Livery rant (long and a bit pointless)

pookie

pookie

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I found a livery online that offered grass livery amongst many other things. Website made it sound fab and I called yesterday from work. Took a few tries to get someone to answer but when the YM finally did answer the rates were excellent and she said they had spaces for DIY or full grass livery. It's so convenient as it's five minutes off the dual carriageway I drive to and from work and is lovely and rural. Brilliant.

I suggested I drop by on my way home yesterday evening but the YM said she wouldn't be there in the evenings. Hmmm...ok. She informed me she'd be there today from 9am-12:30pm - luckily I'm part time and don't work Thursdays or Fridays but it didn't sound like that mattered much anyway...that was the time she would be at the yard, take it or leave it. I explained I'd have my daughter (two and a half) with me but arranged to meet her this morning before 12:30.

Bundled said daughter in the car, drove the 40 mins to the yard, slathered daughter in suncream and went looking for the YM. Nothing. Gates padlocked shut, one car in the carpark. Tried calling the number from the website repeatedly (same number as on the yard sign), no answer. Finally climbed through the gate, hoiked daughter over it and went looking for someone. Found another livery who said YM hadn't been there today...that "she does this sort of thing"...that "you're on in a long line of people who've come here and been messed around"...that the livery number is "YM's home number...we don't have one for the yard"...

I asked what happens to full or assisted livery, who looks after the horses? What about emergencies? Are there any staff other than the YM? The other client said "No one. That's why I'm leaving". I found out YM considers her 'office hours' to be 9am-12:30pm five days a week.

YM never did turn up. Hot and tired daughter bundled back into (thankfully air-conditioned) car. Such a shame as the yard looked like it had real potential but the YM is never there and even if I was happy with a yard that didn't have a phone number or staff present I had no way of actually becoming a client.
 
Apparently the YO is investing in the place (and it did look like it could be really good) but thinks the sun shines out of the YM's rear end. I suggest any good YMs looking for employment write to this place with their CV...you couldn't do much worse than the current YM is doing :D
 
Moody-Mare said:
Is there a Perfect yard out there? *Sigggggggh*:(
QUOTE]

:) Yes, lots of them, different strokes though, what suits one person/horse may not suit another as you are always reading on here.

My yard suits my owners, but I have no illusions about it and know that it wouldn't, and doesn't, suit a lot of other people. No problem. If you want no frills, small, casual and friendly, with freedom to do more or less as you like then this is your place, bring your family and a cooler, sit for hours under the trees and chat. If you want busy, busy and posh then you'd hate it here. Horses for courses isn't it? I'd absolutely hate to have my horses on a large, busy yard.

This one sounds rather dodgy, shame. YO will wake up and smell the coffee one day no doubt. Perhaps you should by-pass the YM and go straight to the YO and tell him/her why the yard would be great but that you won't be coming because of x,y,z.
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I have thought about contacting the YO (got his number while I was there).

Should also say the livery who spoke to me was worried about "getting into trouble". I can't imagine being a paying client of somewhere like that.
 
Very true! The yard im at would be perfect if the other liveries werent as petty! But heyho! i go to the yard to see to my horses, not to play happy families.

A nice 4 bedroom house, a couple of sheds, and a good few big fields would do me.. Aaaaaah to dream!
 
It is always horses for courses....and actually it really worth working out what you must have and want is a nice to have. Basics of large enough secure stable, decent bedding and ENOUGH!!!food, but on top I need personally to be able to access my yard after work, floodlit school and must allow dogs..

We have a total of 12 different dogs on our yard now, but even though it isn't a stated rule, no one allows their dogs to run around unsupervised. Sad to say that though we have all tried it, there is only one dog who will wait outside the school and not try to join their owner! And it's not any of mine!
 
I'm not sure I understand, if the yard was for grass livery or DIY, why does the YO need to be there ? Although I prefer a yard where the owner lives on site, my last yard was purely DIY and the YO used to pop over once a day to check the fields.
Perhaps if she was offering services in the advert,after speaking to her, it might be that she would be around to do that if needed.
Apologies if I misunderstood.
 
This sounds just like the livery we left earlier in the year for the same reasons except not in your part of the country. We now rent a private field & stables - farmer leaves us to it and the whole set up is so much less stressful than the livery.
 
Can't abide people who don't keep appointments for good reason, I hope there turns out to be a good reason.

And office hours - humph! Hope the horses there wear a watch :D
 
horserider said:
I'm not sure I understand, if the yard was for grass livery or DIY, why does the YO need to be there ?
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I think the OP is saying that because the YO holds strict office hours and wasn't there when she turned up, what happens with those who DO have Full livery?
 
horserider said:
I'm not sure I understand, if the yard was for grass livery or DIY, why does the YO need to be there ? Although I prefer a yard where the owner lives on site, my last yard was purely DIY and the YO used to pop over once a day to check the fields.
Perhaps if she was offering services in the advert,after speaking to her, it might be that she would be around to do that if needed.
Apologies if I misunderstood.
Click to expand...

Ignoring the fact she wasn't there to greet me and didn't show up before 12:30 as she said she would (no idea if she turned up later, didn't call me), I was looking for full grass livery. The website lists everything from purely DIY to full livery with extras - I've no idea how anyone can muck out, turn out, bring in, rug and unrug, attend for vet/farrier, groom and exercise when they have 'office hours' for 3 hours a day at the yard and seemingly no other staff. I might've only been looking for grass livery but the livery I spoke to was supposedly on full livery yet spent most of her days at the yard doing what I presume she pays others to. I don't expect the YO to be there (I don't think he's horsey) but I do expect a YM or nominated member of staff and I expect to be able to contact the yard should I need to :)
 
Sounds like a pretty sweet job she's got, heck I could probably do better and I know nothing about running a yard! Maybe I could work for 4 hours a day to be really competitive?
 
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