Liveries helping each other- how best to organise?

[SD1]

Our yard is reducing the services they offer and we as liveries are aiming to cover the slack by helping each other. We're currently a mix of diy, assisted and full liveries. Everyone gets on well but we've not been allowed to do favours for each other currently (as ad hoc paid for services were available) so there's no system to fall back on.
How would you go about best organising this- e.g. who's available/ willing on any given day and what they can do as well as people saying when they need help- Is there possibly even an app or online solution? I can see it turning into massive whats app chats or splitting into smaller groups, neither of which would be as efficient as it can be.
Any help and advice appreciated!

 

[AmyMay]

Just buddy up.

 

[Surbie]

We have a field whatsapp, which is really useful for getting help on a daily/weekly basis if someone's stuck in traffic or knows they won't be able to do one end of a day. That caters for our herd of 6-8.

We have also buddied up a bit - my horse is currently being borrowed for the next 5 weeks to turn out very early with a small pony who wouldn't be good on his own, and if I want to ride in the morning the person borrows another from our field. Another pair sort out which mornings or evenings they will do for the week ahead so each only comes once.

Holidays are also covered - we share jobs amongst us. EG I mucked out my neighbouring stables when my friend (in a different field) went away, someone else took the 2 out and brought in and someone else did hay & feeds.

It takes a bit more organisation, and being straight with someone if you feel they are taking the pee, but it's very doable.

 

[expanding_horizon]

Our yard is reducing the services they offer and we as liveries are aiming to cover the slack by helping each other. We're currently a mix of diy, assisted and full liveries. Everyone gets on well but we've not been allowed to do favours for each other currently (as ad hoc paid for services were available) so there's no system to fall back on.
How would you go about best organising this- e.g. who's available/ willing on any given day and what they can do as well as people saying when they need help- Is there possibly even an app or online solution? I can see it turning into massive whats app chats or splitting into smaller groups, neither of which would be as efficient as it can be.
Any help and advice appreciated!

Pairing up and swaps generally works well. Ideally per field. With some kind of rota with swaps possible. Also having a price too, so if someone was away for a week / injured, can either build up swaps or pay the person picking up the slack. You maybe want a whatapp group per field / 4-5 horses and one for whole yard. And try and keep swaps within sub groups, unless no one can then escalate request to yard group.

We have a fixed weekly rota between four and can swap too.

Have also seen people use timetree for a field to show who is doing what.

 

[Annagain]

I think splitting into smaller groups for regular co-operation but having a yard wide what's app group for emergencies / favours is the best way to go. We have a turnout rota for 4 of us for weekdays and play weekends by ear but if any of us are stuck and we can't sort it out amongst us, we have the wider yard group we can ask for a favour on - likewise if someone from another smaller group says on the livery group that they're stuck in work or they're not well or something similar, we'll get horses in or turn them out. It works well. Smaller groups mean nobody is having to deal with too many horses and it's more difficult to not do your bit as there's nowhere to hide but there's also back up if it's needed occasionally.

 

[AutumnDays]

When I was on livery, we set up a field group chat for any sudden changes. There were 3 of us in it, and we buddied up and set out a routine due to us all having set work shifts that complimented each others, the chat was for anything extra we wanted to check such as extra rug on/off etc. It worked really well. I miss those guys

 

[DeliaRides]

I'm on quite a big yard and we have a barn group. a field group, and then individual buddy groups. Most important one when we arrived was field group to understand plans and timings for TO/BI. Once I had that figured out, it was easy to buddy up with someone on a similar schedule to us so that we didn't have to do both ends of the day every day. I struggle to bring in generally as our gang bring in around 3-4ish and I work until 5, so I am on TO most mornings so somebody else brings in.

Then the barn group is just little bits like 'would somebody swing a net over for Harvey' (nothing that actually takes people time, just literally things people can do in passing).

For holidays I tend to ask actual friends at the yard who might not be in my field or buddy up for TO/BI but the kids ride together we swap favours for holiday times.

So you do end up with a few groups in my experience and getting to grips with it can feel a bit complicated, but once it's established, it's not that much of a mither.

 

[ihatework]

To try and preemptively organise it as a group will be a pita.

Pair like minded / similar routine horses/owners up.

 

[DeliaRides]

Should add we also have a whole yard group on facebook but that is more for announcements and changes to e.g. arena availability etc. it's a bit separate to the WA and livery arrangements.

 

[Wishfilly]

The way I've always done it is just to swap favours with people I know well, and also field groups where we can do bring in/turn out for two easily. I'm a teacher so usually try to build up favours in the holidays that I can hopefully call in term time when there's a parents evening or similar that means I have to stay late. And at my previous yard, we had a chat for emergency cover which we used if someone was ill etc, and there were a few people who'd do holiday cover for pay!

I think you have to be careful WRT rotas, because that won't suit everyone, and some people would rather just please themselves. Whereas those who work full time, or need a bit of help will usually end up balancing things out with each other.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I would do fields or friends. Don’t do both like I did!

At one point I was bringing in/turning out 7 horses and I had to say no after a while as I honestly couldn’t keep it up as well as muck out, work with Faran, ride Zurich and work two jobs. It took me 45 - 60mins daily to walk between fields with all these horses to TO/BI put in feeds, check under rugs and check legs. Longer if I had to rinse legs

 

[pistolpete]

We only have four horses soon to be five in our field we are in two pairs. It’s ideal. Always someone to help in an emergency too.

 

[little_critter]

Also something to bear in mind, when I was on diy we had no services available. We Would cover holidays for each other, but we were considerate and only took holidays in the 6 months when they were on summer grazing and could be out 24/7 to make life easier for the person covering.

 

[Smogul]

Check everyone's insurance.

 

[DeliaRides]

I would do fields or friends. Don’t do both like I did!

At one point I was bringing in/turning out 7 horses and I had to say no after a while as I honestly couldn’t keep it up as well as muck out, work with Faran, ride Zurich and work two jobs. It took me 45 - 60mins daily to walk between fields with all these horses to TO/BI put in feeds, check under rugs and check legs. Longer if I had to rinse legs

Oh my word! Hopefully you got substantial favours returned and had whole weeks go by when you barely had to fill a haynet?! 7 is a lot! I've been doing TO for 3, but only 2 days a week, and mine gets TO/BI the other days in return. It takes a while to do 3 now they're all rugged up, but the field is just down a private track, and they're all under 15hh and reasonably chilled so I take 2 together then the last one alone, I'm not doing 3 trips up the track.

 

[Grassy]

IME you end up doing way more for other people than they do for you & start to feel resentful. I brought someone’s pony in about 4 times a week for over a year, someone else brought it on the other days, I asked her to bring mine in once & she said she couldn’t as going to a show! I asked her to turn out once & skip the stable out, she wanted paying so now sorry just do my own apart from a firm arrangement for mine to be brought in 2 days when I start work early & I bring the other lady’s pony in a couple of times, but that’s it!

 

[SD1]

Check everyone's insurance.

What insurance do you think is needed? We obviously all have public liability insurance but would we actually need care & custody like e.g. a freelance groom?

 

[sportsmansB]

I tried to do this at a DIY yard which had previously had a freelance groom on it who could be paid for stuff- but I struggled massively as I was working full time from early morning so I could never do turn outs and in the winter they had to be in before dark and again I wasn't able to be there in time.
I ended up spending my weekend paying back all the favours and giving people lessons and still feeling bad about it, when in reality I would have been quite happy just to pay someone to do the turnout and bring in daily.

I guess what I mean is, be clear about what you can offer and what works in return, and don't commit to so much that it ends up getting in the way of your enjoyment of your horse or getting on top of you.
You could use something simple like a shared google calendar if you would prefer something more robust than a million whatsapps

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Our yard is reducing the services they offer and we as liveries are aiming to cover the slack by helping each other. We're currently a mix of diy, assisted and full liveries. Everyone gets on well but we've not been allowed to do favours for each other currently (as ad hoc paid for services were available) so there's no system to fall back on.
How would you go about best organising this- e.g. who's available/ willing on any given day and what they can do as well as people saying when they need help- Is there possibly even an app or online solution? I can see it turning into massive whats app chats or splitting into smaller groups, neither of which would be as efficient as it can be.
Any help and advice appreciated!

I would get a word document write down all the chores then the horses names then what they need and then days. Everyone put in which days they can do, that way you can do one each week.

 

[SantaVera]

I'd try and get everyone together and work out what actually needs doing for each person,it could well be that it's easier to all chip in and employ a freelance groom to help you out for example they could turn out and muck out each morning.

 

[Dontforgetaboutme]

When I was at a yard that didn’t do services four of us clubbed together to pay someone to do a couple of hours in the morning and another person an hour to bring them in. Worked out cheaper than going down to yard twice a day. Think doing favours is recipe for disaster unless it is one person turning out in return for the other person bringing in

 

[Sossigpoker]

Check everyone's insurance.

This !
What if you get hurt handling another horse and can't go to work because of it?
I got kicked when helping a friend out , that really made me think.
Personally I wouldn't handle other people's horses now for that reason.
You never think it will happen to you - until it does.

 

[FlyingCircus]

After many years of handling other people's horses I just won't anymore. There are maybe 4 horses on a yard of over 40 that I'd agree adhoc favours for such as bring in/turn out.

Nothing worse than dealing with other people's bad manners and those they instill in their horses.

 

[Smogul]

This !
What if you get hurt handling another horse and can't go to work because of it?
I got kicked when helping a friend out , that really made me think.
Personally I wouldn't handle other people's horses now for that reason.
You never think it will happen to you - until it does.

Two real life scenarios: you are bringing two horses. Your horse is stung by a horse fly and kicks out, injuring the other horse. Who pays for veterinary bill? Public liability won't cover this.

You are bringing two horses in. Windy day, spooky horses, one gets away from you, gets out onto public road, is injured and is PTS. Public liability won't cover the cost of removal not will it cover the cost of replacing the other person's horse, should they want this.

As Sossigpoker says, you never think it will happen to you, until it does.

 

[Smogul]

What insurance do you think is needed? We obviously all have public liability insurance but would we actually need care & custody like e.g. a freelance groom?

Yes ,definitely. See above.

 

[moorhillhorses]

A group chat would be good

 

[Sossigpoker]

Two real life scenarios: you are bringing two horses. Your horse is stung by a horse fly and kicks out, injuring the other horse. Who pays for veterinary bill? Public liability won't cover this.

You are bringing two horses in. Windy day, spooky horses, one gets away from you, gets out onto public road, is injured and is PTS. Public liability won't cover the cost of removal not will it cover the cost of replacing the other person's horse, should they want this.

As Sossigpoker says, you never think it will happen to you, until it does.

And injuries to yourself or other parties. If the horse gets onto a road and there's a collision, the handler will be liable, same as you're liable if your dog causes a collision.
And when I got kicked, thankfully I was working from home as it was during covid - but what if you couldn't go to work and therefore didn't get paid ?

I'd helped out my friend lots of times , turning out and on big warm bloods, but it was her little pony that double barrelled, totally unexpected!!
He just missed my knee, luckily I was only left with severe bruising and swelling rather than needing surgery !
But after that I've declined to handle other people's horses , I'm happy to put in feeds and hay and top up water but I won't help anyone turn in or out after that , I just can't take the risk.

After that pony kicked me , I was left on the ground, trying not to throw up with the pain , with the pony running lose on the yard. Thankfully the yard gate was shut or he could have got onto the road, and then who knows what.

 

[throwawayaccount]

can you find someone (who is insured), who can provide freelance livery services?

 

[Sossigpoker]

can you find someone (who is insured), who can provide freelance livery services?

This is what I'd do.
If everyone pays a bit towards it , it won't cost a lot either.

 

[SD1]

Lots of food for thought! The freelance idea is something we're looking into, yard owner isn't keen and there's not really any freelance grooms locally but would definitely a good option if we could make it work!