Now have to move yards :(

[Griggster1990]

Sorry for the moan, just need to get this off my chest.

I am currently on a small friendly yard. Well that is what it was when I originally moved on. Just me and my horse, YO and her 4 and one other livery. As time has gone on the yard has got fuller and fuller. There are currently 11 horses and 1 pony on 4 acres of land! All of which (bar 1) live out 24/7. I was lucky in that the paddock my horse was in was only shared with one other horses and the owner of that horse and me had a hay arrangement so although not ideal, it worked for us. I had been thinking about moving in spring as we would then have to supplement forage all year as the field are full to bursting and none of them are rested anymore. I will miss the place as the facilities are great.

Anyway, I digress. I arrived at the yard yesterday all set for a nice long solo hack in the woods. I walk down to get my horse to be met by 2 beautiful big horses, in my paddock! I bring my horse in and collar the YO. Turns out she has taken on 2 more livery horses (16.2 and 16.3) and they now live in my field (which is about .75 of an acre!) So that is now 13 horses and 1 pony on 4 acres of land! This, in my opinion and probably some law somewhere is completely unacceptable!

I was a bit mad that I wasn't aware of these new horses. Nobody asked me or the other lady if our mares with would be OK with these 2 huge geldings? so I probably wasn't as kind as I should have been to the YO, but I told her it wasn't on and that I was looking to move. She told me I was free to stable my horse if I was unhappy and she has a business to run

So the search starts for a new yard today I am really sad as the yard is lovely, the YO has been a massive help to me, but greed has gotten the better of her it seems. I am yet to meet the owner of the big horses but I certainly don't want to put hay out for her horses to eat until I have spoken to her. Seems my horse will be coming in for a few weeks now until I can find somewhere new.

Sorry for the moany post. I don't need to be told to move, I will be. I just needed to get it off my chest

 

[lottiepony]

Thats rubbish, really feel for you try and stay positive you may well find somewhere even better with any luck! Can't believe how many she's got on the land especially as they all stay out 24/7!

 

[SpringArising]

Were the two new horses in with your horse?

 

[Princess Rosie]

How on earth does she think she can manage with 4 acres? I'm afraid you need to be off there, I wouldn't be happy in your situation, I wouldn't be happy that two new horses had been turned out straight away with mine, she's put your horse at risk from injury and catching anything from the newbies. Sorry for you and hope you find somewhere nice soon. x

 

[ihatework]

4 acres for 13 horses ...... You are better off out of there!

 

[Sukistokes2]

Got a business to run....poppy cock!! Money to make! You are well out of there, the woman is out of her mind. You need to keep your numbers to a reasonable level so not to upset the people you have. Cramming horses on means the value will go down. I would be livid to find strange horses in with mine! Is the YO prepared to pay everyone's vets bills if the horses kick or God forbid they pass on strangles.
Your post has shocked me....now that doesn't happen often!!!

 

[slumdog]

4 acres for 13 horses?! I have 3 horse on 7 acres and I'm worried about winter grazing! There's plenty of lovely yards out there, you're better off out!

 

[miss_c]

Definitely well off out of there. Although I must admit I wouldn't have been happy with 6 horses on 4 acres! In a year's time you will look back and realise that moving was the best thing and be glad you did! xxx

 

[twiggy2]

why would someone move to a yard with some many on so little grazing.

it may be worth speaking to the owner of the new ones and tell her you are worried about things and maybe suggest boys out at night girls out during the day, far from ideal but means you will have so safe turn out whilst you look for somewhere else

 

[Janovich]

Well.... all I can say in reply to your post OP is...I hope you find a yard in the very very very near future that will suit you and your horse...and with facilities that you're after.

I'm not going to repeat what I think (and you know) is blindingly obvious in terms of moving off and the amount of horses & acreage being extremely overcrowded (and bloody dangerous too in my humble opinion). YO seems to be more of a 'make money and sod the implications of too many on site' attitude.

I sincerely hope you find a yard very quickly OP before the winter sets in.

Good Luck!

 

[Griggster1990]

Thanks everyone.

No, I didn't know about the new horses arriving and yes they were in my field without my knowledge.

I have rung a couple of places this morning and am viewing one on Wednesday.

We don't have contracts on this yard (I was a new, novice owner and know better than this now!) So, if I like the yard on Wednesday, can I just up and leave at the weekend? I am paid up until the 31st anyway. I just don't want to give this lady another penny of my money and it's not like id be leaving her with places to fill!

 

[millikins]

I think that's awful. I rent 4.5 acres, I'm trying to picture what sort of a mess it would be with 13 horses on it. Re notice, it's rude to leave without but then it's rude to put two more horses with yours without informing you. Seriously, what can YO do? If you like new yard, even if it's only average but gives you time to look for your ideal place just go.

 

[Penny Less]

Well, Im glad you are going to move, hope you find a nice yard. Moving yards is so stressful as you often don't know what you are moving into. However, 13 horses on 4 acres is diabolical. I would say you could just move if you have no contract as long as you are paid up to last day.

 

[Merrymoles]

I would be seriously hacked off and voting with my feet too. It's awful when something like that happens but there is no way I would want to contemplate strange horses being chucked it with mine or having to provide forage all year round.

Overgrazing is the biggest reason for deterioration in land - it lets weeds in and, if it's a wet winter, can destroy fields completely.

I do feel sorry that you have been put in this position but as others have said, you will be better off out of it. You may be able to get away without paying notice under the circumstances but I would probably try to gauge whether it is expected or what is expected and then negotiate, simply so that you don't have a bad reputation following you around. If it does appear that you are expected to pay notice, I think it would be reasonable to say that you were not given notice that strange horses were being chucked in with yours, that you are worried about safety/possible infection/lack of grazing and feel that you have been forced to move.

 

[fatpiggy]

I moved my horse to a farm in her final years as her current yard wasn't suitable for her any more. They had 7 other ponies and told us they weren't going to expand any more than that. As you say though, the pound signs obviously hung large in front of their eyes (I suspect the livery money wasn't going through the books as we all paid in cash and there were other indicators!) because they started taking in more and more, including 5 winter grass liveries one year. I also came down to find strange horses in with mine and eventually, yes she did get battered. YO (who was a novice horse owner themself) just said that was horses for you. Up til then we had managed to keep all the elderly ones in the same paddock but then we had two young ones dumped in there too. They took on more and more horses, but didn't open any more fields so things just got ridiculous. We only really got away with it because the grass was particularly good and grew very fast. One time I came down and a fifth of the field had been fenced off for another livery! In her final year the grass was so short that my mare's elderly and angled teeth just couldn't manage it and I had to keep her on full twice daily feeds right through the summer to keep her weight on so it cost me a bomb. If I was going to have a horse again (I'm not) I certainly wouldn't go back there. They had a nice set up there with decent hacking but ruined it by greed.

 

[Janovich]

Mmmm... you've mentioned to the YO I see in your initial post, that you're 'looking to move off', so she's been forewarned of your intentions.

If there's no contract set in place and IF the yard you're going to view on Weds is up to scratch, I think I'd be inclined to get ready to move off over the weekend (1 Nov). Give the YO as much notice as you can as soon as you've made your decision OP (which granted may only be a couple of days!), but in the light of what you're experiencing as far as 'new horses' arriving with no prior warning/knowledge of them being grazed in with your horse, I'd be stating that the situation is no longer suitable for your horse and you'll be vacating the premises. You're paid up until Friday,...move on Saturday morning, first thing - with an extra pair of hands to help out/support you if needs be!

I hope things turn around for you quickly enough and an impending move goes smoothly enough for you both OP.

 

[Clare85]

why would someone move to a yard with some many on so little grazing.

This! How on earth is she managing to get new liveries when there are already so many on the land? I'd walk in and straight out again. Hope you find somewhere else pronto op - thank goodness your horse wasn't injured when the new horses were turned out with her.

 

[ihatework]

Thanks everyone.

No, I didn't know about the new horses arriving and yes they were in my field without my knowledge.

I have rung a couple of places this morning and am viewing one on Wednesday.

We don't have contracts on this yard (I was a new, novice owner and know better than this now!) So, if I like the yard on Wednesday, can I just up and leave at the weekend? I am paid up until the 31st anyway. I just don't want to give this lady another penny of my money and it's not like id be leaving her with places to fill!

It's good manners to give and pay a months notice. The horsey world is small, it's not worth bring bad mouthed for the sake of a months livery. Pay up, say thank you and leave on good terms.

 

[Rollin]

What about bio-security? Two new horses arrive and are turned out without worming or quarantine?

Not good.

 

[mjcssjw2]

well i would just leave, respect is a 2 way thing and the YO has shown none introducing horses without so much as a word of warning, I have had horses kicked and legs broken with much more care to iintrodcutions than that
thanks

 

[southerncomfort]

I wouldn't give notice either. You are paid up until the end of the week so if you like the other yard and can move this weekend I'd go and wouldn't spend a single second feeling bad about it. You don't have a contract and she certainly hasn't treated you with any respect.

I dread to think what state those fields will be in by the end of Winter!

 

[Griggster1990]

Thanks everyone.

I don't want to leave on bad terms, but at the same time the situation is just madness!

I have told the YO I will be moving and when I see her tonight I will tell her I am seeing another yard on Wednesday. She honestly doesn't sound bothered. It more than likely is not run as a legit business anyway (she lives on site in a caravan) and she only has livery paid as cash which rings alarm bells now.

Thank you all for your support. I will be much more careful where I go in future and now I am more confident I am hoping to move onwards and upwards with my horse.

 

[Cowpony]

What about bio-security? Two new horses arrive and are turned out without worming or quarantine?

Not good.

I'm glad somebody has said what I was thinking! In the short term this would be more of a worry to me than the grass. Plus the fact that the horses don't seem to have been given any time to get to know each other in adjacent paddocks before being moved in together.

 

[chocolategirl]

I'm a YO and I can't imagine in a million years ever subjecting my clients and more importantly their horses to this kind of carry on! It's people like this that give all YO's a bad name. Blood boiling right now on your behalf!!

 

[Griggster1990]

I'm a YO and I can't imagine in a million years ever subjecting my clients and more importantly their horses to this kind of carry on! It's people like this that give all YO's a bad name. Blood boiling right now on your behalf!!

Thank you. I feel really sad about it to be honest. If you take away the fact there is no grazing, there is also no storage either. The hay barn is already fit to bursting before the new horses came, feed room has been rearranged and is just far too full and I don't even want to talk about the tack lock up situation! If you count up all the people involved with the horses (owners, their sharers, kids etc) you are looking at 20 plus people around the yard at the weekend, with only one small school and no room to swing a cat. *sigh* Onwards and upwards

 

[CBAnglo]

That is awful; I would be stabling now until I found somewhere else to go. There is no point risking your horse (especially if you are feeding hay in the field).

Being in London, grazing is at a premium and most yards are overstocked. The worst I saw was 36 horses on 6 acres. The yard was full and had a waiting list!

 

[Annagain]

I'd love to see that place come February! My horse is in a herd of 6 and they have 10 acres for the winter and that gets muddy enough!

As soon as you go somewhere else I'll bet you wonder how you ever though this place was nice!

 

[flowerlady]

It's good manners to give and pay a months notice. The horsey world is small, it's not worth bring bad mouthed for the sake of a months livery. Pay up, say thank you and leave on good terms.

What rubbish. The YO did not inform Griggster1990 that they were putting two more horses in. If the YO is taking money she has a duty of care. Which does not include putting strange horses in without giving the owner chance to be there incase of injury and infection. Any YO worth there salt who knows how much land the YO has would not hold it against someone for moving without notice for the way she has been treated. For all year turn out at least 1 1/2 acres per horse and that would include bringing in at night. This YO needs to be sued and she may then think again 4 acres is not enough for more that 2-3 at the most.

 

[flowerlady]

Then when you leave report her to the tax man and the council as she should be paying business rates.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Thats bad I have 4 acres and would put a maximum of 3 horses on mine as it would be trashed with anymore.

I would be furious if someone put strange horses out with mine without asking, you have the risk of them picking up something worm contamination and being kicked or seriously hurt, you are so right to be going the yo sounds like an idiot, god forbid if anyone took it upon themselves to plonk there horse in with my gelding he can be quite nasty towards other horses, this is why people should not do it before asking the owner.