Is it not very wrong to leave stabled horses 24 hours at a time, or am I being fussy?

Doormouse

Doormouse

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Having been reading the thread about the horse who is left in with little or no food until 1pm some days and because I am currently struggling with a livery who does her full timed stabled horses once a day, I am horrified to discover that people believe this is ok.

My livery thinks I am making a fuss insisting that her horses are at least given hay twice a day if nothing else (we have automatic drinkers) but I think it is terribly wrong to leave a stabled horse so long without attention.

Is this a common occurrance these days with horse owners and am I being over fussy?
 
No I would not say that is the norm.

Maybe only mucking out every 24 hrs is vaguely acceptable if done throroughly, but what happens when the forage runs out? Do they make provisions for somone else to top up?

As a YO owner if you are not happy with this situation, you need to say so. In my yard contract it stipulates that diy liveries have to visit their horses a minimum of 2 x's a day in the winter, and 1 x a day in the summer if out 24/7.
 
On your yard, even for DIYs I think you can have rules and standards that you expect, I could not imagine only going once a day to see stabled horses, or leaving them until 1 pm but I suppose people get away with it so feel it is fine. The day will come for some of them when they find a sick or injured horse that has suffered from being left without proper care.
 
Got one on our yard, who leaves hers in 24/7, comes up once a day, skips, hays and waters. Then when she decides she wants a break from all the hard work to go partying, she flings them out in the field and leaves them for days on end. I can't even look at her, she angers me so much!
 
In with little food or water isn't on, well I don't think so.

Mine can quite happilyspend 24 hrs in especially this time of year, but he has a nice big stable, within reason as much hay as he wants, constant water, front row seats looking out onto the yard. Turn him out in a wet muddy field and within 1 hour he is grumpy, thinking this stinks and pacing to come in.
I guess it depends on the individual horse, they all get cabin fever at some point but I would say generally if they are happy and its not affecting their health, provided they have food, water they should be ok
 
There was a couple on our previous yard that would leave theirs up to 36 hours between visits depending on his shifts, it was a barn situation and me and the other livery used to end up feeding and watering their horses because we felt so sorry for them. We did report but to no avail. I believe (IMO) that stabled horses should be checked/fed etc at least twice a day but ideally 3 or 4 times to enable some interaction and a break in the monotony.
 
Well, I've become a somewhat unwilling g yard manager by default and I am now finding myself up against a stroppy livery who says it is her business how she does her horses and that her job is very stressful and it's not her fault she works shifts.

I have found a solution now but I am still amazed that anyone would think it ok to leave a horse that long without hay or even a pair of eyes to check it. Why have them if you don't want the commitment?
 
Awful.
Id insist they got two per day.....
I once liveried at a yard where there was a girl who came down at 1-2.30pm and that was it.
The horses were just in all the time, constantly had no hay or water......I complained to yo every week (she wasn't on site so never saw any of this)
Eventually she got thrown off
 
smokey said:
Got one on our yard, who leaves hers in 24/7, comes up once a day, skips, hays and waters. Then when she decides she wants a break from all the hard work to go partying, she flings them out in the field and leaves them for days on end. I can't even look at her, she angers me so much!
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So glad I'm not the only one, I just rage whenever I see her! :mad:

The 2 horses are in because she can't be bothered to get up to the yard before dark most days. She rides maybe once a week. Even when she is working an afternoon shift she nevers turns up before 11.
 
I'd say it is very wrong and very lazy! You are paying livery and as such are more than within your rights to expect you horse is dealt with correctly and to the standards you expect and are paying for!

My old chap is currently being stabled 24/7 due to a bout of laminitis, and I am there twice a day to skip out or clean out which ever is relevant at the time, to refresh his water, move his feeding stations so he doesn't get bored, give him his breakfast or dinner with his medication and to turn his radio on or off (he is quite partial to radio 2!), depending on the time of day. I am on a very small private DIY yard, but would expect the same standard if he was kept on full livery!
 
If you swap the word "stabled" for "caged" it all sounds very different indeed.

If she has a horse, she probably loves animals. I bet she hates seeing clips in charity adverts where performing bears are kept in cages or battery hens are shut in for their whole lives.

In reality, sometimes, some horses need to be in 24/7. Sometimes horses always need to be in 24/7...but they should get to stretch their legs at least once a day in order for...if nothing else, the promotion of healthy circulation.

In terms of the actual moral side of it...no, I don't think it is ever acceptable.

My mare is in pretty much 24/7 at the moment as the ground is so horrendous, but a/ she loves being in and b/ she comes out of that stable 4-5 times a day for a good 30-40 minutes a time. She goes on the walker in the morning, then out in the school for a roll around and faff about. She comes out to be tied up when skipping out and redoing hay at lunch, whether it is me or the YO and she will be tied up while all stables are done, with a haynet, watching the world go by. Again later on, as well as some time out of the stable for exercise, either 40 minutes in the school or out for a hack.
I also do late check every night any time between 9pm and 11pm, sometimes later if there have been suspicious people in the area so they get checked and given attention very regularly.

Is this doable for everyone? No. But...I do think it is important that we give our horses as much interaction as we can if we are going to shut them in.
 
I have now insisted that they are turned out 24/7 and found a field for them. Luckily neither is clipped and at least they will have the space to move and something to munch.

Just can't understand the attitude, makes me so very sorry for the horses.
 
Well done for finding an alternative solution.

If this had been me, and on my yard, I would have 'done' the horse myself and charged for it.

Welcome to the joy's of being a YM!
 
"The 2 horses are in because she can't be bothered to get up to the yard before dark most days. She rides maybe once a week. Even when she is working an afternoon shift she nevers turns up before 11"

That's just bone idle, even if mine is staying in I still get up there at 7.30am and am around for all of the day. If I'm not around he will go out, tough tits!! Last things you need is the horse getting cast or something, having to thrash about and do an injury and it then go unoticed for 24hrs. That's just cruel
 
Sidney said:
Well done for finding an alternative solution.

If this had been me, and on my yard, I would have 'done' the horse myself and charged for it.

Welcome to the joy's of being a YM!
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If I had the time that is exactly what I would have done and predictably I have ended up giving them hay most mornings as well as doing my own and organising my baby!

I had no idea how much "fun" it was going to be!:eek:
 
yaffsimone1 said:
In with little food or water isn't on, well I don't think so.

Mine can quite happilyspend 24 hrs in especially this time of year, but he has a nice big stable, within reason as much hay as he wants, constant water, front row seats looking out onto the yard. Turn him out in a wet muddy field and within 1 hour he is grumpy, thinking this stinks and pacing to come in.
I guess it depends on the individual horse, they all get cabin fever at some point but I would say generally if they are happy and its not affecting their health, provided they have food, water they should be ok
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Dont agree about them not having no food or water, Same as above not every horse is the same. My horse ( Larry ) Hate's the field but I make him go out someday's but he is at home so I check him 5/6 time's a day as Im always at home.. and he alway's has clean water and food and a toy to play with x
 
My YO sometimes doesn't do her stabled horses until 3pm. The worst thing is that my horse is on part livery so that means she probably doesn't do mine until that sort of time either :/
 
timiton said:
My YO sometimes doesn't do her stabled horses until 3pm. The worst thing is that my horse is on part livery so that means she probably doesn't do mine until that sort of time either :/
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gosh timiton, really hope the other yard you're looking at works out. Sounds like both you and your horse are getting a really raw deal at the moment :(
 
I felt guilty this morning as I slept in until 8 am on yard for 8.30,normally fed about 6.45 am plus I was on duty for 3 others,and mine lot are all ad lib x.
 
nataliya said:
I know some people who do this. IMO it's wrong, you wouldn't do it to a child so how is a horse different?
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tbf and without offense, that's a bit of a ridiculous comparison really!

you wouldnt bed a child down in a stable, feed it forage and visit it 2/3 times a day so I would suggest children and horses should be kept quite differently :D
 
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