How important is a YO's attitude?

Serephin

Serephin

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Is it important for a YO to have a good attitude?

Does it bother you if your YO is rude and seems uninterested in the business, if you are happy with everything else?

Would you expect to be treated as a paying customer (within reason obviously) or it is reasonable to be spoken to like you are an inconvenience?

Do some YO just not get the fact that they are running a business and should act accordingly?

Just wondering what people think about it really...
 
It is important to me for the yard owner to have a good attitude - especially on part or full livery but even for DIY for maintenance etc.

It bothers me that my current yard owner is rude but hes interested in bettering the yard (making it more valuable?) but occasionally to the horses expense (eg muckheap in field now not outside of field so it looks "neater", topping fields and turning out straight onto it, leaving a load of rubbish, bits of trees etc that he cut down in the fields as it looks neater around the edges and then burning it :O to name a few......).

If he ever showed to my face that I was an inconvenience or said anything I would simply leave!! But yard manager makes us feel like we are sometimes (I know they are on here but oh well now they know).....

My yard owner thinks that we are privalaged to be allowed on his land and hasnt seemed to grasp the fact that around here literally every single yard has vacanices (including ours) and ours doesnt have the best grazing/facilities etc. So no he doesnt see it as a buisness I dont think - he said hes only running it as a yard to stop developers getting their hands on the land as its by his house (in Herts near London so very built up area)
 
I would say YO attitude is very important . They have to be business like and treat everyone the same , no favorites . You should be able to talk to them. Have they changed since you moved there ? Does everyone else think the same , that they've changed ? Maybe things are going on in the YO's life , money/family problems and its been brought onto the yard . Ive run yards for owners and its sometimes very handy to be the person inbetween owner and livery . But everyone should be civil to each other , at the end of the day the horses welfare comes first . If you arent happy and you cannot talk to the YO then move , nothing worse than an atmosphere when you go to the yard. Good Luck .
 
Serephin said:
Is it important for a YO to have a good attitude?

Does it bother you if your YO is rude and seems uninterested in the business, if you are happy with everything else?

Would you expect to be treated as a paying customer (within reason obviously) or it is reasonable to be spoken to like you are an inconvenience?

Do some YO just not get the fact that they are running a business and should act accordingly?

Just wondering what people think about it really...
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I think it's very important they have a good attitude. I left a yard because the YO's attitude was terrible. She regularly spoke to people like shite, took advantage of the helpers, but would constantly slag them off, and some of the stuff she would say about the liveries was awful. Thankfully people are now beginning to see what she is really like.

There's plenty of decent yards around here, and like a lot of places, the horsey community is pretty close, so bad reviews can be very damaging.
 
bj666 said:
I would say YO attitude is very important . They have to be business like and treat everyone the same , no favorites . You should be able to talk to them. Have they changed since you moved there ? Does everyone else think the same , that they've changed ? Maybe things are going on in the YO's life , money/family problems and its been brought onto the yard . Ive run yards for owners and its sometimes very handy to be the person inbetween owner and livery . But everyone should be civil to each other , at the end of the day the horses welfare comes first . If you arent happy and you cannot talk to the YO then move , nothing worse than an atmosphere when you go to the yard. Good Luck .
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Yes, I think the YO has changed. Other people think so too, I have found out recently. It has upset me quite a bit and I am considering moving, but am wondering if it is just me being silly! The first time she was rude to me I was quite surprised, but let it go, but the second time it was just not necessary and it has made me rethink my position.

She seems very resentful of having to deal with the liveries, and does have favourites.

I feel a bit sad about it all really - I don't really want to move but the price has just gone up and so will hay and straw (but we don't know by how much) - so price might be the final push anyway.

I run my own business and I know only how hard it can be sometimes to talk to people but I always remind myself I am offering a service and treat everyone politely and considerately, no matter how tricky it can be at times!
 
Is it important for a YO to have a good attitude? Very, very important! I've been on a yard where the YO literally said "do what you want, if you have a problem about fencing or the stable building come see me, if it's anything else I don't care"... :O I moved very shortly after him saying that (there were quite a lot of problems with liveries thinking they own the place).

Does it bother you if your YO is rude and seems uninterested in the business, if you are happy with everything else? I like the YO to take some interest and be friendly as at the end of the day we are their clients, but if the yard is run properly and everything is in good order then it can possibly be ignored.

Would you expect to be treated as a paying customer (within reason obviously) or it is reasonable to be spoken to like you are an inconvenience? As a paying customer/client. It is a business and therefore should be run like one regardless.

Do some YO just not get the fact that they are running a business and should act accordingly? I've found quite a few that just think they have a spare stable and a paddock so they can get a bit of money and not even think about the person or the upkeep etc.. just aslong as they get the money they are happy. BUT, as Ive said, it's a business!!
 
bj666 said:
I would say YO attitude is very important . They have to be business like and treat everyone the same , no favorites . You should be able to talk to them. Have they changed since you moved there ? Does everyone else think the same , that they've changed ? Maybe things are going on in the YO's life , money/family problems and its been brought onto the yard . Ive run yards for owners and its sometimes very handy to be the person inbetween owner and livery . But everyone should be civil to each other , at the end of the day the horses welfare comes first . If you arent happy and you cannot talk to the YO then move , nothing worse than an atmosphere when you go to the yard. Good Luck .
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But I like being the YO favourite! How else can I get my horse fed/hayed/watered when I'm stuck in snow for three days for no extra charge! But I did once spend two years ragworting a whole farm (without gloves - YO failed to warn me about this one), grooming all of her ponies and spent several hours a day doing her shopping and feeding 43 cats pichards in tomato sauce, to be faced with the constant phone calls "your horse is on the golfcourse again go and get it" and then I would be handed a pallet and some bailer twine to mend yet another hole in the 60 year old rotting fence. by the time I left most of the fence was pallet/bailer twine made by my very own hands and as a 14 year old at the time I was very proud!
 
Hugely important and an interesting post. I assume that you are not happy on your yard, or have had a bad experience, by the way you refer to YO's!!

As a diy YO I would like to think I have a 'good' attitude towards my clients as join them on hacks, show an interest in their horses, and maintain all facilities to the best of my abilites.

I try to remain professional at all times but it is not always that easy. On my yard I have had a run of 'bad' clients, the worst drove into my car and never compensated me despite considerable damage. I had another one who was conducting an extra marital affair and using the yard as cover. That is without mentioning the ones that feel the yard rules do not apply to them, or the ones that 'forget' to pay their bills or leave a cheque out for the farrier on a regular basis.

Therefore it is sometimes hard to remain positive and cheerful!!

I often am amused by people on here who complain about their livery fees - my DiY ers pay £25 per week, but if you consider that it costs hundreds to replace fencing, buy new jumps and maintain adequate facilities, the profits made do not really equate...! But if you do not attend to these matters immediately you are considered a 'bad' YO!

May be we should also ask 'how importants is a livery clients attitude?!' I am always apprehensive when a new client comes on board as you never know what problems they of their horse may bring with them.

Having said that currently I have some very nice clients who respect the fact that my yard is also my family home and treat it accordingly, so long may they stay!!
 
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Going to the yard should be a pleasure, so having a mental YO is not required! I think basic manners are essential, and an interest in the welfare of the horses on the yard. I train customer service, among other things, and there are many YO's who need to come on my courses I think!!

MTA - some liveries need the same training!!
 
i think YO's should be polite to paying customers but not take the liveries nonsense or stupid demands.
they also shouldn't try to be a mate although friendly is great. another bug bear is favouritism, i've seen/known some YO's to favour some people as they either pay more (part/full livery as opposed to diy) or because they are competitive rather than happy hacking.
i also know some liveries who make stupid complaints and demands and because they shout the loudest they get what they want which affects the rest of the yard in some way or another.
 
Very important, our last YO changed the rules as often as he changed his socks, ran the yard to suit his favourites, wouldn't discuss any problems, like seperating mares/geldings, his standard response was if you don't like it leave.
We did just that and our new YO is great, but also rent a cottage on the old yard, so guess whose househunting.
Some yard owners can't grasp the fact that we are customers paying for a service, even if it is a stable and grazing and deserve to be treat with civility.
Let's hope the nasty ones are in the minority
 
riding_high said:
i also know some liveries who make stupid complaints and demands and because they shout the loudest they get what they want which affects the rest of the yard in some way or another.
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Are you on my yard? Lol

I am a bit of a goody two-shoes really and abide by the rules and pay on time and don't kick up a fuss about anything. More fool me!
 
Gosh who'd be a YO? I've done both in fact, been a "punter" and had to smile and look sweet to some pretty dificult people coz otherwise my horse and I would have ended up on a grass verge somewhere with a headcollar, duvet & thermos flask!

Now I have my own place and have a DIY livery with her three lovely horses: I'm so fortunate to have such a great livery and its just a pleasure to have her and the family around.

I'm only a small yard so can't really comprehend how difficuilt it would be in a large yard with lots of liveries all wanting something different - and the YO would have to sort out everyone's squabbles!!! Don't envy anyone in that position, it would be SO stressy I would think.

As a YO, may I just contribute that it seems that a lot of problems arise through communication, or rather the lack of it, and expectation. i.e. if you're expecting, wanting or needing assisted livery for e.g., then don't go for a strictly DIY yard! I think its important to be honest about what you want and what you're prepared to pay for, but be prepared to make concessions if necessary.
 
From my experience most horsey people are mental, including me, maybe years of dealing with people who just can't follow the most basic of rules wear's YO's down, for some liveries the most simplest task's like shutting a gate, or picking up their horse poo off the yard or menage, or throwing the muck to the top of the heap is obvioulsy far too complicated, gonna get em down innit, both sides have to earn respect, YO respect your a paying client, but the client respecting the YO's rules you agree to abide by when moveing there, YO respects it's your animal, you respect it's YO's property and land etc, it's a two way thing.
 
I would say very important, I have heard some horror stories and consider myself very lucky we are on a small farm with only eight horses and I have been there for thirty years and am treated like one of the family. I do worry what I will do when I have to move on as the owner is alot older now and he will not go on for ever
 
A positive attitude would be preferential but its not the most important.

On my last yard there was no rules as such and the YO would regularly call us all stupid bitches and that none of us could ride. He did however have the most extensive knowledge and would always give me advice. I just viewed it that he felt limited that he couldn't do things himself (medical reasons). I got on with him but that was probably because I never challenged his behaviour when he called us names.

My new YO grew up with my previous YO. My horse escaped from his field last night (completely out of character). There was a section of fencing missing so he literally walked out of the field. I advised YM and within an hour it was fixed. I was so confused this morning as I thought I had imagined the missing fence section - so not used to being listened to!

Previous YO calls my new one trying to get gossip from him. He apparently kicked a friend and I off the yard for being too mouthy - he didn't we just moved somewhere quieter and cheaper! I also broke my back as a result of being a crap rider - I probably am but hey Ho ;)
 
After a couple of times playing acting YO when real one went away - living on site doing her horses and liveries I can safely say I have utmost respect for them!!!
Squabbling liveries, injured horses, sodden with rain, broken fencing and trying to ride your own horses as well as do all the part/full ones - and she does it all on her own
 
My YO cooked me a fry up this morning, she is amazing :D! She is also very sympathetic to tb owners, actually no she mocks us because sadly her's passed away and she has a 'normal' horse instead now!
 
It doesnt cost to be pleasant and courteous, but that is a 2 way thing.
I wouldnt put up with **** stirrers or bullying and wouldnt speak to, or expect to be spoken to in a derogatory manner.
Its obvious from the posts to have a successful yard you need to be prepared to take an interest, if you dont, them that shout loudest start to take over and they can sometimes be the cause of a yard churning for years and a source of misery to the poor clients who stay.
 
Is it important for a YO to have a good attitude?
I think so, if they have a lousy attitude you might be afraid to ask for their help when it really mattered

Does it bother you if your YO is rude and seems uninterested in the business, if you are happy with everything else?
Rudeness would probably bother me because I'd find it hard to approach or deal with a YO who was rude but not being under the cosh of a micromanaging YO is no bad thing either.

Would you expect to be treated as a paying customer (within reason obviously) or it is reasonable to be spoken to like you are an inconvenience?
This can be a fine line, our YO has always been happy to go the extra mile for us, and we try to do likewise, but I've seen situations where some people really expect to be pandered to. A couple of our liveries whinge about everything the YO does, I wonder why they still stay there if it is so dire.

Do some YO just not get the fact that they are running a business and should act accordingly?
The role of the YO is not always clear cut. I think the most important thing is fairness. I hate it when other clients seem to get whatever they want at the expense of others, especially if that other is me lol
 
I've been both. I can't see any reason for unfriendliness from either side. I think running a livery is different to most other services as the customers are on your land and often your home. Therefore it's more of a two way thing. Any client who I felt uncomfortable with would be given notice. It's a small yard and it's important that everyone fits in with everyone else. If someone was unreasonably demanding they would have to leave. In return, the horses have a 5* home and they and they are treated just like my own (except their owners decide any special treatment they might need - feeding, rugs, exercise etc,) and I oblidge so long as it is in the interest of the horse. Their owners also get treated as friends, and I will make them coffee, chat and hack out with them etc. I only do full and part livery though and would ever have DIY. Too many problems for no money at all. By the time you have paid rates, electricity, water, repairs etc you have made a loss.
 
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Very important! My YO really encourages me to join in, takes the time to chat to me and my OH when he goes down. I have only been this comfortable at one yard before - and that was the yard I was at for 2/3years!!
 
i believe its very important! im leaving a yard next month and not the main reason (but a large part of it) is the YOs attitude. shes un intrested in the attual yard and yard maintanance which should fall on her shoulders (eg fencing, school maintanance, lights arround the yard not working ect) as long as every things fine in her block with her horses she couldnt care less! the fence seperating my horse from hers has been half down about 5 times since iv been a livery there and every time iv given in after about 3 days and put it back up myself for fear that my youngster might get tangled up. i wouldnt mind but the contract that SHE drew up says that liverys must be provided with safe, secure paddocks and stables.
couldnt care less if she took an intrest in me / my horse though, i dont see that as her job and tbh i like it better if i dont have to make small tallk.
 
I have just moved off a hideous yard because of the yo's attitude and the behaviour of other liveries thinking they owned the place, telling me to turn my laminitic onto a 2ft high grass field and also being nagged at over him being a traditional hairy cob. Just really did my head in to the point of not wanting to go up there, the yard was untidy, school wasn't maintained, elec fence didn't work and everyone was running riot
 
I am a YO and it is an extremely difficult role. Many horse owners are nuts :) Some are totally unreasonable and to be honest can be downright rude at times. Their horses can be precious little darlings to the exclusion of the other horses which can lead to serious tension between owners at times, which as a YO i end up having to resolve. I did get rather annoyed a few weeks ago when one livery horse spent a week kicking my post and rail fence down every night, which I repaired daily. No reason - the field he was in had far more grass. I understand horses will sometimes kick the fences, I know they have to be repaired but come on how easy is it for me on my own to hold both ends of a rail to nail it on - any normal person would have said, "really sorry my horse has systematically destroyed the fence I will of course help you repair it". but no, I could see that thought never entered their head. I try to be totally fair, I have a good detailed contract and the horse's welfare is paramount. I organise haylage and bedding, I book dentists, farriers, vets and always make sure everyone knows when they are coming so if they want to use that service they can fit in. But there is always one who doesn;t like the date, who seems to think I have deliberately booked the date at their inconvenience. i have them booked for my horses, if they want to use them fine, if not book it themselves! I also get peeved looks if it is too wet, too dry. Really it is a thankless task but some people make it worthwhile, some on the other hand make you want to dig a large hole, bury them and put some hardstanding down!
 
When I was a paying customer, I have been on a couple of yards where the YO was very unapproachable and quite frankly, terrifying. I was only young then though (late teens) and wonder if YOs have a different attitude to youngsters. My next two yards (in my twenties) were much nicer places, though I always had the utmost respect for the yard owner and felt privaliged to be there.

At my yard I only have space for five part and full liveries, and have a waiting list ofpeople wanting to cme here, though thankfully, people rarely leave unless it is to go to college or move etc. My clients are all lovely. If they weren't, they would be gone. I can afford to be choosy. The last time I had a space I took over8 months to fill it. Not because of lack of people interested, but because I was bearing in mind the personalities of my current clients and their horses and it took me that long to find a person I thought would fit in. Getting a new person always causes shockwaves through the yard, no matter how nice they and their horses are. It takes a few weeks to iron out all the teething problems, but then everything settles down in harmony --- until the next time.
 
I think the YO's attitude is important but as others have pointed out, the attitude of liveries is also important. My YO is a lovely lady but she wants her yard run a certain way. She made it very clear what the rules are when we visited the place and when we moved in, we signed a contract. So why do so many people make a fuss about having things done differently for them? Nor will any livery find the perfect yard. If you want that, buy your own land.

Having said that, I am shocked by how many YOs do not seem to care about keeping good liveries or simply doing the service they are charging for. My YO told me that even on full and part livery prices if the owner and/or the horse is a nightmare they are significantly less profitable than ones who are well behaved, becuase they take up more time. I'm sure this is the same for everyone so why do this YOs not to more to attract and retain good liveries?
 
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