Full Livery rant!

[Austen123]

Hi All,

Just need to vent..!
I pay £120 per week to keep my horse on full livery (not including riding, unless im away and that is extra £) .
My boy is fully clipped and needs a rug on at night, but on a day like this he would need his rug off during the day. Just to make sure, yesterday morning i texted YO to ask to take his rug off, i went up in the evening to ride and thanked her and asked if she could do the same tomorrow.
I just received a text for yard mate who keeps horse in same field (unclipped and does not require a rug) and said his rug is on do you want me to take it off!?

Urgh!! My YO is very firm but fair, no real issues with her yet. My boy is one of 15 at the yard and he is the only one that is clipped and the only one who is of finer skin (most are cobs etc and he is a fine ISH sport horse), therefore he will need more attention to rug changes than the others.

I worry she is going to say she will need to charge me more as the others dont need this sort of attention. But my argument is that his daily needs as different to the other horses? she knew he was a finer type who was in a high workload and would need this attention at this time of year.

I feel like i may as well move back to DIY and pay a freelancer for when i cant be there.

 

[Fanatical]

Sounds like a reasonable enough request to me. Mine are competition types who are usually well rugged, but I have turned them out naked today as the weather is so nice. I thought it would probably be the last chance this year to get the sun on their backs.
Whilst some requests may require a supplementary charge, asking for rugs to be taken off/ put on wouldn't be one I would anticipate as that is part and parcel of daily horse care which full livery should incorporate.

 

[holeymoley]

Full livery should include a rug change. I'd also expect them to be competent enough to make the decision to take off/ change weights themselves without requiring a text as well. You're right to be annoyed.

 

[Myloubylou]

Issue I have found is when yard is responsible then things are done to their timetable. Is it possible that your horse wasn’t got to before your field mate rang? I’d expect for full or part any rug changes would be included unless explicitly stated not. Is infuriating when you’ve asked & are paying for a service that isn’t done

 

[atropa]

Agree with others.
You are well within your rights to expect a rug to be simply removed when you are paying for full livery, it shouldn't matter what other types of horses she has on the yard.
Saying that, there might have been some kind of miscommunication and I'd not go in all guns blazing just yet when you are happy with everything else so far.

 

[Leo Walker]

Mines a cobby pony. Shes fully clipped and rugless today. I'd expect a full livery yard to manage rugs according to the weather!

 

[Austen123]

thanks both. My plan was to speak to hear tonight and suggest a white board that i could write instructions for his rug change/take off/stay the same . What do you all think?
It is infuriating.. and if im honest.. it's the not the first. I travel a lot with work and i came straight from the airport one day (around 7 at night) and he was only in a no - fill when really the temperature for that night required him to have a 100g or similar. he wasnt shivering cold, but there was no warmth either and as the night went on, he would of evidently been too cold.

There was noone on the yard and all gates were locked so it wasnt as if the YO had looked as if she planned to go change his rug any time soon. I have moved from DIY to full livery, so maybe i am struggling with giving up the element of control!
I also feel additionally annoyed as she gets an extra amount from me to ride him when im away and i have lessons with her twice a month (minimum!) so it's not as if shes not getting her money's worth out of me!

 

[LaurenBay]

You need to speak with your YO. I wouldn't go in all guns blazing but just calmly explain that you would prefer if your Horses rugs could be checked as he feels the cold more. This kind of year is always a nightmare for rugging! night is cold but day far too warm. I would expect a experienced YO to be able to judge for themselves what rugs are needed.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Agree with Laurenbay, have a word with YO could of been a issue where your friend arrived before the YO managed to get down there.
Have to say this is why I couldn't do full livery, I nearly went for it when I had only one but its a lot of extra money and i'd struggle relying on them for everything.

 

[Austen123]

Annoyingly, i wish i could put it down to timings, but she texted me at 3pm to say if i wanted it off.
I dont want to do the all guns blazing, so i plan to ask about the white board idea. it saves constant texts back and forth and is clear.
I now worry about what happens to his rugs when im away with work!

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Annoyingly, i wish i could put it down to timings, but she texted me at 3pm to say if i wanted it off.
I dont want to do the all guns blazing, so i plan to ask about the white board idea. it saves constant texts back and forth and is clear.
I now worry about what happens to his rugs when im away with work!

3pm?! and you asked her to remove it in the morning? Thats after mid day and past the hottest time of the day, definitely not 'morning'. If that was mine i'd be a little p**sed off knowing he was probably feeling pretty hot in his rug until 3pm. I'd have a word.. if she gets funny with you or nothing changes look for somewhere else, it doesn't take a few minutes to remove a rug not like you're asking a lot and as you say, you pay good money for a service.

 

[Follysmum]

I would expect person in charge to be competent enough to know when to rug/de rug. Unfortunately after working on a few livery yards I know that when owners are not around some things are definitely not up the standard they think they are getting

Not all I must say just some that I have come across . For this reason I would never put mine on full livery, again, some people have no choice!

 

[Austen123]

it's a horrible feeling. i pay for fully livery so i can concentrate on my job without worrying about rugs, balancing chores vs riding time. and of course, my long suffering OH. i feel like moving him back to DIY where the facilities arent as pretty, but at least i know he is being looked after to my standard (i.e me!! ) and/or paying a freelancer.
or if anyone knows of a good full livery around SN3/SN4 pm me

 

[ester]

I don't see that a white board is going to encourage her to do it anymore than a text specifying it, neither of which should have been needed on a day like today either really! One rug change either end of the day isn't really a big ask!

 

[be positive]

I don't see that a white board is going to encourage her to do it anymore than a text specifying it, neither of which should have been needed on a day like today either really! One rug change either end of the day isn't really a big ask!

I am not sure white boards or texts are the way forward, as a YO I make decisions about rugs and hope the owners are happy with what I do but would be fed up if I was getting messages daily about what each horse required, in all honesty if the YO cannot use her own common sense on such a minor issue I am not sure I would trust them on more serious ones, a frank chat explaining what you want from your livery package would be a better approach than anything else.

 

[bluebellfreddy]

Rugs are by far the most anoyying thing about being on full livery, we all have differant opinions and everyone has differnat weight rugs they like having on. I would not be putting a clipped horse out without a rug, most likely at least 100g but more like 200g. She may have just thought you wanted it off yesterday and that it was a bit cooler today. I have been on many livery yards and they all rug differantly! You will get into a routine where they will learn how you like to rug, but also if my horse has been in a lightweight and I think it is time for a medium I will swap it when I am up. Also from a livery yards I would expect them to be putting differant weight rugs on every night (but this would come from having worked on yards, it is hard to get the rug right for every horse every night)

 

[Austen123]

This is what I don’t want to be ..”that livery!”.
I will ask what happened today, as I would of thought his rug should of been off earlier .
Help.. I hate these conversations!

 

[mcnaughty]

Full livery means full care of the animal! I would make sure to have a gentle word about what you expect his needs to be this winter. You need to outline them now BEFORE any issues really. Anyway, this type of thing is usually in the contract.

 

[m1stify]

I am also on FL and we recently were told no rug changes.. this is after over 4 years in the yard! Not happy as like you I can’t always get down to change rugs.

 

[Auslander2]

You're absolutely right to be upset. I take off/put on/change rugs regardless of whether the horse is DIY/Part or Full, as I won't have horses sweating/shivering just because their owner doesn't pay me to change rugs.

 

[be positive]

I am also on FL and we recently were told no rug changes.. this is after over 4 years in the yard! Not happy as like you I can’t always get down to change rugs.

Full livery should be full care on a daily basis, that may include several changes of rugs if the horse gets too hot/ cold/ wet/ is left in a cooler by the owner, I would prefer to not be changing rugs but the horse is being cared for and should get what it requires, my owners are not here every day and may not be here for a week or so and expect the horse to be cared for.

 

[HashRouge]

Mine are on grass livery and I do occasionally get frustrated when the YO doesn't follow my instructions. She is fab in many ways, but will occasionally not put sun cream on my pink skinned mare because she thinks it isn't sunny enough (even though I say she must always wear in unless it's very cloudy/ wet) or she starts to leave fly masks off once it hits September even though my mare needs to wear hers until the flies have completely gone, as she has a fly allergy and gets conjunctivitis really easily. However, I tend to take a breath and then just text to say "Hi, I noticed that X didn't have any sun cream on today and was looking a bit pink. Please could you make sure she always has it on unless v cloudy/ wet". And then she is usually very good and will remember, I just sometimes have to ask a few times first. I think she forgets because my mare is really sensitive compared to the others. I never go in all guns blazing because grass livery is so rare round here and my YO is excellent in every other way.

With yours, I wonder if it was pretty chilly when your horse was turned out and then it just didn't occur to YO to go and take his rug off, rather than her deliberately not doing what you asked.

 

[fabbydo]

You shouldn't have to tell the YO to change a rug. Surely they should know enough about horses to see the need for that themselves. My YO knows what rugs are available for my two and just helps herself. Leave if you're not happy.

 

[Austen123]

i spoke to my YO tonight. all very pleasant and i said that X texted me at 3pm to say Podge's rug was still on and that she will take it off. YO said oh thats strange because i had a planned to take his rug off around lunch time once the mist had gone. so i dont know why she was texting you at 3pm? whether X or YO is lying, who knows!?
Anyway.. i asked for crystal clear rules on rugging and that she confirmed that unrugging/changing in morning and night time is included and she will do what she thinks is needed for podge. i said does she want me to write a message of white board so she knows what ones i want on. She said she knows where his rugs are and she has a weather app so will decide herself

So hopefully all has been resolved, i will keep an eye out over the next month or so. not sure what the next step would be if i still feel as if his needs are being ignored i.e incorrect rugging

 

[Gingerwitch]

Sorry but you need to check what the yard knew when they turn the horse out with a rug, or without a rug - just because it is sunny and 21 degrees where you are, how do you know it was not raining and a chill wind was blowing across the yard ? how do you know that your horse has not been running round to warm us as he has no fur due to the clip, how do you know he was not being plagued by files and midges and their was no fly rug ?
All i am saying is the yard is at the scene, and tbh if i cannot trust the yard to do what they think rug wise then yes you may as well be diy - but even if you were how would you be rugging the horse? for the temp at the time you turn out compared to the afternoon temps - its a nightmare at the moment.

 

[Flicker]

OP, I have a fellow livery who has the wimpiest gelding known to man, who really feels the cold. They have drawn up a ‘matrix’ with our YM that says ‘for these weather conditions, use this rug’ similar to the vet one doing the rounds on social media. This way, the yard are in no doubt what goes on when. It seems to be working ok for them - perhaps it might help in your situation?

 

[Myloubylou]

Agree with the above. Make sure that the yard owner & anyone who will be handling your horse knows what rugs you want on in which weather condition so there is no room for doubt. One lady I know wrote it & laminated the page & stuck it on the stable. Then if they don’t do it routinely then it’s not the standard of yard you need.

 

[Polos Mum]

If you don't trust the yard manager to decide what rug to use I would struggle to trust them with being fully responsible for my horse. I was on full livery a while ago and ended up going twice a day just to check things because while the yard manager was good most of the work was done by kids ! Clearly madness so I left.

If you're away travelling it's really hard to know what the weather is doing - Here I've scraped the car for Ice on the way to work and come back from work in 20 degrees in the last week - a rugging nightmare. Whiteboard won't help as you'll have to go 3 times a day to change the whiteboard as the weather changes !!

Have a chat - explain you don't want him to be cold and is she OK with rug changes in the price agreed and can she keep a close eye over the next few weeks as you realise autumn is really tricky for getting rugs right.

 

[zaminda]

If you can't trust your YM you are on the wrong yard. Incidentally, my horses are in two separate fields one each side of a bypass. Even though both sets are similar in rugging needs, they are often wearing different rugs, as the temperature can vary massively. It might sound strange, but the weather can be so different even in a very local area!

 

[flying_high]

OP, I have a fellow livery who has the wimpiest gelding known to man, who really feels the cold. They have drawn up a ‘matrix’ with our YM that says ‘for these weather conditions, use this rug’ similar to the vet one doing the rounds on social media. This way, the yard are in no doubt what goes on when. It seems to be working ok for them - perhaps it might help in your situation?

I've done similar, key point is if it isn't dropping below 5 degrees (my not yet clipped) horses don't need more than an no fill turnout and hood at night. Out and night, on a fairly exposed hill.