General query about yard service

[holeymoley]

Just a general musing here really and wondered what other places do.

If you’re on a medium-sized(approx 20/25 horses) yard which has services and has an employee to fulfill services what happens during public and bank holidays?

Do you still get services provided by a stand in?
If not, do you get discounted or do you still pay?
Would you expect someone to provide services on these holidays if you were used to getting them?

Interested to hear your thoughts

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

The yards I've been on have specifically stated it in the contract.

I have full livery but my first yard asked liveries to help out on Christmas day only. My second yard required us to be DIY on Christmas day and New Year's day (a limited number of places were available on full livery at an additional cost for anyone away etc. We could also pay some of the older children to do services, or we could help each other out). My current yard I'm on 5 day livery and I had DIY on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. We could help each other but not buy in services.

Not having livery on Christmas eve was a pain because that wasn't a bank holiday so I had to take time off from work.

My preference, state it up front so I can plan well in advance.

 

[jnb]

It depends what your contract says....
I have been on yards where all Bank Holidays were DIY - in this situation often a fellow livery would buddy up and do mornings and you do afternoons. Or - one of the staff members would offer services at a premium rate i.e twice the usual rate - normal BH maybe £15-£20 a day, Christmas / New Year £30+
Rarely, a freelance would be allowed in (say on Christmas Day) at a premium - I've seen £30 for Christmas Day for instance

At the end of the day, YM/YOs are entitled to a life. I used to love it and jumped at the chance of doing my own horse.
I'm on my own yard now so horse out 24/7 & no stress - I do everything 365 days a year!

 

[AUB]

I get my services (turning in and out, mucking, feeding) 365 days a year and I pay a fixed price every month.

 

[Griffin]

It depends on your contract as other posters have said.

My current yard will provide services 365 days a year if you want them to but I have been on ones where bank holidays were not included. I was at one where Sunday was also a DIY day each week too.

 

[holeymoley]

Should add, not meaning Christmas and New Year, more long weekends/bank holidays/general employees annual leave.

eta- not my yard. A friend is querying at the moment as she was verbally told that there ‘may’ be services one end of the day on holidays. Sometimes there is twice and day and sometimes only once, it depends who can cover it but she’s finding this a bit unreliable as you can imagine.

 

[Wishfilly]

Should add, not meaning Christmas and New Year, more long weekends/bank holidays/general employees annual leave.

eta- not my yard. A friend is querying at the moment as she was verbally told that there ‘may’ be services one end of the day on holidays. Sometimes there is twice and day and sometimes only once, it depends who can cover it but she’s finding this a bit unreliable as you can imagine.

I'd expect it to be in the contract. If I usually got services on weekends, I'd expect bank hols to be covered too, though.

I'd definitely expect annual leave to be covered.

If your friend needs the services, I think she needs to look for somewhere that states they will provide them.

 

[Batgirl]

I was 5/2 back holidays were DIY.
The full liveries were full all the time.
It should be in a contract but on full I'd expect full all the time.
Even when I was on 5/2 the 'extra' services were available to pay for if booked in advance, timings were sometimes squiffy but no one minded.

 

[millitiger]

Depends on the contract.

any part or full livery yards I have been on, have all been 365 days a year but all have specified that in the paperwork.

 

[Surbie]

First yard (DIY) was double rate for Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
Second yard (mostly full livery) was the same service no matter what day it was, but staffing was minimal over Christmas and New Year.

I'd expect it to be detailed in the contract too.

 

[Bernster]

On full livery yards, it’s common to have an extra charge and basic livery only over Xmas and new year but generally not other holidays. Current yard doesn’t charge any extra which is the first time for me.

 

[ihatework]

Depends on the contract.
In general I’d expect full ridden livery to be covered 365 days a year.
I’d expect a good standard full non ridden livery to be covered 365.
But a more flexible/lower standard part or assisted livery it wouldn’t surprise me if bank holidays/Christmas weren’t covered.

 

[Abi90]

I’ve had:

- all bank holidays covered
- no bank holidays covered
- bank holidays covered except Xmas and new year
-bank holidays with Xmas and new year at a premium

The bank holidays not covered was a pain because I tend to have to work them

 

[The Jokers Girl]

On our yard those on 5:2 livery have to do their own, those on 7 days get 365 day service

 

[criso]

Has varied in my experience
- not included in 5 day monthly livery and no cover available
- not included in 5 day monthly livery but cover available at higher rate
- included in 5 day monthly livery
- Livery services calculated on daily basis, no cover available on bank holiday
- Livery services calculated on daily basis, bank holidays the same price as any other day.

This excluded Christmas day, boxing day and New Years day which were all different again.

 

[Boulty]

I'd expect it to be stated in the livery contract whether services are provided on bank holidays. Some will provide on all but Xmas day & New Yrs day, some will exclude all bank holidays & some will include Xmas day & New Yrs. Depends on the yard really.

 

[holeymoley]

Thanks. Lots of varied experiences.
I’ll mention to her about the contract, she’s quite hot on stuff like that so I’m sure she would’ve referred to it. I think she’s lost all faith in livery yards after having her own place. She just can’t seem to get somewhere that does as it says.

 

[Caol Ila]

I've only ever kept my horses at places that explicitly had cover for weekends and bank holidays, as I'm highly likely to be in the mountains on those days.

I really want my own place, lol, although I am sure that has its own hassle.

 

[Sugar Plum]

As others have said, it depends on what is in your contract. It is not always something you think of when looking at yards. The yards I have been on are a mixed bag so good to ask the question when considering. There is usually a day rate if you need it, if you aren't on full livery, so assume that would apply for bank holidays too.

 

[sport horse]

I've only ever kept my horses at places that explicitly had cover for weekends and bank holidays, as I'm highly likely to be in the mountains on those days.

I really want my own place, lol, although I am sure that has its own hassle.

You may find it difficult then to find cover for Christams Day etc.!

 

[Caol Ila]

That part of it would be living the dream. Can't be arsed with Christmas.

 

[zandp]

The last yard I was on with services charged me double for Christmas Day and Boxing Day which I was fine with until 1 of the other liveries (there were 3 of us) told me she'd looked after my horse for me on those days !

 

[holeymoley]

Okay so it transpires I may have got it wrong. She was aware about public holidays but it was when the employee took accrued holidays that the person that was supposed to be covering it (another livery) hadn’t bothered to bring her mare in despite the yard saying they could accommodate her needs(horse on limited turnout after colic) person said they didn’t realise the time or something along those lines.

Who knows.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I'm on part livery and that is provided 365 days a year.

When I was on Assisted DIY (different yard) services were available 365 days but charged at double rate for Bank Holidays - from memory, it included Christmas Eve at double time.

 

[Winters100]

Where I am the same services are provided every day, except on Christmas eve they are typically fetched in about an hour earlier. I would assume that if the contract does not state otherwise then the yard runs as normal every day, regardless of holidays.

Edited to add that of course most of us are flexible and understand that emergencies happen. At present YO has Covid, 1 groom is self isolating, and to add to it another groom got kicked, so those of us who were able to were happy to help out.