Problems on livery yard.

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mareish

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I've been very happy at my current livery yard for nearly three years. I'm on DIY and the yard owner has always been helpful when I've needed someone to look after my horse and a trustworthy person that I am happy to leave my horse in the care of.

The problem I'm having is that there have been a lot of people leaving and arriving at the yard recently. This means my mare has been a bit unsettled with the changes in field companions. She was kicked by one horse which was then moved to another field. She has been turned out with a two year old who is now nearly three for the last six months and the youngster has become very attached to my mare and makes a fuss every time I take her out of the field. This was ok but now they have been moved to a new field for the summer and to get my mare in I have to walk her through a field where two geldings are turned out. A walkway has been fenced off with electric tape to allow you to get through but the geldings are quite excitable and every time a horse is bought through they run over and then follow you. This is really upsetting my mare. She is quite mareish and she squeals at them and kicks out. I'm having real problems controlling her and she has got loose three times when I've been bringing her in and out. I have told the yard owner but as no one else seems to be having problems she has asked me to keep trying to see if they calm down. I've carried on for ten days but they're no better and my mare is now bolting down the field to get away from them. It also doesn't help that the youngster she's turned out with starts neighing and running around every time I bring my mare in or out. There is another calm older mare turned out with them but that doesn't seem to make a difference.

I've spoken to the yard owner three times but she says there isn't anywhere else to put either my mare or the two geldings. I really feel there is going to be an accident and am starting to dread bringing my mare in. I'm going to try and talk to her again at the weekend but don't really know what to do. I've always been happy on the yard but have been thinking about looking for somewhere else if this can't be sorted out.

I'd appreciate any advice.
 
I understand your anxiety over the situation and it's completely understandable. Unfortunately sometimes it's just not logistically possible to accommodate every horse & owner. So it may be a case of deal with it or move. I'd be inclined to try and deal with it because ultimately you should be able to lead your horse in a safe manner without loosing it - maybe consider paying someone to come in and help you with handling techniques?
 
Speak to the YO again, explain that this is affecting your horse and your pleasure in owning/ riding her, if she wants to keep you she will do something to make things easier, swapping the fields round so the geldings are in the mares, mares in the geldings seems the obvious solution, or taping them further away, if she understands that you will have no alternative but to look elsewhere then she should try harder, lots of coming and going always unsettles a yard and in this case it seems that you as the long standing livery is getting the brunt of it.
I try to keep my permanent horses in settled groups and only add a new one to the mix with care that it does not upset any of them too much, I had a new one come a couple of weeks ago and it was soon obvious it was not going to work putting him where I wanted him, he was put in a different field and all was quiet, the next arrival last weekend went in with 2 others and looks as if he has lived here forever, it can be a juggling act but my job is to keep everyone happy if possible.
 
Perhaps the yard owner could bring your mare in for you on her own so that she can witness/experience any problems as then she may understand your concerns and help to address them.
 
Midlifecrisis said:
Perhaps the yard owner could bring your mare in for you on her own so that she can witness/experience any problems as then she may understand your concerns and help to address them.
Click to expand...

I share your pain - I had a nightmare over the winter bringing my horses in across a field full of horses. Going on holiday and paying the yard to look after my horses for the week was the eye opener for the YO - after a few days of trying to do it I got a message to say they needed to move them to a different paddock because it was dangerous.

If you're happy at this yard then I would try and work through things rather than move.
 
I really would like to avoid moving yards if possible as I have been very happy and my horse was settled up until now. I understand that trying to accommodate everyone is difficult. My horse can be a bit sensitive but I've never had a problem leading her to and from the field before, even with other horses nearby. I think it's just that these new horses won't leave her alone. They do it to all the horses that walk through but unfortunately no one else's horse reacts like mine.

The horses are arranged so that the full liveries that the yard owner brings in and her own horses are all nearest the farm to avoid her having to walk very far so she doesn't want to swap them around. She has seen how badly behaved my horse has been and just suggested I wear a hat and leave the gates open so if she bolts she can get into the next field and away from the geldings.

I will have another go at talking to her and see if my mare can go in a different field. There is another group of pony mares but since my mare is 16hh the pony owners are nervous of her. Normally she is very gentle in the field and doesn't bother other horses or people but I think it's the size they are worried about.
 
Making the walkway wider/taping off the geldings so they are further from walkway is an easy answer. Likely to be temporary as once she gets used to it, it can be gradually brought closer.
Lead in bridle and use something like clicker training to help keep her fkcus on you, not the boys.
Leaving gates open so loose horses can gallop through isn't a safe resolution to the problem...
Temporarily taping the boys further away would be reasonable
 
Why don't they put the geldings in the back field so you don't have to walk through them, they have to walk through your field
 
Mine is 38 and a sod to lead turns into a lipizzana, I would not like this set up at all, an accident waiting to happen
 
Im not sure if im missing something, but could you not ask to swap the fields over? so the geldings are in the back field and mares in the front?
 
I have to bring my mare through a strip where another mare is grazing, fortunately the other mare leaves mine alone, I make a point of never treating the loose mare so she never comes near me but she is sensible anyway and not nasty at all. I can remember years ago in the height of winter bringing my horse through thick mud, so thick that it would suck your wellys off and have to walk through a herd of horses all waiting at the gate, honing around and being stupid. That was very scary so I feel for you.I know these gelding you refer to are behind fencing but your mare obviously doesn't feel very safe, it sounds like others have suggested that you move the fencing to make it wider.
 
I really think there will be an accident. I haven't even tried to bring my horse through on a couple of days as the geldings were galloping around before I even tried to get her out of the field.
The yard owner won't swap them around because the geldings are full liveries which are stabled at night so she wants them in the nearest field so she doesn't have to walk far to bring them in.
I'll try asking about having an extra fence put inside the walkway so they are kept further back.
 
Do you just lead her in a normal headcollar???

First of all, are the electric fence barriers sufficient that the marauding geldings can't actually reach her to bite her?? If they aren't then your channel needs to be wider.

If fence is sufficient, then put on a riding hat and gloves, wrap the headcollar rope round her nose (or use an easy leader style headcollar). Then catch her and just keep walking.

Fiona
 
Can you turn her out in he taped off strip to learn its just boring being in there? Or leave the gate to the next bit open and let her go through at her own pace assuming the next bit is safe ?
 
The strip needs double fencing and your mare need to be led in a bridle and lunge line and she needs to learn that behaviour like that is not allowed ,ever when humans are around .
 
I really sympathise with you OP, as my horse hates the sort of situation you describe and can be very funny with other horses. I agree with others who have suggested making the passageway wider and with Goldenstar, who has suggested having a double line of fencing. Essentially you need to be able to walk her far enough away from the other horses that they can't get close to touching her. This should hopefully discourage her from kicking out, although there is not much that can be done about the other horses charging around and upsetting her. Teaching her not to react to them is, I think, going to be a lot harder than some on here have suggested. As I said, my mare is similar and absolutely loathes the sort of situation you describe. I can deal with it because she is fairly small (14.1hh) and is not strong, but with a bigger and stronger horse it's not a nice situation to be in as you are trying to control a horse who is on the point of exploding, while other horses are going crazy right next to you and you are in a narrow passageway.
Can I ask, has your YO actually been with you to bring her in and seen what she is like? If not, I'd suggest asking her to accompany you.
 
If this is the only problem you're having with the yard, it may be worth paying your YO to bring in for you for now? I'm a YO and some of my clients occasionally have issues with handling which I never do when handling their horses. Sometimes horses can take the P with the owner. Being a mare, it could be that there is a hormonal issue at this time of year as well which isn't helping. I'm f paying your YO isn't an option, try using a control head collar and lunge line or a bridle with a chifney to lead her in, and your riding hat!
 
CG's idea sounds great. That way if it is a really inadequate set up the YO will notice and if it is more a case of the mare not behaving well for her owner then you can get tips from her/him OP.
 
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