Livery yard woes

[DirectorFury]

But was I out of order? How do other people work it? So many people book and don't show up, which is quite annoying

Your YO should be dealing with this - a rule that you need to be on the yard 15 mins after the start of your slot, at the very latest, or the booking is released would just be good sense.

If someone booked and didn’t turn up I’d also a) ban them from booking slots for 2 weeks and b) charge them £5 for any future missed bookings. It’s so so rude and inconsiderate.

 

[Roxylola]

I'd crack on if they're not on the yard at the start of their use - its going to take them at least 15 minutes when they do arrive to tack up etc. I can get a fair bit done in 20 minutes even if they did kick me out.

 

[Equine_Dream]

Going against the grain here but not having sufficient turnout is a big no no for me when it comes to choosing a livery yard. I expect my horses to have access to turnout all year round and would not be happy with them being stabled for 20hrs a day.
They are a heard animal and interaction and play between horses is very necessary imo for their mental wellbeing. That's not to say I would expect turnout on grass. Turnout in a school/barn etc would also be fine providing they had access to hay and it wasn't just for a brief hour while they are mucked out.
I was previously on a yard where YO restricted our turnout. I ended up with my mare colicing and I'm 99.999999% sure it was partly down to lack of turnout (vet agreed).
Needless to say I have moved yards since to a yard that has unrestricted turnout all year round. Mine are out from 8am to 6pm. Yes the winter paddocks are trashed but my horses are happy. I wouldn't deem it acceptable to lock a dog in a cage 20hrs a day so I don't see how it would be acceptable with a horse.
Anyway I'm glad you've sorted it now OP. We are DIY but help each other out if anyone is ever stuck. I do think its a bit naughty of the YO to just dump it on you. I understand people have personal issues, but you're paying for a service and it should be the YO's responsibility to source an alternative arrangement.

 

[Gingerwitch]

It's reassuring that so many think that restricted turnout is ok. Riding is 6 times a week 'weather permitting' but the weather hasn't been very permitting recently!! And lockdown means no getting out and about so I do feel guilty that they are bored, understimulated, underexercised. But I can only do what I can do.

On a related note..... Indoor woes! We are extremely lucky and have an indoor but as you can imagine it is very heavily used. Some people book then don't use their time. So here's the question. If someone has it booked for an hour and is not there then would you nab their spot? I was waiting to ride and 20 minutes after the person's 'slot' started I went in. They had not even arrived on the yard at that point. Then she arrived on the yard and was a bit miffed I was using her time. But she wasn't there! It was amicably resolved in the end - I offered to leave immedately and she could have the rest of her time. Or I could finish off and she could go in after me for longer. Which she did. But was I out of order? How do other people work it? So many people book and don't show up, which is quite annoying.

Depends if they are charged for the school use or if it's free and how often it happens. We can all have emergencies.

 

[Birker2020]

I was on a yard where turnout was year round, which was rare for the area, but only for 1 hr/day in winter and 1.5hrs/day in summer.

The horses were fine and settled on this, and they were all in daily work. It’s not good for older or creaky horses, but for younger working horses, like yours, it’s fine.

Can possibly understand this in winter but why on 1.5 hours a day in the Summer??? That's mental. Most of us turnout overnight in the Summer which can be anything from 13 hours to as much as 17!

 

[SEL]

We had a booking system for the school at my last yard and if I couldn't find the person (or their car wasn't on the yard) at their allotted time then I'd pinch it and just yell 'Hi, kick me out when you're ready' as soon as they arrived. Often by the time they were ready their slot was over anyway!

 

[milliepops]

That would irritate the BEJESUS out of me and I’d be expecting a YO to step in and manage that kind of thing.

If I ever had a yard, which I won’t because I’d prob end up telling liveries to feck off, it would be shared use in peak times only, and a limit of 1h/horse/week private booking in non-peak times.

But in short - I would without a doubt ride in a booked slot if the rude eejits hadn’t rocked up

this, i actually left a yard over stupid arrangements like this, it got totally ridiculous. just muscle in. if they turn up they can always ask you to leave.

 

[Birker2020]

I moved to a yard from my present one and moved back again after a couple of yearsbut when I went to view the previous yard I was told turnout was 365 days a year.

What I wasn't told was that from Oct to May turnout was only 2 hours a day in a large 'sandpit!' In actual fact my horse loved it and was really settled there, she had another horse next to him separated by electric fence. There was enough room for a canter and a buck if needs be but they mostly ate the large net that was provided for all of them to share in their allotted 2 hour turnout time. She was recovering from injury anyway so it didn't matter to either of us, at least she wasn't wading through knee deep mud which she would have been had she been turned out as it was grass turnout but on peat soil.

I think it depends on the personal circumstances as to turnout for some horses. I don't think its ever black and white to be honest. Roll on 5 years and said horse is only out at the moment for 4 hours or so but this is due to mud bath field (as they all are at the moment with the dreadful weather we've been having) and boredom so chance of running around.

Come better weather she will be out for as long as humanely possible.

 

[Gingerwitch]

That would irritate the BEJESUS out of me and I’d be expecting a YO to step in and manage that kind of thing.

If I ever had a yard, which I won’t because I’d prob end up telling liveries to feck off, it would be shared use in peak times only, and a limit of 1h/horse/week private booking in non-peak times.

But in short - I would without a doubt ride in a booked slot if the rude eejits hadn’t rocked up

Been on a yard with shared use it was awful 1 lunging and 1 with poles mo one doing left to left and folk walking on the outside.. arghhhhhhhhhhh

 

[milliepops]

shared use works fine if you have a few rules, personally i prefer no lunging at shared times but I have shared a 20 x 60 with one lunging which is fine if the horses and people are sensible.
on a busy yard of DIYs who all work in the week, there's no other way for people to exercise their horses in winter, otherwise you get the ridiculous situation that made me up and leave, where you could only have 20 mins each day to give everyone a spin round. and that's all you can do in 20 mins when the horse is cold from the stable!

 

[Gingerwitch]

shared use works fine if you have a few rules, personally i prefer no lunging at shared times but I have shared a 20 x 60 with one lunging which is fine if the horses and people are sensible.
on a busy yard of DIYs who all work in the week, there's no other way for people to exercise their horses in winter, otherwise you get the ridiculous situation that made me up and leave, where you could only have 20 mins each day to give everyone a spin round. and that's all you can do in 20 mins when the horse is cold from the stable!

Salient point......if the people are sensible, it's not usually the animals its 99% the people. I have some horror stories especially the one that kicks out and is not allowed out with others and has to hack at the back and has a red ribbon in its tail all the time..... but in a horse yard of 80+ and concentrating you are supposed to remember when the new horse enters the arena its bea and the consequences and no ribbon and an exercise rug on being ridden by one of the many sharers it had..... arghhhhhhhh

 

[Annagain]

We share which is fine as never more than 2 of us at a time (Only 11 on the yard, 4 of them aren't ridden and 4 of those who are are owned by 2 people) There's no specific rule but if we want to lunge we wait until it's empty, that's just common sense.

 

[Caol Ila]

I've never been at a yard where you had to book the arena. I've come across them while yard hunting and never felt enamored with the idea, as I'm just not that organized. Sometimes, I don't know if I want to hack or school or do whatever until I tack the horse up.

The downside to a free-for-all is that you occasionally get annoyed at people jumping or lunging, but I'll take that over a booking system.

 

[Birker2020]

I've never been at a yard where you had to book the arena. I've come across them while yard hunting and never felt enamored with the idea, as I'm just not that organized. Sometimes, I don't know if I want to hack or school or do whatever until I tack the horse up.

The downside to a free-for-all is that you occasionally get annoyed at people jumping or lunging, but I'll take that over a booking system.

What used to annoy me about people lunging is you would get on person lunging on the outside track of a 45m x 65m instead of being in the middle so people could work around them which is more than safe to do so with such a large arena

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Not sure about the school as I just go off hacking on my own unless it's too windy I'm which case I'll try and lunge

Re the turn out, it looks like you've sorted it but I'd be speaking to the other liveries and seeing if I could share favours e.g. they turn mine out then I'll bring theirs in later when I go up and muck out etc. That would of course rely on them being good to catch, mine isn't having anyone catch him bar my mum who does him in the week

How far away is the yard, while a massive pain in the backside, could you pop up mid morning just to bring in if someone else has turned out for you, then go up after work to do all your main jobs that way it's kept as the 2 visits

Also try telling mine turn out is the be all and end all- if the weather is especially bad in the winter, he will go spinning round the stable when yo tries to catch him to turn him out- he'd far rather stay in! If you're worried about him being bored, you could always get him a treat ball or something so he has something extra to "do"

 

[Tiddlypom]

Can possibly understand this in winter but why on 1.5 hours a day in the Summer??? That's mental. Most of us turnout overnight in the Summer which can be anything from 13 hours to as much as 17!

That was the Wirral for you ?‍.

 

[scats]

That was the Wirral for you ?‍.

Thank god I’m not one one of those yards! We have a serious lack of yards with decent turnout on the wirral, despite it being one of the most horse populated areas of the UK. I am so lucky to be where I am!

 

[muddybay]

I can't imagine having a booking system

 

[Wishfilly]

We do bookings for outside instructors/saddlers etc only, which I think works well- and you can only book max 30 mins at peak times.

Most of the time we end up with a maximum of two sharing, which is absolutely fine! If someone wants to lunge, they tend to do it at quiet times!

To be honest, I would be a bit unhappy with the situation in terms of turnout too- I don't really think it's on to introduce an additional rule and then also drop you in it in terms of not offering services. I fully appreciate that the YO has the right to withdraw services at any time, but surely then she needs to accept that she can't dictate so much in terms of turnout?

But it's good you have found a solution!