Livery Yard Access Times

A

Archie73

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 March 2009
Messages
384
Location
Kent
Visit site
Would you keeo your horse at a full livery great yard that had reatricted access hours (6pm Saturdays and Sunday's and 9pm most weekdays) it's in kent I work in Central london and live 30 mins drive from yard?

Thanks for your opinions.
 
I have mine at home so not really an issue that applies to me but the yard needs to have some restrictions so the staff can finish, the security may be compromised by allowing more access not to mention if the owners live on site they don't want to be listening out for people leaving at all hours, the times seem fair enough, it is full livery so all the owner needs to do is get there in time to ride, cool off and put the horse away, there are no jobs to do during the week and if you work Mon- Fri then usually the weekends are free to do any extras.
The only problem I would have is if I wanted to compete and that meant returning after hours but I would hope they are flexible about that, if the horse is unwell they will have staff to check so again you would not really be disturbing anyone if you wanted to pop back to check instead of them doing so.
 
I keep mine at a yard where there is accepted access and you just ask/tell outside of those hours, I just think it is respectful of the fact that it is the YO home but if the access was strict no.
 
Every yard, I've been on, nine in total have all had "opening times" to a greater or lesser extent, the yard I'm on now is a full livery yard and is open 8am-8pm unless prior arrangement made, on show days etc.....
I prefer this, suits me and I like that people aren't coming and going at all hours disturbing my horse.
 
The devil himself wouldn't keep me from being able to go to my horse when I wanted. However, on my new yard I do respect that the yard owner's don't really want vehicles driving on and off at all hours for no reason, so therefore I wouldn't go past 8pm unless absolutely necessary. At the old yard I used to turn up in the middle of the night if I had been called out with work and fancied saying hello to my horse on the way home :-)
 
No I don't think I could.
I am often at the yard very early or late.

I suppose it depends what you do with your horse and if there could be a little flexibility if you where at a show or had a point horse you wanted to check on.

Normally yards with limited access times are full/ part livery so there is someone there to ensure all the horses are cared for.
 
Our gates lock automatically 8pm but as I have a gate blipper I can come and go as i please!

There is a side door for pedestrian access which is not locked so people can get in

If people are attending a show then a gate blipper is given

But as I am at the yard really late most nights I let everyone in or out
 
It wouldn't work for me but I like long summer evening hacks, including at the weekend. That means I can spend the day with the OH or sorting the garden out and then go and ride after. I am also up early during the week so wouldn't want a "start" time. I like my bed as much as anyone so if I am there at 5.30am, it is because I have to be.
 
Current yard is open 7.30-9, with sensible exceptions made - shows, veterinary, etc. If he wasn't on full livery, I'd want it open earlier (I start work at 8) but, as it is, it's not an issue. The YO lives on site, so I can understand that she doesn't want people up there at 5am.

I've never been on a yard that doesn't have 'suggested opening hours' of a sort. Equally, I've never been on a yard with hard and fast opening hours. I certainly wouldn't want to be on the latter.
 
the last few yards i have been on have all had opening/closing times to an extent, i work 'normal' hours so Mon-Fri 8-5 roughly so some have worked, some haven't

Yard 1) Part Livery Mon-Friday. Mon-Fri open 7.30 i think, if you got there before that you had to feed and let YO know you'd be there early if going to a comp ect. closed at 9 - however if back late from comp/ lesson/ sick horse as long as you let YO know this was also fine.

Yard 2) DIY - opened 6am, closed 8pm in summer and 7pm in winter - the only time i was back late from a clinic at that yard, the owner was stood by the gate waiting for me to go as i rushed around! - this didnt work for me so i moved before the winter as i couldnt fit in with the 7pm closing time if i wanted to ride

Yard 3) Part Livery 4 days per week - no opening time as far as i'm aware - first staff memeber is usually on the yard before 5.30am and on my days i tend to get there about the same time, wouldn't go any earlier than that out of respect for the owners who live on site. No closing time but if i am going to be back late with the lorry i just let YM know so she can tell the YO so they know, yard is down a long track that goes past the house, no closing time as far as i'm aware for being on the yard but the school lights had to be off by 7.30 as school was right next to owners house - this worked fine as i could ride first then potter around after - wont have this problem shortly as new school has just been put in out of the way of the house.

Yard 1 & 3 work/ed perfectly for me
 
I'm at a private yard & we have no time restrictions, we just use common sense. When our YO is having a family get together or similar then we will probably finish earlier to leave them in peace. The yard is just outside their back door. We are down around 7.am most mornings & most evening we are finished by 8pm. There are occasions when we are out with the horses & we may have to be at the yard much earlier or return late. This causes no problems we just let the YO know.

I'm sure many of these types of issues can be resolved by talking to the YO & some flexibility will be shown.
 
It's a tricky subject... Yard owners have a right to their privacy of course. For me with my job I often don't get to the yard on a night until 9pm, fortunately I have always been at places that this has been ok. One yard did have more restrictive opening hours that meant it potentially wouldn't work for me - I was honest with them about my work hours when I viewed and they were happy for me to come in outside of the 'opening' hours providing I was quiet which I always was. Again due to my work hours I have been on the yard plaiting at 10.30pm before due to an early show the next day - one fabulous yard owner used to text me saying 'when you're done come to the house, I've made stew'!!
 
My yard doesn't have strict opening hours. The liveries who go early (7am ish) all have keys.
It is a DIY yard but if you leave a net and breakfast outside the stable the YO or YM will put them in at 8am (free of charge!)
I don't know what time it closes, I only moved on in September so when the weather was nice I left about 7pm latest and was no where near the last person to leave.
Certainly wouldn't like the 6pm closing time at a weekend! My yard is very much the type of place to have BBQ's on a nice summers evening.
And the YO does live on site, he's just a nice chap. It a huge yard for DIY (40 horses probably) so he realises he needs to be flexible.
 
thanks for all the replies. I love the yard but think I am going to have to move. I can live with the 9pm 4 nights a week and 1 8pm as you say it's full livery so as long as I can squeeze in at leat an hour and 45 mins a night quality horse time 4 nights a week that is fine.

The issue I have had is winter 6pm at weekends was fine as the light dos not allow for later hacking but now have had reliasation that I am not going to get any benefit of the longer days so will always have to hit the yard by 2 pm if I want a 3 hour hack etc. Not a fan of riding in hot sun either not is my horse I don't think.

If anyone knows any yards around biggin hill, tatsfield, Cudham or anywhere heading back to Beckenham that can offer part livery and access to 9.30pm everyday with school and turnout in a small herd or groups that want a 17hh well behaved gelding who just eats soaked hay and fast fibre please let me know. Pm or otherwise. Happy to pay whatever.

Thanks for all your opinions.
 
If it was great in every other way, and the hours suited me, I wouldn't be too bothered as long as there was a bit of give and take (by prior arrangement of course) e.g. I often go to a lesson at a local indoor school at 7.30pm. I can't get there any sooner as I work until 5.30pm. This means I'm not back at the yard until 8.45-9 pm and not finished putting him to bed and the trailer away until 9.30. If that was ok with permission and if it was ok to come back later than 6pm at weekends occasionally after shows etc I'd be happy.

I assume emergencies (e.g. urgent vet treatment) are ok.
 
No, I will often be at the yard clipping, grooming, tidying ect till after ten PM. the school lights go off at 9pm but the round pen is an individual switch so could be used at anytime (never has been though), the yard is diy and owners on sight but not horsey, if there was a problem like a colic they would not want to be disturbed to know so they don't put restrictions on things. I have spent many a night up there waiting for one particular foal to be born (in the end she arrived at just after 6pm one evening-the busiest time of day on the yard),my daughter has spent many a night up there too.
 
I think it is different if you are on DIY as I would think you would need access at all times. But full livery? I run a yard and only do full/part livery. My opening hours are 8.30 - 9 week days and 9.30 - 7 weekends. However, I am very flexible and so long as people let me know, I don't mind access outside those hours. The reason I have the opening hours is because our house is right on the yard with the arena and access road out the front. I like to feed and turnout before people arrive on the yard, and then I give evening feeds around 9.30 - 10 pm. The horses are far more settled if people are not turning up during those times. All horses get fed the same time and are always ready to be ridden during opening times. I have never had a problem in terms of people not wanting to keep to those opening times. If someone needs to be up early or back late for a show, then this is not a problem, so long as I know. The reason I have earlier closing times at weekends is that most people prefer to come during daylight hours and on the (rare) occasion I go out for the evening, I don't want people at the yard when I'm not there opening gates, moving horses etc in case there was an accident. I do full livery and so am responsible for the safety of people's horses and if I'm not there I cannot do a check that gates are closed properly etc.
 
Archie73 said:
If anyone knows any yards around biggin hill, tatsfield, Cudham or anywhere heading back to Beckenham that can offer part livery and access to 9.30pm everyday with school and turnout in a small herd or groups that want a 17hh well behaved gelding who just eats soaked hay and fast fibre please let me know. Pm or otherwise. Happy to pay whatever.
Click to expand...

Bromley Common, Glenfields, Manor Training & Livery, Farleigh Court, L&J Equestrian (prev Holt Farm), Cacketts - to name a few.

I used to be at Bromley Common on DIY. Opening times advertised are 6am - 9pm, but this was to combat certain liveries turning up all hours of the night for no good reason. I would get there at 5.30am and some people still there at 9.30pm, sometimes later in the summer.


ETA:
My current livery yard, not sure what time it opens, but Tue-Sun I think they are very flexible with close times. Some liveries who commute to London don't get there till gone 8pm some nights.

It's full livery only and closed on Mondays as YO/YM lives on-site (cottage is right next to the yard). There is flexibility here as it is open on bank holidays and she would accommodate if you were competing.
 
Last edited:
I'd LOVE to be at a yard where the worst thing I had to complain about was that I couldn't hack late in the evening at the weekend :D

To give a serious answer, the weekend restrictions would annoy me too a bit, but if the yard was otherwise great I'd live with it. Assuming that sensible exceptions could be made with prior warning for competitions or in an emergency.
 
I would hate to have restrictions like that. I can deal with 9pm close but not any earlier. My current yard is big and busy with people coming and going at all times really. They turnout horses in the morning as part of cost of DIY/Part/full livery so I think its not busy in mornings. Most are there in the evening and the YO does a 'lock up' at 10pm to go turn lights off etc. She says there is the odd person still there at that time as some work odd shifts.
 
MS123 said:
OP is the yard you are referring to The Old Mill by any chance?
Click to expand...

Embo said:
Bromley Common, Glenfields, Manor Training & Livery, Farleigh Court, L&J Equestrian (prev Holt Farm), Cacketts - to name a few.

I used to be at Bromley Common on DIY. Opening times advertised are 6am - 9pm, but this was to combat certain liveries turning up all hours of the night for no good reason. I would get there at 5.30am and some people still there at 9.30pm, sometimes later in the summer.


ETA:
My current livery yard, not sure what time it opens, but Tue-Sun I think they are very flexible with close times. Some liveries who commute to London don't get there till gone 8pm some nights.

It's full livery only and closed on Mondays as YO/YM lives on-site (cottage is right next to the yard). There is flexibility here as it is open on bank holidays and she would accommodate if you were competing.
Click to expand...

Thank you!

Bromley common ihas got planning on it to be pulled down and re built as 12 stables and houses.

Glenfields is a no go

Farleigh ct is 8pm strictly so can't do weekdays

Manor I am looking at

Cackets is the yard I love that has 6pm weekend times at present.
 
I have some lovely stables empty now because I'd never have liveries again.
In an ideal world a livery yard owner shouldn't need to make opening and closing rules, respect and consideration should be enough. But if some liveries like to turn up in the middle of the night because they fancy saying hello to their horse, I'm not surprised some yards put time restraints in place.
Never mind the yard owner, I'd be furious if I was another livery. Someone turning up in the middle of the night for no good reason, disturbing all the horses, unsettling their routine.
I don't think I've ever heard anything so selfish and inconsiderate from a livery, and I've heard plenty.
 
Last edited:
I'm the same as Wagtail. I have rough opening hours (we're a working farm too, so there are people about all through the day) and for security reasons need to be aware of who is coming and going. Our road has a cattle grid right next to the house, so you do hear it every time a car comes.
We do have liveries who do shift work or early/late hours, so as long as we know roughly what time they should be arriving, we are happy. It helps everyone if there can be a bit of flexibility, but no piss taking :)
 
Archie73 said:
Bromley common ihas got planning on it to be pulled down and re built as 12 stables and houses.
Click to expand...

You're welcome - the above application has been declined. I've got friends there so still in the loop lol have not heard if they are appealing yet.

Shame about Cacketts and Farleigh, nice yards otherwise. Why a no to Glenfields? Have got some friends there, too (PM if you prefer).
 
We're open 7.30am-9pm Monday to Friday, and 7.30am - 8pm on the weekend. However, if people need to be down outside of those hours, they let us know. We don't have any DIYs, so all of the horses are looked after, and if a horse is sick, we'll let the owner know and are generally found sitting up all night with it, or doing very frequent checks, depending on how poorly, either with or without the owner.

We live on site and it is nice to have some quiet time. The horses seem more chilled when there's no-one on the yard too. I'm also paranoid about security and if the security lights go on or I hear a noise, day or night, I'm at the window to see what's going on (yup, I'm a curtain twitcher). I'd not get much sleep if people were turning up through the night.

No matter how much you remind people, you also get clients who forget to turn lights off, forget to close stable doors properly, forget to lock doors, and it's nice to know that, once evening stables are done, we don't need to worry.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top