For any Yard Owners or Managers out there!!!!!

[mandy4727]

For any Yard Owners out there. Just want your opinion on something. I am a DIY livery on a yard. Bear wih me on this one as although the answer is a quick one the question isn't. One of the fields at the farm is about 12 acres. Split into 12 smaller fields and we all have 2 each (so we can rotate) , each with 2 horses or ponies in. A track runs up the side of the field and all the gateways are access from this track. So as you can imagine the field at the very top is furthest away (yep that is where mine are) anyway. The yard has supplied tubs for the water for the fields. But we all have to fill our own tubs. Which involves filling from a tap in the yard two or three containers with lids. Putting them in a wheelbarrow and carting them up the field along the track (bit of a ball ache for us in the top field) once or twice a day with the hot weather we have been having. You could go up in your car but the track is a bit rough and you can't turn round at the top so would have to reverse all the way down again!!!!. Just wondered if this was the done thing or not. I haven't been on a yard before where this has had to be done. Always had baths with hosepipes in them. But a hosepipe wouldn't reach as far as we would need it to and they are on a water meter and a few times the hosepipe got left on over night or all day wasting water. Which I understand the reason for getting rid of the hosepipes. It is just the carting of the water. Your thoughts please.

 

[airedale]

I've seen and heard of this done before - and it is NOT fair on the horses in hot weather - how do you know that the horses are not going to run out of water ? (but then they could equally have empty buckets in a stable overnight - hence automatic drinkers)

As I have solar lighting I don't worry about lights being left on. Taps and a meter go with the territory of running any business.

For fairness I would think that it should be arranged that each DIY pair has one paddock close to the buildings and one further away. i.e. if you have the field closest then you also have the field furthest away - the ones 'in the middle' will end up with 2 paddocks 'in the middle'

if the fields are permanently fenced then there should be permanent water laid on - or plans to do the same. The blue heavy duty water pipe should be dug in but it can be happily run by running along the bottom rail of the fencing and being 'dug' under the gates by using a trench about 5 inches deep - putting the water pipe in trench and then placing a solid wooden plank on top - that will take a tractor weight and will last 5 or 6 years at least and be perfectly safe (I have that system to get to a field I only rent and the plank is still OK after 8 years)

If you cannot turn your car around then I'd fence off the corner of one of your paddocks with electric tape - so that you can open the gate and tie it back and use that space to turn your car around - this would work in the summer on dry ground - and in the winter you don't need to cart as much water anyway

 

[spaniel]

Yep, excellent suggestion from Airedale. Blue pipe is really the answer but failing that turn your car round in the field.

We are very lucky in that our YO has a quad and a trailer which has a bowser on the back so he will fill for us.

 

[JessPickle]

Well I think the permanent solution is blue heavy duty water pipe as said above. Most the ones at our yard are either automatic filling, or they are big dustbins, which are filled up by a tap on it every day. The ones that are slef re filling are great, but must be on even ground or they do overflow

 

[henryhorn]

This is not really on, and open to a horse going without sufficient water at some point.
Why not ask the yard owner if you can have troughs interconnecting between each paddock so only half would be needed. The self filling ones rarely overflow and they will actually be saving water as no doubt everyone tips out the old water every time they refill their containers again.
Failing that a hose system with a small pump would be usable, an electric pump is about £80 and can be turned on to create the pressure needed when required. (a timer would ensure no-one wastes water or electric.)
If these people are charging for livery water truly should be included, I am still amazed yards manage to get owners to poo pick, it's something that's only started happening over the last few years!

 

[allijudd]

we have some feilds which dont have troughs in them and becuase we class that as our probelm we fill up large cow troughs every day with litres of water which chris takes out on the forks of the digger..we wouldnt ever expect our liveries to do it...and when we can afford it.....we will be putting in troughs via a mainline.......

i can gripe about the hosepipes being left on and lights etc etc but seeing as my front door opens onto the yard it is no hassle to go turn them off...except when its raining!

 

[Giggs]

I've got a livery yard and a) that certainly wouldn't happen and b) my liveries would soon stop paying if it did.
We have self filling troughs in every field, but fields boundaries are permanent dykes so easier to install troughs as no change of boundaries. I think the least that could happen would be the YO should be responsible for filling the buckets, but if it was my horse I'd be worried relying on someone else to make sure my horse had water. I guess it also depends on what you're paying for livery and if it is cheaper than other places around you due to these issues.

 

[mandy4727]

Sue. Not only do we have to poo pick. We paid for the fencing ourselves £50 per horse and I have 2 horses. Only a 1 off payment I hope. And last night we fertilised our own field by hand!!!! Out of a bucket with gloves on. But we paid for the fencing as it is much better now as it was done proffessionally rather than old barbed wire. But then again we only pay £15 per week for stable, grazing, some winter turnout, massive sand school and lights. So I suppose I can't grumble really. I think that I should be able to turn my car around at the top it sonly a Peugeot 206 so not big by any standards. Will probably have no exhaust pipe left on it going up a bumpy track though!!!!