Grass livery visiting

pistolpete

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I’m really lucky to have found a grass livery spot for my retired pony near my house. Currently visiting him three times a day while he settles. He’s doing really well and I’m curious how often ant at what time do you visit your grass liveries. I can literally go anytime as he’s so close. Will combine morning dog walk as one visit at least.
 

meleeka

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Minimum twice a day if you are responsible for his care. i do have friends that only visit once a day, but i don’t think that’s adequate at all. i had an old pony prone to colic so once a day could have caused real suffering.

The good thing about grass livery is you don’t need to be as rigid with times. Mine do start waiting for me at 5pm, but they aren’t obsessive and don’t seem to mind if it’s later, or earlier.
 

BeckyFlowers

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Mine lives out 24/7 365 and has done since I moved to my current yard ten years ago. I go up once a day. He's out with others, some who live out and some who come in at night, so he has eyes cast over him by others throughout the day, just as I cast my eyes over all the others when I go up. If there's a problem one of my paddock-mates will let me know, as I would do for them. I guess it depends what your set-up is. If it's only your horses in a field then I would want to check on them twice a day.

I go up all different times as I work 12h shifts, both days and nights, so depends when I'm free.
 

Roasted Chestnuts

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This summer we are taking turns so I’m going up every other day and my friend is doing the same so he’s seen once a day. He’s also checked by my other friends who walk past his field to go to theirs and can see him from their field so he’s got plenty of eyes on him throughout the day so I don’t worry about not being there daily.
 

Quigleyandme

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I would visit twice a day and aim to get my hands on my horse not just observe him from a distance where you might not be able to see minor injuries, insect bites or even a prickly branch caught in a tail. Unfortunately I have very good reason to believe the only way you can be sure your horse is being cared for to the same standard you would provide is to do it yourself. I know my horses and I will pick up on subtle signs not all is as it should be that a casual observer might miss.
 

Pinkvboots

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My mare was a 10 minute walk from my house I went up at least once a day, the land owners lived onsite and would check on them the other livery there also went up once a day, and we all checked each other's horses each time we went into the field so they got checked properly at least 3 times a day.
 

MissTyc

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I go twice a day in winter when I feed hay and once a day when no hay is required. However, I can see the summer fields (in the distance) from my upstairs window, so I tend to run the binoculars over the herd before I go to bed :) YO is on site, too, so if anything is wrong she tends to notice.
 

Surbie

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When mine's out 24/7 I still go twice a day, take sweetitch rugs off, pick feet and check all over. My field sharer and I used to share checks to give each other a break/lie-in, but we trusted each other to do more than cast an eye over.
 

TwyfordM

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When mines out usually once a day, but it’s a shared field so others checking her multiple times a day.
If needing feed/rug change I go twice
 

fankino04

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When mine was DIY grass livery I went twice a day, there were other liveries up at different times so she got checked on throughout the day too. Now she's on full grass livery so checked twice a day by yard owner I go 3-4 times a week but do feel guilty for not going on the days I don't.
 

Annagain

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Once ours stay our overnight we all (5 different owners) go once a day as the norm but tend to all go at different times and we all cast an eye over them all so they're effectively being checked 5 times a day between about 7am and 8pm .
 

MuddyMonster

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Once a day usually. He's living out 24/7 but on part/full livery so I don't have to go up daily. In the depths of winter, I tended to only go up in the Monday-Friday when riding in the week, so it was more like 5 times a week overall.

During the week I either go up early morning before work or evening after work to bring in, groom & ride. At the weekend it tends to be much more flexible & based around what I'm doing - if I'm hacking with friends, planning a long solo hack, if I'm doing a clinic or around my non-horsey plans (not much of those lately though ?). It's been 7am, it's been 8pm and anytime between that, it just depends.

He's checked throughout the day by YO and their team though with feeding/rug changes/fly spray top ups etc as required.
 
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