Question for those on DIY

stargirl88

stargirl88

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Can you tell me if this is normal please :confused: , as I've only ever been to yards that just allow you to turn out and bring in whenever you fancy.

My yard has turn-out times for those on night or day turn out as the paddocks are small and few. I didn't realise this, and now have to pay someone to bring my mare in (and also now means I'm lingering about in the morning waiting for someone to bring in those on night turn-out) but as it's my fault for not asking Q's before I moved I've just dealt with it. I could pay someone to turn her out but it defeats the point of why I want to be on DIY.

Anyway, this morning, absolutely no one turned up to the yard until 11am (I was told over the weekends those on night turn out need to be in by 10).

This just amazed me. I was the last one on the yard last night and I left at 6.30, so had I not been there at 8.30 and dished out the feeds, no ones horses would have been fed again until 11.

Does all this sort of thing sound normal for DIY!!? If you were on this yard would you think about moving? People are nice enough, but I've not been there long and my horse is an adaptable creature so I am considering it, but also wondering if I should just stop wishing I could have everything how I want it all the time,...!!? :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
On some yards, sadly, yes. Thats why I always have 2 or more horses, it means I don't have to hang around for others to turn up or worry about mine being left out alone.
 
Most yards specify in the contract the latest time your horse can be fed, one yard I was on it was 11am.
Personally I would be moving, as I wouldn't like the turnout arrangements.
 
I used to be at a yard where people would bring horses in at 5 pm, then mosey up at 11am the next morning to turn out :O

So glad Iv got my own field now, out 24/7 , no worrying about getting them in or out at certain times, or is she on her own etc ... stress free...well mostly :D
 
On our yard we turn out and bring in when we like and I wouldn't want it any other way. In fact I couldn't be on your yard, it would drive me mad!
 
We can turn out and bring in when we want which is great and have our own paddocks to manage,even better.There are a few small spare paddocks which are rotated although not everyone wants the use of these due to laminitis and being too fat.Some of us fertalised our paddocks and reseeded churned up areas.Our yard is great and the owners are always willing to listen and try new things.
 
The yard I am on is exactly the same (I'm heading out in 5 minutes to look at an alternative)

The staff arrive at 10ish then feed everyone, so turn out is around 10.30-11am. Now some days they can be out as late as 7pm but on a Friday and Saturday they are all all in by 3pm! This is the first experience of this kind of management for me and it doesn't suit me and my horses.

I'm looking at grass livery down the road for half the price! x
 
So glad I am on my yard. No hard or fast rules. In winter brought in according to daylight, checked late evening, fed breakfast at 8am. Can feed earlier if you feed whole yard, only seven or eight of them. In summer, anything goes, turned out 24/7. He is turned out with three others, two of whom are always out so no one left on own. If other in for hoof trimming etc all brought in.

I am very lucky, and so is my boy.
 
Never been on a yard where you have strict times to turn out/bring in.

Sometimes people don't get up to do their horses until 11 in the summer but that is because their horses are out 24/7.
 
I had the ginger horse on Part (5-day) livery for a year when I did my MSc and they had stupidly strict turnout rules, absolutely no flexibility at all so if I had a morning free and wanted to ride it meant my horse wouldn't have any turnout that day :rolleyes:

I swore I'd never again livery on a yard with restrictions on turnout, other than a 'must be in overnight over the worst of the winter or in exceptionally freak conditions' type thing :)
 
That's sounds ridiculous to me and really unfair too! I would defiantly consider moving! My yard owner is pretty laid back and doesn't specify times which suits me. Even in winter when the grass is sparse and the fields are rotten, I put out as early as I need and bring in as late as I want. I think it's worth looking around.
 
Perhaps you need to turn up an hour late to bring your horse in.....
Then when it all kicks off, state that your horse was unable to go out until after 11am so you are catching up with her TO allowance!
 
I like my DIY yard - no turn out or bring in times and each pleases their own. So unless you make friends with your horses BF (yesh....my girl has several!!) then there is no need to rely on another person,...and it's only if ill/on holiday do we do each others.
 
What! No way would I put up with that. DIY is do it yourself and the yards round my yard is just that. No issues and no real rules. Diy when you like. I hate yard rules where people try to rule you
 
I learnt the hard way about all the questions you have to ask...believe me...with DIY yards it is tough to think of everything.

Best thing I can suggest is to move...when you look for the next place...think realistically about the time you have (in case of yard duties/poo picking) the times of day you turn up, the turnout restrictions (including if its raining). try to imagine yourself there and see if anything they say stands out.

Do not envy your position. Hope you find somewhere that you are happier.

Most yards suggest that NO horses are left in the field on there own...therefore make sure you wont have this problem as its often the cause of arguments...the person who is last often ends up paying for services.
 
oh my goodness, that sounds really bad! I would get so annoyed if that happened to me, do people not realise that you have other things to do? I've never been on a yard where you have to feed other peoples horses if you're feeding your own! and to be fair after my horse had choke I wouldn't want anyone else feeding any of my horses!!

makes me pleased I am where I am!

If I were you, I would consider moving!
 
my yard has no rules about turn out/ bring in times, and even though most places have the 'no horse out on its own' rule (which is a perfectly sensible rule) we have a few who everyone knows can be left out on their own and they won't cause any hassle :)
 
ah thanks folks, I wasn't sure if I was just having high standards for DIY! The paddocks are quite small, as I said, so I gritted my teeth and accepted the times, but then not actually sticking to them gets to me. Esp when I'm an early bird!

I would have left her out as suggested, believe me! But sadly she is bought in with the other lot on her turnout slot so I have no choice :(

The thought of not having turnout restrictions is quite luxurious now :cool::cool:
Sigh! the hunt begins again!
 
All my DIY liveries have their own paddock no restriction on turnout times/bringing in, although I do bring in sometimes so horses are not left out alone we have several paddocks spare so DIY can rotate and rest paddocks as necessary :D:D
 
I turn out and bring in when I want. I can pay the yard owner to turn out for me in the morning too. I wouldn't want to be reliant upon others turning out etc, so couldn't be on a yard like yours I'm afraid. I do have all my horses together though and not sharing a paddock with anyone else etc so fairly self sufficient.
 
Im surprised you have to pay someone to bring in your horse, most DIY yards are friendly and if you buddy up with someone then you can take it in turns to bring in/turn out. i would go mad on your yard as many on our yard come and go at different times, so turnout can vary from 6am to 10am, when the owners get up there. We also only have small fields for large herds but when horses are hovering by the gate to come in, we bring them in, and if they have no food, we will throw them a wafer of hay...in the winter this can be from 1.30pm!! We dont tend to have 24/7 turnout apart from when the grass gets eaten down towards the end of summer, then they can stay out until the weather permits or until we change to winter grazing (whichever is the first).
You spend too much money on your hobby to be committed to such rules. there are plenty of other DIY yards around that will offer the same facilities but without such strict turnout restrictions. I would suggest you look around, you will be amazed. Smaller yards tend to be friendlier as not as many people.
 
We bring ours in and out when we want - some are out 24/7 except for the worst of the weather (December / January) when they have to come in for the night. There are only three horses per field, but can all see each others' fields and graze with sheep, so no problem leaving one out on their own.

YO's philosophy is to "let us get on with it" so long as ponies are being looked after :)
 
We have times on our yard. In winter all have to be in by 5.30 (most come in by 6 :p) and are not allowed out 24/7. We can turn out whenever we like. Come the clock change for summer all daytime turnout rules are abolished but there is still a no 24/7 rule so it is expected that no horse should be out before 4ish (so 3) and in by 10 (or 11.....). As you can tell everyone on the yard follows these rules religiously!

As for feeding, we leave breakfasts made and the first one up (usually me) feeds in winter. In summer we are all out aside from the laminitics which don't get fed anyway!

To be honest I love our yard, it has such a lovely relaxed atmosphere and everyone gets on so I don't mind about the turnout times - it means most of the horses are in a routine and really settled :).

I would give the yard a chance if the people are nice as that is really what makes a yard IMO. Oh and just to clarify we have tonnes and tonnes of grass, so much it has already been topped and harrowed in the "empty" fields twice - and still lush! So really there is no need for the turnout times :p.
 
Sounds awful!! So glad I'm on a lovely relaxed yard where you do as you please regards turnout as we have individual paddocks. We can share with a friend if we wish, I feel very lucky compared with others on here.
 
I would have other concerns too

If they are that short of paddocks now, what on earth happens in winter. No turn out or just a couple of hours a day. You could end up paying for someone to turn out and bring in for you.

I would move too
 
Rockysmum - there is no turn out (although they do chuck them in the school when mucking out etc). That did bother me but I just wanted to see how things went.
Snowysadude, that sounds alright to me too :) if it was like that I would be more than happy, as there's flexibility in it. Ours are 'strict' times as other horses go out when the group my mare is out with comes in, and vis versa only when I'm hanging around waiting it doesn't really matter.

moakesville - I don't have to pay her, but it just happens that I can't get to the yard to bring her in the time she has to be in (didn't know this obvs when I moved there). So I pay the girl at the yard to do it (no one else around really to buddy up with, small yard and she does most the horses).


...I'd love to just rent my own grazing like some of you have done but I'm in London no no chance of that. It's a bit difficult to find somewhere that ticks all the boxes!
 
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