we were all very clear on who was doing what on each day and they looked after the horse very well, I had contact numbers in tackroom and they were very good about letting me know if something had gone wrong, I understand security worries can be an issue especially on bigger yards but dont think its fair on the owner to make such restrictions, I know several yards that dont allow sharers/outside instructors even insisting you can only use their vet and farrier.
 
I can undestand why a YO might not be keen on a sharer, particularly if it's a large yard. But I think the problems could be rectified with clearer communication across all directions!

If I were a YO, I'd want to know exactly who was coming and going off my property. These animals would effectively be the YO's responsibility, and if complete strangers, whom haven't been met at least once by the YO are coming on to the yard once/twice a day, they could be putting themselves and their charges at risk.

The yards I've been on haven't ever had official listing of rules anywhere. Somtimes in your contract you have to sign an agreement to the rules. However, a sharer doesn't sign this, and also most of the time doesn't even have any idea of what the rules are!

For example, my last yard had a strict rule about clearing up droppings in the school. Most of the time this rule was followed. However, a sharer that would come on and ride and go away, who was just in fact a friend helping out now and again (not even an official sharer) used to leave droppings every time she rode. Or would forget to lock tack room and turn off lights....and the YO's would go mental repeating to people over and over again about clearing up and locking up properly.

However, I shouldn't think this is a reason for an outright ban.
 
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