I'm really annoyed, what would you do?

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LOZHUG

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I have been on my livery yard for the past 8 years or so. At the moment I keep my ISH and shetland pony there (just used to be the ISH).
The ISH is summer turn out 24/7 and winter in at night and out during the day. Shetland is out 24/7 all year round.
Without myself there are 4 other paying liveries and they have 3 horses of thier own. Myself and 2 other liveries work full time - shifts/fixed hours etc. One works flexi hours as she works for her self and the last one doesnt work at all.
We have always had a rule about the mornings as the 3 of us that work shifts have to be up the yard early to put our horses out and muck out/bed down before work, the rule used to be no one up before 6 am and for the past couple of years its been no one up before 6:30 am.
One of the liveries has been told today we are not allowed up before 7 am which isnt going to give us enough time to do what we need to do before work, oh and we are not allowed down after 7 pm either.
When I asked the YO about this she said yes no one is allowed down before 7 am or after 7 pm. I did say I wont have enough time to do everything before work in the morning so will be up in the evenings as well and still wont get done before 7pm as sometimes I work till 6:30 - YO doesnt seem to want to accommodate us that work full time.

What would you do?

I think she should have gathered us all and talked about it with us not just tell one livery via text.

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Move is easier said than done. We live on an island and livery yards are miles apart. I have thought about moving before and trying to get some land of my own or rent some land but its like gold dust round here.
 
That does sound really unfair, I'd be totally stuffed if that happened at my yard and would have to move out as it would make it impossible to look after my horse properly. I can understand why some yards have time restrictions, but to change the times once you're already there and without discussing it first isn't right, if I was you, I'd be looking for a new yard :/
 
Sadly theres not much you can do about it. I agree she should have told you all. Maybe if you all get together and tell her nicely that you will have to move if it is 7am then she may change it back, thinking she may lose you all?
 
I would have to move, I leave my house at 7.15am to get to work. I have to be at the yard by 6am at the latest, so it would not be doable for me personally.
The 7pm rule at night would be naff if you fancied a hack after work in the summer too...
 
You will all laugh now its has apparently changed because they have bought new ducks and they dont shut up! They said they will be woken up as house is not far from the yard and the ducks shed is right next to they yard. Although she tells me she is always awake about 5:30 - 6:00 every morning.
I have asked round for fields to rent/buy twice before with no luck the farmers just dont want to let/sell any of thier land.
 
I wouldn't get hung up on how you found out but would concentate more on the consequences. I would ask for an explanation on why the times have changed? then explain that due to working you will be forced to look for a new yard.
I would expect a livery to allow access from 6.30am till 9.30pm as a minimum, but expect people to keep things as quiet as possible at the extreme times.
 
Doesn't sound like there's that much you can do about it unfortunately. Could you have a chat to the other liveries and see what chores you can swap around? Could you arrange with work to go in later one day a week or leave earlier so that you can do your share of the chores?

Does sound a bit tricky but short of talking to the YO I really don't think there's much you can do.
 
So when people come on the yard the ducks make noise which wakes them up? That's ridiculous! Couldn't they move the ducks somewhere further from their house?

We've never been on a yard with time constraints, it wouldn't work for us at all, if I were you I'd certainly have the conversation and explain the challenges it presents to you but if there were no compromise sad as it is I think I'd be looking for a new yard.
 
Were access hours not included in your contract? Our contract says 7am to 9pm, which was a pain mid summer 'cos there was still plenty of light for hacking but YO insisted on the 9pm watershed.

Your new hours are too restrictive, like you I work full time and if I had to be off by 7pm would not have time to muck out and ride.

Hope you find somewhere else.
 
my ducks are often noisy formost of the night so dont believe that story, would of thought they would shut up so not to encourage mr fox but no
 
LOZHUG said:
Im in a pickle as we dont have a contract!
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That's a real shame. You def need to find something else, otherwise there is almost no point to having a horse - you'll just fit in the horse care, but have no time to ride.

You have my sympathies - not that it helps :(
 
If YO doesn't like the noise her ducks make..... she shouldn't have bought them!
Could always ask her if, in that case, she would be willing to turn out and muck out your horse for you every morning? ;) Well, if you aren't allowed on the yard then it's only fair!
I wouldn't have thought the ducks would bother unless they thought that you were going to feed them/let them out? When we had ducks they got used to being fed or let out at a particular time and weren't fussed otherwise!
 
Move!
We have a fantastic yard owner who allows us access at any time of the day or night. She says that she would want the same if she had her horses on livery so she knows how we feel. We don't abuse the situation and usually by about 9/9.30pm in the winter everybone has gone. Summer it can be about 11pm but is usually about 10 or just after.
Have been there 4 1/2 years now and although we have very limited turnout in the winter will hopefully never have to move.
 
First of all, try and forget about the method she told you. It wasn't great, but is unimportant now.

Before you attempt moving, I'd speak to the other liveries. If you are all of the same opinion, then that will work in your favour. Try and arrange a time for all of you to sit down and have a formal discussion with your Y/O, where you calmly and rationally explain the issues with the new rules and the consequences (ie. the entire yard leaving) that have to come from it.

Alternately one of you type up a formal letter explaining the above and you all sign it.

People tend to forget (YO's in particular) that you are her paying customers. It is her yard, but no business can work without customers. Hopefully the fear of losing all her business might knock some sense into her.

You can also, cheekily, ask if she will now be providing a mucking out and turning out service, since she is denying you the time to do these things yourself.

Unfortunately, if she will not listen to reason, then it is time to move yards.
 
LOZHUG said:
You will all laugh now its has apparently changed because they have bought new ducks and they dont shut up! They said they will be woken up as house is not far from the yard and the ducks shed is right next to they yard. Although she tells me she is always awake about 5:30 - 6:00 every morning.
I have asked round for fields to rent/buy twice before with no luck the farmers just dont want to let/sell any of thier land.
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OMG you have to rearrenge your life as she bought ducks?
Either ignore the new rules or move
 
If you cannot move - as in no where to move to after trying - just go in the hours you need. She cannot stop you accessing your horses - you are responsible for their welfare remember and so you HAVE to see to them. Maybe speak to WHW and see what they say as with this animal welfare act etc, the YO could be seen to be causing you to neglect your horse could they not?

But also yeah - get together with the other liveries and speak to the YO to.

If that fails...............trap a fox and put it in with the ducks.
 
Shoot the ducks...

Look, if you cannot do it you cannot do it - you will have to ask her to change her mind or move. I know what you mean though - I will have to be up and doing mine at 6am so I can get back to kids before the other half goes to work, then I have to get them to childminder and then on to work myself - I still have not figured out what I am going to do in the evening.....
 
Its a bit off to change both ends of the day at once, as it denies you the means to work round her needs in practical terms. See if you can get her to only go for one end of the day for say 6 months before doing the shortened hours at the other end of the day, giving you a bit of breathing space.

If she wont then the workers, if they cant work with it, will have to all threaten to leave, I doubt shed want to lose all the income.
 
Look around for somewhere else, even if it's further away. There's no point having a horse you have to struggle to do the basics for, let alone have time to ride. Once you've found a 'possible but would be a right hassle' place, you have an option. With that option in mind, go to YO and ask if she could possibly increase the evening hours, after all, most people don't go to bed 'till at least 9pm. Tell her that otherwise you'll have to move (and make sure space at 'new' yard because some YOs get funny at that point and give you 24hrs to get out). You may get lucky and find she needs the money. If not, you will have to go elsewhere.
 
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