How often dont you get what you agreed? Livery Yards ?

Gingerwitch

Gingerwitch

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How often have you gone through every question you can think of, being asked to see the stable, your storage space, your field, the school, the hay and straw you will be having...... what time they go out, what time they come in, when you can book the school, when you can't, what you get on full livery i.e. rugs changed, beds fully mucked out or just skimped.

and get to the yard to find out that the what you have been shown or told is a million miles away from what you thought you were paying for ?
 
i've seen it alot, thinking of one in particular - however thankfully the yard i am on now has lived up to all promises and expectations

they were very honest from the begining that in the winter fields were wet and its restricted in the winter and despite all this rain they only went onto 'restricted' this week. when i went to look round there was a half finished school with promises that it would be finished by winter, i admit i did doubt it but, true to word 2 weeks after the clocks changed it was finished with flood lights ect. you get exactly what you ask for (am on part livery) if i want bandages on over night its done, legs washed when muddy, feet picked out. beds and hay are ample - you dont arrive to massive bed that dissapears over time untill there is just a square on the floor - they are always massive and well mucked out - the only thing we are still waiting for is a walker and a wash box but these things i can live without and to be fair there was no time scale on them so technically it cant be late!

love my yard - i find that if they deliver on the smaller things like putting bandages/boots on when you ask you can rely on them for the bigger things like walking out when on box rest ect :)
 
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Too often. Things change, people leave and the level of care drops. Part livery is a nightmare for that. I was given the impression at my current yard that the person who runs it would be around most of the day. I haven't seen them since before Christmas and the horses get done morning an evening and left all day in between. Not what I bargained for.
 
Have always had it agreed in writing, especially if I've asked for something additional to contract, but have only needed to reference it once. I'm very lucky with current yard as I can trust them 100% and they always go above and beyond but I still had everything in writing before I arrived as it protects both parties and keeps the boundaries clear.
 
NinjaPony said:
I was given the impression at my current yard that the person who runs it would be around most of the day. I haven't seen them since before Christmas and the horses get done morning an evening and left all day in between. Not what I bargained for.
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I don't think that is fair, as long as they are doing what you pay for at a standard you expect why do they need to be there when.you are?
Maybe they have another job and the livery is a side line.


If you arnt getting what they told you and what you pay for.
Then.complain, it is doesn't change or is not reflected in the price them move to another yard.
 
smellsofhorse said:
I don't think that is fair, as long as they are doing what you pay for at a standard you expect why do they need to be there when.you are?
Maybe they have another job and the livery is a side line.


If you arnt getting what they told you and what you pay for.
Then.complain, it is doesn't change or is not reflected in the price them move to another yard.
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I love the way everyone says move yards.... its mid winter - any good yards are full - unelss they have had a surprise death of a horse has been sold.
 
Gingerwitch said:
I love the way everyone says move yards.... its mid winter - any good yards are full - unelss they have had a surprise death of a horse has been sold.
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i never quite get this either! its not that easy! unfortunatly for most people there arent an abundance of yards within a reasonable commute that have a space as and when you need one and for most people you still have to compromise when you get there! i try to go to yards i know some one on or some one has been on previously so the risk is minimal - however saying that what a friend might seem acceptable or good - i may not, it just seems safer i suppose!
 
Pretty much. Our yard has a very well defined routine, so you know when horses go out and come in, when they are fed, how much hay/haylage they get and the beds are clean and are a good size. The staff are competent and at least two have worked on the yard for over 10 years so they know what they are doing.

I have been there 8 years now, and there has been the odd niggle - usually when I ask for a change to routine, and the instruction hasn't reached all the staff, such as extra walker or change from hay to haylage in the winter.

Vacancies don't come up often, mainly due to owners relocating or horses passing away, sadly we have lost three in the last six months which was very upsetting for everyone.

Everyone gets on well, there aren't any prima-donnas, well, maybe one, but we put up with her as she is the only one with a really big lorry, and she does let us borrow it!

I am quite happy there and at the moment there is no need to move - although next year there may be a house move "oop north" depending on family issues, in which case I will need to move.
 
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Gingerwitch said:
I love the way everyone says move yards.... its mid winter - any good yards are full - unelss they have had a surprise death of a horse has been sold.
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Exactly! I wish they had been clear upfront about it-I don't like to be misled. What it means is that I can't discuss any thing as they are never there. We went on the basis that this particular person would be in charge, and that is not what has happened. There are other issues too, not major ones granted, but that was an example of things not being as they seemed. It's not a bad yard at all but not quite what I expected. As I said, part livery is a pain.
 
One yard we went to we were promised that there was turnout every day (we were moving as we were struggling to get to turnout on the previous yard) and for the first week or so we did get time in a field but then found out that their idea of turnout was half an hour in the indoor school and when after a month or so our guys were getting very bored (no-one was in ridden work due to being young/injured etc) they started chewing on the jumps they weren't even allowed that! We did move pretty quickly but had to majorily comprimise on other things to find somewhere with turnout and enough stables for our 4.
 
far to often!!!

ive given up and sent my horse away on full grass livery...!! had enough of yards and politics!!! last one involved giving grazing to someone else and my horse out alone while everything else had good grass - one being in what was our field...! that was the final straw for me.

When i get mine back (about 12 months...mabey more spring 2015)....i will be vetting yards in winter to see what they can offer in the worst of the months and work backwards!!

arund here there is always a yard with a vacancy......wonder why?! :)
 
It happens far too often IMO. Although, as a Livery myself and also working on a yard and looking after Livery Horses I can often see if from both points of view.
 
I've had a similar experience although went to see the the yard. All the facilities seemed to be as described. Didn't think to ask to see the fields though.

It wasn't until I moved I realised the 'amazing' arena had pot holes and stones everywhere. It was that bad the horses were struggling trot. I then found out the fields were were all on clay soil, queue all the horses knee deep in mud.

The fields and arena are the two most important aspects in a livery yard for me so I moved on pretty quickly.

I have learnt my lesson from that and I am much more thorough when checking out yards now.
 
In general I've been pleased with the yards I've been at, and things have been as promised. One of the most important aspects for me is yards providing enough forage for Elvis, I don't like giving much hard feed and Elvis can maintain a good weight if he's given enough hay. The current yard understands this and accepts that 4 medium haynets every night is normal for Elvis. I've been on yards before where they've limited his hay and he's dropped weight.
 
No, not really.

But we haven't been on livery yards per se, more rented the stables and some land from private owners. So they have almost nothing to do with us, and vice versa!
 
Yep I have had this with current yard.

Was told it was DIY but owner was always about to offer assisted livery whenever we needed it as she lived on site and then just added it to our bill at the end of the month. I thought this was great as I work 6 days a week so thought I could get her to turn out on a Sunday for my so I could have a lay in but when I got there it turns out that she doesn't work weekends. Also she goes on holiday 3 times a year for 3 weeks at a time!!! This also causes issues as I finish work later than everyone else so usually she brings mine in too but when she is away I have to beg for favours so mine aren't left in the field stressing.

She also said the school was floodlit. Turns out that the yard floodlights are used to light the school and we have to pay £2.50 and hour for the privilege. When i asked her about this she said that because she usually has retired horses on the yard she didn't think to mention it.

Because I'm happy at the yard though apart from these issues I just try and work round them. I think you get positives and negatives wherever you go and have to weigh up the pros and cons. You never truly know what your gonna get until you move.
 
Apache Elf Lord said:
I've been on livery yards for over 20 years, and it is amazing how things can change when you have moved on.
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this ^

ive sent my horse away for a year = 18 months and i will spend the next 12 months trying to find my own yard or field as im so sick of livery yards....id rather be on my own with my horses than being somewhere that the rules change as my face dosent fit

sad really :(
 
This happened once, when owner only wanted to make money from livery owners, but didn't offer any help whatsoever, and lied about facilities available. She put livery up within 2 weeks of my moving in. The promised stable never materialised. It soon became clear she had a mental problem and I got out of there a.s.a.p. Was the first and only time my horse loaded willingly! What does that tell you??
 
To often which is why i chose to opt out of the livery merry go round, i understand sometimes things can change, of course its more sensible if the fields are knee deep in mud and water to limit turn out, but to stop it every time it rains !! Hello Scotland has 2 seasons, winter and the rainy season, they were never out on that yard
My favourite, yard 2 yes we'll always be a small yard no more than 6 ....... Within 1 year, over 20 stables up, i can work with negotiating change, but this was out and out lies to us, i couldnt trust them, i voted with my feet, as did my friends in 2 weeks 8 horses vacated their yard due to lies and rubbish fencing electric tape
( sometimes not even fired up ) fencing on a stubble field which they decided was our winter grazing instead of the fields they'd shown us, errr nope dont think so !
 
What about the other side of the livery story? I have a large private yard and have in the past taken on liveries. Several stayed with me for 20 - 30 years very happily on both sides but one or two new ones alerted me to the problems.

1. Can I have DIY but ring you if it rains and let you do it that day? No I cannot book staff at random or take on extra myself when the weather is horrid!

2. I would like my horse out all day whatever the weather. Well it is standing at the gate wanting to come in out of the rain. It has hay but it hates it in the field. Eventually it smashes the gate and fences just to get in but that is my problem as yard owner. The fact that the damage costs more than the year's profit on the livery escapes most people!

3. My horse is losing condition so can it be fed more. Yes of course, we up its rations. What a pity that on Sat and Sun when it is DIY it is left in the field because the owner could not be bothered to come out in the rain and catch it in. When I complain that at 11.30pm, after a night out, I had to change and go out to catch her horse in, feed, hay and change its rugs and what about its weight loss? Reply, well one night wont hurt and I was by the fire and did not want to come out in the cold!

4. Horse turned away due to pregnancy of owner. I receive a phone call at 12 noon Saturday asking me to catch it in on Sunday and arrange farrier for Monday. As Monday was a Bank Holiday I had to say it would be Tuesday before it could be shod and I was on the end of a tirade of abuse 'could I not get a decent farrier who would work on Bank Holiday as she wanted to ride her horse!' Oh and by the way could I feed it some special nuts? I will get them Tuesday as feed store now shut. Why did you not get them in? Because I did not know you wanted your horse on them as it has never eaten them before!

I could go on but the end result is now that my faithful friends who were liveries for years and are still friends despite horses having gone onto new pastures, my large yard is purely that. MY LARGE YARD. A total livery free zone for ever and ever.

May I suggest to those of you who seem to have continual problems with your livery yards (and I am sure there are good and bad ones) that you go out and buy your own land, fence it, build your own stables, buy a tractor, harrow and roller so that you can repair the devastation that long winter turnout causes and then you can have total control of how your horse lives. And what is more when life is difficult and you need help with your horse you can arrange the freelance staff to come in at exactly the hours you wish no matter that the good staff are already booked up. Good Luck!!

Oh and by the way another bonus is that you will not need a contract!!
 
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sport horse said:
What about the other side of the livery story? I have a large private yard and have in the past taken on liveries. Several stayed with me for 20 - 30 years very happily on both sides but one or two new ones alerted me to the problems.

1. Can I have DIY but ring you if it rains and let you do it that day? No I cannot book staff at random or take on extra myself when the weather is horrid!

2. I would like my horse out all day whatever the weather. Well it is standing at the gate wanting to come in out of the rain. It has hay but it hates it in the field. Eventually it smashes the gate and fences just to get in but that is my problem as yard owner. The fact that the damage costs more than the year's profit on the livery escapes most people!

3. My horse is losing condition so can it be fed more. Yes of course, we up its rations. What a pity that on Sat and Sun when it is DIY it is left in the field because the owner could not be bothered to come out in the rain and catch it in. When I complain that at 11.30pm, after a night out, I had to change and go out to catch her horse in, feed, hay and change its rugs and what about its weight loss? Reply, well one night wont hurt and I was by the fire and did not want to come out in the cold!

4. Horse turned away due to pregnancy of owner. I receive a phone call at 12 noon Saturday asking me to catch it in on Sunday and arrange farrier for Monday. As Monday was a Bank Holiday I had to say it would be Tuesday before it could be shod and I was on the end of a tirade of abuse 'could I not get a decent farrier who would work on Bank Holiday as she wanted to ride her horse!' Oh and by the way could I feed it some special nuts? I will get them Tuesday as feed store now shut. Why did you not get them in? Because I did not know you wanted your horse on them as it has never eaten them before!

I could go on but the end result is now that my faithful friends who were liveries for years and are still friends despite horses having gone onto new pastures, my large yard is purely that. MY LARGE YARD. A total livery free zone for ever and ever.

May I suggest to those of you who seem to have continual problems with your livery yards (and I am sure there are good and bad ones) that you go out and buy your own land, fence it, build your own stables, buy a tractor, harrow and roller so that you can repair the devastation that long winter turnout causes and then you can have total control of how your horse lives. And what is more when life is difficult and you need help with your horse you can arrange the freelance staff to come in at exactly the hours you wish no matter that the good staff are already booked up. Good Luck!!

Oh and by the way another bonus is that you will not need a contract!!
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I fully agree with much of what you say - but the point of my post is that when you get told ad lib hay - and you cannot get any, or that this is your stable and paddock and we change rugs each day - and you find out that your horse is not going out and the horse is in the same rug day and night when there is a 10 degree change in temperature - it is not on.

If you dont want horses to go out in fields - then that is fine - and I fully understand that - but dont say that its 365 turnout and the fields are never off limits.... and they go out a minimum of 8 hours a day - to be told in your first week that the weather is unprecidented and they have to stay in for the next month..... you then find out that it happens every year - so tell us before we move Also dont tell us the use of the school is umlimited... then you find our your limited to when you can ride and its an additonal charge for the lights if its dark... and you cant lunge in it or jump in it - again fine- but not after you have moved.

As I say - i totally agree with some of your comments about people - but I have never ever done anything like that and would never even dream of doing it. I just want what I have signed up for - I would not pay for sirloin steak and chips to accept a farmfoods beefburger.
 
sport horse said:
What about the other side of the livery story? I have a large private yard and have in the past taken on liveries. Several stayed with me for 20 - 30 years very happily on both sides but one or two new ones alerted me to the problems.

1. Can I have DIY but ring you if it rains and let you do it that day? No I cannot book staff at random or take on extra myself when the weather is horrid!

2. I would like my horse out all day whatever the weather. Well it is standing at the gate wanting to come in out of the rain. It has hay but it hates it in the field. Eventually it smashes the gate and fences just to get in but that is my problem as yard owner. The fact that the damage costs more than the year's profit on the livery escapes most people!

3. My horse is losing condition so can it be fed more. Yes of course, we up its rations. What a pity that on Sat and Sun when it is DIY it is left in the field because the owner could not be bothered to come out in the rain and catch it in. When I complain that at 11.30pm, after a night out, I had to change and go out to catch her horse in, feed, hay and change its rugs and what about its weight loss? Reply, well one night wont hurt and I was by the fire and did not want to come out in the cold!

4. Horse turned away due to pregnancy of owner. I receive a phone call at 12 noon Saturday asking me to catch it in on Sunday and arrange farrier for Monday. As Monday was a Bank Holiday I had to say it would be Tuesday before it could be shod and I was on the end of a tirade of abuse 'could I not get a decent farrier who would work on Bank Holiday as she wanted to ride her horse!' Oh and by the way could I feed it some special nuts? I will get them Tuesday as feed store now shut. Why did you not get them in? Because I did not know you wanted your horse on them as it has never eaten them before!

I could go on but the end result is now that my faithful friends who were liveries for years and are still friends despite horses having gone onto new pastures, my large yard is purely that. MY LARGE YARD. A total livery free zone for ever and ever.

May I suggest to those of you who seem to have continual problems with your livery yards (and I am sure there are good and bad ones) that you go out and buy your own land, fence it, build your own stables, buy a tractor, harrow and roller so that you can repair the devastation that long winter turnout causes and then you can have total control of how your horse lives. And what is more when life is difficult and you need help with your horse you can arrange the freelance staff to come in at exactly the hours you wish no matter that the good staff are already booked up. Good Luck!!

Oh and by the way another bonus is that you will not need a contract!!
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Everything on your complaints list about your liveries was something you can say no to, and quite rightly so if theyre DIY, but its different when youre the livery and having the goal posts changed regularly , the power balance is different, and its not as easy to up sticks and move but i agree if you dont like it .......Move on, which is what i did, i wouldnt go onto a livery yard again, id rent a field first ! I now have my own private rented place, lovely stables, plenty of grazing, lovely school and no other liveries or yo to upset my apple cart
 
Good heavens yes, first yard I asked about hacking was told I had access to the moors [yes if I had crampons, ice axe, and horse wore them too] ......... so that was totally not true.
Second yard I asked about isolation of new horses, told a pack of lies there too.
Another yard, was told that a sharer was available [I explained pony needed schooled by a firm and experienced rider], sharer was lovely little girl, about 10 years old!
If I asked about anything at all I would be met with "if you don't like it just leave". I spent four hours one day dealing with flooding, if I had not done it all my hay would have spoiled, not to mention my bedding and stabling........ the staff just carried on with their ordinary duties, no assistance or anything.
I waited three months for a light to be fixed in my stable, was told I was impatient, and under no circumstances was I to fix it myself, same went for broken guttering which meant all the water off a huge roof was diverted to my stable. I fixed the guttering one day, six weeks later someone turned up "to do the job properly" ......... did nothing, my temporary fix was left in place.
After advising YM of a problem, I went to assist horse which was entangled in their sheep netting, the YM snatched MY clippers, and told me to "go away", then returned the clippers broken.
 
Gingerwitch said:
I fully agree with much of what you say - but the point of my post is that when you get told ad lib hay - and you cannot get any, or that this is your stable and paddock and we change rugs each day - and you find out that your horse is not going out and the horse is in the same rug day and night when there is a 10 degree change in temperature - it is not on.

If you dont want horses to go out in fields - then that is fine - and I fully understand that - but dont say that its 365 turnout and the fields are never off limits.... and they go out a minimum of 8 hours a day - to be told in your first week that the weather is unprecidented and they have to stay in for the next month..... you then find out that it happens every year - so tell us before we move Also dont tell us the use of the school is umlimited... then you find our your limited to when you can ride and its an additonal charge for the lights if its dark... and you cant lunge in it or jump in it - again fine- but not after you have moved.

As I say - i totally agree with some of your comments about people - but I have never ever done anything like that and would never even dream of doing it. I just want what I have signed up for - I would not pay for sirloin steak and chips to accept a farmfoods beefburger.
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Ditto this.

It's a shame, as if people had been more honest & upfront at times - it may not be a deal breaker (I'm realistic, after all), if I could have thought about it before I moved. It may have been, but it would have been my decision made prior to moving.

Once I've committed to moving, even if it was not a deal breaker, to find out about whatever it is afterwards, is not on, IMHO. At best, it makes me doubt the YM. At worst, it might be the worst thing for me or my horse & his management or welfare.

I agree that some livery clients can be a nightmare, as can some fellow liveries, yard managers & yard owners. But the YM should at least be honest about the facilities & routine they can provide.
 
Hmmn, yes, once moved a horse onto full livery and then was told within a week that rug changes would no longer be included, and it wouldn't include weekends! The first I didn't actually mind, as I don't think horses care that much if their rugs aren't changed and they aren't being ridden, although why then list it in the range of services that was included in full livery in the first place?

The second - I think my face said it all, and the policy was swiftly revoked. The actual horse care was a good standard so all worked out fine in the end.
 
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