Maintaining grazing DIY.

[WillowTree21]

Who’s responsibility would it be to sort ragwort & strim nettles etc on a livery yard, specifically DIY?

Nothing in the contract covers these responsibilities.

Thanks,

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Then the contract is a waste of time.
My previous DIYs were given a pretty well weed free paddock, I requested that they kept it weed free and replace any damaged posts or rails (using ones I kept in the store). I'd harrow, roll etc and deal with tree branches and provide hosepipe to the tank. They had to keep tanks clean.

 

[Hepsibah]

In my experience, liveries have to pull ragwort on smaller yards. Bigger yards seem to prefer periodic weedkilling.

 

[AmyMay]

The YO, unless you’re renting the whole place yourself.

 

[WillowTree21]

Thanks.

My horse along with another has been moved into a different paddock with a lot of nettles & it’s also been halved for recovery. But I wanted to ask for them to be sorted, didn’t want to be unreasonable by asking, but felt like it is the YO responsibility.

 

[windand rain]

Every yard I have been on DIY it has been literally do it yourself so would say it is up to you unless you have written evidence to the contrary. We even had to provide our own fencing, mend roofs etc we literally rented the stable and paddock the rest was upto us what was annoying was we would often get moved once we had made it nice. The YO attitude was if you don't like it get lost

 

[Hepsibah]

Every yard I have been on DIY it has been literally do it yourself so would say it is up to you unless you have written evidence to the contrary. We even had to provide our own fencing, mend roofs etc we literally rented the stable and paddock the rest was upto us what was annoying was we would often get moved once we had made it nice. The YO attitude was if you don't like it get lost

That doesn't sound like livery, DIY or otherwise, it sounds more like renting land. I rent a couple of acres myself and do all maintenance including fencing but for that we pay a little over agricultural rates rather than equestrian rates.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would expect the landowner to keep the land in good order tbh but there is no harm in liveries getting some gloves and pulling the ragwort, so long as they know where to burn it. It should not be left to rot because it will just seed itself somewhere else.

 

[WillowTree21]

If I was paying just for grazing or renting the land myself I would obviously take care of it.

But like you we aren’t allocated fields, they get swapped around which is also why I thought it wouldn’t be my responsibility.

 

[Lipglosspukka]

I've never expected this of the yard owner, however have never been on a posh yard.

If all the liveries club together, then pulling ragwort isn't so bad, especially if you all chip in for pizza afterwards.

Strimming nettles takes but minutes and the horses will eat them up.

 

[motherof2beasts!]

We do our own paddocks , I leave nettles though as mine seem to quite like them !

 

[windand rain]

Can assure you it was DIY livery there was a whip cracking YM who moaned every day about people not pulling their weight but did nothing if asked he quoted Do it yourself or if you don't like it go He also controlled where the ponies grazed and which stable they had. It wasn't the only yard like that either DIY means just that. I now rent a field it is very different as I get to choose where the ponies are how to manage the land and what treatments to go with for maintenance

 

[Hepsibah]

Cripes. That's appalling.

 

[scats]

We have to do our own.

 

[Willowbankstables]

I've always done ragworting myself on all DIY yards I've been on.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

We’ve got individual paddocks and pull ragwort ourselves although there’s not much to pull luckily. The landowner has sprayed for weeds about three times in the last decade but ragwort is notoriously difficult to get rid of plus weedkiller kills good weeds / herbs too. We used to get strimming and topping done yearly but since the last of the old workers retired we struggle to get anything done.

It would take a few hours to strim my fields not minutes. I will also have to buy a strimmer before I can strim.

When I’ve been on shared fields at previous yards the landowner has usually managed it (or not!) usually there are people who pull their weight and others who never do and it leads to bad feeling. I much prefer having allocated paddocks I can use as I wish.

 

[little_critter]

I’m on diy and liveries are asked to pull ragwort as they see it. Anything bigger than that (say docks or thistles taking over the grazing) should be dealt with by the YO.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

My sister took on a paddock that was more nettles than grass. Nettles were head high on me. She cut them down, a few each day and the horses cleared them. After the first year they were never as bad again. Nettles don't worry me, ragwort, thistles and docks do.

 

[Surbie]

I'm on DIY and pull ragwort as I see it. With all the rain I might have a go at the docks too, but my horse will happily eat the thistles. YO generally sorts the fields & they are in pretty good nick.

 

[L&M]

When i ran a small diy yard I did all field and yard maintenance - I wanted it done the way I liked it as at the end of the day it was my land and my property, and when the liveries moved on, I still had to look out the window at it!

The only thing I asked liveries to do was whitewash their stables every couple of years - we made it a social event with a bbq after and was good fun.

 

[MissTyc]

We collaborate - we get together on pre-determined days and pull weeds. We do spray paddocks on rotation, but are trying to minimise the use of chemicals and the rested fields are now alive with bees and butterflies because of the wildflowers and herbs, so that's been quite motivating to not have to spray. Every 3-4 years it does need to be done as we have star thistles that can spread if you even miss one plant and Ragwort of course has bumper years. On 40 acres of hillside with loads of shrubs it's not always easy to locate every single plant!

 

[milliepops]

i've always been responsible for pulling any ragwort, current yard I've also chopped down docks from my own choice to maximise grazing area and a YO at a previous yard asked for that to be done too as she had fenced the fields in such a way you couldn't get a tractor into any of them

current YO just had the weeds topped. first time I've had this at any yard but then it's not really a livery where I am now and she maintains her own fields pretty well so mine gets done at the same time. I've never been responsible for fixing fencing at livery, only to report any dodgy bits that were in need of attention.

 

[J&S]

Dig up your ragwort, cut down the nettles and leave them to wilt and your horses will eat them. However, I can see it would be very frustrating to get your field all sorted and then be moved on to another!

 

[Tarragon]

When i ran a small diy yard I did all field and yard maintenance - I wanted it done the way I liked it as at the end of the day it was my land and my property, and when the liveries moved on, I still had to look out the window at it!

The only thing I asked liveries to do was whitewash their stables every couple of years - we made it a social event with a bbq after and was good fun.

Your place sounds lovely

 

[Wishfilly]

If you have been moved paddocks not at your request, then I think the YO should ensure the paddock is suitable, including being free of any poisonous plants.

At the yard I'm currently on, it's our responsibility to pull ragwort and docks, but any other field maintenance is done periodically by the YO, including topping weeds in some areas. However, this is clearly stated in our contracts.

 

[MuddyMonster]

On the DIY yards I've been on, we've generally always done day to day weed maintenance ourselves. If it was a big job (ie a lot of strimming of weeds) the YO would be responsible for doing it (or not ...!)

 

[WillowTree21]

Thanks all, sounds like there’s some really lovely YO/liveries out there with little work parties & bbq’s!

I’ll pull ragwort if I see it definitely.

Strimming this area will probably take an hour or so, I will ask the YO if I’m staying in this paddock & if so I’ll do it.

 

[Leandy]

I'd generally expect it to be the yard owner's responsibility unless they had specifically put it in the contract to the contrary. Of course if the yard owner does do it all properly, then the livery fee is likely to be higher than somewhere where they don't and the liveries need to accept that. If the yard owner simply doesn't do it, then I agree that self help is the only way.

 

[L&M]

Your place sounds lovely

Thanks it was, just wish I had it still but life moves on.....

 

[ihatework]

I’d generally say it would be the YO provided it was a structured livery yard charging accordingly.

Cheap basic diy, wouldn’t be unheard of to maintain your own paddocks.