Have I over reacted? Interfering livery owners

SEL said:
OP - I have one who is on a very, very strict low sugar diet. One day she accidentally got given her neighbours net of haylage instead of the pre soaked net I had left for her. By the time I got to the yard she had pretty much eaten all of it (in record time, but who can blame her?!).
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on more than one occasion a livery got the breakfasts confused (adjoining corner stables) and F got the feed intended for a fit, eventing poor doer TB. He thoroughly enjoyed that (it was pure feeds so at least lots of chaff!) and the TB would be weaving for the rest of his breakfast! I was cross and worried about colic etc but it happens. I'm sure it just taught F what he was missing out.

JFTD I'm glad it wasn't just me confused about the issue of hay still in sections!
 
I would say both sides have over reacted.

Getting some extra hay once in a blue moon will not harm the pony if it is already at a good weight. Plus the mess can be cleared away easily enough. I don't know why you text the YO asking about other liveries, that is really none of your concern. I can understand why you asked about your Pony, but I would have left the others out of it. Regarding water, again it isn't the end of the world if pony had some more water. However I understand your concern that you are watching ponies weight. I would have just thanked the YO for putting in the hay and water and said that you had changed your routine for that day so that is why pony was in, in future if you change the routine you will give them a heads up.

YO kicking you off for it is a bit of an over reaction too. It is a simple mis communication.
 
:) it doesn’t matter what I say. Or word things or try and say she had hay and water I feel like it’s getting very personal and is all my fault. Wouldn’t of happened if I was just asked. Anyway I was going to reply to everyone but just can’t get my words out. However I did think it was wrong feeding horses without letting someone know wether it’s anybody. But please Thank you everybody so much for replying. Took everything in and cried lol. Anyway I do now think it was more to this than than meets the eye as I know for a fact she had to say something to “cover” why he had interfered.
Again anyway thanks
 
Sandie47 said:
:) it doesn’t matter what I say. Or word things or try and say she had hay and water I feel like it’s getting very personal and is all my fault. Wouldn’t of happened if I was just asked. Anyway I was going to reply to everyone but just can’t get my words out. However I did think it was wrong feeding horses without letting someone know wether it’s anybody. But please Thank you everybody so much for replying. Took everything in and cried lol. Anyway I do now think it was more to this than than meets the eye as I know for a fact she had to say something to “cover” why he had interfered.
Again anyway thanks
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But you were asked, she texted you!

You asked us if you were overreacting and you got responses.

I now think you're overreacting to those.
 
OP, I'm afraid you sound a little overwrought and this appears to be a regular state for you so I'm afraid that I wouldn't want you on my yard (if I had one) either. I think you need to learn to communicate, either face to face or over the telephone and also ask yourself if a Shetland really needs to be pampered quite so much i.e. bringing in if it rains and having its food pûréed or the equine equivalent!! They are a native breed and if it needs to lose weight as well it would be better staying outside.
 
Hmm, I think I know the yard you're referring to. If I'm right then the owners are lovely and possibly two of the most laid back people I know
 
DabDab said:
Hmm, I think I know the yard you're referring to. If I'm right then the owners are lovely and possibly two of the most laid back people I know
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OK, so I am right. Op, I am not in any way impartial so you can of course ignore everything I'm about to say, but... You are a very novice, first time owner, so you are unlikely to appreciate just how rare it is to be able to have the freedom that they offer on a yard, plus access to year round 24/7 turnout in a variety of different types of paddocks, with amazing off road hacking on your doorstep. When I kept my horse at their home he would regularly tip his water over and I was very glad of them checking it every night before bed just in case. I can say hand on heart that these are genuinely good, uncomplicated people that would not wish your pony any harm at all.
 
you did the all the right things, you sound a lovely caring owner for your pony.

i hope you have your own place soon and some peace to enjoy it.

i would be upset if people thought i had not fed my pony when i had, and was returning soon.

in a world where horses are frequently abused one way and another just be proud you are doing the best for your pony.
 
What’s done is done. Take it as a lesson. Calm your manner, don’t stress as much over some hay, water and a messy stable in the future. Chill out, it’s meant to be enjoyable. Put your Shetland out to help manage its weight in winter. You’ve cooked your chips at this place so need to look for another quickly. Move on, put it behind you, learn from it. We all make mistakes, it’s how we learn and grow and it’s normal .... you haven’t committed a crime or an atrocity, you’ve just been human. We have all over reacted at one time or another, miscommunicated and then regretted it. Sometimes a situation goes too far and all we can do is cut our losses and get the heck out of there as quickly as possible. If you will have your own place soon, focus on that. I wouldn’t bother giving YO a present on departure, they’ve decided you’re more stress than the income you give them is worth. They just want you to leave quietly without any grand finale, presents won’t mean anything apart from a rather embarrassing display of remorse creating more nuisance for them .... wait until you have your own place, believe me, it’s flipping brilliant and you do things your way with no interference from anyone. I could never go back to livery ....
 
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op i can tell you i have met more than a few yard owners who truly have not the patience to deal with their liveries.

and for what its worth i would have bought my pony in if it was raining, i don`t care what breed it is standing out in winter rain is not good for any livestock, i believe under animal welfare legislation ALL horses and ponies should have access to shelter from bad weather.
 
I had a livery send me a nasty text saying "I wish people would leave my ******ing horse alone" after I had text her to say her horse had jumped out of the paddock was running around like a loon and I'd managed to catch him with a tub of nuts that I had shaken and I had put him back in his field unharmed and he had settled!! She then started bombarding me with unpleasant messages like "did you bother to check he wasn't injured?" and "why didn't you ring me and I would have sorted it?". Glory be! So I told her she was an ungrateful w**ch and I wouldn't bother in future left it at that.

Quite by coincidence some half an hour or so later my partner and I had gone for a walk after I'd caught her horse. The public footpath rose up a hill.We were stood at the top of the hill which looked down on our yard and paddocks and my partner spotted her in my horses paddock, unfortunately we could only see part of her paddock but he saw her stride towards my horse, she flew back out of view and then he saw her storm out. We never knew what she had done to my horse but it was still very disconcerting and we couldn't work out why she would have been in her paddock. She'd had a few drinks I think as she was a bit of a wino and used to spend all her time at the pub.

So now I tend not to interfere in other liveries business unless its something like a horse stuck in a net or cast in a stable.

She did later apologise.
 
hopscotch bandit said:
I had a livery send me a nasty text saying "I wish people would leave my ******ing horse alone" after I had text her to say her horse had jumped out of the paddock was running around like a loon and I'd managed to catch him with a tub of nuts that I had shaken and I had put him back in his field unharmed and he had settled!! She then started bombarding me with unpleasant messages like "did you bother to check he wasn't injured?" and "why didn't you ring me and I would have sorted it?". Glory be! So I told her she was an ungrateful w**ch and I wouldn't bother in future left it at that.

Quite by coincidence some half an hour or so later my partner and I had gone for a walk after I'd caught her horse. The public footpath rose up a hill.We were stood at the top of the hill which looked down on our yard and paddocks and my partner spotted her in my horses paddock, unfortunately we could only see part of her paddock but he saw her stride towards my horse, she flew back out of view and then he saw her storm out. We never knew what she had done to my horse but it was still very disconcerting and we couldn't work out why she would have been in her paddock. She'd had a few drinks I think as she was a bit of a wino and used to spend all her time at the pub.

So now I tend not to interfere in other liveries business unless its something like a horse stuck in a net or cast in a stable.

She did later apologise.
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See this person I would have given notice to in a heartbeat!!
 
When you get your own land put the buckets in tyres or something secure or buy a water trough so it does not fall over-also a shelter is a must-and ask your local neighbours to keep an eye out when you are not there-you will be grateful if anything happens.
 
I would have been cross as well. I had the opposite situation once when I was on part livery and if I put hay in the stable during the day when she was in the owner used to take it out- she wasn't a fatty! I'm sure you'll be happier on a new yard. Once you've had a situation like this it's better to move on as you can never really trust the yard owner/manager again.
 
tristar said:
op i can tell you i have met more than a few yard owners who truly have not the patience to deal with their liveries.

and for what its worth i would have bought my pony in if it was raining, i don`t care what breed it is standing out in winter rain is not good for any livestock, i believe under animal welfare legislation ALL horses and ponies should have access to shelter from bad weather.
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Our native ponies are adapted to be out in bad weather. Their coats are especially adapted so they have an undercoat and a top coat of guard hairs that deflect the water away from the skin. In the Fell, Highland and Shetlands, their manes and tails are adapted to divert water away from the skin.
There are far more welfare issues with animals being kept over rugged, and in boxes with little ventilation, which cause breathing problems and stereotypical behaviours. A stable can be actually colder than being outside if it is drafty and the animal has no ability to move to keep warm, or eat a constant supply of roughage to supply heating by its digestion/fermentation in the gut.
https://www.bluecross.org.uk/fat-horse-slim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsH3OKPRgvg I think a rainy windy day on the mainland would be a breeze to these ponies.
 
i am fully aware of native hardiness thank you, nowhere have i said the pony could not live outside.

i have owned any trained almost every native british breed and some foreign breeds and never had them suffer from being in a stable for a few hours.

i would still offer any animal shelter in winter rain.

op opted to bring in pony, it is her pony, her stable.

i have many times seen horses out in winter rain, soaked to the bone, and shaking like a leaf, perhaps there is research into the benefits of that.
 
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