Some Questions for those on DIY in a livery yard ...

Horseback Rider

Horseback Rider

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As above could you let me know if you would expect to have to do the following as a DIY'er on a yard

Repair wear & tear in fencing (Just general stuff not if your horse has trashed it)

Fertilise paddocks and pay for it

Supply your own shed for storage of tack, feed etc

Supply your own rubber matting

If you have access to extra ad hoc grazing from farmers etc are you expected to weed, fence etc ??

Would just like your views so I can work out if I am being unreasonable or not ??
 
I would be outraged if I was expected to maintain fencing, even when our horses have done the damage (doesn't happen very often) it gets repaired by the YO.
Grass maintenance should also be taken care of, and a reasonable amount of storage space should be supplied.

However, if anyone specifically wants mats then that is up to them to sort out.
 
I supply my own rubber matting, pull ragwort in the field, poo pick and refill the water. The rest is the yard's responsibility.

We have shared tack rooms and three pallets in a barn for each horse where hay, bedding and feed is stored.
 
i have three on diy and i just supply my own matting everything else is included in my livery. the YO pays a handy man to do all the maintainance and poo picking etc .we share a large tack room and have a large barn where we can keep stuff in cupboards or on shelving
 
The definition of DIY seems to differ significantly dependent on the yard.

In answer to your questions -

Repair wear & tear in fencing - No, Y/O does this although I will occasionally offer to help out or if my horse has done the damage.

Fertilise paddocks and pay for it - No, although again I have offered to help y/o do some re seeding in the past.

Supply your own shed for storage of tack, feed etc - No but I suppose it depend on what facilities they have available.

Supply your own rubber matting - yes we supply our own matting.

If you have access to extra ad hoc grazing from farmers etc are you expected to weed, fence etc ?? No.

This very much sounds like a proper DIY yard - i.e. you are allocated your stable and grazing and are solely responsible for it's upkeep and maintenance - some people love that sort of set up as they have total control, others not so much - I'm assuming you're in the latter group.

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I'm a YO and ONLY do DIY livery, so I'll try to answer as best I can:-

Repair wear & tear in fencing (Just general stuff not if your horse has trashed it)

- No. If there's a problem with the fencing then I'd pay for it to be done. However, in the event that someone's horse causes the damage or somebody climbs on gates/fences (which is clearly stated in the livery contract NOT to do!!!) then I'd expect them to pay.

Fertilise paddocks and pay for it

- NO!!!!

Supply your own shed for storage of tack, feed etc

Sorry meant to say that sometimes it might be the case (in other yards/situations) that livery provides their own stuff like matting, shed for tack etc etc. I personally wouldn't expect a livery to provide/pay for anything which they couldn't take with them when they go, i.e. you can take matting, shed, etc etc with you when you go.

But each case does vary; in some places you basically rent the field/facilities - and it would doubtless be in that contract that the "tenant" is responsible for field maintenance/re-seeding etc etc., and fencing. One place where I kept a pony at in the dim and distant past was like that - when you vacated you had to hand it back looking pristine without any ragwort or anything like that and with the fences/gates in good condition, and not too much poaching around gates etc, or else you forfeited your deposit.

So it can depend a great deal on each situation and what is being offered; no hard and fast rules.

- Um, this depends on the set-up TBH. If you were renting a field on its own, and needed somewhere to put stuff (i.e. there wasn't anywhere provided) then you might need to do something about it yourself??? But here I supply a tack-room plus space in my barn for storage is included.

Supply your own rubber matting

- No. I don't supply it, but wouldn't object if livery wanted to put some down in her allocated stable, but I wouldn't expect her to have it tailor made or fitted to the stable specifically or anything.

If you have access to extra ad hoc grazing from farmers etc are you expected to weed, fence etc ??

- Umm, again, depends on your set-up and what it says in your livery contract (er, you HAVE got a livery contract in place??? - please don't say no you haven't!).

I think every situation - particularly DIY, is different. Here, the yard is attached to our house, and there is ample stabling and storage for the one livery that we have. The livery has her own allocated field and that is separate (across the road) from where I keep mine, so its basically two separate "herds" operating. I provide electric, water, tack-room, loose box, and she has use of the yard. She has, with my permission, put up a schooling arena in "her" bit of the field, plus some jumps.

Last year she (bless her) organised for "her" field to be harrowed - and offered to pay for it herself, but I said No, that's my responsibility and I paid for it. Ditto fencing; that would be for me as YO to replace.

She provides all her own fodder, hay etc; and I provide storage for that.

Hope this helps.
 
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I am a YO too.

I:
Supply storage for hay, bedding, feed, rugs etc.
Make sure they have dedicated parking space.
Replace fencing as & when it requires doing.
Do paddock maintenance (harrowing, rolling etc), tho see below*
Provide clean dry well maintained stable within the enclosed concrete yard

Livery: (who is DIY)
Poo-picks paddock
Anyone whose horse trashes fencing pays for it - they either replace it themself or pay for the damage & I get it done.
*They are asked to remove ragwort & notify me of any other problem plants.
Livery can put in stable mats if they wish, totally their decision.


It all depends on the contract, I also take deposit of a months livery up front as well as the incoming month livery payment & return this deposit when they leave. (having been left with problems in the past - and its common round here too)
 
9tails said:
I supply my own rubber matting, pull ragwort in the field, poo pick and refill the water. The rest is the yard's responsibility.

We have shared tack rooms and three pallets in a barn for each horse where hay, bedding and feed is stored.
Click to expand...

Similar to this - although between us we do yard weeding and keep the toilet clean and fully stocked witth loo roll, bleach etc. and clean towels.
 
I'm on DIY livery

I supply my own fencing (I don't trust the owner's fencing and I do not want my horse escaping and hurting herself) I supply my own fencer
I got my own rubber mats, provide my own straw and hay. livery yard owner supplies stable, field (allocated paddock/space) facilities (school - indoor and outdoor floodlit)
storage for hay, straw, separate storage for feed and lockable storage for tack although I don't have a key. oh and about 4-5 miles of off road riding round the fields with xc fences although some need maintenance and I am cautious as to which ones I consider safe to jump.

I poo pick, although that appears to be optional, I pull ragwort (again appears to be optional, but if you do nothing then it flourishes) he tops the field (I assume once a year), and possibly rolls it when necessary.

There are good points and bad points about the yard, I love the facilities, and the fact that it's so close, supplying my own fencing annoys me, but only because at one point another livery's horse kept breaking into my horse's paddock and breaking my fencing. it does infuriate me that the yard fencing is not better maintained!
 
Horseback Rider said:
As above could you let me know if you would expect to have to do the following as a DIY'er on a yard

Repair wear & tear in fencing (Just general stuff not if your horse has trashed it)

Fertilise paddocks and pay for it

Supply your own shed for storage of tack, feed etc

Supply your own rubber matting

If you have access to extra ad hoc grazing from farmers etc are you expected to weed, fence etc ??

Would just like your views so I can work out if I am being unreasonable or not ??
Click to expand...

We have to supply our own rubber matting if we want it - no to everything else. And we are on a working farm with basic facilities. Never expected to do maintenance!
 
Horseback Rider said:
As above could you let me know if you would expect to have to do the following as a DIY'er on a yard

Repair wear & tear in fencing (Just general stuff not if your horse has trashed it)

Fertilise paddocks and pay for it

Supply your own shed for storage of tack, feed etc

Supply your own rubber matting

If you have access to extra ad hoc grazing from farmers etc are you expected to weed, fence etc ??

Would just like your views so I can work out if I am being unreasonable or not ??
Click to expand...

On DIY . . . YO repairs fencing wear and tear, we pay for fertilizer (at cost) and YO puts it down for us, we supply our own everything . . . saddle/bridle racks, haybars, rubber matting, hooks, etc. If we had access to extra ad hoc grazing I would expect to have to weed/ragwort/fence, etc.

Hope that helps.

P

P.S. Edited to say, no, don't have to supply own shed for storing equipment, tack, etc., YO provides individual bays for storing feed, hay/haylage, bedding (if not bought from him), space in the main barn for storing hay (purchased from him - if you buy in you must store in your feed bay) and a dedicated, lockable tack cupboard in the (double locked and alarmed) tack room. We also have a (locked) rug drying room.
 
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on DIY id never expect to pay for any of those (and i wouldnt!)!

if i was renting a field however within a yard then yes i would....

DIY yard - your renting a stable

field - jus that and everything that goes with it imo!...
 
No livery IMO should have to deal with any maintenance ie fencing or fertilising.

Providing a shed for to rage.. Yes I've had to do ths at a yard when there was none but I also sold it on when I left so not a issue. I'd be v surprised if rubber mats were included in DIY - I've always had my own.
 
Horseback Rider said:
As above could you let me know if you would expect to have to do the following as a DIY'er on a yard

Repair wear & tear in fencing (Just general stuff not if your horse has trashed it)

Fertilise paddocks and pay for it

Supply your own shed for storage of tack, feed etc

Supply your own rubber matting

If you have access to extra ad hoc grazing from farmers etc are you expected to weed, fence etc ??

Would just like your views so I can work out if I am being unreasonable or not ??
Click to expand...

As a YO with DIY'ers.

Fencing No - that's what your livery fee covers, certainly not as an additional fee or you expected to do it.

Fertilising same as above.

Own shed no. We supply covered areas which liveries can put a locked box if necessary (they purchase) and they have access to a locked tack room and hay barn.

Rubber matting - Yes I wouldn't cover that

Ad hoc grazing, don't have enough details to comment

Personally we cover general maintenance etc in the livery fee. However it's not a £5 a week yard. I would expect what your suggesting to be on a very cheap yard/ small yard, not a professionally run yard.

Depends if you're renting a field or paying livery too. If renting field then you'd cover wear and tear to all but perimeter fence.

So hard to do a firm answer!

Pan
 
Repair wear & tear in fencing (Just general stuff not if your horse has trashed it) - No

Fertilise paddocks and pay for it - No

Supply your own shed for storage of tack, feed etc - No

Supply your own rubber matting - I dotn have matting but if we want it then yes.

If you have access to extra ad hoc grazing from farmers etc are you expected to weed, fence etc ?? - No
 
YO repairs/maintains fencing. I have to put cribbox on mine so that S doesn't pull all the posts out though

YO is responsible for fertilising etc. We poo-pick and ragwort our own fields.

We have secure tack and feed rooms available to use.

Rubber matting is supplied in the stables as standard by our lovely YO :)

If he were to give us extra land to use, he would fence and maintain it. We would be expected to poo-pick and ragwort as usual.

Our yard offers part and full livery too, so is not just a DIY only yard.
 
Differs from yard to yard but generally, if YO doesn't/isn't able do repairs etc, OH and I generally will.

In the past, we've installed solar lights at field gates, repaired flooding water troughs, cleared out barns, gutters, blocked drains, done field/fence maintenance etc etc.

I really don't care who is supposed to be responsible for maintenance, if it makes life better for everyone's horses or keeps them safe, I'll do it.

Always supply own matting, sometimes supply own storage for tack/feed if needed.

Life's too short to stress about what YO fails to do. Much easier to get on and do it so you can leave your horses at night knowing they are safe and well.

Yard contracts aren't very common, on both large and small yards, only ever signed one.
 
Thanks all for your replies.

I do have to all of the mentioned stuff on my yard and I don't generally mind as it is a lovely yard close to home and my horse is really happy there.

There was another livery who has had it in for me for a while (not sure why) and is persistently sticking her nose in to how I look after my horse. I haven't really retaliated so far as I didn't really have the time or inclination and didn't want to get into any aggro over it. I kind of think that horse owners are like parents and everyone has their own opinion and as long as the horse is OK I leave it.

Anyhow things did come to a head and I had started looking round at other places and that's when I realised all of the things I listed that I do .

In any case I have sorted things out now with YO and other livery is no longer speaking to me :-)

I am going to stay there for now as will hopefully be getting my own yard by the end of the year and my horse has obviously been oblivious to all that has been going on and is happy there !
 
Horseback Rider said:
As above could you let me know if you would expect to have to do the following as a DIY'er on a yard

Repair wear & tear in fencing (Just general stuff not if your horse has trashed it) - NO !

Fertilise paddocks and pay for it - NO !

Supply your own shed for storage of tack, feed etc NO !

Supply your own rubber matting - YES AND HAVE DONE

If you have access to extra ad hoc grazing from farmers etc are you expected to weed, fence etc ?? - NO

Would just like your views so I can work out if I am being unreasonable or not ??
Click to expand...

As above answers in caps :-)
 
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