New yard advice

[kc921]

Hey all,

Moved my lovely horse to a new yard around a month ago and he had settled in better than I could have imagined! The facilities are fantastic and so is the turn out! And in general I really really like it there!

I'm having a tiny issue however, it's is a very big yard (over 60 horses on the yard) so loads of people's around! Yet barely anyone comes across as friendly...
I try to smile and make small talk with people even if they are just passing by and I barely get a reaction.

I've already had someone start going into my storage area and taking scoops/feed etc without asking me (to which I've now lost a scoop! 😖) Another person moan at me for putting up a haynet where my horse was tied up (I checked with the YO and she said ignore them as haynets are allowed when being tied up) and finally someone being plain rude to me when I was hosing down my horse!

Luckily one of my old yard friends said he may be coming to the new yard I'm at, so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed! 😊

So my question is, how did you all settle into your new yards?
Did you have any teething issues and were easily sorted? Or have I got the brunt of bad luck!!

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[Peter7917]

Sounds like a typical large livery yard to me. I would harden up. If they are that rude or standoffish then do you really want to be friends with them anyway? Stand your ground and don't take any crap. Next time she moans at you tell her to mind her own business. As for the feed stealing, wow, do you know who has been doing it?

 

[meleeka]

Your horse is happy so I think you’ll have to just get on with it, but agree don’t be anyone’s mug. You aren’t there to make friends (although it would be nice) you are there to look after your horse. Can you get a locking feed bin? I’d be fuming at that and clearly that’s a situation that can’t continue.

This is why you couldn’t pay me to be on a yard.

 

[Micky]

As above stand your ground, put your head down and get on with your horse/riding and jobs, someone will come up at some point and try to be friendly..and get a lock for your feed etc! Gives you more opportunity to concentrate on your horse rather than thinking about making friends..😁

 

[Pearlsasinger]

What a pity you didn't accidentally turn to talk to the rude person, with the hose-pipe in your hand and give them a shower, too! That would probably have sorted the lot of them in one fell swoop!

My advice is to just concentrate on your own horse and ignore those who want to get in your way.

 

[paddy555]

a camera at the side of your storage area? always interesting to know who is being naughty.

 

[9tails]

It's the equivalent of dogs marking their territory. They're testing you to see how far they can push you, I don't get pushed around as I'm a naturally spiky person and would rather not be friends anyway. Best to stop the feed stealing in its tracks with a hefty chain and lock, same with your tack.

 

[splashgirl45]

i would ignore them, i am a bit of a loner so was quite happy to do my horse and not chat, but if someone was friendly to me i would be the same to them. i also used to give my horse a haynet in the yard but always made sure it was taken down and yard swept before i left so no one could complain..

 

[kc921]

Unfortunately there is no way for me to chain my feed bins down, my tack is safely locked away! I think I will try the camera idea!!
I am very much a loner when it comes to it, I prefer just my horse and i, but I don't mind the occasional chat. I stood my ground on both occasions when they were rude towards me!! Im 100% not a pushover and they haven't approached me since!

I think I will put up a post on the livery Facebook group about the feed and the missing scoop!

 

[asmp]

Mark everything you possibly can (including feed scoop) with either your name or horse's name, using a permanent marker.

Personally don't like big yards - once found someone had put another horse in MY stable, eating MY hay!

 

[sarahann1]

Unfortunately there is no way for me to chain my feed bins down, my tack is safely locked away! I think I will try the camera idea!!
I am very much a loner when it comes to it, I prefer just my horse and i, but I don't mind the occasional chat. I stood my ground on both occasions when they were rude towards me!! Im 100% not a pushover and they haven't approached me since!

I think I will put up a post on the livery Facebook group about the feed and the missing scoop!

Re the feed bins, it's easy to make them lockable, drill two holes on opposite sides of the lids of the feed bins and in the bins themselves and buy the padlocks which have the longer flexible ring bits, one set of padlocks acts like a hinge, the other is the one you take on and off. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tinksky-Flexible-Combination-Padlocks-Suitcases/dp/B00OH9HZWQ

Good luck, sometimes it can take a while to settle in to a bigger yard, give it another few weeks.

 

[BOWS28]

Don't think we can tar all big livery yards with the same brush... I'm on a huge livery yard and all us DIYs are so close its lovely. Always someone around to help and we always help each other! Saves money paying the yard staff to do jobs as we just do each other favours when needed!

As others have said, they are just being territorial and testing the water to see how you'll stand up to the environment. Don't let them push you around and label everything you own. My things used to go walkabouts ALL the time. Now everyone is very aware that i'm more than happy for things to be borrowed as long as they are put back in the same state!!! Stick it out OP, regardless of the idiots surrounding you - happy pony means happy you!

 

[Elbie]

Unfortunately there is no way for me to chain my feed bins down, my tack is safely locked away! I think I will try the camera idea!!
I am very much a loner when it comes to it, I prefer just my horse and i, but I don't mind the occasional chat. I stood my ground on both occasions when they were rude towards me!! Im 100% not a pushover and they haven't approached me since!

I think I will put up a post on the livery Facebook group about the feed and the missing scoop!

Put a note in your feed bin saying something along the lines of "if you're reading this, why are you in my feed bin?!"

 

[PapaverFollis]

Soft toy rat fastened to the underside of your feed bin lid by a bit of fishing line. And a wildlife camera.

 

[jj_87]

mouse trap!!

 

[D66]

Purple spray in a fly spray bottle is a good one.

 

[Peter7917]

Purple spray in a fly spray bottle is a good one.

OMG THAT IS AWESOME HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 

[ROMANY 1959]

I will tell you a story.. On my last yard where we had horses, someone was using my expensive Deet fly spray, using it that much that a new bottle was almost empty after just 3 days. So I suspected a certain new livery, who had a lovely Grey horse! So I put some purple spray 8n the Deet fly spray bottle, and BINGO! Few days later a lovely grey horse was seen with purple spray all down its neck.. after that I treated myself to a new locking tack locker, She knew I knew what she had been doing..she left not long after,

 

[Mucking out - still]

Poor you - moving yards is always stressful. Look at the positives - horse is happy and you're not wasting time talking so more time for horse. Hopefully it's a case of suspicion around a 'newbie' and hope that in time you'll find some friendly people. Losing items to others, however done is horrible - give some of the suggestions here a go. Love the idea of the note - if you combine it with a camera and use 'Smile', it might just work!!
I am so lucky on our yard - all so different yet get along so well. Was told the yard 'is like a family' when we went to see it and didn't really believe it, but it really is.
Good luck xx

 

[Antw23uk]

The thing about yards is you are always going to be late to the party (unless you are first on a new yard) and so by the time you've joined most, if not all, have already fallen out with each other over one stupid petty thing or another and everyone is wary or simply cant be bothered to be sociable with other people because they have already had their fingers burnt! If I ever had to go back to a livery yard i would be the 'rude' one who didnt speak to anyone or engage with anything other than my horse and my own horsey agenda. I've found that way you stay out of trouble, no one can back stab you and you cant fall out with anyone. The sooner people get bored of talking about you for being the 'rude one who doesnt talk' the better IMO!

And of course you can lock your feed bins, you just have to think outside the box in terms of how you modify them to take a chain and padlock. If they are plastic, drill holes and feed a chain through, if they are metal a small amount of welding and you can put catches on them to add padlocks .... Where there is a will there is a way