Is this normal?

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Loulou2002

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Hi everyone.........Livery on our yard, Nice enough people. I feed during the week at half six and weekends about half seven in the morning and I feed after I've ridden in the eve, usually about 6.30. Anyway on my last day off i popped back as I had a lesson, this was about 2.00, livery horse had not been touched so no hay etc and been in its stable since lunchtime the day before.........so quite a bit of poo! Had my lesson till half three and then text the girl to say is anyone coming down today as the horse has had nothing since breakfast. Got a reply "oh yeah nobody was around today but we'll be down soon" WTF? They turn up at 4.00 in pj's so obviously been lolling around at home, several barrows of muck come out the stable and a haynet chucked in and they're gone again.

Am I being a neurotic horsey person that I think this is wrong, if I have a day off I hate being at the yard any later than half seven ish and I certainly wouldn't be able to relax knowing my horses had had no hay or hadn't been turned out. It seems to be the norm now to come down once a day.......ie turnout, muck out, leave lots of hay to last until tomorrow, ready for me to bring in at lunchtime and feed pm.
 
I think it's out of order and certainly not the norm to visit a stabled horse once a day (assuming its DIY). Mine are seen at least twice a day whether out or in. Is this your yard? If not is the YM aware?
 
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No definitely not and a perfect illustration where the horse world has gone wrong in recent years.

I stopped offering livery as could not believe what some owner's deemed sufficient when looking after their horses - it was also written into their contract that they had to attend the horse a minimum of twice a day in the winter mnths.

Horses are a privilege, not a right……and if this was my horse I would be looking at moving yards asap.
 
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I had a conversation with my young lively today. On Sunday she did not turn up until 12.00, the horse had hay, I had given it too him when I went out for a ride so he would not fret. She turned up in her PJs with a friend also in night wear. Today I was resolved not to waste my hay on her horse, she appeared at 11.30 just as I got back from my ride. I explained the danger of ulcers and that it simply was not fair. I also told her that if she was not going to be over at a decent time to leave food and hay in my feed room and I would feed him. I hope she is listened, next step is her Mum. She also better learn to bloody sweep up as well!!!
 
at my current yard that would never happen but I do recall, a few years back, my horse was on grass livery and some clueless girl rocking up with a loan horse, she clearly had no clue, could ride etc! she would leave the horse in for days on end, would txt me occasionally to put hay in for her! then she'd turn up a few days later and put the horse out in the field, in the rain, in a stable rug! then in the snow with no rug! I started putting hay out for it because he used to get upset when I fed hay to my lot!

in the end the farmer called the owners of the horse and made them collect it, he was in a horrible state, so skinny! they then said to the loaner, if she finds another yard, she can have him back!! I was shocked!

a couple of years later I moved to another yard and she was there with another horse, still as clueless as before but with a different horse this time!
 
No that isn't normal, I'd definitely be mentioning it to yard owner. A girl at our yard bought a cob and a 6 month old foal, didn't turn them out and would come up once a day to throw them some feed and clean straw over their mucky beds. Thank fully she's left now but I do worry for her poor horses. Why are these people allowed horses :(
 
Not normal, but all too common I'm afraid, I think I'm too soft, if mine are out, they get two mini haystacks (packed dumpy bag) between four, at t time, then I go and check hay at approx 10pm, so far it's been enough, if in, I give them a mini mountain of hay and check before I go to bed, my barn is just behind the cottage and last thing I stand in the garden and listen, as soon as I get up, I'm up the barn, in my PJ's and wellies giving them breakfast. And I wonder why they are good doers!
 
Far more common than it should be. The number of liveries I have seen bring horses in at 2/3 pm then not come down till 12/1 the following day is shocking! If I had a yard I wouldn't have diy liveries either. My boy is fed at the same time every day whether I am working g or not.
 
Oops. Slightly different but where I keep our pony there are 3 other ponies owned by a 13 yr old girl, they leave the one pony in with no hay because it's on a diet?! And not much bed either, it's only usually at night or in the day, the rest of the time she's turned out. One of the other ponies has overgrown feet.
I've tried offering advice but it falls on deaf ears as their main carers are the 13 yr old and her 11 yr old friend. Dad doesn't take much notice.
I will continue to offer advice and keep an eye on things I think
 
Honest opinion ?Are you ready for it? If you have liveries you set the rules. You set the rules from the start . The average horse owner doesnt have a clue about horse welfare. You need to tactfully instill a set of values. If the system ****s up ,look to yourself.
 
samsbilly said:
Far more common than it should be. The number of liveries I have seen bring horses in at 2/3 pm then not come down till 12/1 the following day is shocking! If I had a yard I wouldn't have diy liveries either. My boy is fed at the same time every day whether I am working g or not.
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Luckily sam i do the feeds am and pm so at least thats regular. I have a really strict routine as i work full time and have three horses of my own.
 
My YO treats their horses like that, live on site, but rarely up before 11, horses in before dark.
They get huge meals, but are usually out of hay when I arrive early morning.
Its their yard, totally DIY so doesn't effect my mob as I do my own thing & friend looks after them when I'm away.
I keep quiet as its a fab yard, 24\7 turnout, plenty of grass & nice big airy stables. Obviously thought, they would never criticise any livery for how they look after a horse. They think I'm over protective, but don't interferes..
 
That's shocking, mine are out 24-7 a short walk away and I panic if I'm not down to them by 7.30 in the morning! Would happily forgo any lie in to make sure their needs are met first, they get seen to twice a day if I'm working but up to four times a day on my days off, nothing I would rather do than spend time with them, couldn't sleep last night as worried I didn't leave enough hay out as the temperature plummeted couldn't get down there fast enough this morning, expecting two frozen starved boys, both fine! Happy to see me with more hay !
 
katymay said:
That's shocking, mine are out 24-7 a short walk away and I panic if I'm not down to them by 7.30 in the morning! Would happily forgo any lie in to make sure their needs are met first, they get seen to twice a day if I'm working but up to four times a day on my days off, nothing I would rather do than spend time with them, couldn't sleep last night as worried I didn't leave enough hay out as the temperature plummeted couldn't get down there fast enough this morning, expecting two frozen starved boys, both fine! Happy to see me with more hay !
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I know, i'm the same!
 
EventingMum said:
Not normal, this is why I don't have DIY liveries - for all the 100's of good ones the ones like this sadly spoil it.
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Sadly, some full livery yards are as bad. I left one such yard years ago to go onto DIY as the amount of hay offered wouldn't feed a gerbil and the bedding was dire. I ended up doing all the chores myself and giving extra hay constantly at all times of the eve/ early morning to make sure mine didn't starve. I must have spent an extra 20 a week on bedding and food as what was given in the price (expensive too) was dreadful.

Glad you have given her notice- poor horse- sadly, I bet she does not wise up.
 
Loulou2002 said:
I am the yard owner, totally not happy about it. As shady said i wonder why she's even got the horse. Just got mine in at half ten this morning and the horse is in no hay etc. I fed at half six this morning! BTW she has been given her notice to go..
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That is what I would have done as well, or offered her part-livery with sensible prices

Having said that, we've only had one livery and never again! Funnily enough our neighbour says exactly the same.
 
Arrrgghhhh...........so today I get there at half one to ride mine and they are there. She didn't come down at all yesterday and the horse has been in since Tuesday lunchtime. Stable looked a mess! Someone has been coming down at lunchtimes to give it hay but not am or pm, luckily I've been chucking hay over the door! Horse is going mad galloping around the ménage. We told her we didn't want the horse turned out in there as it dug a huge hole and went down to the membrane. She wasn't expecting to see me and rushed to get it in, wonder what else is going on when I'm not there!
 
This is clearly a welfare issue.

Loulou - you are the owner of the yard that this horse is at??

Apart from giving them notice, what are you actually doing to ensure that the horses needs are being met?
 
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Yeah I agree. I feel so sorry for the horse, I have three of my own and work full time so didn't really want responsibility of another one that isn't even mine!
 
Both yards I've been on (assisted DIY) had it built into the contract that if horses weren't turned out by a certain time (or hayed and mucked out if had to stay in) then yard owner would do it and charge massive mark-up. We only ever had one livery that kept getting caught out, and they left quite rapidly! Had similar rule with poo picking (if you don't do it for 3 days in a row yard will do it and charge you a lot more than the usual charge!).

I was only on a real DIY yard once for two weeks as a teenager and had to leave due to a pony being left in the whole first week I was there (was fed and watered but not mucked out or exercised at all). I couldn't cope with knowing about it but didn't know what to do so decided to get out of situation.
 
laura_nash said:
Both yards I've been on (assisted DIY) had it built into the contract that if horses weren't turned out by a certain time (or hayed and mucked out if had to stay in) then yard owner would do it and charge massive mark-up. We only ever had one livery that kept getting caught out, and they left quite rapidly! Had similar rule with poo picking (if you don't do it for 3 days in a row yard will do it and charge you a lot more than the usual charge!).

I was only on a real DIY yard once for two weeks as a teenager and had to leave due to a pony being left in the whole first week I was there (was fed and watered but not mucked out or exercised at all). I couldn't cope with knowing about it but didn't know what to do so decided to get out of situation.
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That's a good idea, given her notice now but I'll certainly do that if it happens again!
 
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