Owner of yard bossiness

[honeycakes1982]

Hello

I have been out of the horse world for a while and just recently got back into it with a new 18month old horse.

I choose a yard as I need full livery due to working long hours.

I’m happy to leave all the duties of cleaning, feeding, bedding to the yard as they are their all the time.

I read the contract and happy to stick to their rule. However their rules change constantly and it’s starting to get me down.

it states that if anyone comes to the yard they must be with me. That’s fine now she storms up the yard saying she has seen me on camera with someone on the yard who is it and starts looking for them I explain it’s my friend and now she is saying I have to ask to bring anyone else on the yard. Fine is what it is.

I use my own farrier which in the contract says I can. Now she is saying my farrier is rubbish and I have to use hers.

in the contract it says I’m aloud to use the arena and the equipment. I used 4 trotting poles. Now because I’m not riding traditionally I’m not aloud to use the trotting poles.

No we’re in the contract does it say I am not aloud to park in the side bay and use the public foot path that is their. They came said they seen me use it and I’m not aloud to come on the yard unless on the front so they can see it all on camera. They have cameras everywhere.

In the contract it says I have to ask, abs pay her £10 if I want a trainer to come on and help me

I messaged them 5 days in advance to tell them then she wanted to know who it was insurance details but must be given to her on paper work and every time she comes.


I’m starting to feel they want me on full livery but don’t want me to actually come down to my horse

my horse had a pop in it’s only stable I forgot to take it out, they took the 1 pop out and charged me £5 for a skip out even though my horse isn’t stabled and I just forgot and would have done it when I came back the next day.

The contract also says we have hot water showers for the horse and they said they only put it on in the winter it’s not available in the summer but in the contract it says all year round. I’m not bothered it’s just another thing.

it feels like I can’t do anything right and feel like I’m struggling to cope. Not sure if I’m over reacting as I’ve never been on full livery before or is this not Normal .

any advice would be appreciated

Thank you

 

[OldNag]

Honestly, I would be looking to move.

 

[asmp]

You’re not going to be happy there so I’d start looking for somewhere else.

 

[luckyoldme]

You are paying to keep your horse there and the time you spend there should be 'your time' the yo sounds as if she is quite a negative person .
You need to find somewhere you are allowed to be happy.

 

[bouncing_ball]

Are you riding an 18 month old horse? Or did I read that wrong?

 

[I don’t like mondays]

I’d be looking to move. If you’re unhappy being at the yard, your horse will pick up on how you feel. Horses are a hobby and meant to be fun

 

[AmyMay]

Just move…

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Move.

 

[Flicker]

There’s a yard like this near me. It is immaculate, and always advertising for liveries. The YO is in another league. My friend had a horse there once and the YO telephoned her at work one day because it had started raining and she wanted her to get her horse in to spare the fields…
This will not improve, it sounds like your YO needs to feel in total control which is just not possible on a livery yard with people coming and going.
I’d be looking to go somewhere else pronto.

 

[MissTyc]

You're paying money for a service and that service is to look after your horse so that you can work full time and enjoy the time you have with your horse without worrying about chores. It sounds like the time you get with your horse is not enjoyable as it is interrupted by stress. This is not normal. Move to a yard where you and your youngster can relax.

ETA: YOs can be odd. The one down the road kicked out a livery because the horse injured itself in a badger hole in the field. Needed boxrest for a few weeks then a smaller paddock. YO refused to help owner with this, saying the horse had caused the injury itself by stepping in the hole (in her field!) and thus wasn't allowed access to the emergency stable. I know that when horses injure themselves in our field, we bend over backwards to help the owner get them right and to prevent a future injury of same sort. Strange ...

 

[Widgeon]

Are you riding an 18 month old horse? Or did I read that wrong?

Could've been doing ground work I suppose?

 

[MissTyc]

Could've been doing ground work I suppose?

That's how I read it; thought maybe natural horsemanship groundwork, hence YO being a bit weird about "non traditional"

 

[HeyMich]

There's a yard owner like that around here too. Funnily enough, the turnover of liveries is quite high! I'd be packing my bags if I were you, it's just not worth the hassle.

 

[throwawayaccount]

umm, YO sounds petty with too much time on their hands. who has time to watch cameras all day, every day, just to nit pick?

is it an actual contract or just some bulletpoints put together by a non legal body?

you could try to address these issues and try to communicate but if you feel there is no point i'd look into moving.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

There must be somewhere else where you and your horse would be happier. I would move.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

This isn't normal (or shouldn't be, there are YO like this everywhere but no-one has a pleasant time with them) and it will not improve. You need to just move and find somewhere else where you'll be happier. You sound like a nice, considerate livery so I shouldn't think you'll struggle.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Your yard owner is not respecting the contract; it will end badly unless you put a stop to it ASAP by leaving.

 

[Bernster]

Yep, I was on a yard with a horrible yard manager, so many rules, new ones got added, got hollered at for not following one of the rules that I didn’t even know existed.

Move.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I think you definitely need to be looking for an alternative yard. This sounds a nightmare and my stress levels would rocket under that regime! All the pleasure of owning your youngster is being gradually stripped way. Move ASAP.

Incidentally I am assuming you are referring to ground work with the 18 month old and not riding? If you are riding then I would want you off my yard pretty damn quick, but I would not be using her methods to dislodge you as a livery, I would be saying it straight!

 

[sport horse]

Struggling to understand why you are riding 'not traditionally' and using poles for an 18 month old. YO sounds strange I agree but so do your own ideas of how to rear an 18 month old - its joints etc will not be fused enough to be doing anything. Find a youngstock livery and turn it out with others of its own age to grow up.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

got hollered at for not following one of the rules that I didn’t even know existed.

I find this extraordinary and how often it crops up on here about livery owners that shout and berate their clients! Is this normal yard owner practice these days? Why do any of you who have this problem allow it to continue? Do you allow people in other walks of life holler at you and boss you around, or is it purely a horse yard acceptable way to treat paying clients?

Not just directed at you Bernster, but your post made me think yet again, how often this seems to be the case at livery yards.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

YO sounds strange I agree but so do your own ideas of how to rear an 18 month old - its joints etc will not be fused enough to be doing anything.

In general I agree with not over doing groundwork at this tender rage. However I do know of some people who have put in a lot of early ground work in the first 3 to 4 years old and it has paid off in bucket loads when they get to the actual training to ride stage. With all that early ground work and bonding makes the riding part almost a non event.

There is a very experienced lady on here that I know does a lot of the correct groundwork and her youngster is a diamond, but then she does know what she is doing.

 

[Bernster]

I find this extraordinary and how often it crops up on here about livery owners that shout and berate their clients! Is this normal yard owner practice these days? Why do any of you who have this problem allow it to continue? Do you allow people in other walks of life holler at you and boss you around, or is it purely a horse yard acceptable way to treat paying clients?

Not just directed at you Bernster, but your post made me think yet again, how often this seems to be the case at livery yards.

Utterly bonkers and slightly surreal. Thankfully this was the only place I’ve had this issue, but they’d done it to others so it was a regular thing. I knew instantly that I would be leaving so I didn’t respond, other than a futile attempt to explain myself, and having a face like thunder whilst being berated in public.

It does seem to be something that happens in the equine world though, as the other thread about crying in lessons seems to show!

 

[sport horse]

In general I agree with not over doing groundwork at this tender rage. However I do know of some people who have put in a lot of early ground work in the first 3 to 4 years old and it has paid off in bucket loads when they get to the actual training to ride stage. With all that early ground work and bonding makes the riding part almost a non event.

There is a very experienced lady on here that I know does a lot of the correct groundwork and her youngster is a diamond, but then she does know what she is doing.

I breed and produce sport horses and mine all lead from foals but are left to grow. I know a lot of the professional people I work with will not touch young horses that have been 'handled ' from youngsers. they are often very very difficult to break in. I guess it works both ways and if you get it wrong the outcome could be more than tricky.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I breed and produce sport horses and mine all lead from foals but are left to grow. I know a lot of the professional people I work with will not touch young horses that have been 'handled ' from youngsers. they are often very very difficult to break in. I guess it works both ways and if you get it wrong the outcome could be more than tricky.

There is a very experienced lady on here that I know does a lot of the correct groundwork and her youngster is a diamond, but then she does know what she is doing.

I agree it does work both ways as methods of raising and producing young horses can vary so much from person to person, from breeder, producer and private owner too. But I did add this proviso in my post that success is dependent on who is doing the early ground work and how experienced and knowledgeable they need to be to get it right. But then that can apply to almost any aspect of any horse care or training can't it.

Edited to add I would never even consider buying a young horse as 'Natural Horseman shipped trained' but that is definitely for another thread altogether I think lol!

 

[dorsetladette]

Please move. Neither you or your young pony need to be in an environment like that.

While pony is young your options for livery are boarder as all that's really needed is turnout and a safe place to tie up for grooming farrier etc. The use of an empty field for leading or any kind of maybe showing practise would be ample for the next couple of years.

 

[Muddywellies]

Not everything can be put in a contract. There are often unwritten rules. When I'm new on a yard I make sure I'm absolutely whiter than white, stick to the rules I know, and constantly ask the other liveries how things are done, until I fully understand that yard' s way of doing things. There can be some pretty odd unwritten rules but its pretty easy to conform once you know and it becomes normal to you. For example, some yards really dislike you using other peoples mucking out tools, there can be funny rules about where you tie up, where you park, soaking hay, muck heap maintenance (the list is endless). As a new livery it's for you to fit in with the yard, not the other way round, and if it's not for you, then move on. But forgetting to pick up droppings (is that what you meant by 'pop'?) won't earn you any gold stars I'm afraid. And you mention that your horse isn't stabled, so why was he in the stable? Did you ask first if it was OK?
You mention that you texted your YO 5 days in advance to 'tell them' your trainer is coming. I would never 'tell' a yard owner- I always 'ask if its ok'. I'm afraid yard owners really do need to keep a close eye on who's on the yard as some people bring friends for a jolly, and different friends each time. This can be a security risk and other liveries often don't take kindly to lots of unknown people on the yard. Re the hot water, I have to ask at my yard for it to be put on. I'm happy with that.
Tbh it sounds like you've gone in there like a bit of a tornado. Slow down, observe, see how things are done, ask permission for pretty much everything, until you know how things work. Oh, except the farrier - you can't be forced to use theirs.
At the end if the day, if you don't like how the yard operates, give your notice in the appropriate manner, giving a perfectly nice reason you're leaving, keep everything amicable (as you never know if you'll need to go back) and leave.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

.... "it states that if anyone comes to the yard they must be with me. That’s fine now she storms up the yard saying she has seen me on camera with someone on the yard who is it and starts looking for them I explain it’s my friend and now she is saying I have to ask to bring anyone else on the yard. Fine is what it is"........

^^^ As a YO myself I actually DO feel some affinity with your YO's dictat over this; I actually live on-site and my liveries respect this fact and are good enough to let me know if a stranger is going to be on site. Perhaps your YO has had bad experiences with "strangers" on the yard who just walz in and then do something daft like smoke fags everywhere and leave the dog-ends OR interfere with other liveries and their horses; or indeed there is the very real issue of biosecurity - any YO has the right to know who is on their yard, for everyone's protection!!

Ditto about parking near to the public footpath and coming in "via the back gate" which is what I think you are doing?? I actually would feel that IF camera's are in place at the yard then this is for EVERYONE's protection including yours, and I would stand with your YO in asking everyone to come in and exit via a gateway which has camera surveillance in place. Also there is the issue of your possibly blocking the entrance to the footpath which might mean that YO is then maybe going to be villified by local dogwalkers for example who use it and are grousing at having a car block it!! There are two sides to everything!! Personally I would feel that if a livery decided the yard security - and being politely requested to use ONLY an established entranceway & exit for their visits - was unacceptable to them and therefore they didn't feel happy with it, then I would suggest they'd be better to find another yard tbh. Security is vital for a YO and something we should all take seriously. I would respectfully suggest that it sounds like your YO is very security-conscious and I would actually consider her to be quite rightly scrupulous in this regard; my yard insurance premium for this year is £800 and for that, yard security and proving I have it in place, is essential.

At the end of the day having good security in place protects not only the YO and the premises but also it also protects liveries and their horses. You can't be too careful in these days! Better this than a yard where everyone just rocks up and does their thing! I've tried doing that in the past and it just doesn't work!! End of.

However, I will say without wishing to be unduly critical of another YO that it does feel as if the Yard Rules are being changed constantly and there is no consistency thereof, as well as the fact you are obviously feeling constrained by being on a yard where you perceive this is happening! You feel annoyance about several minor issues as well e.g. you were charged because you left some poo in the stable which you were then charged for!! Umm, hate to say it, but this is normal practice on a yard. I used to keep my horse on livery at a BHS training yard and everything was kept clean and spick-span!! I would have similarly expected to have been charged for its removal!! Yes you say you "forgot", but at the end of the day the poo WAS there and it WAS removed. End of.

Whilst you obviously consider it unfair, I am aware that it is also established practice in some yards for "visiting" instructors to attract an additional levy.

I would respectfully suggest that this IS actually a decent yard and the YO is doing their best. I do feel the YO needs to have a set of rules and stick to them rather than chop and change, but I do feel that a super-efficient and highly organised yard such as this is deffo not your cup of tea!!

It is concerning that the YO is rubbishing your farrier, that is frankly unprofessional. Also it is concerning that she seems to not accept other methods of horsemanship and training regimes.

I would strongly suggest that for a lot of reasons this yard is not going to suit you, and if you stay, your horse will become markedly more tense and unhappy as he will pick up on your mood. I think you would be better suited - both of you - to a less formal (and possibly smaller) yard where you are free to "play" with your horse a bit and have your choice of trainer in.

Sorry things haven't worked out for you. Sorry if I have appeared harsh in any words I've used; I'm not jumping to defend another YO (dang it, I don't even know the woman!!) however I AM seeking to point out a few perhaps unpalatable home truths. Some yards suit certain types of people and horses; others don't. It happens.

Good luck with finding another yard.

 

[Shilasdair]

It's about time that full livery yards were dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century of customer service.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

It's about time that full livery yards were dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century of customer service.

Agreed, but then some would also then need to charge 21st century prices and pay 21st century wages.......