Livery - owner not living on site

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Marigold4

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Further to previous thread about moving to livery, I'm compiling a short list of yards. Some local yards don't have owners living on site. What would happen if there was a fire or fireworks? I'm used to having the horses at home and being able to pop out and check them. Would you choose a yard that doesn't have an owner living on site?
 
At my current yard, the owner lives onsite but I have been at one where the owner hasn't. However, they had security cameras and also neighbours next door who were really good at keeping an eye on the place. If there were fireworks or adverse weather, the owner would stay late.

I arrived at the yard after work once and found an injured horse while the owner was out competing, so it doesn't always mean an owner onsite will be there when something happens.
 
Marigold4 said:
Further to previous thread about moving to livery, I'm compiling a short list of yards. Some local yards don't have owners living on site. What would happen if there was a fire or fireworks? I'm used to having the horses at home and being able to pop out and check them. Would you choose a yard that doesn't have an owner living on site?
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No is the short answer. But ours have been at home for a long time now and I wouldn't go back to livery, even with an owner on site, if they paid me for the privilege.
When we were at livery they were only ever somewhere with an owner on site. It would have been very rare for no-one at all to be around.
 
Our previous setup at our last house was that I had a few loose boxes for my own use, and bigger yard of 12 stables that we rented out to various professionals over the years who ran their own livery. While I did live “on site”, I rarely went into the rented yard and honesty would have had no idea whether the horses were disturbed/colicing/unwel ect. I’d have a quick run round when I finished my own off late evening ish after the YM had left, but that was more a security check than anything. Obviously if there was specific cause for concern I was more than happy to follow up, and if I had found a horse in distress I would have dealt with it, but generally between the hours of 7pm-6am I wouldn’t have known.

If security reasons, or something major such as a fire are your causes for concern, I’d say it absolutely is a benefit to have owner onsite. But for general checks on the horses I wouldn’t rely on having an owner on site but rather want to know what time the yard staff start/finish and if they will allow you onsite after hours when you have worries, such as bonfire night ect.
 
Ours are on a yard where the owner doesn't live on site. They do have security cameras and owners live 5-10 minutes away on a seperate property with a big field where they keep their retired horses.

I would agree that having owners live on site doesn't necessarily increase the chance of them noticing something, but it would reduce the amount of time it took for them to step in if something were to happen
 
I think fire with stabled horses would be the biggest risk. A very small risk but obviously there.

No owner on site wouldn’t be a clear cut deal breaker for me, but would go on the pro’s and cons list.

FWIW I don’t live on site. My horses live out 24/7 so fire risk virtually non existent. They are monitored by a very good 360 zoom camera so they get checked multiple time during the day.
 
Marigold4 said:
Further to previous thread about moving to livery, I'm compiling a short list of yards. Some local yards don't have owners living on site. What would happen if there was a fire or fireworks? I'm used to having the horses at home and being able to pop out and check them. Would you choose a yard that doesn't have an owner living on site?
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I've been on a couple of yards with no owner on site and it was always a worry at the back of my mind. The 'what ifs' can be stressful as you drive off. The first at least had a house right next door to the yard and the owners kept an eye out at night for major problems. On the second I was going to put a camera up in my pony's field shelter so I could do checks. I'm not sure that this would have been a good idea as I would probably have sat up at night just in case. In the end it never got put up as the yard turned out to be rather a disaster in terms of care so we made a hasty exit. I would hope that if an owner knew you were concerned and, as long as the camera only covered the interior of the stable, they would be happy for you to put one up. Livery choices are always a compromise and even if the owner is on site it doesn't mean they will be there if something does happen.
 
Marigold4 said:
Thanks, everyone. Would you be allowed to set up your own camera in your own stable, do you think?
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Hi. YO here (DIY set-up) and I live on-site.

Firstly I would say that yes whilst I do live on-site; there are times when I am not around! I need to go out, shop, attend functions, ride my own horse, etc etc. So something could easily crop-up at a time when I am not here! That said, we've had a few occasions when there's been a problem with a horse and because I've been around, I've been able to do something about it. Usually it's a colic; last week two of the blighters literally stampeded their fencing and were in the wrong part of the field! Myself and my deputy went out and sorted it.

Re. CCTV/cameras. I'm happy for liveries to put up Reolink or whatever they use, but I need them to ask permission first. And I don't want any sound on; if I'm having a private conversation at home then I don't want anyone listening in thank you! One of my liveries who has a detached field away from the main yard here has a very good CCTV system which she's put up.

Hope this helps.
 
Marigold4 said:
Thanks, everyone. Would you be allowed to set up your own camera in your own stable, do you think?
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Some people will, some won’t.
I think if there isn’t anyone on site it’s not unreasonable to have a camera, but for the privacy of everyone else, I’d want it positioned so it only captured inside your stable and no sound.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Hi. YO here (DIY set-up) and I live on-site.

Firstly I would say that yes whilst I do live on-site; there are times when I am not around! I need to go out, shop, attend functions, ride my own horse, etc etc. So something could easily crop-up at a time when I am not here! That said, we've had a few occasions when there's been a problem with a horse and because I've been around, I've been able to do something about it. Usually it's a colic; last week two of the blighters literally stampeded their fencing and were in the wrong part of the field! Myself and my deputy went out and sorted it.

Re. CCTV/cameras. I'm happy for liveries to put up Reolink or whatever they use, but I need them to ask permission first. And I don't want any sound on; if I'm having a private conversation at home then I don't want anyone listening in thank you! One of my liveries who has a detached field away from the main yard here has a very good CCTV system which she's put up.

Hope this helps.
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I agree with most of this. I live on site and will be out at least twice each evening after the staff have left - usually to take my dogs out but obviously have a check of the horses too. I wouldn't necessarily hear if there was any disturbance on the yard unless my windows were open. We do have CCTV for security but it's not inside the stables so not any help if a horse is colicking and TBH it would be difficult to cover 25 stables anyway. One former livery did put up a camera - without asking permission - and the liveries in neighbouring stables weren't happy at all as they didn't want to be seen or overheard. Also, although my business is registered with the IOC and we adhere to all the necessary GPDR regulations I would have no control over a livery's camera and the data from it so I won't allow cameras to be put up by liveries.
 
Marigold4 said:
Thanks, everyone. Would you be allowed to set up your own camera in your own stable, do you think?
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Mine are at home and security is connected to the stables so we hear a problem very quickly so I totally understand you wouldn't be happy. Everyone keeping horses is out for times in the day and many horses are also out but nights, which are about 12 hours are a very long time especially for a horse who colics badly at 6.30 pm. Even if a YO lives on site and may notice a fire they are not likely to be wandering around checking each stable continually that the horse is not colicing, choking, hasn't got tied up in his rug along with everything else they do to try and commit suicide.

I would be unhappy if I wasn't allowed to set up a camera if my horse was stabled. Quite happy with how it was set so it only showed my stable and horse and happy without sound. It is not easy trying to sleep at night with sound on and horses munching and walking around. Obviously I would ask permission and would be surprised if other liveries weren't taking similar precautions.

I would probably be happy to pay more if YO installed cameras in each box and therefore controlled them but I was only able to access my stable cam.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Hi. YO here (DIY set-up) and I live on-site.

Firstly I would say that yes whilst I do live on-site; there are times when I am not around! I need to go out, shop, attend functions, ride my own horse, etc etc. So something could easily crop-up at a time when I am not here! That said, we've had a few occasions when there's been a problem with a horse and because I've been around, I've been able to do something about it. Usually it's a colic; last week two of the blighters literally stampeded their fencing and were in the wrong part of the field! Myself and my deputy went out and sorted it.

Re. CCTV/cameras. I'm happy for liveries to put up Reolink or whatever they use, but I need them to ask permission first. And I don't want any sound on; if I'm having a private conversation at home then I don't want anyone listening in thank you! One of my liveries who has a detached field away from the main yard here has a very good CCTV system which she's put up.

Hope this helps.
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Thanks, that's really useful.
 
paddy555 said:
Mine are at home and security is connected to the stables so we hear a problem very quickly so I totally understand you wouldn't be happy. Everyone keeping horses is out for times in the day and many horses are also out but nights, which are about 12 hours are a very long time especially for a horse who colics badly at 6.30 pm. Even if a YO lives on site and may notice a fire they are not likely to be wandering around checking each stable continually that the horse is not colicing, choking, hasn't got tied up in his rug along with everything else they do to try and commit suicide.

I would be unhappy if I wasn't allowed to set up a camera if my horse was stabled. Quite happy with how it was set so it only showed my stable and horse and happy without sound. It is not easy trying to sleep at night with sound on and horses munching and walking around. Obviously I would ask permission and would be surprised if other liveries weren't taking similar precautions.

I would probably be happy to pay more if YO installed cameras in each box and therefore controlled them but I was only able to access my stable cam.
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Thanks. Only about half round here have owners on site. It would be great to be allowed a camera even with sound off so good to hear people don't think it's too much to ask. I know it will be a big compromise to be on a yard instead of at home, but I'm not sure I can keep on doing this forever. I also REALLY want to move and having looked and looked, we can't afford a nice house AND land round here.
 
Just because livery manager lives on site doesn't mean they will spot anything. A livery found the manager with a bonfire and fireworks near the stables... the liveries were brilliant at looking out for each. I don't think the manager would of been able which horse was which after 5 years
 
farmer doesn’t live on site for us, the house on site is rented out and the tenants don’t offer any security either - i have stable cameras so i can check on them, and ive been down at silly house for various reasons before now and they don’t come out to check what’s going on.

it used to feel very strange but it’s just the norm now, the camera offers a lot of peace of mind and between us liveries we cover most hours in the day anyway!
 
I dont think owner being on site is relevant in most cases - I had my horses at livery where the owner lived on site. I was there later than usual one evening, it was still light, when I noticed a horse in a field that was colicky. Went and told the YO who thanked me and said he'd have been like it until morning as she never checks them....I don't think that's particularly unusual, a lot of livery yards are DIY only, and the YO has minimal contact with both human and equine clients .
 
My last yard had audio and video cameras that were the YOs. So by liverying there you were being recorded as soon as you drove onto the premises.

I don’t see the difference from a livery having a stable cam with audio and video and the YO. You can be heard regardless. If people are protesting that they don’t want recorded by a livery but the yard has that facility then I don’t see the issue with individual liveries having them. Don’t say things you don’t want people knowing about, more often than not the person you’re moaning to will be the ones talking rather than audio on a camera.

I’d let liveries have them as long as they agreed to remove the audio function. I have blink camera that allow that. Only record visual.
 
I think things will happen with horses whether the YO is there or not, like others have said sometimes things happen when the YO is there but in the house or if the YO is out competing etc…you can’t expect them to be watching the horses every minute of the day.

In an ideal world yes you’d have someone around all day and for late night checks but colic can happen at any hour of the day or night…I would rather the owner lived on site for things like fire etc but in reality you have to take the risk that things could happen when nobody is looking. Cameras are a good idea if you can install them but I’d certainly consider a yard without someone on site if I knew they were going to check them in the evening and early mornings etc if you can’t be there to do it yourself.

It also depends if you are on full livery I’d probably want the security of knowing someone will be there to check them more than if I was on DiY etc x
 
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