I hate having a livery yard :(

[MrsElle]

I just can't be doing with the stress and hassle.

My poor horses are wading about in a small trash paddock, bums to the 80mph gusts of wind while all the liveries horses are nice and snug in their cosy stables. And still they moan! The liveries, not my horses, or their horses for that matter!

I am considering giving notice to one of my three liveries, meaning my horses could be stabled, or at least have a hard standing yard with shelter, and there would be less whinging! However, I don't know which livery to give notice to. All have three or four horses, so it won't be easy to find somewhere new.

Why do I feel so guilty

 

[Bosworth]

Mrs Elle, I feel your pain. I had livery yards, and i was given a hard time by liveries for using the field closest to the house for my own horses. And for having my 4 horses all together on the yard nearest my house, when they had to have their horses seperated over the two yards. Your house, youre rules. Liveries can be really unreasonable. If you want a stable for your horses then you need to give notice to one livery, a months notice and its not your problem if they struggle to find livery for their horses. Harsh but true. You are supposed to enjoy your horses, and Im sure you gave up your stables back in the summer when the weather was good and now its foul you realise how much you need a stable.

 

[Pedantic]

Simple, get rid of all the liveries, no liveries, no stress no hassle.

 

[YorksG]

I think I'd give them all notice and have the place to myself. We don't have liveries, we had one person here, the idea was that she would share the work for the cost of the keep. I think we decided that it wasn't working when we were brining haylage in, in bags because of snow, the evening of a christmas do and the livery was in the local town, drinking before the do! Not once did she bring in or put out her own, never mind ours! We said then never again and we will stick to it.

 

[ester]

Are you not managing the yard for someone else?

 

[be positive]

I have a small yard but will never have more horses than stables in the winter even though several of mine live out in a decent field with plenty of good hedges to shelter them, I certainly would not have them standing in a tiny paddock to accommodate liveries, if I needed all the boxes full to pay the bills then I would cut back on mine, as you have 9 plus liveries I guess they are DIYs so hardly paying enough to put up with moaning while your horses are living in a trash paddock that will be unlikely to be sustainable for the whole winter.

Feeling guilty is part of being a YO although some thought before taking on so many liveries would have prevented this happening, I have just turned away two horses which I have spare boxes for but will not risk mine being unable to all come in in an emergency, time to toughen up and decide who is the worst moaner, give them a fair notice period so they are not struggling over Christmas to find somewhere.

 

[MrsElle]

Simple, get rid of all the liveries, no liveries, no stress no hassle.

And no money

Seriously, I can live without three or four horses worth of livery money, just which one to pick.... ?

 

[MrsElle]

Are you not managing the yard for someone else?

No, it's mine.

 

[brighteyes]

Put yours in livery

 

[muddygreymare]

At the risk of sounding selfish, it is your yard and you have it for YOU as well as accommodating other people's needs and running a business. You should be able to be happy in your own space so explain as nicely as you can to your liveries about how you feel and what you want to happen. Pleasing everyone else is fine until it impacts on you so much that you feel sh**ty, then something needs to change. Hope you get it sorted

 

[MrsElle]

I have a small yard but will never have more horses than stables in the winter even though several of mine live out in a decent field with plenty of good hedges to shelter them, I certainly would not have them standing in a tiny paddock to accommodate liveries, if I needed all the boxes full to pay the bills then I would cut back on mine, as you have 9 plus liveries I guess they are DIYs so hardly paying enough to put up with moaning while your horses are living in a trash paddock that will be unlikely to be sustainable for the whole winter.

Feeling guilty is part of being a YO although some thought before taking on so many liveries would have prevented this happening, I have just turned away two horses which I have spare boxes for but will not risk mine being unable to all come in in an emergency, time to toughen up and decide who is the worst moaner, give them a fair notice period so they are not struggling over Christmas to find somewhere.

I inherited all the liveries, so did not choose to have so many. I moved to this house with my horses, and thought we would manage ok. I have a mare who won't stable, and lives out year round, but the weather is even making her miserable at the moment. While I wouldn't stable her I do have an area of hard standing with a shelter so she could get out of the mud and elements. I need to get rid of someone for my sanity and the happiness of my old girl.

 

[MrsElle]

Put yours in livery

Why didn't I think of that! Full livery, no mucking out, no doing battle with the 'I hate being stabled and will try to kill you if you do so' one, absolutely perfect!

 

[be positive]

That makes it easier to get rid of one, they must know you are thinking about it, if they have any sense they can see there are too many horses and that it is not going to work out over the winter, in the meantime could they not all go onto the hardstanding even if it is a bit small they may be happier and you less stressed.

 

[ester]

Ah sorry! In which case eeny meeny miny mo?

 

[MrsElle]

That makes it easier to get rid of one, they must know you are thinking about it, if they have any sense they can see there are too many horses and that it is not going to work out over the winter, in the meantime could they not all go onto the hardstanding even if it is a bit small they may be happier and you less stressed.

I'm afraid the hard standing is in front of one of the liveries stable block so I can't use it. I know someone has to go, but I am such a wimp, I hate to see anyone in a panic, which they will be as it is really difficult to find livery round here

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Unless your liveries are not paying their way or doing something really awful then I think you are being mean. It's a month until Xmas and it would be difficult to find livery for several horses at this time of year.

 

[Luci07]

Or... As you are not worried about which one goes..call a yard meeting. (Have back up with you!). Explain this is not working and here are the options. 1 livery has to leave in order to make room for your own horses. You can say they can decide amongst themselves with a months notice or, if they won't, you will then make that decision. They have 24 hours to decide. Also, I would say you would not be upset if more than 1 leaves either!

 

[Orca]

Better to do it now and give reasonable notice, in that case. As a livery myself, I'd hate to think my YO was feeling miserable/ stuck/ stressed. Better to address it now than to let matters deteriorate any further.

I'm afraid the hard standing is in front of one of the liveries stable block so I can't use it. I know someone has to go, but I am such a wimp, I hate to see anyone in a panic, which they will be as it is really difficult to find livery round here

 

[springtime1331]

Or how about offering one owner reduced livery if they have theirs in the trash paddock?

 

[Elsbells]

Well you just going to have to slash that sword, but I am left slightly wondering why you didn't do so back in the summer when it would of been easier for everyone concerned.

It's a horrible nightmare moving horse homes in the cold wet and dark winter, even more so in the run up to Christmas.

 

[MrsElle]

Unless your liveries are not paying their way or doing something really awful then I think you are being mean. It's a month until Xmas and it would be difficult to find livery for several horses at this time of year.

Can I just ask if you had your own land and yard would your horses not be your priority? This is my home, my land, my yard and I have always dreamed of being able to keep horses at home. However, I am unable to enjoy my horses. The liveries are mucking out and then having a nice cuppa in the tack room while I battle the mud, wind and rain to put hay in the field for my filthy, wet, and miserable horses. Surely it isn't meant to be like that?

 

[MrsElle]

Well you just going to have to slash that sword, but I am left slightly wondering why you didn't do so back in the summer when it would of been easier for everyone concerned.

It's a horrible nightmare moving horse homes in the cold wet and dark winter, even more so in the run up to Christmas.

I wasn't living here in the summer, I have only been here a couple of months.

 

[Palindrome]

Or how about offering one owner reduced livery if they have theirs in the trash paddock?

Good idea
or could it work out well to build an area for yours, either adding a shelter or whatever would suits best? If the cost is only a few months worth of livery, it might be a win-win in the long term. You could even change the lay out of the yard so it is more convenient for you and you don't have to deal with the DIY liveries on a day to day basis so less opportunity for them to complain to you.

ETA: or just give notice to the next one who complains, I'm sure everyone will be very quiet after that.

 

[Luci07]

Can I just ask if you had your own land and yard would your horses not be your priority? This is my home, my land, my yard and I have always dreamed of being able to keep horses at home. However, I am unable to enjoy my horses. The liveries are mucking out and then having a nice cuppa in the tack room while I battle the mud, wind and rain to put hay in the field for my filthy, wet, and miserable horses. Surely it isn't meant to be like that?

Playing devils advocate though.... How long have you been in your home? This may well be thrown back at you. However, if you had started off thinking this would work and not it isn't...then as this is your home and your horses....which means you take priority.

 

[MrsElle]

Good idea
or could it work out well to build an area for yours, either adding a shelter or whatever would suits best? If the cost is only a few months worth of livery, it might be a win-win in the long term. You could even change the lay out of the yard so it is more convenient for you and you don't have to deal with the DIY liveries on a day to day basis so less opportunity for them to complain to you.

It is a good idea. I am going to have to look at the layout of the yard, but it is quite a traditional set up, mainly set around a central farm yard with our house on one side and the barns/stables etc on the other three. I need to get my thinking cap on!

 

[Red-1]

Could you have a swap and take over the livery stables with the hardstanding for your own horses?

 

[be positive]

Can I just ask if you had your own land and yard would your horses not be your priority? This is my home, my land, my yard and I have always dreamed of being able to keep horses at home. However, I am unable to enjoy my horses. The liveries are mucking out and then having a nice cuppa in the tack room while I battle the mud, wind and rain to put hay in the field for my filthy, wet, and miserable horses. Surely it isn't meant to be like that?

You do have to put yourself first sometimes, yes it will be tough, it should have been done before it got to this but if you have not had liveries before you may not have realised what you were taking on and how bad winter will be and we are not really into the worst yet, I think the idea of a yard meeting and seeing if there is a willing volunteer to move on, is maybe the option worth taking, you never know there may be one already looking elsewhere who just requires a prod to get out.

 

[MrsElle]

I've only been here a couple of months and inherited the liveries. I said they could stay when I moved in as mine all live out, but I now realise I need at least some form of shelter.

 

[MrsElle]

Could you have a swap and take over the livery stables with the hardstanding for your own horses?

I have no stables for my own horses, so can't swap. The problem is me not realising this might be an issue when I moved here, I should have moved in and given at least one livery notice when they were all expecting it.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Think you posted previously that your liveries are paying £20 pw DIY for stable, grazing, parking and storage?

You need to raise your charges, too, that is unsustainably low (unless the livery yard is purely a hobby).

It's an unpleasant situation all round, but your own horses come first, someone else will have to go.