Moonlight flitters

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10 March 2009
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Just a small rant about people who leave without paying substantial livery bills. Why do people expect others to fund their lifestyle? It has happened so many times on our yard.I wouldnt have the nerve to come on the yard if I wasnt paying my bills
 
I always think they're just stitching themselves up really because eventually word will get round and they'll never get stables on any livery yard. Not to mention the fact that they can't ever go back if they need to.
 
I used to be on a large yard for a while, where a group of people with several posh competition type horses (think the people were related or something, never asked) had a special separate yard area, the horse walker was in their 'area' so only they had access, priority grazing (24/7 when they wanted it, all year, own horses in the good field, everyone else got what was left on a strict schedule) lorded it over the indoor arenas and jumps etc.

They did a flit, and it came out they hadnt paid a penny for several months!

Theres the rest of us paying up on time and still getting the rough end of the stick. I cant say I was that sympathetic to the owners letting them get away with running up a bill and playing favourites, and I was glad I was moving area and not hanging around.
 
When I bought my horse his owner had not paid her livery bill for 2 months and the yo had been feeding him.

Times are tough at the moment, at Beeston auction recently I saw several nice horses which had signs up saying "sold as livery debt" - its only going to get worse in the next few years :(
 
I make all my liveries sign a detailed contract stating that livery is paid one month in advance, by direct debit, on or before the 1st of each month, and that if a bill is unpaid I reserve the right to retain an item of tack or indeed the horse, and, if no payment is received within fourteen days of a written warning, I have the right to sell said tack or horse, recover my costs, and return all further money to the owner. I also ask for one month's notice, or one month's livery in lieu of notice.

Obviously there have been people who have taken the proverbial (particularly the well known National Hunt trainer who kept a large number of horses on part livery with me whilst a new barn was being built at his own yard, and took five horses away with just twenty minutes notice....he was, of course, made to pay for the month following, but it took some serious doing to get him to agree to that!) but on the whole, it provides some security for me, and I've found people are less likely to do midnight flits if they've already paid til the end of the month.

I invoice each owner at the end of each month, so that I can add on shoeing bills etc. and all extras like these are paid in arrears.
 
I've done it once.

It was because the yard owner chucked me off simply for knowing a woman he didn't like. I'd been there for a week (Livery was due the week after as was paid fortnightly), He asked me where i lived in general conversation, I told him, He asked if i knew X and i said i knew her (Did not elaborate any further, I could have hated her guts for all he knew, I don't, But he never gave me a chance to say anyway lol.) and he told me i had a week to get off the yard.

The other liveries also started a hate campaign against me the next day. I was called away from work twice because they kept reporting me to the RSPCA saying i had not visited the horse (I had, Just not at the same time as them, because i had a mysterious place called 'work' i went to everyday aswell). Which resulted in me losing more in wages than what my livery was anyway.

Although, technically not a moonlight flit, as i did do it in broad daylight and told him where to stick his livery.
 
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I always think they're just stitching themselves up really because eventually word will get round and they'll never get stables on any livery yard. Not to mention the fact that they can't ever go back if they need to.

^^^

There is someone I know of that was on our yard and is now in this position - doesn't help she's not the most pleasant person to deal with either. I see her horse (sometimes horses) in various fields around, never more than about 6 weeks to 2 months a time. Almost like she starts to get hassled for livery and she up sticks.
 
Its the horses I feel sorry for - but then again I know a few pony club mums that are racking up thousands in debts to try and keep up with the other families - its crazy
 
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