Livery Yard Problem.

[martlin]

Think your maths are out Lizzie. And OP pays for her bedding and feed.

She's also not looking for cheaper. Just what she's paid for.

The £75 is money down the drain as the horses are not being exercised..

Not quite, the OP says she pays for EXTRA bedding and feed, I know it is presuming a lot, but I presume some bedding and forage is thus included.
All of which is pretty academic if she isn't getting the quality of service she requires.

 

[Polos Mum]

All of which is pretty academic if she isn't getting the quality of service she requires.

This is the key part, it's a lot about trust - if the OP has lost trust in the YO to look after horses she cares a lot for and is unable to care for herself it is very difficult for the YO to earn that trust back again.

A few of us have picked up on the money issue to try an illustrate that for the money there are alternatives - money is not the key issue in this case.

 

[Goldenstar]

This is the key part, it's a lot about trust - if the OP has lost trust in the YO to look after horses she cares a lot for and is unable to care for herself it is very difficult for the YO to earn that trust back again.

A few of us have picked up on the money issue to try an illustrate that for the money there are alternatives - money is not the key issue in this case.

That's it in a nutshell ,
For me leaving them out overnight would have been the final straw there's no excuse for that .

 

[Tadah]

Thanks Everyone.

I am not unhappy with the price of the livery, I am unhappy with paying out for the extra's like exercising which I know hasn't been done, for grooming when it's not being done and then being asked to pay for everything that breaks at the yard. I haven't been given an option about the fencing, I got "I can't afford it, you will have to pay for it" and it's the whole of the paddock including the upright's and the top middle and bottom rails. Yet these fences haven't been maintained properly and a horse that has since left the yard chewed them all and weakened them and this is going back to the time before I was there. All summer my hubby was fixing the rails that had rotted.

All the time before I was ill, I would be doing the rug changes and bringing in, grooming, when I go down there I would skip them out, make up their dinners and feed them. Before Christmas she went shopping for the day, she asked me to feed, hay and skip out. I did all of this because she is my friend, but it's all changed since then and I feel taken advantage of.

I know I have a lot of horses and they cost me (hubby!) a small fortune, but they are my babies, they are an odd collection as well; one was heading for a glue factory, one was found abandoned in a wood, they aren't superstars at dressage, jumping, hunting etc but they are superstars to me and they deserve to be looked after to the standards I am paying for. It's not the price of the livery, that concerns me. My hubby works so hard, he does all the overtime he can, we don't drink or smoke or go on fancy holidays, we plough everything into the horses.

It's the constant asking for money for things like the fencing, wheelbarrows, the hay ring nets get moved to another wall in the stables and I have been asked to pay for getting someone to do it, no real explanation as to why when I query it.

My friend took a bag of carrots down today, she said they look okay, they are all in their stables munching hay, hopefully I am going to go tomorrow.

Thanks again everyone, I am going to talk it through with her over the weekend when hubby is home again, I think it's the stress of money is making her act like this, I can understand that, so hopefully we can work things out.

I have just had my physio out and I feel like I have done a 50k endurance ride, so I am going to sit back and watch the rest of Cheltenham now

 

[mynutmeg]

Definately sit down and have a chat with the yo but now way should you be paying for the fencing.

 

[criso]

Just a suggestion re the fencing which I used recently in a very different circumstance.

Offer to supply your own electric fencing to keep horses away from and damaging post and rail on the basis that this remains your property and if you move it goes with you.


It's cheaper than building post and rail and if you don't need it when you move, advertise and sell it on.

I was really lucky that I found someone on a horsey group on facebook selling an energiser, battery, and a job lot of posts and tape that could almost circle hertfordshire for £140 so look on there and preloved.

 

[Oscar]

I wanted to employ my own groom to go in and just see to mine for a few hours a day, especially as I have a huge operation looming on the horizon, but this was refused. I was told I had to use her staff and the costs I was being quoted were outrageous. £2.50 to pick feet out, £5 to tack up. £20 for 15 minutes on the lunge..........

OMG.. And you think she's your friend? She certainly isn't treating you like one.

Man up woman and tell her to either do what your paying her to do or you will be removing your horses from her care.

 

[Goldenstar]

Tadah, you sound settled and clear in your mind about where you are with this , I hope the thread has helped with this.
Don't pay for the fencing go up with your other half at the weekend and talk to the YOer if it where me I would would say buck up or I am leaving ( best have a fall back plan )And keep friends going in to check up after leaving them out overnight I would not be trusting in the future.

 

[Passtheshampoo]

I feel for you OP as years ago I was laid up with spinal probs and have since had 3 major ops so there have been times when I've had to rely on others to look after my horse. I too paid out extra during those times to make sure my horse had the care and attention I couldn't give her. Sounds like the YO thinks you have more money than sense and is taking advantage of your situation. You may have the funds to carry on paying out for broken things but that's not the point. These broken items have only been breaking since you were unable to see to your horses. The YO will be in more financial difficulties if you up sticks and take your horses she should be treating you with kid gloves rather than boxing gloves.
I hope everything works out for you. Perhaps if the YO doesn't want her P & R fencing nibbling she should put up a strand of electric fencing wire along the top rail, it's worked for me.

 

[weesophz]

id move! sounds like they are using you to help with their financial issues and blaming your horses since you cant get up to see whats really going on. totally unfair imo. id be out of there rapid!

 

[Lizzie66]

Think your maths are out Lizzie. And OP pays for her bedding and feed.

She's also not looking for cheaper. Just what she's paid for.

The £75 is money down the drain as the horses are not being exercised..

I think I did say in my post that if she wasn't happy with the service then she should talk about it.

However there were a lot of people saying that £360 a week was a lot, but when you broke it down into what was covered within that £360 it actually was exceedingly reasonable.

By the way the maths wasn't wrong !

It also seems as though the OP's illness has pushed them both into a FT livery position that neither was particularly expecting and they are now struggling to maintain a firendship through a business relationship. The OP needs to work out whether she is basically happy there but wants some reassurance that her horses are being treated how she expects, or whether it has gone beyond that and she wishes to leave. If she wishes to stay and the YO really can't afford the repairs then they need to come to some amicable halfway house as without repairs the fields are probably unsafe.

 

[SO1]

I think you are being taken advantage of - I have had the same lead rope for my pony for 5 years! How did your horse manage to break an automatic waterer.

I would look at moving your horses even if you can't get them all the same place at first the last thing you need if you are ill is to be worrying about the care of your horses. If your health is not looking like it will dramatically improve and some of your horses are rideable, I would consider getting a sharer as this would not only contribute towards the costs but give the horses some individual care from someone who could also perhaps keep an eye on things as well if you can't get up there all the time.

If it is costing you about 20k to keep 5 horses that is about £76 per week per horse which is very cheap if that includes labour as well as feeds and livery charges and farrier etc. I don't think you are going to get decent full livery for that price elsewhere.