How to approach the subject with Y.O re: problem with menage

[Birker2020]

Help. I am on a large livery yard where I keep my horse on DIY livery. I've been there a number of years and I really like the yard and the liveries there and my horse is settled. However over recent weeks a large number of people have expressed dissatisfaction regarding the riding surface in the menage and there have been a few incidents of horse and rider slipping and going through to the membrane below. It is sand and rubber but the rubber seems to have dissapeared and it is now deep sand. I have to say I have never actually had a problem with it (as in a slip or trip) though I agree that it is deep all over and the horses do struggle in there when they are schooled and in reality jumping is now considered too dangerous. Some people are having to go and hire outside facilties in order to ride/practice whilst others have expressed dissatisfaction and are trying to make the decision to leave. It was suggested at the weekend that we all put a letter together and sign it (those that use the menage) outlining our concerns. A number of us have already expressed our concerns about the surface but the YO but nothing has happened. What would you guys do? The vast majority of us do not wish to leave but are reluctant to continue to use the school when it resembles the Sahara desert!.

 

[AmyMay]

How is the school maintained generally?

 

[Kayfm]

Yep, all go together or call a meeting with the YO. This is a common problem with some yards. At our yard, the owners says she is not prepared to put any money into the maint of our menage, however now wants to put the charge of using it up!!! ???????????????? Good luck.

 

[Birker2020]

Hi there, sorry for being so long to get back to you. It is harrowed every now and then but not rolled, nor is it watered. Its briliant in winter as it never freezes - even on the coldest evenings, what we normally do in winter is ride a few 20 metre circles in walk to break it up a bit then proceed in trot and canter when its soft. However the real problem starts when its not rained for weeks like recently and it gets deeper and deeper and deeper. My OH is a groundsman at a riding club and he has always said that a surface needs regular rolling and harrowing, harrowing first because if you just roll first then you roll on top of hoof prints that can be quite deep and that is dangerous and inaffective. Things have a habit of coming back on me so I am really loathe to say anything to YO as I seem to be held responsible for anything that is ever discussed between the liveries so I am, for the time being, going to keep my mouth shut. Its hard for me as although I see a problem I have not experienced one, but I would be very upset if my horse slipped, tripped or fell in said menage due to the surface. I really dont want to have to leave the yard as I do genuinely like it there. Just worried about implications of saying nothing against the implication of saying something

 

[mtj]

Can you avoid using the arena for a while?

tbh, even if your horse does not slip or fall, it will not be doing his tendons/ligaments any good being in deep sand. It really is a recipe for a lame horse.

I think you are right to allow someone else approach the YO. Why should you take the flack.

 

[Birker2020]

Yes I could avoid using the school but why should I have to pay to use riding club arenas or other yards menage's? Also my horse is not very good at hacking out on his own and there is never really anyone to ride with me so I rarely hack out. I can always take him to the riding club and ride around the grounds but this gets boring after a while. Thanks for your help though, it is a nightmare, but I feel reassured that the vet doesn't think its a problem.

 

[Louby]

Hi, ours was the same and was topped up with more rubber at a cost of £4k!!, which solved the problem. It is a massive arena though. I didnt say anything though and just avoided using it when it was really deep as I felt my horse 'paddled' in it. After rain it was fantastic. My horse is on a private yard and although fantastic people I wouldnt have said anything as they could have just said, tough or dont use it then. Its a difficult one, why cant one of the others say something.