How to tell YO I'm leaving?

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Dumbo

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Haven't secured a space at a new yard yet so this is written in apprehension but..

I've always banged on about the things I don't like at my yard but I've had to lump it (ie. very small and deep school without floodlights, bossy groom, limited off road hacking, tiny stables., another 6 horses arriving next week which there simply isn't space for.. I could go on for hours).
I've looked at a couple of other yards locally but both far too pricey and in the wrong direction (current yard is charging more than i hoped as it is and is on the road to my college and Dad's work as well as being on a bus route).
Anyway, out of the blue a vacancy for a small private yard with far better facilities has come available, conveniently when I've just stumbled across a photo of the said groom out hacking on my horse, with everyone else at my yard. I had my suspicions about what they do with my horse as I know she's ridden him once before but now they've been confirmed. I feel very betrayed by everyone there.

At least now I have a brilliant reason to get the hell out of that place. :D

But.. how do I go about it? Not a confrontational person so don't want an argument (they also have no respect for me -clearly - so they will probably laugh in my face that I'm being pathetic?) Do I put it in writing, a phone call or calmly face to face? Next livery bill is due next week so will I have to pay that plus the following month? :confused:

Happy New Year :)
 
Well do not do anything until you have a space - when you have a secure space, speak to your yo - be poliet and just say this is my months notice, thank you very much for having me i shall be leaving on x day. i would give her a bunch of flowers too - for what it costs which is not a lot - it will keep her on side whilst your notice period ends,
 
Don't give a reason.....just say you are giving notice to leave, when you will be leaving and when the final payment will be. Keep it pleasant unless they get shirty, then calmly and politely reel out the things that you, as a paying customer, are not happy with....
 
Give your notice in writing to YO.
Explain that you have found a yard better suited to your needs and thank them for having you.
Once you are gone, if you feel the need to elaborate on your reason for leaving, you can send another letter addressing the main points of your unhappiness there.
 
Ooo glad this topic has come up - I have to give notice too and have been afraid! Going to get it over and done with tomorrow I think :-/
 
joeanne said:
Give your notice in writing to YO.
Explain that you have found a yard better suited to your needs and thank them for having you.
Once you are gone, if you feel the need to elaborate on your reason for leaving, you can send another letter addressing the main points of your unhappiness there.
Click to expand...

Will most likely do this. My friend has suggested including a copy of the photo as evidence but not sure?
 
Does this riding of others horses without permission happen a lot then? this must be the 3rd or 4th post like this in the last few months - someone was on recently about a teen hacking out a GP horse, and another was of their horse ridden by a groom on the yard and caught out by facebook.... i am quiet shocked at how frequent this seams to happen on yards. Is this normal?
 
My friend had suspicions on her yard that her horse was being ridden when she wasn't there - she changed her routine from normal times and caught someone from the yard going down the road on her horse! Unbelievable.
 
Don't go into the ins and outs of why you are leaving. Just give written notice and your last months livery money and leave it at that. If you do go into it then be prepared to have a rubbish last month there.
 
Tbh if yard had been riding my horse without permission I'd be off when my livery was up. Wouldn't give them notice. Surely they have broken the terms and conditions of any contract that is in place.
 
Agree with Hippona. I would not be saying anything til I had a confirmed place at the next yard.
When that happens I'd give my months notice but be prepared to go sooner.
If no contract it's customary to pay one extra payment whether you pay weekly or monthly. If you have left a deposit I wouldn't pay the additional period and would leave that for it. I would expect an overlap to pay both livery yards though.
I wouldnt burn bridges either unless you know you will never take your horse back there should the next yard shut etc.
 
Crimbowitch said:
Does this riding of others horses without permission happen a lot then? this must be the 3rd or 4th post like this in the last few months - someone was on recently about a teen hacking out a GP horse, and another was of their horse ridden by a groom on the yard and caught out by facebook.... i am quiet shocked at how frequent this seams to happen on yards. Is this normal?
Click to expand...

I remember those and thinking how unlucky they were. Facebook is great at times! And no, it isn't normal as far as I know, unless the horse is on full livery or they have permission.

clip_clop said:
My friend had suspicions on her yard that her horse was being ridden when she wasn't there - she changed her routine from normal times and caught someone from the yard going down the road on her horse! Unbelievable.
Click to expand...

Awful!! The first time this happened I turned up unexpectedly to find my horse knackered and the groom told me she'd been jumping him. I was fuming but let it go as they said it was a one off.. wish i'd left then.
 
That said I didn't pay any extra when I left and well and truly bunrt my bridges. I wouldnt ever have a horse back on site there though and was unhappy on a number of things not upheld in the contract and have other areas to move should I need.
 
I would leave without notice if they were riding my horse without permission. I would also state this politely to the YO as my reason for leaving - what they do with that information is up to them. You don't have to get into an argument about it, just be calm and polite and smile. Then pack your horse up and get out of there :)
 
Timiton I've only ever heard of it once and my friend and I were both horrified. If someone took mine out without notice (bar two people who puld be fine but would want a heads up) they'd be dragged off the horse and I'd be leaving.
 
In your situation, once a space had come up on other yard, I would go without notice. Anyone caught riding mine without permission would get lynched, although they would have to get on first, which could prove difficult!
 
Arh now... different thing - no i would not give notice and i would make darn sure that the ym knew exactly why you were going and i would make darn certain that everyone on the yard knew why too !
 
I'm the only person on part livery there, everyone else is DIY so for all I know she could be riding him every week day while she knows I'm at college :eek:
 
I moved a couple of months ago. My advice is: you don't have to say why you are moving, if you're concerned about anyone making a scene or repercussions, don't say. Be prepared to move from the day you give notice; I gave my two weeks notice which was all fine and dandy for about an hour, the YO then gave me 48 hours to move, I had to take the day off work. It was worth it though! Good luck!
 
I would:

first discuss situation with your father and check he will support moving. (As he is paying current livery)

If he supports you moving, get your place at new yard confirmed, agree a move date, pay deposit to hold space.

Give notice to current yard. If might want to go back ( or have to in future if circumstances change) I would pay months notice and stay as much or little as you can afford to double pay.

On leaving you might want to say unhappy about someone riding your horse.

I would be careful about burning bridges when you don't drive just incase need to go back in a year or two.
 
Also the horsey world is a very small place so I would give pay the correct notice AND would ask for a receipt confirming you have paid the full and final amount. I did that in one yard when it became very unpleasant when i handed my notice in due to the YO having the most unpleasant charmless OH I have ever had the misfortune to meet. I wanted to be 100% sure they could never say I owed them a penny when I left. He was exactly the sort of lowlife who would have then said I owed more....
 
Jesus! I would be furious if yard owner knowingly let yard staff ride my horse without my permission. I would also carefully look at my contract - if they had breached it I would probably just leave and tell the yard owner to take me to court if they wanted their notice paid.

That, of course, isn't sensible and would definitely fall under the 'burning bridges' category which is hugely unadvisable.

Probably best to secure a place at another yard, put in writing that want to leave, pay notice with a cheque rather than cash, and ask for written confirmation that cheque had been received and accepted.

Good luck - I've only had the misfortune of leaving one livery yard on bad terms with the owner (and another due to other awful liveries), but I didn't give two figs if I couldn't go back there, I'd rather keep my horse in my garden :D
 
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Thanks for the really good advice. I'm quite tempted to write to them after I've left explaining the real reason.. or the main one at that. Don't really want her getting away with it...

Unfortunately and very stupidly don't have a written contract :(
 
Any time i've left a yard, i've kept it on good terms, and relatively true. My girl is bad in traffic, and the yard was on a bus route, so thats what I told them. There were a few other niggles too but no point in burning bridges.
 
If you don't have a written contract then assuming you have a confirmed, deposit paid space at the new yard just pay a months livery in an envelope with a letter giving your notice. I suspect it will not go down well as they are obviously dishonest. How soon could you go to new yard? Could you afford to pay notice but remove horse anyway.
I assume you do pay monthly? If you pay weekly it is noly a weeks notice.
 
Simply write a letter stating that you will be leaving on ..... date and that any monies owing will be paid before you leave. You don't need to give a reason.
 
Pay by cheque don't leave cash. Don't say anything just be polite. If anyone rode my horse without permission and I found out,they'd never ride again!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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