Livery yards - What makes you stay, what makes you leave?

A

asterid

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 February 2010
Messages
498
Visit site
So have been at my yard 3 years. Has fantastic facilities and is cheap and close to home.
However, I am considering leaving. My reasons are my recent post re: liveries stealing haylage, gossiping liveries = b@tching and the yard being run my someone not suitable. I generally keep to the people who are neutral and try and go up there when there are not so many people about. However, the people are making it not nice at the mo, which is a side effect of winter (too many people in one space at the same time).

I like it there because of the facilities and close to home. Horse seems happy enough, but is a ****** to keep weight on (feed is correct, no ulcers etc). It is a very hectic place almost 24 hours a day! So maybe she isn't as happy as I think.

My point to a rather long winded post, is would I be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire? Are most yards b@tchy? Will people gossip at any yard or any place with a group of people?

Have somewhere else in mind, but they have no spaces.
 
I would make sure that where you move to is right for you. Don't be afraid to wait for the right place to come up. Not all places are b*tchy, and if things are starting to go missing, it can be a slippery slope I have found. However, you may find things pick up in the spring? What is wrong with the person who runs the yard? Serious concerns, or personality clash?
 
Some yards are very bitchy, some not at all. I really think it depends on the type of people you have on there. A loan loanI had was on a reay nice yard. I used to go after school and only YO would be there minding her own business. I would do my horse and lunge ride whatever and we would have a chat and that was it. Even at weekends people came at different times and yard was mainly older people or horsey mums with teens. It was a lovely yard because there was no bitching about whos turn it was to ride here and who had borrowed whos fork/barrow/cup.
Current yard I was on used to be really nice, full of well meaning older people who just wanted to hack and enjoy thier horses no matter if therw horses were very old or ugly, it was all about having a good time for them. Then we got some new younger liveries who do nothing but bitch and argue about who left a bucket in the field or used the wrong fork. Very childish and silly so I now have my name down for another local yard that has lovely faccilities and seems to have less bitchy people and yard politics! If you are not happy then gather your courage and leave :)
Good luck
 
zaminda said:
What is wrong with the person who runs the yard? Serious concerns, or personality clash?
Click to expand...

We have had 3 managers in less than a year! Due to one thing or another, not the yard itself (cant really go into detail). The new YM is quite rude and every question seems too much to answer (liveries are a bother, unless you have a very important husband or are a personal friend!). YM is planning on leaving soon, well in under a year, so its possible things may change, but the liveries will still be the same. The food thieving happens every winter, so not impressed!
 
No amount of bitching would make me leave tbh I don't give a flying donkeys a** what anyone thinks if me, are these people really that important to your life

Just leave them too it, do your horse go home.

I'd only leave a yard if I felt the standard if care was not good enough for my horse.
 
Even if a yard seems perfect when you first move on things sometimes change. Can be a drop in service, a change with liveries, new horse upsets the herd, etc. Sometimes horse is settled but owner isn't. I always think you should do what you believe is best for you & your horse.
 
The people make you leave or stay. The fields at my new year aren't brilliantly secure so I started looking for a yard with decent post and rail, but then the YM and a mate took me to find the hole, repaired it, had a cup of tea afterwards, makes you rethink.
 
I was on a yard previously to the one I am on now. It was a riding school too and the management just saw liveries as free money, couldnt get in the school much. My horse was grumpy,nipping and cribbing a lot. I asked the management to put him out one morning, I got there to get him in and they put his heavy weight turnout ontop of his heavy weight stable rug,pure laziness and I went nuts. It was quite a big yard and busy with the lessons. I moved yards and my horse very quickly settled. He's very happy where he is.
Maybe if you say what part of the country your in someone can reccommend?
I would say look about and see how content the horses are,is the yard load and busy,how well are the horses looked after,how much turnout do they get,knowledge of the manager?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top