Need some thoughts please

dianchi

dianchi

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 February 2007
Messages
6,125
Location
Herts
Visit site
Last night i arrived at the yard at 5.30pm usual time for full working normal person.
Anyway there were three kids jumping their ponies in the school so i thought it was prob best to wait till they had finished so i got on mucked out and did all my jobs.
At 5.45pm two kids appeared cantering up the drive-which is completly potholes, after being out hacking, ponies completly soaked and panting like they had been galloping for hours. They then went off to the school to jump also.
At 6.20pm they were still in there, all 5 of them. As i pay to be at the yard i decided i was going to ride-completly in my right.
School was full of jumps and kids just sat on the ponies in the middle of the school. I asked them had they finished they said no. I asked would they put the jumps away after they had finished, they said when it suited them as they still had jobs to do. no bothering to argue i just got on to ride.

School rules seem to escape these children and they kept riding on the track at me when i was on the left rein. After asking them quite firmly could they ride left to left they decided to follow me round and round the school. My mare wasnt too keen and started to swish her tail and snap.
Before any accidents-that were bound to end up with my horse kicking them, i left.
Went and spoke to the yard manager who mearly shrugged and said maybe she would write some rules about evening use of the school.
I felt so demoralised, i work all day for horse and i cant even school in the evenings! These brats (sorry but there is no other word for them) A dont pay their own bills,B their parents dont seem to have a clue and C abuse ponies that arent even theirs.
I really am, at the end of my tether. I love the fact i have my instructor on the yard and that my horse is really really settled.
But what can i do???? The kids are just rude and abusive and i dont pay hard earned money for that!
Sorry for long post but so so so upset and now dont know what to do.
Big box for chocolates and wine for everyone who gets this far.
 
Do these young riders affect other liveries in the same way? Maybe it is time for a yard meeting, so that the majority can put thier veiw and set some ground rules everybody can stick to, with the agreement of the YO.
 
Sounds like a nightmare! I'd have some serious words with YO - maybe as the_watcher says, get everyone together. If I didn't get anywhere, I'd move I'm afraid! I couldn't stand it - rude children are a pet hate of mine and I wouldn't be able to trust myself not to throttle them lol!
 
She is the most un confrentation person i know prefer to put up notices then anything else.

The problem with our yard is that half is children, the majority of adults dont work during the day so arent affected by them and then there is about 4 of us who work full time and try and ride in the evenings.

Worst of all they never put away the jumps last night and the YO out away the jumps so she could teach!

Starting to think of looking elsewhere now.
 
I'd want to let rip at the kids themselves!

Seriously - have a word with your YO - even if she is unconfrontational it sounds like there is a health and safety and a welfare issue that needs to be addressed here. It may not be a nice conversation for her, but all part of the job I'm afraid...
 
We lost four liveries his year due to kids but that didnt seem to bother her.
Also the parents of them dnt have a clue, one bought a 3yo pony for her daughter and cant understand why its a handful!
 
I think the problem here is that there are no rules for the use of the school on your yard. I used to be at a yard that had the same problem and it caused all sorts of friction amongst liveries. Giving all liveries some written rules would save so much grief and make it a safer place. We used to end up with three people trying to ride in a smallish area and somone would still try and come in to lunge! The yard owner would just shrug as yours did. I agree have a meeting and play the health ans safety card with the YO.
 
If your YO does nothing move to an adults only yard there are a couple near me. We have several teenagers who are just as bad at times, luckily two of them have parents that clean up after them, but they are a danger to themselves and others and it drives me nuts that their mothers think the sun shines out of their bottoms!
 
Do you think that if you wrote some rules up for your YO to agree to (taking the work away from her) that she would enforce them if abused? Because if the answer is yes, I would tackle it that way by creating the rules on a sheet myself and getting the YO to 'okay' them. If the answer if no, you are going to loose out anyway because the kids will just carry on regardless.
The other option is to cover yourself by riding your horse in the school with a very visable red ribbon in it's tail and then if they get to close and one of their ponies gets kicked..tough! It might teach them a lesson!
 
Every yard I've been at keeps a diary for the school and you have to pre-book. If you work then your prime slot is 5.00-6.30(or whatever) kids get 3.30-5.00 and non-working adults get "off peak" times. lessons take priority, share if you can but a maximum is maybe 3 horses, no one can hog all the slots and everyone must clear jumps and poo pick!! Or Else!! That's the theory anyway. Alternatively just round the brats up and lock em in a stable!!
 
I agree it must be frustrating and you need to reach an agreement but I have to say I don't think five people sharing the school doing the same thing from 5.30 to 6.20 is actually unreasonable, even if that means they're being rowdy kids. I couldn't ride my horse in with that mob but I'd consider that at least to some extent my problem and wouldn't mind waiting a bit longer than that for it to quieten down. Also (unless the school is very small) I can't see why some people are so put out at (shock horror!!) having to ride around jumps. I know it can be a pain if they are left out all the time and if there are so many there's no room to school round, but people who think the end of the world has come because there have to ride past a showjump just baffle me.

IMHO you need to be a bit more flexible or move to an adults only yard with some stricter rules.
 
I would be inclined to look for a new yard now. I spent a lot of time at a yard where people had no respect for others. It spoils your time with your horese, then generally spills over to your home/work life. Try to solve the problem with a chat , but keep an eye open for something that might be just as suitable for your horse.
laugh.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top