Livery yard users.... a question for you.

Mare Stare

Mare Stare

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If your horse allegedly broke some electric fence posts (turned out in field with others at the time), would you expect to pay for them?

There is a long backstory to this which I typed out, but got logged out and lost it when I went to submit it. :mad:

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I was told that the field would be divided by post and rail to seperate my horses from the 'managers'. Post and rail never materialised. I warned her that my girls don't respect electric fencing. Electric fencing was not working anyway and I was there when her horses broke into see mine when they were being fed.

I also doubt yard is legit because she makes excuses when I asked for receipts and I doubt the place is insured.
 
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Depends on a few things. Firstly, was it definitely my horse. Secondly, the type of yard, if I was paying cheapo diy, with not any extra in the rent to cover repairs, then yes. Paying enough for yo to cover repairs, no. And thirdly, how secure/ how much force would it have taken to break them, would it have needed above normal behavior to break them? And imo plastic fence posts are usually pretty flimsy. However it would depend on whose choice it was to use them, eg if I chose to use a field with plastic posts that had previously not been available to me, rather than my usual facilities, then I'd feel more responsible because I'd used it knowing the posts would be easily broken.
 
Littlelegs said:
Depends on a few things. Firstly, was it definitely my horse. Secondly, the type of yard, if I was paying cheapo diy, with not any extra in the rent to cover repairs, then yes. Paying enough for yo to cover repairs, no. And thirdly, how secure/ how much force would it have taken to break them, would it have needed above normal behavior to break them? And imo plastic fence posts are usually pretty flimsy. However it would depend on whose choice it was to use them, eg if I chose to use a field with plastic posts that had previously not been available to me, rather than my usual facilities, then I'd feel more responsible because I'd used it knowing the posts would be easily broken.
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Her choice to use them. I was promised post and rail. The leccy fencing was supposed to be there for a week.
 
In my mind if you hire/rent your facilities then unless stated in an agreement that all damages must be paid for, then i would expect repairs to be included. Horses as we all know are unpredictable and damages will occur over the course of time.
However if you really like being on this yard and its not terribly expensive then maybe putting in to meet the costs of replacement posts would be worth while. Also perhaps a rule change of not feeding in sight of other horses that are turned out would be in order.
 
How can it be proved it was your horse? And if the livery was supposed to be post and rail fencing, how is the cheaper electric alternative your problem?
 
No I wouldn't.

There should be well maintained and adequate fencing supplied. I moved from an otherwise good yard because the fencing was terrible, horses constantly getting out and injuries caused by trailing electric tape. Just not good enough I'm afraid.
 
IF I saw the other horse break it and it wasn't mine - NO.

One of the posts between my field and another was broken. It could have been my mare or the other one. Not sure which but I put one of my posts in to replace it.
My 2 horses and 2 other livery horse brought down their fence and broke 2 posts. I suspect it was the other liveries pony, as a few hours prior to that, she was leaning over the electric fence that was broken. But, can't guarantee that so I replaced them with 2 of my posts so that I could separate the 4 horses and get the fence re-erected.

What did YO say, when you said that you were there and saw her horses break it?
 
As the others say really. It depends on various factors, what your contract says, what price you are paying, whether it was definitely your horse.

However ultimately it could come down to how happy you are there and whether you want to stay.

If the owner thinks you should pay and you don't then he is perfectly at liberty to ask you to move on !
 
I have had to pay for all my own fencing, tape, batteries and energisers. At my yard it really depends on 'if your face fits' :( I have came up and found my fencing being used on a new livieries paddock and my guys shifted completely which means going and buying more etc

I hate my kit being used and I'm getting really grumpy now about anything of mine being borrowed. Its getting worse as the yard gets busier. :mad:

I hate to think how much I've spent on fencing kit over the years and had it gone walkies...

YO says that post and rail will be going up but I'm betting it will be for the new ones only....

:mad:
 
Girlychu said:
I have came up and found my fencing being used on a new livieries paddock and my guys shifted completely which means going and buying more etc:
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Now this would be a definite cause for complaint!

YO would definitely hear my moans about this one and I would be putting new livery horses in their stable and returning my fencing to secure my ponios paddock !

If it happened again I would not be bothering moving livery horses, I would just start moving my fencing !
 
If I'm a livery then no - unless it was my fault rather than horses just being horses.

If I was renting a field then yes.

Oh and if the place isn't insured get out quick before you regret it.
 
Mine has trashed wooden fences and his stable door and I haven't paid a penny - despite offering to!

I'd them that you'll pay up when they provide photographic proof that it was your horse.
 
By the sounds of it there's more than one issue going on here! If I knew it was my horse who had trashed the fencing and I hadn't pre-warned the yard owner then I may be more inclined to pay for it, if on the other hand either I hadn't seen my horse do it or I knew my horse was bad with electric fencing and had told them as much then no I wouldn't be paying for it. Secondly, if you're not sure about the yard being registered and insured I would be seriously thinking about whether it was the right yard for me. Registration would worry me that if they do get clobbered by the taxman is that going to affect the livery rates and ultimately whether the yard could be closed or change hands suddenly. Being without insurance would be a major no-no for soooo many reasons I wouldn't even attempt to list them all on here! And if I had bought electric fencing and found it was being used on someone else's paddock leaving my own with the rickety stuff I'd be moving yards PDQ and taking my fencing with me, never mind going out and buying more!!
 
corbleu said:
By the sounds of it there's more than one issue going on here! If I knew it was my horse who had trashed the fencing and I hadn't pre-warned the yard owner then I may be more inclined to pay for it, if on the other hand either I hadn't seen my horse do it or I knew my horse was bad with electric fencing and had told them as much then no I wouldn't be paying for it. Secondly, if you're not sure about the yard being registered and insured I would be seriously thinking about whether it was the right yard for me. Registration would worry me that if they do get clobbered by the taxman is that going to affect the livery rates and ultimately whether the yard could be closed or change hands suddenly. Being without insurance would be a major no-no for soooo many reasons I wouldn't even attempt to list them all on here! And if I had bought electric fencing and found it was being used on someone else's paddock leaving my own with the rickety stuff I'd be moving yards PDQ and taking my fencing with me, never mind going out and buying more!!
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You're right. There is more to it, and trying to explain it without writing a whole essay is a challenge.

There's been issues with my horses getting out due to shoddy fencing (she blamed this on my horses not being fed enough, only for her own horses to escape a week later :D ). When she showed me the field she kept saying that there would be post and rail across the middle, she didn't show me the crappy fencing on the other side of the field. Then she ripped me off over hay. I was paying for half a big bale which she was fed them, but she kept telling me she had ran out and needed money for more. On closer inspection, there was still plenty of hay there and no new bale seen anywhere. This happened three times before my horses were moved to a different field on their own. When they moved to a different field, she stopped giving them hay and went nuts because I helped myself to a couple of sections to give them. Remember, I had paid for it.

I'm also convinced that she is ripping the landowner off because she insists I pay her not him. He's lovely and lives on site. For some reason she has him wrapped around her little finger.

But hooray! Get the bunting out! Bring on the dancing girls! Because I have found somewhere else. I'm just waiting for my hubby to fix some of the fencing that has come loose in places.

It's just the woman's attitude that has irritated me. Whatever I say, I'm always in the wrong. She won't take responsibility for anything. She blames everything on me or my horses. She even berated me for not thanking her for feeding my horses hay!!

I've told her that I'm going - I've given her a month's notice like our contract says, and she has sent me a message asking me to poo pick the field before I leave (pretty impossible because it's like a quagmire - my horses are up to their fetlocks in mud) and to pay for these electric fence posts that my horses apparently broke. Tbh, I don't feel like doing either.

My horses have been there for 2 months.
 
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I should add that it's not a livery 'yard' as such. Thats just what she calls it in her contract. Apparently there are plans for stables, a menage and a cross country course (in her dreams!) but at the moment there are just two boggy fields.

Originally, the landowner was only letting her use the one, that was supposed to be divided with post and rail, but after the electric fencing had been pushed down a few times the horses were left together as a herd, only mine kept getting over the perimeter fence (which, to be blunt, was a **** fence that my horses could merely step over), they were then moved to a little field of around three quarters of an acre, where they still are now.
 
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