TheRedMare
Well-Known Member
Hi,
I've been wondering whether or not to post this as I'm concerned about those involved finding the post, but I'm in desperate need of advice. I will try to be as impartial as possible and just jot down the facts so that hopefully all are shown fairly here. No names of horses or people in the post.
I have paid livery on an empty stable for a few months to hold my space as our gelding needed to move on to a new home. Livery fee has always been paid on time to the land owner (lovely gentleman). One lady is in charge of the yard as yard manager but is not employed as a YM - she is point of contact.
There's only three of us there and trouble began when I let them know I'd be bringing a new horse up there to replace my gelding (all okay as per ongoing contract for stable). There is some friction over my new horse being a mare. There are three stables with one entry door in the middle and half-walls between them. One more stable is separate on the end of the block with its own door, full wall. We were asked to move into the end stable so that there was a gap between our mare and one gelding as there were concerns about the new mare harassing the gelding - no problem. The gelding is in the pony stable (still a nice size) and she is on the end in a large stable. The stable between them is also a large one. We've set it all up and it seemed okay.
Since setting up the yard for her arrival and having her there, our stuff has been frequently moved around, items of ours have been thrown over the wall into our mare's bed and the livery client has mostly refused to speak to us. I've tried to be polite, friendly and civil throughout, but she says she doesn't like my attitude. I'd like us all to get along okay for the yard (maybe I need to say this to her as I haven't clearly said so).
She has noted a problem with our mare reaching over to her gelding when she leads him in to his stable, if she is already in (the middle stable is empty and they are on opposing ends of the three-block). I've solved this by ensuring our mare only comes in after her gelding so they are separate, although I have not seen aggressive behaviour (of course, aggressive behaviour could have happened when I wasn't there, but nobody has informed me of any either). There seems to be dislike over me using the empty middle stable for storage (rugs, hay/straw for next morning etc) but I have confirmed that she is only paying a fee for one stable and does not rent both so it is free to use for sensible storage (don't block doorways etc). My mare goes out separate to the geldings on the other side of the electric fence and seems to enjoy being near them. My mare has been left out on her own when this client has brought both geldings in together.
With this background (I hope I've given the facts clearly), we have been told that the livery client is moving into the middle stable and we need to stop the mare from getting at the gelding. I'm...a little confused. I'm assuming they want to put up some kind of barricade against the half wall and put a top door on the interior stable door so she cannot see the pony or touch him over the wall. Alternatively, they could put a wall across the middle stable, making it smaller, so she can not reach across to the gelding either...but then the middle stable will be the same size as the gelding's current stable and I'm not sure I'm seeing the logic?
As there is existing tension, I'm concerned about stirring things up more. Is there logic here that I'm missing or is there another way I could be looking at this? It kept me up last night thinking she's going to be shut in away from everything, she loves hanging her head over the wall and interacting with the pony from her own stable and they seem quite comfortable (again, this is only from what I've seen).
Is there a solution I'm missing? I've tried to be as factual as possible. I'm not sure what I've done to upset this client as I kept her in the loop with what was happening until she unfortunately blocked my contact details (then I kept in loop by texting YM so everyone was aware of horse arrival plans). I did spill some straw on the way to the muck heap on the grass this week because of the wind and we have been working on our trailer on the yard when the horses are out and no one else is there. Our mare has bitten the wood in the stable (stressed on arrival) but I have already chatted with the land owner how we're going to go about fixing it and the problem is resolved. I can't honestly think of anything else I could have done except for be there. I've fixed their fencing when the wind's been bad and left a new year's present of chocolates for each of them with a card. I keep my areas as well swept as possible and tidy, but I doubt they are completely spotless.
Does anyone have any insight on the issue I'm worried about (stabling) or anything at all on the overall situation? Is there something I'm missing that I may have done to aggravate people that I could rectify?
I appreciate all replies as I really want to put things right again.
(I really hope that this is okay to post as I'm really feeling at a loss and losing sleep over how to put this right!)
I've been wondering whether or not to post this as I'm concerned about those involved finding the post, but I'm in desperate need of advice. I will try to be as impartial as possible and just jot down the facts so that hopefully all are shown fairly here. No names of horses or people in the post.
I have paid livery on an empty stable for a few months to hold my space as our gelding needed to move on to a new home. Livery fee has always been paid on time to the land owner (lovely gentleman). One lady is in charge of the yard as yard manager but is not employed as a YM - she is point of contact.
There's only three of us there and trouble began when I let them know I'd be bringing a new horse up there to replace my gelding (all okay as per ongoing contract for stable). There is some friction over my new horse being a mare. There are three stables with one entry door in the middle and half-walls between them. One more stable is separate on the end of the block with its own door, full wall. We were asked to move into the end stable so that there was a gap between our mare and one gelding as there were concerns about the new mare harassing the gelding - no problem. The gelding is in the pony stable (still a nice size) and she is on the end in a large stable. The stable between them is also a large one. We've set it all up and it seemed okay.
Since setting up the yard for her arrival and having her there, our stuff has been frequently moved around, items of ours have been thrown over the wall into our mare's bed and the livery client has mostly refused to speak to us. I've tried to be polite, friendly and civil throughout, but she says she doesn't like my attitude. I'd like us all to get along okay for the yard (maybe I need to say this to her as I haven't clearly said so).
She has noted a problem with our mare reaching over to her gelding when she leads him in to his stable, if she is already in (the middle stable is empty and they are on opposing ends of the three-block). I've solved this by ensuring our mare only comes in after her gelding so they are separate, although I have not seen aggressive behaviour (of course, aggressive behaviour could have happened when I wasn't there, but nobody has informed me of any either). There seems to be dislike over me using the empty middle stable for storage (rugs, hay/straw for next morning etc) but I have confirmed that she is only paying a fee for one stable and does not rent both so it is free to use for sensible storage (don't block doorways etc). My mare goes out separate to the geldings on the other side of the electric fence and seems to enjoy being near them. My mare has been left out on her own when this client has brought both geldings in together.
With this background (I hope I've given the facts clearly), we have been told that the livery client is moving into the middle stable and we need to stop the mare from getting at the gelding. I'm...a little confused. I'm assuming they want to put up some kind of barricade against the half wall and put a top door on the interior stable door so she cannot see the pony or touch him over the wall. Alternatively, they could put a wall across the middle stable, making it smaller, so she can not reach across to the gelding either...but then the middle stable will be the same size as the gelding's current stable and I'm not sure I'm seeing the logic?
As there is existing tension, I'm concerned about stirring things up more. Is there logic here that I'm missing or is there another way I could be looking at this? It kept me up last night thinking she's going to be shut in away from everything, she loves hanging her head over the wall and interacting with the pony from her own stable and they seem quite comfortable (again, this is only from what I've seen).
Is there a solution I'm missing? I've tried to be as factual as possible. I'm not sure what I've done to upset this client as I kept her in the loop with what was happening until she unfortunately blocked my contact details (then I kept in loop by texting YM so everyone was aware of horse arrival plans). I did spill some straw on the way to the muck heap on the grass this week because of the wind and we have been working on our trailer on the yard when the horses are out and no one else is there. Our mare has bitten the wood in the stable (stressed on arrival) but I have already chatted with the land owner how we're going to go about fixing it and the problem is resolved. I can't honestly think of anything else I could have done except for be there. I've fixed their fencing when the wind's been bad and left a new year's present of chocolates for each of them with a card. I keep my areas as well swept as possible and tidy, but I doubt they are completely spotless.
Does anyone have any insight on the issue I'm worried about (stabling) or anything at all on the overall situation? Is there something I'm missing that I may have done to aggravate people that I could rectify?
I appreciate all replies as I really want to put things right again.
(I really hope that this is okay to post as I'm really feeling at a loss and losing sleep over how to put this right!)