to all diy'ers

I would only have full livery if my circumstances dictated. Im lucky i (just about) have/can make time to diy and love every minute of it! think it does produce a bond that you wouldn't get for a long time it you liveried your horse.
 
No, I like the one to one time with my horses. It is nice to have the odd day of full if a yard provides it, but I still find myself going down and checking before I can relax for the night.

And I wonder why I havnt been on holiday for 6years
 
now_loves_mares said:
I still ended up going up every day, as they never gave him enough hay.
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This is the thing that would bug me. I've been on quite a few yards over the years and still yet to see a yard that supplies part/full liveries proper 'ad lib' hay. I know they have to run a business & make money but I'd hate to see my horse standing with only enough hay to last til midnight.
 
No, I'd never go full livery because I tend not to like the way other people handle my horses. I would however have no objection to having a slave who did all the hard work, leaving me with more time to have fun with my horses. I don't think a horse cares who poo picked the field. :-)
 
As someone else has already said - not for all the tea in China!!

Why on earth would anyone choose to have someone else look after their horse???

I absolutely adore my boy and miss him terribly if I don't see him for a day, and he misses me...he sulks if I don't spend time fussing him each day, and he often prefers to stand in the stable "chatting" with me rather than eating his hay (and he's a greedy bu**er!!)!

If work or family circumstances forced me into it I would grudgingly go along with it but I wouldn't be happy about it, and I'd revert back to DIY as soon as I could. Having said that we do all help each other out on our yard, so holidays/illness is covered when necessary but I would never choose to arrange any permanent cover.

I thoroughly enjoy looking after my boy, making all the decisions about his care (including mistakes, I'm not perfect) and I take great pride in keeping him clean (I won't hack out if he has stable stains) and providing him with a lovely bed in a clean stable with everything he needs, and that his field is kept clear of poo whenever daylight allows!
 
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I'm not sure if mine would sulk exactly, but if I didn't see him everyday, I would :D

Despite being a grumpy one, even he round to face the gate when I bound over with his headcollar and (disgustingly, I'm sure) no treats, but I love all aspects of looking after him :)
 
You are all barking. If I could afford it I would definately go part-livery. My horse doesn't give a damn who picks up his poo, who makes his feed or who turns him out/brings in.

I would appreciate not having to get up at 5:30 EVERY morning to do him before work and not finishing and getting home until 7:00 p,m EVERY day. If I didn't have to do I could spend a lot more time with him doing the nice things.

And just because they are on part/full livery there is no reason why you can not visit twice a day if you want to.
 
Nice thought at this time in the morning as I go down to muck out etc before work, but I would miss not seeing my boy. I am at a lovely relaxed yard, daily turnout etc but I don't trust anyone to look after my horse like I do!!!
 
No I would still have mine on DIY, we use to have our older pony on Full Livery and I much prefer doing everything myself.
 
Lol- 7pm sounds like a day off to me (only joking!) don't usually get to yard until 7pm after commute from London! So yep up at 5.30am and home at 10pm - but wouldn't have it any other way! (have been on full livery years ago) Would occasionally appreciate the odd day when I don't have 5 to muck out. Worse in winter as very limited turnout, so mucking out twice a day. Luckily OH helps with poo picking, barrow emptying, sweeping, rugging etc, but will NOT muck out!
 
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Can't see the point of having your own horse if it's kept on full livery. Might as well turn up at a riding school a couple times a week and ride theirs, probably cheaper as well!! I want to spend every moment I have with mine and their care is my prime concern. Rain, frost, snow, I still need to see them at least twice a day.
 
I used to have my big boy on very inflexible part livery (more rules and restrictions than you could shake a stick at), but when I got my second horse, limited funds meant I had to move yards and go diy at a local farm.
No bells and whistles and lots of mud .......

What a breath of fresh air!!

I'm a diy-er now and forever! :)
 
I love doing my own horses. I'm weird that I like to know my beds are spotless and are deep enough for when they come back in from a cold day in the field. I definitely wouldn't go full livery, I like being the first on the yard in winter too much :-)
 
Being on full livery doesn't mean that you don't have a bond with your horse. It doesn't mean that you only turn up to ride. It doesnt mean you don't bother seeing your horse every day. Some of these posts really annoyed me.
Mine is on full livery because I love him and because of my commute I would rather know he was in a routine that doesn't depend on me, and the trains running to time, and not getting caught in London etc...
I go down every day. I skip out his stable, top up his hay, sometimes ride and sometimes just groom him. I spend a lot of quality time with him. You think your horse cares or even knows who's mucked him out?!
 
No. I enjoy the whole package of caring for my mare just as much as I like the riding. Every mud filled, poo laden moment.
Money wouldn't change that.
 
I wouldnt change from DIY, I prefer to do my horses myself. Ideally I would like my own yard at home if I had the money to bguy a house with land and stables!, but DIY suits me fine, and theres always plenty of people there to help if needs be i.e. if away, ill etc.
 
No way, you couldn't pay me to have mine on full livery never mind me pay someone else.

I enjoy doing my own horse's and wouldn't trust anyone else do look after them.
 
amandaco2 said:
id just get them to do the mucking out, poo picking, haynet and water bucket filling etc...and to my standards as well
but all the actual horse handling id want to do!
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This.

And I support what thingstotdotoday said - some people have full livery horses that they treat like a riding school horse but many more do it because their job and other demands mean they can't give their horse the routine he needs and full livery means they can do the best by their horses and still have time for the grooming and riding.

The horse doesn't know who mucked his bed out no matter what people say about beds being "just right". He'd rather you spend an extra ten minutes grooming him or something than obsessing about hospital corners on his bed, lol.

My DIY includes morning turnout as YO doesn't want people turning up at ungodly hours to do their horses before work and that works fine for me (mine all live out anyway).

I also think it's good for horses to be handled by people other than their owners now and then.
 
no but it would be nice for some one to turn out and muck out when im on an early as getting up at 4:30 in the morning then working till 7 in the evening is killing me but no i wouldnt but anyone fancy doing my poo picking then year go ahead!

not many yards will offer taz part or full anyway as he is "dangerous" to lead at times and no one likes handling missy because shes a cow :) livery yards i have been at have only offered short turn out on crap grass anyway in gender groups or individual turnout which i dont like so my 2 are kept on 3 acres of lush grass (too much grass tbh) and they just potter about together :)
 
No, i've looked at full livery yards and while lovely, the way they feed and keep the horses isn't always how I would do it. Also I like the relationship that builds from looking after your own horse :).
 
No, I've just gone from full livery to assisted DIY and wouldn't change back :)

I much prefer being in cotrol of my horses care and enjoy it :D I also think we're better for it too :)
 
[deleted user] said:
Being on full livery doesn't mean that you don't have a bond with your horse. It doesn't mean that you only turn up to ride. It doesnt mean you don't bother seeing your horse every day. Some of these posts really annoyed me.
Mine is on full livery because I love him and because of my commute I would rather know he was in a routine that doesn't depend on me, and the trains running to time, and not getting caught in London etc...
I go down every day. I skip out his stable, top up his hay, sometimes ride and sometimes just groom him. I spend a lot of quality time with him. You think your horse cares or even knows who's mucked him out?!
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Agree with all of this although it doesn't annoy me, I just find it very funny that people think doing stable chores gives you a better relationship with your horse!

Mine are on full livery and it allows me to ride and groom and fuss about with them for much longer than when I had to muck out/hay/water etc as well.

I am still in exact control of my horses' diets, bedding, turnout arrangements and everything else, I am just not actioning it myself.
 
I will always have mine on DIY, no matter how much money i would have ! I love getting up in the morning and going to the yard to feed, turnout and muck out and like going to see them in afternoon to bring them in. My horse can be a little awkward with people he isnt familiar with as well. I'm lucky at my yard as, if for any reason i cannot get to yard, the yard owners will sort horses out for a very small extra fee. I've only once asked them to bring them in as i didnt want them coming in at 2pm (end of summer so evenings still light til fairly late) and i was worry through mywhole shift whether they were ok and behaved for YOs!! Luckily i only live a 5min drive from yard so can easily get there before and after work!!
 
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