Livery dilemma

[Surbie]

If she cared she would leave horse how he was, he has donehis duty and now she just wants to cut costs and get approval for this. That is what disgusts me
Oh she will give him some hay in a muddy field after years of being stabled when he was in his prime and would have enjoyed it. But it did not suit then did it ? else be would have been on grass all this time. It now when be is no longer useful we want to turf him out 24/7 just as winter approaches and I am deemed as the o e in the wrong.

Oh do stop being so ruddy vile.

You are twisting OP's post to suit yourself. The horse now has to be out, on vet advice. And he's happy out.

I usually keep quiet, but I know the OP and the yard IRL and your words are unfair and unkind to say the least. Both her horse & pony want for nothing, they are much loved and she spends a lot of time and money on them.

@PCSteele, it's worth a chat IMO. The YM is a decent sort and always acts for the horse's welfare. If it isn't possible to find a compromise, at least you know where you stand and can make a choice from there.

 

[HashRouge]

You are something else!! I am happy to pay you stupid witch I was just enquiring if it was reasonable to ask if I could do grass livery with assistance. You know nothing about me!!! If it isn’t possible then I will carry on paying!! If you can’t look after them don’t have them? Really? So all these horse owners who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic and are now struggling shouldn’t of had horses???? Luckily being a police officer my job is secure in fact I have had a lot of overtime due to COVID so I’m not struggling thank you very much. You disgust me

Ignore him/her. I think they are one of those posters who enjoys being deliberately unkind. It's pathetic really ?

It is clear from your posts that you look after your horse brilliantly and are keeping him in the way your vet recommends. I also have an oldie living out, her cheerful face would rather undermine GW's preconceptions about old horses living out!

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Sorry I do not follow the response you do obviously want. If he is your psg horse he deserves a decent retirement or shoot him. He has given you everything and when it suited you were happy to pay. Now he needs you your becomi g a fair weather owner and are getting upperty when called out.

Wind your neck in dear. You are poking a pointy stick at the wrong type of owner there.
Read the posts THOROUGHLY

 

[ester]

It seems a no brainer to me, you've tried out 24/7, it is suiting horse, you get on with YO ok so just have a chat with them about it.
And as the yard isnt' full you aren't taking up a better paying full livery space.

 

[PC Steele]

Ignore him/her. I think they are one of those posters who enjoys being deliberately unkind. It's pathetic really ?

It is clear from your posts that you look after your horse brilliantly and are keeping him in the way your vet recommends. I also have an oldie living out, her cheerful face would rather undermine GW's preconceptions about old horses living out!

Thanks ?

 

[doodle]

I didn’t realise what the issue was until I clicked show ignored posts. There was a reason why I hit ignore in the first place and have just reinforced that. Some people seem to take great delight in twisting things and being nasty just for the sake of being nasty. Perhaps it makes them somebody feel better about themselves. The ignore button is a revelation.

Anyway. Yes I think it is worth asking about assisted grass livery. They can only say no and might well say yes. If there are spaces on the yard then even better incase something does happen and you need a stable overnight or whatever.

For what it’s worth if and when Robin needs to be retired I’m sure he would love a nice big field and lots of grass and staying out and he is another used to coming in. Horses change and circumstances change.

 

[maya2008]

OP - could you go for grass livery and find a good freelancer who could top up with services for you if the yard cannot do so? Best of both worlds?

 

[PC Steele]

OP - could you go for grass livery and find a good freelancer who could top up with services for you if the yard cannot do so? Best of both worlds?

Yep will definitely look into this!!

 

[conniegirl]

OP - could you go for grass livery and find a good freelancer who could top up with services for you if the yard cannot do so? Best of both worlds?

Be careful with this, a lot of livery yards who offer services or part/full livery will not look kindly on freelancers. A lot outright ban them

 

[Nasicus]

OP, I would outline exactly what you would require assistance with, and approach the YO and ask if they would be able/willing to work out either a new monthly rate, or perhaps on a 'per use' basis.

And pay Gingerwitch no attention, I think she craves it...

 

[scats]

Sorry I do not follow the response you do obviously want. If he is your psg horse he deserves a decent retirement or shoot him. He has given you everything and when it suited you were happy to pay. Now he needs you your becomi g a fair weather owner and are getting upperty when called out.

I think I must be reading an entirely different thread to you coz I’ve not got this impression at all.
I think this was particularly unkind and uncalled for.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

PX Steele, ignore the attention seeking troll. If an owner currently paying £580 a month, moving to a different care regime on the advice of her vet and wondering about whether asking politely and reasonably for a discount 'disgusts' her then she must live in a permanent state of censorious, nausested, high dudgeon. A deeply uncomfortable place to live I'd have thought, but some people seem to actively seek out ways to be disgusted and appalled. Which strikes me as bizarre but it's very definitely her problem not yours!

 

[lannerch]

If you cannot alter your livery then I would not hesitate to find a yard that does grass livery retirement , here’s my boy in the solid blue rug , at his retirement livery, before this he was at a standard full livery in at night and out in a solo field during the day . He absolutely loves his retired life , and in emergency has access to a stable ( he was temporarily lame in the summer so was in for a few days , which he hated and for the first time ever box walked ) . This costs me £195 a month all in including rug changes , checks , 6 weekly feet trims, and haylege when required.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I really can't see the dilemma. If you know your YO well and consider her/him to be a friend, just ask if you can have a discounted livery rate because the horse is living out, so no bedding costs. Much easier imho, than asking on a forum where no-one can give you the definitive answer that the YO can. I wouldn't want to take the horse to grass livery where there is never a possibility of using a stable even in an emergency.

 

[nikicb]

Just to come back to this thread, I think I would have a chat with the YO and say that given the current situation, you are needing to review your outgoings, and see what they offer. They may come up with some reduction if they are not full, rather than lose you altogether as a livery. Good luck and let us know how you get on. x

 

[Loubidy]

Reading this thread was a reminder of why I hardly come on this forum anymore. Where is the need for people to be so vile?!

However in response to OP, £580 is nearly double what my horse costs to keep a month and if your not benefitting from all the bells and whistles which go with that price then yes, I would be reluctant to continue paying that much. You say you are on good terms with the YO so I would raise the question whether she would consider negotiating the price. A good yard is worth paying a premium for but there is a limiting to how mush money you can throw away. I would also suggest go and look around at what else is available nearby, be upfront with new yards that your not necessarily looking to move immediately but want to see what else is out there. Your horse is safe, you aren't about to go bankrupt, you have time to think about it.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Since the info about the yard having the facilities to offer both assisted part livery, and DIY grass livery, was not included in the first post, although not worded the way I would have said it, I feel Gingerwitch initially had a point. Some yards only have fields enough to accommodate their number of stables. In that situation, a hypothetical grass only livery might equal an empty stable they wouldn't be able to rent out, due to the assignated field being used by a grass livery.

However, once the info about the yard having the facilities to also offer DIY grass livery was added, I don't see the point with the replies that followed. Especially since the actual question seems to be more that PC Steele would like to switch to assisted grass livery, instead of the DIY grass livery option the yard already offers.

Ditto those who have suggested to think through which of the assisted part livery services it is you would still like to have, and have a chat with the yard owner. All they could do is say No, they're not interested in offering a third livery option.
Or they'll say Yes, or Yes, but offer some compromises, which you might consider acceptable or not.
If the answer is No, you could ask if the option Maya2008 suggested, with getting a freelancer to do the assisted parts you need, is okay with them or not.

If the answer is a double No, both to offering a third livery option, and you using a freelancer, then you have to think through if DIY really is impossible, if you're willing to continue to pay for assisted part livery, or if you should look for assisted grass livery somewhere else.

Fingers crossed it turns out to be really easy, and the yard owner simply says Yes to your suggestion.

 

[Frumpoon]

I’ve got an older horse (along with others) that has for various reasons wintered the last two years out with my other horses.

Physically and mentally he is transformed!!!

He is a lot fitter, stronger and more mobile in his overall frame. He’s a LOT happier, much more pleasant to handle and be around than when he was stabled.

He has the best quality rugs I can afford and is currently in approx 300-350g with a hood, they all have ad lib hay and he has a feed a day with linseed powder for condition and Equimins advance supplement.

Yes it’s cold and muddy and drizzly but all of them are so much happier, all maintaining their weight and generally enjoying life as part of a small managed herd.

Also, sorry, I see you are 8n Surrey. If you are on that lovely dry Sandy/chalky soil that’s between London and the south coast the turning away 24/7 would be the absolute best thing for any horse whether in work or not....in fact I’d turn myself away down there if I could

 

[AmyMay]

If horse was soooooo important over cash the post would never have been made.

Your user name is so incredibly apt. This horse obviously wants for absolutely nothing. I see nothing wrong in trying to save money when keeping horses, it doesn’t mean the animal is neglected or any less important now that it’s retired.

You are, quite frankly, vile.

 

[Griffin]

As other posters have said, it is worth asking. I would ask if there a possibility of emergency stabling though if needed because you just never know.

I think that while you may know what services and products are included when you initially start your livery contract, horses (and you) do change over time. For example, when I first started my mare on livery at my yard, she was fed the standard yard feed and was on their standard bedding (straw). However, it quickly became apparent that she couldn't tolerate the dust in straw and was also intolerant to alfalfa, so now I buy her feed and shavings and have done for several years. I have never asked for a reduction but I guess if I had been furloughed (thankfully I wasn't), I would have considered it.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Someone obviously got out of bed on the wrong side this morning.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I definitely didn't get the impression you can't or won't pay for your horses retirement, but I agree that your paying well over the odds for what you are getting so I would ask and put your situation to the yo, just ignore the nastiness some people thrive on it unfortunately.

 

[Fjord]

It definitely sounds worth asking your YO if you can come to an arrangement regarding some assistance. Even if it just reduces your bill by a bit it might be worth it if everything else is ideal.

 

[Dave's Mam]

Gingerwitch is full of Festive Cheer as always. Aren't you an absolute treasure?

 

[MrsMozartleto]

Gingerwitch - youre being incredibly unfair. I know you can be lovely so please, re-read, realise that the OP is simply looking for a change to what she has, and was asking the collective simply to get a feel for what would be right. Her horse is being kept as per the vet's guidance.

Gingerwitch be kind, please, we all need kindness at the moment.