Those on full livery...

[SpringArising]

...how often do you see your horse?

I'd really like to make the switch, to free up a few evenings a week for me/friends/dog/housework and so on, but I'm really struggling with the idea of not doing it all myself, every day. I don't live close to the yard and I'm finding it too much day in day out - often by the time I'm done with work and sorted the dog, done some chores, driven there, grabbed something to eat quickly etc. I'm too tired to ride. If I went full it would mean on the days I DID go, I would be more inclined to actually get on, or I could just rock up and ride without having to do everything else.

If you went from DIY to full, did you get used to handing over some responsibility eventually, or am I doomed to be a knackered horse slave forever?

I don't want to get a sharer as he's still young and I'm very particular about what he does and how!

 

[LegOn]

I've always been on full livery but I honestly dont know how I would enjoy my horse without it! I work full time and same - between work/house/dog/husband/friends I wouldnt be able to manage it. I go to the yard about 5/6 days a week. I always give him one full day where I dont go down at all - I think its nice he gets a break from seeing me!!! Then I pretty much ride or lunge or hack or whatever the other days. If he is a bit tired or had a hard session I might just go up & spend time grooming & doing his stretches but I always feel like then any time I spend with him is beneficial & not just getting yard chores done!

 

[DirectorFury]

When mine first went on full livery I was at the yard 6 days a week to ride. 3(ish) years later I might only see her twice a month if I'm really busy.

When she first went I was finishing up my masters degree so had a lot of free time and the yard was 10 minutes from my then uni campus (45mins-1hr from home). I'm now in the final year of my PhD and working another 3 jobs on top of that so have much less time. We've also moved campuses so the current campus is 30 mins each way across the city from the yard - it's like a giant, annoying, triangle of home-yard-work travel now!

When she first went it was a difficult adjustment to handing control to someone else but I completely trust the YO and her judgement. It's bliss to not have to worry about my horse at all. YO also loves her to bits so I know she's getting plenty of fuss and attention when I'm not there . I've made the decision that there is no way I will move her from the yard; she's happy and settled and actually integrated into a herd for the first time. Ultimately OH and I are looking to move closer to the yard.

 

[ihatework]

Depends what you mean by full?

When I was doing the riding/competing I did struggle at times giving up the control, primarily when things weren’t done as I would like them!! But I got better over time. I would usually still see the horse at least 5/6 times a week when I rode, and would often just check on them even if I didn’t ride. That was what I would call part livery though. It certainly helps on the tiredness front.

I’ve recently moved one of mine onto proper full livery though. It was for a variety of reasons, primarily a new work contract meaning I can’t commit to any sort of routine or decent amount of exercise, partly because my back issues are affecting the quality of my riding and partly because the horse now needs more professional input and it’s actually cheaper to base the horse with a pro.
I generally see the horse twice a week, once to ride myself and once to watch him work. It’s still in the novelty stage so I’m quite enjoying it, it helps that their standards are high and the communication is good though!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

The success or failure will depend on whether the trust and communication between the staff and owner is good or not. I personally found the transition from DIY to part livery impossible as I did not trust the yard to look after my horse (turned up to find her with blood coming out of her mouth/nose, with multiple cuts, I was not told what happened and the yard manager was very miffed when I called the vet) and she - my mare - did not like the staff at all. Moved her back to DIY ASAP.

Of course now I've had that bad experience I would find it very hard to 'let go' again.

 

[Antw23uk]

I've always said if i had my horse(s) on full livery I wouldn't bother having them! Maybe that's me just being a bit jealous that other people can afford it and i cant but a big part of having a horse, for me, is the keeping and looking after them. If all i had to do was turn up and ride, well I can do that at a riding school for a lot less money!

I guess I shouldnt be jealous really when I keep my horses at home

 

[Ambers Echo]

I was on full last year and loved it. My routine before switching was turn all 3 out then muck them all out which took ages. Then go to work and go back later to bring in and ride. On full I saw them just as much as all I missed was turning them out in the morning. They did not know I was mucking them out! So I rode more as I had more time. I left that yard and went to DIY because turn out was very restricted plus the new yard is walking distance from home so girls can get there independently and do much more of the stable chores. I'd happily go back too full liv but my new yard only does assisted not full.

 

[OlderNotWiser]

I go up 5 days, allowing myself (and therefore my horse) 2 days off. I find I time manage much better and must admit, as I get older, enjoy not having to do all the jobs in the pouring rain and dark in the winter after work!

 

[Thea]

I have my horse on what our yard calls full livery but is what most see as part livery, which means that she is fully cared for but i exercise her. I made the move from having them at my own yard and doing 6 horses alongside working full time. I cut down to two on livery and now just have one as the other has gone on loan elsewhere.

My first taste of livery ended very badly with one of my horses getting seriously injured through the negligence of the yard owner (she is fine now after ££ of vets bills), after that happened i took the horses home again, then we moved to where we are now once a space came up and the horse and I couldn't be happier. So just choose your yard owner very wisely is my only real advice.

The yard owner where i am now is amazing, I haven't met anyone who loves and cares for all the horses like she does. The first experience did turn me into a neurotic horse owner and i found it hard to relinquish control at first but now I don't worry at all about the horse, i often get texts and photos sent to me while i'm at work of her having a snooze in the field or them having a cuddle together. In actual fact shes never looked so well in the 6 years i've owned her so shes clearly very happy there!

I tend to go to the yard 6 times a week to ride as its on my way home from work, but its no big deal if i don't get up there that many times as that as the yard owner will always exercise if i need her to. I just send her a text to say i'm not coming up and she will give the horse her night time carrot for me..yes she is spoilt!

I really don't know how i managed to keep on top of everything being DIY and have a life when the horses were at home, now i have the best of both worlds and i'm so much happier and less stressed. I did go though a blip over Christmas where i thought i wanted to jack it all in but i realised i was putting too much pressure on myself to compete rather than just enjoy my time with the horse. Id fully recommend it to anyone at the right yard even over having the horses at home.

 

[ihatework]

I have my horse on what our yard calls full livery but is what most see as part livery, which means that she is fully cared for but i exercise her. I made the move from having them at my own yard and doing 6 horses alongside working full time. I cut down to two on livery and now just have one as the other has gone on loan elsewhere.

My first taste of livery ended very badly with one of my horses getting seriously injured through the negligence of the yard owner (she is fine now after ££ of vets bills), after that happened i took the horses home again, then we moved to where we are now once a space came up and the horse and I couldn't be happier. So just choose your yard owner very wisely is my only real advice.

The yard owner where i am now is amazing, I haven't met anyone who loves and cares for all the horses like she does. The first experience did turn me into a neurotic horse owner and i found it hard to relinquish control at first but now I don't worry at all about the horse, i often get texts and photos sent to me while i'm at work of her having a snooze in the field or them having a cuddle together. In actual fact shes never looked so well in the 6 years i've owned her so shes clearly very happy there!

I tend to go to the yard 6 times a week to ride as its on my way home from work, but its no big deal if i don't get up there that many times as that as the yard owner will always exercise if i need her to. I just send her a text to say i'm not coming up and she will give the horse her night time carrot for me..yes she is spoilt!

I really don't know how i managed to keep on top of everything being DIY and have a life when the horses were at home, now i have the best of both worlds and i'm so much happier and less stressed. I did go though a blip over Christmas where i thought i wanted to jack it all in but i realised i was putting too much pressure on myself to compete rather than just enjoy my time with the horse. Id fully recommend it to anyone at the right yard even over having the horses at home.

I think this is spot on.

Having the horse on the wrong yard is very stressful, much more so than being on the wrong DIY.

Have them on the right yard and it’s quite liberating.

 

[Celtic Fringe]

My younger cob is on full livery - I cannot ride him due to my hip problems, though I've just got a date for a hip replacement op! I normally get to the yard around 4 times a week. The yard is fairly small - around 15 horses - and family run. He lives out with two other livery horses which is exactly what I wanted for him. He gets worked around 5 times a week - schooling, in-hand and hacking and I'm ending up with an amazingly well trained little horse. At the moment I can just about bring him in safely (fortunately he is well behaved with a very wobbly owner!), groom and tack up, watch him work and and turn him out again. I really enjoy being able to do this quite small amount to maintain the relationship with my horse. I know he couldn't be in better hands and I trust the yard 100% to look after him.

 

[SOS]

I have been on three “full livery” yards - do all jobs, and ride when you are not there. One was awful, would say they would do jobs then didn’t I.e put on walker, wash legs off etc. Didn’t last long there. The other was a large yard I was only on for a few weeks. Mainly young apprentices dealing with the horses and as it was so big the care was adequate but not tailored...

My current yard I love. Agree with the YOs way of doing things, they know the horses husbandry/routine better than the owners do and the horses want for nothing. Small yard of 12ish full liveries. Fed/skipped out multiple times a day. I never go up and find the horse without forage and never with more than a dropping or two in her stable. They exercise her on days I don’t ride and I know they will do a professional proper job. I also get to talk about my horse/plans/ask how to do something most days and the YO regularly pops in whilst I’m schooling or jumping to help out or give 10 minutes of advice.

I worked out a long time ago that having my horse on full livery allows me to spend any ‘free time’ with the horse. I groom/bathe/exercise mine when I am there rather than spending an hour with the muck heap! It actually works out cheaper for me than having her on DIY as I can work the two+ hours a day I would spend doing her night and evening. I get paid more for those two hours than the daily cost of full livery. And I save fuel.

I can’t understand the jealously aspect personally. I’m certainly not jealous for someone else to pick up my horses muck but also I am not jealous seeing them go better under saddle for another rider - I find it inspiring!

I think the trick is finding someone with similar views, accepting they may not be done ‘your way’ but will be done to a high standard, and relaxing! The first few weeks feel weird and then you realise your life doesn’t revolve around the yard.

 

[HeyMich]

It was the only way I could have a horse, so it had to work. Horses are my hobby, whereas work and family are essential!

I trusted the YO and the horse was very settled in the herd, so it was easy. Some weeks I saw her 4/5 times, other weeks only twice. Very nice to know she was well looked after if I couldn't get there.

I've moved her home now, but I would have been happy to keep her there on full livery indefinitely if we hadn't moved house.

 

[Equine_Dream]

I've always said if i had my horse(s) on full livery I wouldn't bother having them! Maybe that's me just being a bit jealous that other people can afford it and i cant but a big part of having a horse, for me, is the keeping and looking after them. If all i had to do was turn up and ride, well I can do that at a riding school for a lot less money!

I guess I shouldnt be jealous really when I keep my horses at home

This is how I feel about it also. For me a big part of having horses is caring for them. It doesn't help I'm OCD as hell when it comes to their care.

 

[Thea]

This is how I feel about it also. For me a big part of having horses is caring for them. It doesn't help I'm OCD as hell when it comes to their care.

I can completely see why people feel that caring for the horses is a big part of having them and to an extent i do agree. I've always had the horses at home since a child but for me now, I work long hours in a very stressful job and found i wasn't having the free time to dedicate to my horses the standard of daily care i like them to have which was stressing me out more. Due to the long hours or having to last minute work late they would be left out in the dark until i could get back to them, my parents helped me out loads but it wasn't fair to ask them to handle the big horses in the middle of winter when they were hunting fit and wanting to come in from the field as they aren't horse people.

I have loads more time now to give to the horse, its not about just riding but i'm able to give more time to other basic things like hot clothing her, spending more time giving her thorough grooms/massage pad before riding rather than just a quick flick before tacking up. I'm happier as my weekends and evenings aren't swallowed up by fixing fencing, moving hay, rolling fields and forking up the muck heap, which in turn means my horse is happier as i'm not always rushed and stressed around her. It has actually worked out to be quite a bit cheaper for me to keep one on full livery than to have them at home as i'm not having to shell out on fencing, muck heap removal and all other maintenance costs involved with having horses at home/on DIY.

However, if i had pots of money and didn't work then maybe i would change my mind and have them back at home as id have all the time in the world to give them then.

 

[flying_high]

I've always said if i had my horse(s) on full livery I wouldn't bother having them! Maybe that's me just being a bit jealous that other people can afford it and i cant but a big part of having a horse, for me, is the keeping and looking after them. If all i had to do was turn up and ride, well I can do that at a riding school for a lot less money!

I guess I shouldnt be jealous really when I keep my horses at home

I've done all combinations with multiple horses. I am currently on 7 day part livery - which does pretty much mean all is done, barring grooming, exercising and tack cleaning. And it's good livery so if I was abroad, yard owner looks after mine and any issues like her own.

That said I am involved in his diet / routine / care etc. I don't often muck out but I do have significantly more hands on time with my horse than anyone else does. He is under no illusion who owns him. I quite like the flexibility of being able to really groom properly, use his massage pad on him, do stretches and in handwork with him, pamper him, do stretches before I school, rather than rushing to fit everything in before work. Enjoy long hacks. Actually clean my tack etc.

Plus when I do box out to a competition / clinic / fun ride, it is a much shorter day, if as well as the prep, the loading and the unloading, I haven't also got the weekend's horse chores. Makes it less tiring!

I hack / compete / long rein / take him to clinics / school him / take him to the race course, it is not difficult to build a relationship without being the one who mucks out / poo picks etc.

I probably go to the yard 5-6 times a week, typically 6.30am-9am.

I am pretty much hands on control in an emergency, assuming I am not away with work. e.g. yard owner brought horse in with slipped shoe with toe clip in white line, couldn't shift shoe, and needed to pick daughter up from after school club. I am pretty local, so can get in my yard, use shoe removal kit and poultice etc.

I do most wound management, make most decisions etc. but don't micromanage.

He gets the care he wants - right rug for weather, unlimited good hay, right feed, a well managed large field of friends, the same routine has his friends.

I have found I have MORE quality time to spend with my horse when not ordering hay / bedding / doing field maintenance / mucking out / fixed to turning out / bringing in. I probably do turnout or bring in 5-6 times a week to ride / after riding, but it's on my timetable.

 

[fabbydo]

I go to the yard 5 days a week. I have total trust in the person looking after them. I could possibly do assisted diy if I didn't want to eat, sleep for more than 5 hours and do some sort of housework!

 

[ycbm]

I used to go two half days Sat and Sun, and Tuesday and Thursday evenings (mornings in winter sometimes) if I could work that around work commitments.

It worked well alongside a high pressure job and a marriage I wanted to last.

 

[ycbm]

If all i had to do was turn up and ride, well I can do that at a riding school for a lot less money!

There is no comparison at all between riding a riding school horse and riding your own, which is ridden and schooled by you four days a week and hacked out by a groom on a long rein for another two/three days a week.

While I would have loved to look after the horse myself, as I do now and also did before, I couldn't combine a high pressure job with DIY livery horse care and do justice to either.

..

 

[Flicker]

I’m on part livery - the yard does all the jobs, I ride. I go up once a day, every day. This is mainly because, irrespective of whether I ride or not, my horse is a fantastic destresser from a very hectic job. Also because I want to see with my own eyes that everything looks the way it should. My yard is lovely, but my horse is primarily my responsibility - if something is amiss, it’s my job to spot it.

 

[Nativelover]

I think the whole full livery experience lies firmly in how good the YO and staff are. How they treat the horses and the owners.
I’ve been on a couple of full livery yards, ‘full’ being everything but riding, so I suppose many would call that part livery.
The problem with one yard was the total disrespect of the owners requirements, the appalling mucking out, and the lies about the horses daily regime. This ended up with hungry horses not being fed appropriately, horses being cooped up in stables far too long and mouldy bedding from poor mucking out. The rugs were never taken off the horses backs. And woebetide anyone who turned up unannounced.
The other yard was really nice, incredibly accommodating and listened and worked with the owners. I’m OCD with my bed, hay feeds etc but really the horses never came to any harm because the banks weren’t all level or the haynet wasn’t the right colour.

 

[JJS]

I've always said if i had my horse(s) on full livery I wouldn't bother having them! Maybe that's me just being a bit jealous that other people can afford it and i cant but a big part of having a horse, for me, is the keeping and looking after them. If all i had to do was turn up and ride, well I can do that at a riding school for a lot less money!

I guess I shouldnt be jealous really when I keep my horses at home

I'm exactly the same as you. A huge part of having horses for me revolves around looking after them, and riding is just one of the perks. I'm also incredibly neurotic about how they're kept and cared for, so I know for a fact that if I wasn't doing it myself, I'd spend so much time worrying that it simply wouldn't be worth it Plus, and here's the silly, soppy part, no one else would love them the way I do!

That said, I wouldn't judge anyone else for having theirs on full livery. If it will make life easier for you and you'll still see him reasonably often, OP, maybe you could begin by switching to full and viewing it as a trial to see how you feel? If you hate it, you can go back to DIY, or try part livery and see if that's a better fit. No matter what you decide, I guess the important thing is to remember that it doesn't have to be forever. You're always allowed to change your mind.

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

I've always said if i had my horse(s) on full livery I wouldn't bother having them! Maybe that's me just being a bit jealous that other people can afford it and i cant but a big part of having a horse, for me, is the keeping and looking after them. If all i had to do was turn up and ride, well I can do that at a riding school for a lot less money!

I guess I shouldn't be jealous really when I keep my horses at home

This is exactly how I used to be! I couldn't fathom why you would want a horse & not do it all yourself. My boy is 14 & from 8 months until he was 12 I had had always been purely DIY with the odd bit of assistance in the form of just a turnout or bring in. But a change in career 3 years ago involving blocks of 12 hr day & night shifts saw me nearly run myself into an early grave trying to still do it all unassisted out of stubbornness. So I did it for my health really! Not inc my commute & sleeping I'm only left with about 2 hours spare to prepare food for the next day, walk dogs, do chores & wind down so I was pushing it doing the horse side of it too.

I moved him on to a yard & had him on a mixture of part & full livery & really really struggled trusting someone to do him the way I would anyway, and then I discovered the lies but only on the 'full' days when I wasn't around via other liveries. He wasn't being mucked out properly, being left out all night in the middle of winter just to keep their pony company when he was supposed to be in, rugs not changed & then found out YO daughter was riding him via post on social media!!!! I went up unannounced on a day they weren't expecting me & I'll leave it at that, but a week or so before I was due to move they 'forgot' to put him in a restricted grazing paddock & he went on to a lush field resulting spasmodic colic!

Needless to say, I moved. I'm now on a yard with the same livery arrangement but the yard owners are fab & he's cared for like one of there own, they're are totally flexible to what I need, I can always text to check on him & ask for certain rugs etc & I zero worries about his care when I'm not there - restored my faith that they are not all the same. I tend to do runs of 3 or 4 shifts, then a few off etc with every third week off, so any day off I have I'm part & do everything inc my stable - they just turnout or bring in the opposite end of the day, and days I'm on shift I don't go at all. I see him probably 4 but sometimes 3 days a week the weeks I'm on shift but then daily on that whole week I'm off. Bottom line, it's a good balance for me with work & horses & I couldn't be without it, but it's only as good as the people who run it!

 

[Winters100]

I would say try it for a couple of months, if you don't like it you can always go back to DIY. Make sure to explain to YO that it is a trial, that you love doing your horse but that time is a problem and to please not be offended if you want to go back at some stage. I have mine on full, even though I go everyday and do most things myself. But it gives me the flexibility that if I am busy everything is taken care of. You have to remember that no one will look after your horse as you do, and there will always be minor irritations, so I view it more as not thinking that the horse will have 100% perfect care if I am not around, but that the horse will be fine. Also it helps if you pop in often, even if you are too busy to do much. I make a rule of going at odd times so they know that she should always have the correct blanket etc. Keeping a good relationship with the grooms is crucial, and I also find that tipping them and bringing the odd box of chocolates goes a long way to making things easier. Whatever you decide good luck

 

[Equine_Dream]

I'm exactly the same as you. A huge part of having horses for me revolves around looking after them, and riding is just one of the perks. I'm also incredibly neurotic about how they're kept and cared for, so I know for a fact that if I wasn't doing it myself, I'd spend so much time worrying that it simply wouldn't be worth it Plus, and here's the silly, soppy part, no one else would love them the way I do!

That said, I wouldn't judge anyone else for having theirs on full livery. If it will make life easier for you and you'll still see him reasonably often, OP, maybe you could begin by switching to full and viewing it as a trial to see how you feel? If you hate it, you can go back to DIY, or try part livery and see if that's a better fit. No matter what you decide, I guess the important thing is to remember that it doesn't have to be forever. You're always allowed to change your mind.

Exactly. Having horses is meant to be enjoyed. So you need to find what works for you. I prefer being in charge of my horses care. But I am lucky that my yard is 10 minutes from home and my other half is also horsey, so helps me with them and also doesn't complain when I am up the yard for hours on end.
I would never judge someone else for having theirs on full livery, and I hope my previous comment didn't come across that way.
You need to do what's best for you and your horses. Whether it's full, part, diy, or something inbetween xx

 

[pippixox]

I think part livery (so full care, no exercise) can probably really help give your life more balance! And actually the cost of diy rent and all the bedding and feed on top can often be almost as much as part livery! However, mine are kept much cheaper on rented land with few facilities. But perhaps if I had the money I would. But as other said, only if I trusted the care.

When I first had my horses I was at school and lived in west London. So he was stabled about 45 mins away and my parents paid for livery as they didn’t have time to take me in the week. I went Saturday and Sunday once a day and occasionally one evening. More in school holidays. Although I was very lucky to have the opportunity, I of course prefer seeing my horses everyday.

 

[HashRouge]

I see mine at the weekend during the winter, but more frequently over summer. They are on grass livery and I don't finish work until 6pm, so it seems a little pointless to drive for 20 minutes just to go and say hi in a dark field. Once it gets lighter in the evenings I try to go up twice during the week too, and in the school holidays I go every day. I really trust my YO though - she doesn't fuss them, at all, but she always lets me know if something isn't right and keeps a really good eye on them.

 

[madamebonnie]

Im normally on assisted DIY which means I go once a day tor ride/muck out but turnout is done for me. For March I'm switching to 5 day full livery (no exercising). I know I have a very busy and stressful month ahead at work. In the last week Ive ridden once because by the time I get down and have done jobs its 8.30pm and Im knackered and need dinner. Hopefully with no jobs to do I can enjoy riding. Actually do some grooming, maybe even clean my tack... but if I am staying late I won't be feeling guilty about not making it down

 

[wren123]

I had mine on part livery for a while when we moved areas, so everything except grooming, exercising and tacking up. I was a bit precious over who rode her as I'd bought her as a recently backed 4 year and she was coming on beautifully. It wasn't a riding school in any form but I arrived on a day I wasn't expected to see her being used in a lesson for the working pupils bring ridden very badly. There were other little things too but this was the biggie.
So do your research very carefully and turn up unexpectedly sometimes.

 

[starfish8]

Mine are on what my YO calls training livery - so all care done by yard plus up to 4 days a week exercising/lessons for me. I go up weekends and on my day off in the week, and the odd day i work from home. It works for us - one needs rehab daily that I just can't fit in around work. The other is fairly new and benefits from having a talented dressage rider school him once a week and the grooms doing a couple of other days - lunging, hacking etc. It works for us but it is definitely a case of being at the right yard with people you trust looking after the horses. I'm sure they both know I'm their owner, and surely it is better that when I ride I can be consistent - not horrendously tired & riding like a sack of potatoes some days and better when I'm less tired on others.