Small livery problem - advice please

Holly Hocks

Holly Hocks

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I moved my two horses to a DIY yard a couple of months ago. It only takes me 5-10 minutes to drive there, depending on traffic. I love it. All year turnout, nice stables, good haylage, all weather floodlit school and nice people. However the last couple of days with the snow, I put a bit of haylage out for the four geldings. Anyway, farmer has complained as apparently we're not allowed to put haylage in the fields as he thinks the horses fight. Everybody has tried to tell him we need to, but he won't have it, and apparently if you don't like it, then leave attitude. Anyway, I turn mine out at 7am and a friend gets them in about 3 - 4pm. My boy is NOT in anyway underweight despite being a TB - in fact he is overweight a bit. Will he be ok in the field without haylage? Do they dig for grass under the snow? I have to say, the field is about four and a half acres and has plenty of grass, but it is under the snow. I love it there, I don't want to move, but am concerned about him not getting enough to eat. He has unlimited haylage when he comes in and gets two large nutritional feeds per day. They ate a bit of the haylage this morning when they went out, but the novelty wore off after a short time and they moved away from it. Do I just accept it as he eats ad lib when he is in, or do I consider moving him from where he is clearly very happy?
 
I wouldn't worry too much about him not getting enough to eat. If the snow isn't too thick they can dig through it to eat the grass.

Shame the farmer won't let you put haylage in the field though. Don't suppose you could ask him about putting the haylage in two piles?
 
Maletto said:
I wouldn't worry too much about him not getting enough to eat. If the snow isn't too thick they can dig through it to eat the grass.

Shame the farmer won't let you put haylage in the field though. Don't suppose you could ask him about putting the haylage in two piles?
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Nope - I put it in four piles for three of them this morning as one wasn't being turned out, but he won't let us. It's just a non-starter of a conversation with him - he's hard work at the best of times. My OH put a some new lights in my stable as the light had broken and rusted - didn't charge the farmer, and then farmer made a comment that he'd "gone over the top" with the lights as he's put one in the stable as well as one in the passage outside! There's no pleasing some people!
 
i really cant undersatand the logic of not being allowed to put hay/haylage in the field thing! your horse will be fine just make sure he has a fibre breakfast (alpha/hifi/chaff ) before he goes out to line his gut. he will be fine digging for several hours. and plenty of hay/haylage overnight to fill up on fibre. your oh can come and do lights for me if he likes! as the yard ticks all the other boxes i wouldnt worry too much. at least you get daily turnout.!!
 
It wouldn't harm them at the moment in 4 acres, unles you get really heavy snow. And I think the farmer was most probable put out that you didn't ask could you fix light fitting, I would be if it was my place.
 
i wouldnt worry. as he is a good weight it wont hurt him to have to use energy to find some grass under the snow. we dont have this prob at my yard and we always make the effort and put haylage or hay out if it is frosty or snow and my mare hardly ever touches it and i end up throwing it away. if i was sensible, i wouldnt put anything out as my horse is ok weight wise,but am too soft.....
 
Echo Bravo said:
It wouldn't harm them at the moment in 4 acres, unles you get really heavy snow. And I think the farmer was most probable put out that you didn't ask could you fix light fitting, I would be if it was my place.
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I did ask about fixing the lighting - he told me to do whatever I wanted, just to get on with it - so we did. We have improved his yard at a cost of £65 to ourselves. I am also the only person there who poo picks, sweeps the yard and spent two hours last night clearing the yard of snow and putting grit down. Please don't assume that I didn't ask - I did.
 
I wouldn't worry about it, its only 8 hours, I bet there is a lot of horses in stables over night with no hay, when they eat a netfull in the first few hours, and dont get checked again til the morning.
 
Ours usually eat the haylage we put out for about five minutes, then leave it and dig around in the snow. We are left with piles of rotten haylage - perhaps thats why he minds. If your horse is fine weight wise, and he gets ad lib at night then don't worry. Better that than getting haylage, but having to stay in..

Re the lights, I would be a bit put out if someone took it on themselves to adapt our lights - I'd be worried about the knowledge of the person that did it, and what would happen if there was a fault that caused a fire etc. He obviously isn't bothered about sweeping etc. Thats your choice. It sounds a bit like you're raving about the place, but complaining at the same time. At the end of the day, if you are impressed with the place and the facilities in general, then you have to accept the way the owner wants it run. Perhaps the farmer has seen them fighting in the day when you're all at work (perhaps they start later on when there is only a bit left, for example).
 
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Thanks for your replies everyone. I feel a bit reassured about him being out in the field now. Re the lights - my OH is a qualified electrician, although currently doing something better paid, so he knows what he's doing. In fact the light fitting he removed was so rusty, he said it was a liability and waiting to cause a fire! I am happy now that you've all said that they'll be ok out in the field - I'll just have to respect Mr Farmer's wishes.
Thanks again everyone!
 
I wouldnt worry if your horse is in a field that size. If you are concerned could someone turn him out later in the morning for you? Ours have actually been basking in the sun staying very quiet and not acually been looking for food atall!
 
Nope, I should have put it in the original post, but due to frantic typing and wondering if any of it actually made any sense, I forgot! Still, advice has been taken from you all and will be heeded. Many Thanks x
 
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