If you could make one yard rule what would it be?

[atropa]

I hardly think pre-booking the school in advance is waltzing in without any notice and turfing other liveries out, at my yard we have to pre-book and pay for sole use several days in advance, other liveries are notified both via notices in the tack room and online, so therefore can plan their riding accordingly.
Who's to say that the person having the lesson (who also pays livery and is as entitled to use of the facilities just as much as people who decide not to book lessons on weeknights) doesn't work full time, therefore the only time they could have lessons during the week is 'peak time'. I could understand it would be annoying if it was constantly booked night after night but one night where I had to plan to ride later or not ride wouldn't and doesn't bother me. I don't mind sharing with others during normal schooling, but I pay to book sole use of my school when I have a lesson. It works well at our yard, evidently not as well at others from several posts on this thread.

 

[Damnation]

My rule would be "Be a normal functioning human being posessing an ounce of common sense".

The amount of people with no common sense who won't accept advice off experience horse owners who own horses is unreal to me.

It is OK to ask for help, its ok to accept help, it is not weak, it is not failing, it is improving yourself.

And come on I mean its common sense to a) ask if you can share the arena b) tidy up after yourself.

 

[igglepop]

I always think there should be a jump night, as jumps get in the way of general schooling, can mess up the surface and to be honest jumping is more fun with friends. Years ago i shared a horse, started just me and two friends, then ended up with over half the yard jumping on Thursdays in groups. School was levelled Friday morning and everybody had great fun.

 

[TheHairyOne]

I would love to see "Mind your own and enjoy your horse" on the gate!

Not going to happen though.

Our yard has the no peak time (5pm-7pm) school booking rule if it's dark before 7 which was introduced 2 years ago at most of the liveries request.

We have one 20x40 flood lit school and I am not hacking on the 60mph road outside the yard, or the rutted farm tracks to tiny country lanes in the dark.

My sister and I have 5 horses between us, I normally ride 2 a night for 4 nights in the week and have 1 night off, she does the same. We both work full time and don't get to the yard much before 5, thankfully our horses all live out. The yard is mostly people who work and don't have the luxury of picking their timing.

We had one livery who for the period of time booked the school for an hour twice a week (in the week) for a lesson at 5.30pm - 6.30pm. Now some of you say that this is fair enough, the rest of it can work around it and not ride 2 nights a week. However, that for us was 8 rides missed, and it annoyed a fair few others too (quite a lot of multiple horse owners). Before the rule we did make a point and between us all booked the school solidly for 2 weeks and the rest of us shared!!

 

[Damnation]

I always think there should be a jump night, as jumps get in the way of general schooling, can mess up the surface and to be honest jumping is more fun with friends. Years ago i shared a horse, started just me and two friends, then ended up with over half the yard jumping on Thursdays in groups. School was levelled Friday morning and everybody had great fun.

This!

We used to have a livery hour Monday - Friday for the Part/Full liveries so the DIY liveries had chance to book the arena before and after. It became stupid because there were 4-5 part liveries in the arena at once which was a bit of a squeeze but fine since it was a decent size, they knew the rules of the arena etc.

Queue the spoilt brat who used to demand to jump in livery hour with 4 other horses who wanted to just do flatwork, some of which were young horses getting used to being ridden in with other horses.

We had to ban jumping in "Livery hour" and they had to either use the outdoor arena or book seperately.

COMMON SENSE PEOPLE!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

If it was just the ONE rule...... I think for me it would have to be the one about someone coming to see to the horse at least once a day and ensuring it is well, fed & watered, and kept in good condition etc etc.

I've been doing (DIY) livery here since 1992, and the only really bad livery we've ever had shut her poor pony in the stable the first weekend she was here, and swanned off, god-alone-knows where, and sent me a text to say a "friend" would be coming to see to it. "Friend" never materialised. Her pony was left in a filthy stable, without food or water, and was in one helluva state, sweated up and distressed, and Yours Truly had to go in to see to it Thankfully this bag egg only stayed for a month, I feel very sorry for both the YO and fellow liveries wherever she went after leaving here.

So that would be my one rule, I think. Closely followed by "no smoking". Sorry that's cheating, can't have two!

 

[Luci07]

If the prime times were being booked up by people every night of the week then I could maybe understand your point of view.

But if its one person one night of the week for an hour then I think you are being extremely self centred. Why can't you ride an hour later that one night ?

Why should your convenience be more important than theirs ?

Lucky we aren't on the same yard! Because it wasn't just me there were several people. Because after working a long day, I then had to wait around for an hour, in the evening so I or anyone else could get in. Because they could just have shared the school like we all did and made life so much easier and no, when I am not getting home till 9 on a normal night, then I do not want to hang around a cold yard for another hour because someone doesn't want to share. My point was proved when the ability to book was removed and suddenly the livery could ride earlier..

 

[Lizzie66]

Lucky we aren't on the same yard! Because it wasn't just me there were several people. Because after working a long day, I then had to wait around for an hour, in the evening so I or anyone else could get in. Because they could just have shared the school like we all did and made life so much easier and no, when I am not getting home till 9 on a normal night, then I do not want to hang around a cold yard for another hour because someone doesn't want to share. My point was proved when the ability to book was removed and suddenly the livery could ride earlier..

As you say glad I'm not on your yard. Sounds a pretty miserable place to be.

 

[Luci07]

As you say glad I'm not on your yard. Sounds a pretty miserable place to be.

You are so wrong. There are no arguments, people bring wine up and help each other out. We socialise off the yard as well. It's easy to stay nice when no one individual chooses to inconvenience lots of others. And just for the record, I would never ever be so selfish as to regularly expect fellow liveries to hang around for me.

 

[Equine_Dream]

As you say glad I'm not on your yard. Sounds a pretty miserable place to be.

Have to agree with this. Good lord talk about precious lol

 

[Woolly Hat n Wellies]

I'm not on a livery yard, it's a private farm with hay/straw/stabling/fields shared between family members. There are no rules. If I could set just one it would be: If you finish it, get another one out for the next person!

Fed up of coming out to find the hay bale was nearly at an end, so someone else stuffed their net as full as they could, finished the bale off, and then went home, leaving us to fetch another big round bale out with the telehandler in the dark. That goes for straw, lightbulbs, baler twine, and fence batteries as well!

 

[pepsimaxrock]

I disagree. I would never expect to share an arena with someone who is paying money for a private lesson. Why should they have me and my horse in there when they are paying for the instructors time? People need to have a bit of common sense and understanding regarding this - if you don't have lessons and resent the time that others spend in the school with an instructor then think about it from the other side of the coin. How would you feel in their shoes? Fair enough if you'd feel happy to share the school but not everyone would and as I've said previously, the person having the lesson is actually paying for it so imo, they are entitled to use the school on their own.

Honestly. Try a riding school. 2 group lessons on the go at the same time in a 20x40 indoor arena. Teaches you to ride

 

[Luci07]

Have to agree with this. Good lord talk about precious lol

Well at least I read all the posts before making a judgment..unlike you it would seem. If you READ them then you can comment.

 

[Luci07]

Honestly. Try a riding school. 2 group lessons on the go at the same time in a 20x40 indoor arena. Teaches you to ride

We call it "show conditions". You can't be precious about this if you want to go out as others won't be so accommodating when warming up.

 

[nagseastsussex]

Shut the gates. Ceases to amaze me that people open a gate and leave it swinging on its hinges whilst they go and get their horse.

 

[Ella19]

Clear up after yourself! Or more general, think of others.

I frequently come down to find my rugs soaking wet, either someone has hosed off and I've watched them hose off the horses back and directly onto my rugs outside my stable (not just splashing them!) Or they open the barn door and leave it wide open allowing the rain in again straight onto my rugs. I'm really unlucky with my stable position! People Will borrow others stuff break it and just not say. Only being their horse in. Take haylage as a treat for their horse so the ones that need to be on it run out. The list is endless!

 

[Fidgety]

Don't be a d*ck.

I think that covers about everything! .

Along the same vein, I would say 'keep your bitching to yourself'.

Also, 'keep your mitts off anything that isn't on your hook/rack/in your patch without prior permission from the owner'

It feels like Desert Island Disks - /\ would be my luxury item

 

[Equine_Dream]

Well at least I read all the posts before making a judgment..unlike you it would seem. If you READ them then you can comment.

I did read it thank you and I can tell you all the bottles of wine in the world wouldn't make me want to be on the yard youre describing now put the bitch claws away dear.

 

[junglefairy]

The yard I'm on has about 30 liveries and every one I have met has been really lovely so no issues with other liveries (prior to this yard I've always kept on private land).

However, I'd second the person that suggested YOs should remember the liveries are paying customers.

 

[skint1]

I'm not on a livery yard, it's a private farm with hay/straw/stabling/fields shared between family members. There are no rules. If I could set just one it would be: If you finish it, get another one out for the next person!

Fed up of coming out to find the hay bale was nearly at an end, so someone else stuffed their net as full as they could, finished the bale off, and then went home, leaving us to fetch another big round bale out with the telehandler in the dark. That goes for straw, lightbulbs, baler twine, and fence batteries as well!

I'm not dismissing your rule at all because I know that every yard has a different set up, but on my yard if someone used the last of the haylage or straw I wouldn't expect them to open a new one for me (or others) if they didn't need to.

 

[Luci07]

I did read it thank you and I can tell you all the bottles of wine in the world wouldn't make me want to be on the yard youre describing now put the bitch claws away dear.

New poster. Makes a snap judgment. Can't be bothered to respond.

 

[Equine_Dream]

New poster. Makes a snap judgment. Can't be bothered to respond.

It wasn't a snap judgement. Ive read the whole thread. I am also not a new poster (not quite sure why thats relevant though tbh and me thinks someone is now clutching at straws ) do you always react so pleasantly when people disagree with you? I can see why the YO gave in re the lessons now....
In any case as amusing as this conversation is we are derailing the thread so I will be leaving it at that.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

My rules would be
1. Absolutely no dogs, not even if its in your car (because at some point it'll escape or be let out "just this once").
2. Children 10yrs and under to be accompanied by an adult and kept in their sight at all times. The yard isn't a playground and people don't want their stuff destroyed by careless children's antics or to be blamed when a child hurts themselves.
3. No booking the arena for sole use at any time. The facilities are there for everyone to use.
4. If your horse is stabled 24/7 exercise it daily (in addition to doing the stable jobs). If your horse is out 24/7 check it over daily, up close.

 

[Woolly Hat n Wellies]

I'm not dismissing your rule at all because I know that every yard has a different set up, but on my yard if someone used the last of the haylage or straw I wouldn't expect them to open a new one for me (or others) if they didn't need to.

No, I agree I wouldn't expect it on a yard of paying liveries, but when it's all family and no one pays for livery it's very irksome to always be the one who has to replace everything!

 

[rascal]

My rules would be
If you use something that is not yours put it back.
Don't give treats unless its your horse.
Although we have 4 dogs of our own I would agree with the no dogs rule. When we had our horses on a livery yard there were always loose dogs, even though the rule was they must be on a lead.

 

[Ladyinred]

Pertinent to our situation right now:

Don't move to the yard where we have been happy for 10+ years and start to interfere and cause problems to the extent it's quite likely the whole place will be closed down and we will lose our horses.

Not a happy bunny, as you might have guessed

 

[Cinnamontoast]

YOs, be consistent, same rules for absolutely everyone or bitching starts.
No blanket worming, you're adding to the resistance problem. And no, we shouldn't worm as a 'preventative'.
Bring up hay/straw same time daily. People work and need routines.
No barbed wire!

 

[Yardbird]

Do not tie up your horse on the yard and leave unsupervised.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

My rule ?
No liveries











totters off, waiting for the biters to bite ..... :biggrin3:

I echo this one, having learned from experience. Never again!

 

[skint1]

No, I agree I wouldn't expect it on a yard of paying liveries, but when it's all family and no one pays for livery it's very irksome to always be the one who has to replace everything!

Completely understandable!