Livery yard let-down

[evsj]

Getting a bit dissolutioned (scuse spelling!) with my livery yard. Moved there in the summer and thought it was almost perfect. Just 3 miles from home, loads of land to ride on, two schools, AYO and totally flexible services. However, now winter is here and it is dark in the evenings/weather is getting crappy things seem alot different.

It rained heavily recently and I swear I have never seen so much water leaking into stables (and I used to live in Ireland) and ruin bedding. I am constantly amazed by the amount of rubbish i.e. crisp packets/plastic cups/sweet wrappers that (mainly) the younger owners leave on the floor. And there is nowhere to store tack/rugs/bedding/feed...apart from my lorry. I am paying for part livery at 55 quid per week but this only includes hay and turn out and turn in 5 days per week.

To top it all off I got a phone call last night asking when I was going to get back as they couldn't catch my horse - she had tried to double barrel both YO and her OH because someone else had put her out without a headcollar (I have warned them she is a sod to catch somethimes). I cannot get there til 6pm at the earliest and told them to leave the horse for me - of course, little moo came straight up to me when I arrived. YO said they were no longer prepared to fetch her in in the evenings as she is dangerous. I have had her at at least 6 yards since owning her and no-one has ever not been able to catch her or refused to handle her. I have always made it clear that she is a moody mare, hates dogs, not too happy with men and occasionally is a madam to catch.

Now really unhappy with yard because my girl has all of a sudden bean labelled 'dangerous' which she most certainly is not - no more than any of their horses, anyway. In the light of recent court case I understand that people have to be wary of litigation. However, I have to go out and work, sadly, to pay for my horse and as a consequence, have to pay a livery yard to do the things I can't...because I am working!

Big SIGH!!!!

 

[ladylisa]

it is very expensive imo.
i would look for somewhere else to move her to.

 

[happyhack]

i would definitely move

 

[PinkFairy]

sounds like a bit of a rip-off, at least your things are safe when secured in your lorry. can you not do something about the water leak? as for refusing to catch her, there must be something they can do, i would refuse to pay the £55 as they are not fulfilling what the money is for - turn out and bring in. If they refuse to handle her they shouldn't be getting paid for sitting on their bum, horses under their responsibility are THEIR responsibilty while you are at work as you are leaving the horse in their care. They are clearly not a competent livery yard for your girly. Corrr some livery yards get on my nerves!!

 

[Tia]

Tricky one as I am a YO and have had some little blighters on my yards from time to time....however I have never not been able to catch a horse.

I think your price for part livery is the going-rate, so not over priced in my opinion. The leaks on the stable - presumably as you are a part-livery, the YO covers the cost of the excess bedding needed?

Rubbish lying around the yard, perhaps you can organise a get-together of hands to help clear it up? Alternatively do it yourself if it bothers you?

If they are now saying that they won't bring your horse in or turn out, can you opt for a different type of livery? Perhaps go onto grass livery and just rug your horse up well?

I don't necessarily agree with the solutions given above and I would agree with the others that perhaps it is time to move onto somewhere that is more professional and can handle all sorts of horses with ease?

 

[PinkFairy]

sorry tia - was not meant to offend i was just pointing out that as she said she was paying £55 for hay and turn out and bringing in, two of those jobs they now say they don't want to do. Although i do agree with you - maybe a change of livery etc or maybe move yards.

 

[Tia]

Oh hey no offence taken....at least certainly not by me, LOL!!

 

[PinkFairy]

Lol

its just annoying when people aren't treated fairly or the horses aren't treated fairly by livery yards

 

[Tia]

Well I treat all horses in my care in exactly the same fashion as I treat my own horses. Some places can't/don't do that - seems weird to me that these sorts of people would want to start up a livery yard if they can't do this though

. Now't so queer as folk.....

 

[PinkFairy]

lmao exactly tia! if only every single last YO on the planet had that attitude. Though fair enough - some liveries are LOVELY but some are downright rude!

 

[Lozz1uk]

Move.

Once people start calling your horse dangerous, you'll never live it down. A similar thing happened to me - my horse was apparently herding anyone who came into the field away from the other horses. I got phoned 3 times in the first week she was there and asked to come down and catch her. Whenever I turned up she came wondering straight over to the gate but once people started talking, I left because i knew she'd always have a bad reputation - and if anything had ever happened the others would always have assumed it was her fault. I didn't think that was fair on her as I knew she was nothing like that, so i got out of there as quick as possible. Needless to say i've never had any complaints since.

 

[wizzi901]

ditto...move yards. Its a rip off to start with and leaking stable? NO!

We have leaky ones, but reason if they are temporary whilst new block of three being built for us.

I would not pay my full bill whilst I had a leak whcih was making my bedding wet!

I always think that horses are a good judge of character to be honest, listen to your horse!

 

[evsj]

Thanks everyone. I am biding my time at the mo and have to consider horsey's needs over mine, anyway. I do think that I am paying alot for what the yard offers. The 55 includes stable, hay and turn out/bring in (monday to friday for the last bit). Bedding is not included, nor is feed and I reckon that we only use two bales of hay per week which, as the hay is all home produced, seems alot.

Regarding the litter, I DO pick up it up - I am a very pro-active livery! I cleared a corner of the barn for my straw storage, fixed all hooks, racks and fixtures up when I arrived and I never expect YO to do these things for me. I agree that many liveries expect this sort of thing to be done but not me. As for fixing the leak - the roof of the barn is approximately 15 feet high so I think that is one thing that is beyond my capabilities!!