those on full livery - how often do you see your horse ?

minimex2

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we are on diy, our horse is our pet and we see him every day. (but I have been known to pop up few times a day to put my head over field to see he's ok!)

circumstances are changing and am thinking about full livery - only thing is theres no where local so thinking about going further a field (30-45 mins drive each way) and possibly only going up 4-5 times per week instead of every day.

does every one always see their horses every day? -

thanks

"worrier"
 

{123756}

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Its very dependent on traffic but sometimes it takes me well over 40 mins to see my horses one way and im on diy so go twice a day without fail. Its not terrible and if i could be on livery i would. As much as they're part of the family, if you can afford it I think as long as i knew my horses were well looked after I would enjoy taking a day or two off each week. Just look at all the best options for you, maybe try and see some silver linings like lay ins and try not to worry too much.
 

FestiveFuzz

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I'm very lucky that our yard is only a matter of minutes away from home so I tend to go up every night unless I'm away with work or out at an event, but others do just go up a few times a week.
 

DD265

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It used to be every day without fail, these days it's usually 3-5 times a week. It is traffic dependent however, because although the yard is 15 mins from home, work is 1hr30+ in the opposite direction.

I've slightly reduced my visits recently as I was struggling to come to terms with his permanent retirement and just needed a bit of space away from it all.
 

DirectorFury

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I try to go up 6 days a week but if I'm particularly busy or have a lot going on work-wise I might only go up 4 times. Horse is always happy to see me regardless and I know she's well looked after!
 

JFTDWS

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I've just moved on to full livery after having my own place. It's been two days and I'm all at sixes and sevens, as my brain hasn't quite realised I don't need to go up three or four times a day now. I plan to go up 5 or 6 times a week, but for now, I'll be up there every day until I get used to the idea :eek3:
 

ihatework

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For 'my' horses then everyday unless away with work.
For the event horse I'm in shared ownership with then approx once a week
 

chestnut cob

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It depends on my work schedule. When I'm working at home, office and from uk, I usually go 5 (he has 1 day off & yard hack one day so I can go swimming with a friend). If I'm away in Europe with work then I'll go on the days I'm at home. This week I went on mon and not again until sat, when I'm taking him to a DR comp. he's full livery & I pay YO to ride him when I'm not around, so this week she's riding tues to fri inclusive.
 

Mongoose11

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I'm on full for 5/6 months of the year over winter. Some weeks I go seven days a week and some weeks it's five or six days - very rarely it's less.
 

criso

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Usually 4 or 5 depending on work. I live in London and work at various locations and keep my horses in Herts on 5 day so I do them at the weekends. I try at least 2 days in the week and usually manage 3 but if I'm working away I may not get up at all in the week.
 

npage123

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My move to a full livery yard (from DIY) was mainly due to the fact that I wanted off-road hacking available on site, as my horse is semi-retired and hacking has become very important to me. Initially it was hard to get used to the idea of 'letting go', but I made the move just in time before my work commitments got ridiculous. Working 14 hours a few days in a row and long hours over weekends has become the norm, so I've been unable, much to my regret, to go up and see my horse every day (half an hour's drive away). However, I could not have chosen a better yard for my oldie. He's turned out with his friendly mare for company every day, gets ad lib organic hay and two massive feeds a day, has the equissage a few times a week and icevibe boots as necessary. And above all, the yard owner/manager is the most dedicated yard manager I have ever come across and I trust her implicitly. She really would go that extra mile, like putting the equissage on if my horse looks as if he can do with it, or the icevibe boots if his legs look a bit puffy. I know my horse is in professional, capable hands and don't worry about him one bit if I can't go up to the yard, and that helps a great deal so I don't feel too guilty that I can't see my oldie as often as I would like.
EDA: I try and see him once/twice during the week, and every Saturday and Sunday.
 

muddygreymare

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I moved from DIY for 5 years to full livery in March, and I must have only not gone up about 5 days since then! My mare has been on box rest too so I could have just let them see to her but she is my best buddy and I love seeing her every day. It is great though knowing that there is no pressure to go up and I don't have to do anything if I don't want to, I can just cuddle my horse and chat. I was very against the idea and thought I'd hate not doing things but it's actually a big pressure taken off and I can enjoy my horse a lot more. Definitely worth the extra money in my opinion :)
 

sunnyone

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I used to work for rides at a hunting stables at the weekends. One horse, which I did, was owned by a very well known London judge. He could only see the horse when he could get away from town for the entire week-end. He would ring ahead to ask for the horse to be ready for him to take out. I hated this because I lost the ride on his horse on those days, just got to do all the feeding, mucking out, grooming, and tacking up.
Since then I've realised there are many riders around who pay the bills but only see/ride their own horse irregularly. Some even live in different countries to their horses for months at a time.
 

Mince Pie

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When I had my boy I saw him 3-4 times a week as he had a sharer 2 x days and then he had 1 x day off a week (needed lots of work to keep the waistline at bay!). I was working crazy hours so some days I was too knackered to go to the yard so some weeks I didn't see him much.
 

Michen

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Depends on meaning of full, full here means exercised. I'm on part where he is cared for 7 days a week but I go up 6 days a week.
 

Michen

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Same. Took me about 48 hours to get used to not mucking out hehe. I spend so much longer actually "with" him now

I moved from DIY for 5 years to full livery in March, and I must have only not gone up about 5 days since then! My mare has been on box rest too so I could have just let them see to her but she is my best buddy and I love seeing her every day. It is great though knowing that there is no pressure to go up and I don't have to do anything if I don't want to, I can just cuddle my horse and chat. I was very against the idea and thought I'd hate not doing things but it's actually a big pressure taken off and I can enjoy my horse a lot more. Definitely worth the extra money in my opinion :)
 

McFluff

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I aim for 5-6 times a week, work depending. Usually 6. She's fully cared for, except exercise. All my yard time is spent with her, grooming and riding, which I love. If I can't go up for any reason, I'm fairly sure I miss it more than she does!
 

Dougal9

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I'm on full livery and go up 5-6 times a week, we both have Sunday's off ! I do miss him when I don't go, even though he's very well cared for. I would go DIY as he's my horse and I love caring for him - even the mundane stuff, but work dictates not.
 

mariew

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I was on assisted diy which worked beautifully, then we moved, and i went on pure diy. After a hideous winter and battling it out and actually not enjoying horse ownership anymore, I went full (non-ridden) livery and it was bliss. I saw her maybe 5-6 days / week. Then i had a baby and now i see the horse a couple of times per week, more if i'm lucky. I have a sharer who hacks once / week most weeks and a rider who rides her a couple of times per week.

I would like to ride more, but at the moment it just isn't practical and I am comfortable with this balance. If you know your horse is looked after, the whole point of full livery is there is no preassure to go see your horse every day of the week. You can go as often or as little as you like and the horse is fine.
 

The wife

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While on full competition livery I saw my horse 4 times in 5 months and these were all at competitions where I turned up, patted him, watched his competition, told him he was amazing, gave him a kiss and a polo and left, handing him back to lady who was producing him... Until this week I had gone 13 weeks without seeing him.

I am such a bad mum but knew he was perfectly happy, safe and very well looked after. Yard was only 1hr 10 in car as well.

We used to do breakers and full/comp/hunter liveries. I had one owner who didn't see her horse in 6 months, paid her bills, rarely text and randomly turned up one day in the sunshine for us not to see her again for another couple of months. The hunters summered at ours and we only used to see owners at the start of Autumn hunting and then only on hunting days.
 

Wagtail

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I run a small yard of full liveries. Over the years, I have had some owners who come every day, others, once a month, if that. I would say the most common is 3 - 4 times a week. If I had mine on full livery, then I would probably be up every day until I was sure she'd settled and I was happy that everything was being done right. Then I would go up around five times a week.
 

BlackRider

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I'm an every day person, but on the last yard I was at, we had one owner that only came weekends and another probably 3 -5 times a week.
 

rachk89

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Every day if I can. A couple of times thanks to work I couldn't even when on diy but the yard checks all of them and I just ask someone to have a look to see that he has all 4 legs still and isn't hobbling or anything. Even on full livery I like to go up and check him even if it is just a quick check.
 

AShetlandBitMeOnce

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This thread makes me feel much better about putting Jake on full livery for a day if I have other plans, or need a day off.

My livery is part, which inc feed, bedding, BI, TO, holding for farrier/vet/etc, picking feet, rugging, top up hay and water plus any ice booting or hosing. But we muck out, fill waters and fill haynets. So I have to go everyday but for £5 I can do a full livery day and I probably have 4-8 a month.
 

Micropony

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My horse is on part livery, which includes all care but not exercising. I see him most days, but there will be the odd day I don't, e.g. if I have to work past 7.30 I can't get to the yard before it closes at 9, and if I am going out during the week that will be a night I don't see him. I know he's taken care of whether I'm there or not, but I like to see him even if it's only to give him a cuddle, feel his legs and give him an extra skip out. Can't be in the same stable as a dropping!
 

wiglet

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I love my full livery yard. I go up everyday to ride but, if I get delayed at work, or I fancy a day out somewhere, it's nice to have the flexibility in knowing that I don't have to go up.
 
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