Livery Yard Times

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catdragon

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Hi all,

I'm new to the forum and just trying to guage how to play this. I stable my mare at a local livery yard, it's part livery, and I am really happy with the standard of care and attention given to my mare and also the excellent facilities. The problem arose a couple of months ago.

I don't want to bore you but in essence for neary 3.5 years there has been no time constraints as to the time I leave the yard. If I am the last, I always check the place is secure and that the alarm is on.

Depending on what time I manage to leave work and whether or not I have to wait to use the menage I have usually left the yard at the latest 9pm, the odd time 9.30pm. The yard owner, who does not live on site has now stipulated that everyone has to be off the yard by 8.30pm. Which in winter I can accept, but with light summer nights waiting for it to be cool enough to ride I am at a loss as to why. I asked him, he said "because its the rule" no reason given. I want to approach him to try and negotiate better more reasonable hours without upsetting him, but I pay a lot of money to not be able to spend time with my mare just doesn't sit well.

What I want to know, is what time do others have to be off their yard by, and how would you deal with a sudden change like this?

Thanks for reading, any advice appreciated.
 
I would be upset, not least because the rule has been changed.....

What would happen if you were competing and didnt get back till late?

I would question it, and if no reasonable/acceptable agreement was reached, and couldnt manage to ride in the time given, I would be looking elsewhere for livery.

As you say, you pay a lot of money, and if they only time you can ride is late in the evening, then it is money wasted really!
 
Hi
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We don't have a limit, but as they live on site they prefer us to be gone by ten but don't mind if people are still there now and again. A lot of yards do have a "curfew" it depends if they live on site, as a lot of YO's don't like people coming and going while they are trying to eat/sleep/have a nice rest etc.

I would talk to a few other liveries, see what they think, and maybe all go and nicely talk to him, as if a few of you are of the same opinion, he might be more inclined to listen and understand.

I hope that helps
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We have to be off ours at 8pm in the week and 7pm at weekends.

Pretty rubbish really but it rarely affects me as im nearly always done just after 7pm in the week and before 6:30pm at weekends. There are some people up my farm who dont move as quick so i think they get pee'd off when they have to rush at the end of the evening!!
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ETS: Sorry forgot to add advise on. I would talk to the YO and see if you cant come to some agreement. If not i agree with the above, look else where.
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Our YO's live on site but we have no rules as to time etc. If we wanted to come back and skip out at any time that would be fine.

Maybe write a letter to the YO, so you can take time to write down your points, if you are anyhting like me you have what you are going to say clearly in your head and by the time you are talking to the person - it all seems to disappear.

But if nothing changes I would be looking at alternatives as well.
 
mon-thurs times are 8am-8pm fri 8am-7pm and weekend 8am-6pm! it does suck but its tough! i get to the yard at about 6.30 so its always rush rush and was a nightmare when i was on DIY!
 
I've been at quite a few yards in the past, all DIY though, and have never had a curfew. Seems quite odd, especially as they don't live there.

I'd consider making a few enquiries as to what other decent yards there were locally, and if they had curfews. It may be time for a change of yard!
 
I'd never cope with having a curfew on the yard! A lot of the time I don't get there until 7pm so it would be a nightmare! The last yard I was on had a curfew of 9.30pm, but that wasn't too bad and if you were going to be later you could mention it to YO and it would be ok as an exception every now and then. I didn't like it in the summer though when the nights were light!

If it were me, I'd move, but if you really like it there maybe clubbing together with other liveries and making it clear you are not happy might work. Good luck
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The only exception is by prior agreement for "mitigating circumstances".. I don't compete, so thats not the issue.
It was the speed that the new time rule was done. I have complied with the new time ruling, it's hard as I work later than all the other liveries (bar 1) and if there's a queue for the menage when I arrive, it makes me later. I get all my "jobs" done prior to riding, but I feel really stressed as I battle to keep to the rules. It's resulting in me hardly riding at all I am looking for a new yard, but have been spoilt by the facilities at my current yard. My mare is happy and relaxed (she was a nervous wreck on her arrival, she'd only been in UK for 8 weeks prior to me buying her, shes an Irish high strung cob) and she wants for nothing. I just think I pay a lot to keep her to not get the time to enjoy her..

Thanks all for your feedback.

I think I shall talk to the YO, will post how it goes.
 
Sounds like an odd thing to do, especially as the YO is not giving you a reason. I would approach him again and explain your problem.

As for times in general, my only experience as a YO involved DIY livery for a neighbour and she would habitually turn up at odd times, e.g. 6 in the morning, up to 11 at night. We lived on siteand it was a bit difficult as she used to wake us up and I'd worry someone was messing with the horses, so I don't think curfews are unreasonable as such.
 

I couldn't go to a yard with a curfew.
Some weeks the earliest I can get to the yard is 10pm due to late shifts.

I've been the last one up each day this week at around 8.30pm and have found the yards tackroom unlocked and open so at least I check that every night just incase.
 
I could understand his restrictions if he lived on the yard, but as he doesn't seems a bit odd.
We have never had restrictions of any sort but have been woken at 5 am on many an occasion, mostly by people doing stupid things like whistling their dogs under your windows..
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. I don't think it occurs the them that all of us don't rise at 5 am....
It can be annoying if someone rides that early too because the sound of hoofbeats on the yard makes you instantly leap out of bed thinking something has escaped.
Evenings I think most people have had enough and gone home by 9pm anyway unless they are at a show.
Some yard owners have the rule simply because they want to enjoy their own home without anyone around, I have had people knock on my door late at night to borrow plaiting needles etc, which isn't really fair.
In your case I would try and talk to hiom again, explain the need to ride when it's cooler and ask if there is anything you can do to settle his mind. perhaps he always checks the gates and alarm etc and doesn't want to end up doing it later?
 
At my old yard in Glos there was no curfew - morning or night. Owners lived on site, and it was a large yard. Whoever was first up would have to un-alarm the tack room, the owners generally did a last run round the yard and alarmed it at about 10 or 10.30pm at night, and generally everyone was gone by then (thank god!) Someone used to ride at 5.30am due to her work commitments, and in the summer, a lot of us would ride at 8.30pm or so, due to the cooler temperatures. In the winter we had 3 separate floodlit schools, so riding in the dark was no problem.

Where I am now is a much smaller, quieter yard. There are no DIY liveries, which means there are much less people around in general. There is no curfew per se - we can all do the locking up and unlocking - they are about 6 locks and an alarm to do! I am generally first up at around 6.30/7am, staff on site at 7.30am on the dot and leave about 5. There aren't many people up in the evenings - I often pop up around half seven to check on the grass liveries though.

I said to the YO (doesn't live on site) how odd it was to be at a yard where there weren't huge gangs of people up after work - and she said that she preferred it that way - and I do understand, because it means that the yard stays peaceful, and that all the horses stay settleed having horse time to themselves. It's a very calm atmosphere, and there is a very rigid routine - which I do believe the horses appreciate. Of course, if I need to do anything in the evening, particularly want to ride then, or have a competition - it's not a problem.
 
We dont have anythng like that, but then i am fortunate as there is only me and my 2 and another lady and her 2. Yo lives on site. She is oh so easy going, other lady sometimes doesnt even muck out til 9 at night, I am beds up in morning, back about 4 and always done my 7 at latest.
 
I used to keep my horse at a yard where the hours were 9am - 9pm Mon to Friday and 9 am - 5pm at weekends!!! I thought it was absolutely rediculous - especially in the summer. The yard was also completely closed on Christmas and New Years day so you just had to either leave your horse in or out!!

I'm now at a yard that has no set hours and I am able to come and go as I please which is much better for me.
 
My yard is open til 10 pm I think - although to my knowledge, it's never been an issue.
On the one occasion when my old girl colicked, in the evening (vet came at 8pm) and I had to check her through the night, the YO provided a free bedsit for OH and I to stay in, and even gave us tea - very kind.
Generally, if I'm going up late at night to check horses or for any reason, I text YO in advance so she doesn't worry it's thieves.
S
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OMG!! That would be awful, ive been on a few livery yards and never had that problem
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In the summer im always down there late, and sometimes put them out after shows and go back at like 9pm to get them in. Would hate it if there were time limits
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really difficult situation to suddenly be put in and very unfair too.
Our YO's don't live on site at the mo and we are free to come and go as we please - we are probably cheap security for them.
But as we all work the usual 9-5 hours plus travelling time, 8.30pm would be impossible to adhere to.

Our last YO who did live on site used to make up bonkers rules (she was a little odd) because although she didn't know anything about horses she wanted to be involved. But when you explained to her why that wasn't acceptable (always good to use the excuse of 'its not good for the horses') she was fine and waved the new 'rule'. I think it was just something for her to do !
I definately think you and the rest of the liveries should talk to him. I know its hard sometimes for YO's to give over their property to others to use and sensible workable rules are there to ensure the smooth running of the yard, but when you take peoples hard earned cash each month (and it aint cheap is it ?? ) then you have to provide the facilities and the appropriate time to use those facilities.
If he won't listen then you'll have to look elsewhere. Don't compromise the time you have with your mare to adhere to something thats unworkable. Good luck.
 
Our yard is on a working farm - the farm gates are unlocked at 6am - they like us to be off for 9pm -ish, but ive been there later and never been asked to leave-- gates are locked at some point for guard dogs to be let out. If you are going to be late back after competing, or horse is poorly and needs nursing/vets then thats no problem, you just have to let YO know as they live on site and when the dogs bark they may think tey have prowlers... bit crappy if you have to be off your yard by 5pm on weekends - summer weekend evenings are buzzing at our yard, jumps up, horses being bathed for shows- general tea-drinking...
 
Does sound strange.

Our Yard is only small with grass liveries and only a handful of us use the tack room, which we all have the keys to - so no cerfew
 
On my old yard we had to be off by 7 pm in winter, which was pretty tough but I did it by doing everything in the morning and just fetching in in the evening.

At my current yard the owners live on site but don't have a curfew...couldn't be dealing with it myself.
 
Its weird having a curfew but 8.30pm isn't that early- my friends part livery yard is open 9-5 weekdays and 10-4 weekends only!!!!!
 
No curfew morning or night at my livery yard, YO's live on site though so if we are up early to go competing say, ( i was up at 4 am on thursday) we always try to be v. quiet, pretty much everyone is gone by 10 latest but if we are coming ome from a competition late or want to ride late then that is no problem as long as the lights are all off and the tack room is locked.
 
Our yard opens from 6am until 9.30pm. I am always first on the yard waiting at the gate for 6 and trigger the alarms for YO when I go through lol poor YO!

I would speak to the YO, it does not make sense to me if they do not live on site..
 
something similar happened to me.
i moved onto full livery yard, they had no set times, then they changed and the yard was closed from 7pm unless prior arrangements were made.
im at private yard now and can go down at 2 am if i want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
It's sorted. Spoke to YO and explained how it can be hard for me to comply with time restriction. So have arranged for "pony" to get her tea at 4pm on non lesson days so that I can ride and not have to wait to feed later. If I am a few minutes after 8.30, it will be ok considering the time it takes to lock, check & alarm the site. Will see how it goes.

Thanks all for your help, I appreciate it.
 
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