How to persuade the horse owners in my field to poo pick!

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Rachaelpink

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My small horse is out most of week (in a couple of evenings) and she shares her field with 5 other horses. 2 are in less frequently than her, like one only for a couple of hours a day and one for daytime only. The other 3 are out 24/7. At the moment I'm pretty sure I'm the only one poo picking the field which is starting to bug me. It's hard work as it's a big field and there are quite a few horses out in it. Don't know what I can do or say to try and hint to them? Was thinking of getting Y/O daughter to try and have a word? So it's not obvious it's coming from me.
 
That's really not fair & I'd be really peeved. I think you should have a word with whoever's in charge of the yard.

Your horse would only do a barrow a day (24 hrs) at the most if out 24/7. How many barrow fulls are you removing?

I had this with a DIY livery on our private yard & it was a real bugbear of mine. It meant the field was never clear, & I felt as though I was nagging all the time.
 
Have a chat with the YO (or her daughter)if possible, and then get her to say to the others a rota will be drawn up, in fair proportions with how long horses are turned out, in order to collect the muck.If she can, she needs to explain to the others that this has become neccesary due to the number of horses, and in order to reduce the worm volume, and help the pasture, she feels it must be actioned now to reduce the risks.
If the others don;t like it, then maybe they can pay the YO or another willing livery(you?) to do it.
YO should also make sure any new arrivals are well aware of the need to clear the poop before joining your yard.
 
I'm guessing it's part of the livery contract agreement that all owners have to poo pick? If this is the case, I agree the other owners should be doing their fair share. Maybe have a word with YO and get them to have a word.
 
Last time I did it I took out 3- overflowing barrows and spend a good hour doing it but there was still loads more to do.
I mentioned that I'd just done it once to one of the other liveries in the field and she said ''I'm glad someone's doing it" ok so she is one of the ones whose horse isn't out 24/7 but still I'm not prepared to do it for everyone's horses all summer, but I don't want them to suffer. I don't want to fall out with people but at the same time I want them to start doing their share.
 
Oh god I don't envy you! This would infuriate me!! We have individual turnout at my yard, so mine are in together with no others. Thank god.

They are out days and in at night. I get one to one and a half barrows per horse per week. Its a big barrow I have to say. Would probably get 3 of those little orange B & Q type barrows that every one has!

I used to be at a yard many years ago that arranged poo picking times and every one did it together. Means you get it done in no time, can have a laugh etc but does mean you are tied to a time.

I would deffo have a word with YO. Or threaten the other liveries. (joke....)
 
In answer to SJ_Superstars, no it's not in the livery contract. But when there are 6 horses turned out everyday that's a lot of muck and if people don't do it it will affect their grazing. I could be wrong but other people have also said they've never see anyone do it apart from me. I'll speak to Y/O daugther (she'll probably be more tactful than Y/O) as I don't know what to say without getting people's back's up that will persuade them to do it.
 
absolutely NO ONE poo picks in our field. To be fair it is HUGE, but our little herd of geldings (about 10 in total) have been in the one field for nearly 2 years now, and it's not been done once. In a smaller mares field, there is a livery who regularly poo picks, however she is the only one, and there are 7 horses in that field, only 1 of which is hers. I feel it isn't fair if I am the only one who does it, however alot of the other liveries are pretty lax about standards (I could go on all day about this one...I am regularly receiving comments about my 'immaculate bed/horse', and exclamations about how often I am down the stables (twice a day), no that is just how you are SUPPOSED to care for a horse) the YO clearly doesn't see it as a problem, and neither do the liveries, I have no idea how to get everyone rallying round and actually getting it done!!
 
At the last yard we were on there were 6 horses out 24/7 in their summer field that got eaten down to shreds quickly (thankfully most of the horses were good doers, but our Tb was having to be fed 2 big meals a day to keep weight) and poo picking was soul destroying.

We were supposed to do a group poo pick once a week but sometimes it wouldn't happen, or people couldn't turn up and you could be out there for ages, fill up 2-3 jcb size tractor buckets full between 4-5 of you and literally not make a dent. A couple of people reckoned they did a barrow a day, maybe they did, the YO didn't believe it.

I don't know if it was because it wasn't done often enough or if it was an impossible poo:space/horse ratio, but it may be worth considering these things and maybe suggesting a schedule?
 
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ClarePauling said:
absolutely NO ONE poo picks in our field. To be fair it is HUGE, but our little herd of geldings (about 10 in total) have been in the one field for nearly 2 years now, and it's not been done once. In a smaller mares field, there is a livery who regularly poo picks, however she is the only one, and there are 7 horses in that field, only 1 of which is hers. I feel it isn't fair if I am the only one who does it, however alot of the other liveries are pretty lax about standards (I could go on all day about this one...I am regularly receiving comments about my 'immaculate bed/horse', and exclamations about how often I am down the stables (twice a day), no that is just how you are SUPPOSED to care for a horse) the YO clearly doesn't see it as a problem, and neither do the liveries, I have no idea how to get everyone rallying round and actually getting it done!!
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Im sort of in the same situation as you clarepauling XD. Im on a DIY all year grazing livery and no one poo picks other than one lady, but to be fair shes in a small field and its only her two in it. While my boy is in a HUGE field just over a mile long uphill (my legs are very muscly from all the walking up it) and there are 6 others in this field all on all year grazing. It wouldnt be fair if i pushed a wheelbarrow up this field all by myself, and to be fair the field isnt littered which is what you would expect. there is plenty of grazing without being littered in poo, if this was the case i would do it but also ask the other liveries to do it. It is annoying when there is no team work, last year i did the ragwort picking all by myself in the boiling heat after riding and the rest of my horsey chores, then afterwards i would walk the 2 mile home (uphill again) while everyone else would'nt bother doing any ragwort picking and then going home which was a short walk/car ride back....lucky buggers!
 
It's in our contract to poo pick 4 barrows per week per horse. We have to write it in the diary when we have poo picked - no of barrows/horses name.

The YO has a word with anyone not pulling their weight.

I share with another livery who is also diligent about poo picking and it works quite well - even out 24/7 we only get 4 barrows per week for the 2 of them - the YO knows we keep our field clear though.

I would really hate your situation.
 
Difficult... if it is not in the livery contract i really do not know what you as a livery can do about it..... you are really dammed if you do, and dammed if you dont. At our yard we have gone from 4 horses in the field to 8... and now one of the liveries is moaning about the lack of grass and amount of poo.... so tbh i think it is unfair that we should poo pick when the yard owner has doubled the number of horses in the field.... although that is looking to change again !
 
ClarePauling said:
absolutely NO ONE poo picks in our field. To be fair it is HUGE, but our little herd of geldings (about 10 in total) have been in the one field for nearly 2 years now, and it's not been done once. In a smaller mares field, there is a livery who regularly poo picks, however she is the only one, and there are 7 horses in that field, only 1 of which is hers. I feel it isn't fair if I am the only one who does it, however alot of the other liveries are pretty lax about standards (I could go on all day about this one...I am regularly receiving comments about my 'immaculate bed/horse', and exclamations about how often I am down the stables (twice a day), no that is just how you are SUPPOSED to care for a horse) the YO clearly doesn't see it as a problem, and neither do the liveries, I have no idea how to get everyone rallying round and actually getting it done!!
Click to expand...

Very similar at the yard I'm at too. No poo picking but very intensive worming programme we must adhere to. I took out a whopping barrow from my horse's field today. He is out at night, in during day, other two are out 24 hrs. So I muck out AND poo pick!! And funnily enough there are several people at yard whose horses are now out 24/7 and that means by their rules that they only have to go down once a day! I just know that if I for some reason didn't go to yard, it would be my horse whose leg was dropping off. Never seems to happen to the slackers, but perhaps that because they know you are there two or more times a day and if you saw that their horse was in trouble, you would deal with it. Rant, rant, moan, moan!!
 
We had this issue on livery when my horse shared a field with 3-4 others. Only me & my mum ever did it! Tried to persuade one of the girls who owned another horse in the field to come & help - she came down to the field with 2 friends + wheelbarrow, and they sat in the dip where we 'couldn't see them' for an hour doing sod all :/ My mum also removed about 3/4 of the ragwort (there was a LOT in there) while nobody else did any.
We ended up asking the YO if we could keep Dan in a field on his own. Now moved him to a field where the others DO poo pick! Might have to be your answer if it really concerns you.
 
there is always going to be a person that annoys you one way or another no matter what yard your at, it just happens unfortunately, theres things people do at the yard that just boils my piss but i suppose they may think the same for some things i do to. Unfortunatlely the field my boys in gets alot of ragwort, the field is like 4 fields put together, there sectioned by hedges ect but have openings so there joined together, but one of them is basically just rag wort in the summer, and like i said before i did it ALL by myself, i felt like screaming at the first person i seen! I know this thread is about poo, but still ragwort picking also requires team work XD
 
We have to do 4 a week when horses are out 24/7 and 2 a week when they are in over night. Our fields have to be cleared as such by 2pm on sunday and we have to text yard manager when we have done our batch and we are charged £5 a barrow if we have done our lot. Have to say generally there isn't 4 barrows each but it does get the field cleared :)
 
Spoke to Y/O daughter tonight but she said that they don't enforce anyone poo picking and if it gets really bad they can harrow it. I can't see how this will help really as yes it will break it down but it will also spread it slightly and therefore decrease the area they have to graze. Some other people were talking about having a rota in their field and 2 of the liveries in my field were sat next to us so I said that would be a good idea in my field- no response, I give up! It's the horses that will suffer though.
 
At my yard, we don't have to poo pick - its doneas part of our livery deal (And our livery is cheap!)

With some may people on our yard it really is the best arrangement and the fields as a result are immaculate!

The YO pays local kids to do it who are very happy to have some work. I'm not sure how much they are paid, but I can't imagine its a huge amount. If everyone clubbed together £2 a week or so you could do the same?

All the time I've had horses, its the big issue that really bugs people (Understandably) - as there is always one person who does more than others - and those that do nothing!
 
I really do symphasise, and if anyone knows how to encourage others to help I would love to know too. Last year I got an abusive message from one owner of a horse in my field when I asked for help with the poo picking.I dont think that you can do anything unless the Yard Manager supports you and makes some sort of rule.Ditto with clearing ragwort,I gpt fed up one year when the ragwort was really bad and I was out there for hours removing it and another owner woule just take her horse out of the field, ride and put him back and never think that maybe she should help.
 
I shamed everyone into it by writing in the diary every time I did it. They didn't ever do it as regularly as me but if they wanted to put their own name in the diary (and be seen as pulling their weight) they had to be seen to be doing it.
 
I wouldn't poo pick a 12 acre field (I'm assuming that's what you're in). Surely it gets harrowed and rolled regularly??
 
We poo picked a 12 acre field yesterday between 4 of us. 3 with poo pickers and yours truly manning the barrow :D It didn't take us that long and we chat and have a laugh as we do it. We all (with 1 exception and she has not long had a baby) pull our weight in the poo picking department and pull any ragwort we see as we are doing it.

There are 6 owners and 18 horses on 20 acres so as you can imagine there's a lot of poo. It gets harrowed once a year in time for spring growth
 
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