Livery yards & grit- who gets it?

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happy_talk

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My horse is at DIY livery at a yard that is also a riding school. Who should supply the salt/grit? Will give more info if needed- can't decided who's being unreasonable!
 
Should be yard. Depends on the size of the yard as well I suppose. If it is a professionally run yard then I would expect the owners to at least attempt to keep the main areas of the yard clear for access. Not much good if you pay to use the facilities and you cant because it is not safe to get to them. Health and Safety issues??? / their insurance if an accident occurs...
 
there's 11 liveries. not sure how many riding school horses- quite a few. obviously as liveries we're paying for the facilities- of which outdoor arena is out of action, and indoor is used for lessons or frozen. my own greivance is that grit would still be required if no liveries there as still a riding school. didn't have to provide any last year. then do I pay £5-7/bag of grit, or steal some from the council (if I can actually find any left in a bin).
 
I would have thought the yard, you are a paying customer, DIY or not and IMO it is their duty of care to their customers to provide a safe environment.
 
IMO it should be the yard. Even as a DIY we are paying for the facilities and if the way from the stable to the field or wherever needs some sand or grit put on it then it should be the YO's responsibility.
 
its a double edged sword! if the YO grits the yard and someone slips and has an accident she would be liable as not gritted properly, however if she doesnt grit and someone slips and has an accident she isnt liable as it is due to weather conditions!!! health and safety came in when common sense went out!!
 
No. It was like an ice rink the other day. Friend got her car stuck
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I can understand the H&S PoV- but I don;t think that applies as we would get the grit (buy it or steal it) and it goes in the yard's "stock" pile- which the staff put down. AFAIK liveries have never touched this pile.
Yes- we're DIY- but if we weren't there YO would still have to buy it.

My gut reaction is it's not our responsibility as liveries to get grit. But YO can be a force to be reckoned with so wanted others opinions.
 
I know a lot of yards/businesses in general won't grit as it then makes them liable if an accident happens, so the yard owner is better off not supplying grit unfortunately. Gotta love health and safety
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[ QUOTE ]
its a double edged sword! if the YO grits the yard and someone slips and has an accident she would be liable as not gritted properly, however if she doesnt grit and someone slips and has an accident she isnt liable as it is due to weather conditions!!! health and safety came in when common sense went out!!

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Yes, this is what I was lead to believe the way things are legally. So actually prudent if the YO chooses <u>not</u> to grit.

For a couple of days last week it was impossible for any of us DIY liveries (about 35 of us) to get to within 2 miles of our horses due to 5 inch thick ice on the lane up to the yard, so the YO's had to do everyone's horses over that time. Thank goodness they live on site and have plenty of hay/straw stored.

I buy my own grit and grid around my stable door inside the barn. If it's really bad, we liveries layer used bedding along walkways to the muck heap, to prevent slipping. Works for us and the YO doesn't mind providing it's cleared when the ice thaws.
 
if YO chooses not to grit then she can't run her business (riding school) as not safe to move horses. livery horses in american barn- so we don't need grit unless we want to get in indoor school.
the grit liveries get would be for general yard use, for YO to use as she pleases.
 
Just remember, the weather is not the YO owners fault and they are probably finding it as frustrating and dangerous as you!
I had to ask my liveries to park at the bottom of the lane and walk up to the yard as with their cars coming and going, it was compacting the snow, and made the yard entrance a skating rink so we couldn't get our own veichles out, let alone horses!
We all muck in with the grit - as the YO I ensure all grit boxes are full, but we all lay it as and when needed....
 
I think the if the yo supplied it, we would be happy to distribute it. however, that doesn't happen so i have managed to get some over the past 2 years.
this year, my friend and i came back from a hack and there was a council truck broken down just outside yard. we got over there sharpish with a shovel and some feed bags and got this years supply. Reall, i am too old to be clambering in or out of the back of trucks.
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i can just imagine the guys coming back and saying, i am sure we had a full load when we left it here.
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I would say that the riding school/livery yard owner should. However, I have gone to the council depot myself before now and asked for a bucket full and been given it.
 
Blitzen- yes, I understand your point. But AFAIK no liveries have taken grit from the stock pile. Any grit laid down is for the whole yard and customers. The number of livery horses are a minority on the yard.
 
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Your livery is on a Do It Yourself basis. Dont you think that speaks for itself really?

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Of course but when you are paying for the use of the arena/field etc .....Then I do think the YO has to take some sort of responsibility .

Question for you ....When the water has frozen, do you think DIY liveries have to provide their own water ?


Col x
 
at my yard we were heavily effected by the snow! we had 4 inches 3 nights in a row!! the local council provide free grit and the yard owner A) didnt go and get any B) refused to let us take our horses out of the stable C) left the yard totaly untouched!! were still 4 inches under in sheet ice!!
 
CMT- water is never a real issue- although the taps are frozen now there's a stream that runs through the yard that we can get water through all year.
 
Right I wish HH would do a feature on this and wake up these blessed livery yards whether they be DIY or otherwise!

Not only under the HSE Act they are Liable to provide a 'safe environment fit for purpose' but also more info here

http://www.theclaimsconnection.co.uk/slipping-on-ice.html

http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?activeTextDocId=1159585

Print this lot out!

I have walked onto over 40 yards during the cold period and do you know where I have slipped the most? Damn livery yards! One stupid yard owner said that his insurance company 'told him not to grit and to leave as nature intended'

Livery Yards need a WAKE up call! They are all happy to take your money to rent out their stables and fields but when it comes to them 'working within the law' then they shirk their responsibilities.

Having lost a horse to the NEGLIGENCE of a Livery Yard owner and Manager its about time yards shook themselves up and started to provide a proper service!
 
Someone on here said if yard employs people it has a duty of care to staff, but if not then it doesn't to customers??

Would love to hear from anybody who has spoken to BHS legal helpline over this.
 
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