To all liveries and YO's

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pnap

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If I was a livery on your yard who had complained on more than one occasion about my stable being left in a state after I'd mucked it out and my horse hadn't been in - and I then got to the end of my tether after having to do it 3 times last week again and proceeded to put a bike lock round it when empty and clean so you couldn't put some other scabby horse in it - would you think I was being an ar$e or quite within my rights since I pay for said stable, work full time and am on DIY so don't really want to have to muck out twice when my horse HASN'T EVEN BEEN IN!

Rant over sorry - in all seriousness I have no problem with the stable being used as long as it's as I left it when I return. So would such measures as padlocking it shut when clean and empty be considered livery yard faux pas and becoming of an ar$ehole - or the actions of a p1ssed off livery who is sick and tired of being taken advantage of cause of their normally very good nature.
 
I wouldn't want another horse in my stable period. You don't know if they have ringworm, flu etc.

To leave it dirty is a smack in the face, so yes, I'd whack a little lock on there to stop the b*ggers. However I'd probably find out who was doing it and have it out with them... but then I'm a fairly blunt person!!!
 
Oh I know who's doing it - the yard staff when they run out of stables for the riding school ponies. And believe me I've had this argument time and time again only to be met with "I don't put anything in there" from each and every one of them. Next step is telling YO who will come down on them like a tonne of bricks which is why I have avoided doing that so far but Saturday was the last straw. Stable immaculate on Saturday morning, water drinker cleaned out, floor washed and all clean straw (enough for his bed that night) piled neatly against back wall. Come up Saturday night to bring him in and riding school pony in stable, sh1t everywhere, brand new cooler pulled over the door off the rack and lying in a pile of pee, water drinker full of chewed food and some more poo (some of them seem to think it's a toilet), all the haynets which had been tied up for yard outside my stable pulled through and lying on the floor and all clean straw removed for other beds cause they couldn't be ar$ed going to shed for some. oooh I was livid.
 
Its always hard when a reasonable complaint is ignored, then th complainant has no choice other than to then behave in a way which others can then take notice of and label as 'petty' or 'awkward'.

The plain fact is, if you pay to rent a stable and you muck it out, other horses shouldnt be put in it unless its either an energency (their own stable falls down!) or is for a very short period and the stable is then put back to an equal or better state than it was in before.
 
I agree with you. I came back from a show recently to find some idiots in my yard had been having a water bomb fight. How did I know? About 20 little bits of balloon had been left behind in my stable. I was fuming as the stable is the home of my 4 year old who is likely to eat anything. What if I hadn't seem them first before he ate them?
There are some people who shouldn't own horses - goodness knows what the state of their houses is like. Apology for rant and hijacking your post!!!
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I would lock it, have a quiet word with the YO and try and find out who kept doing it!!!

I've had to bung beastie in the nearest stable a few times (loose horses galloping about) but I've always left a note saying I did (& why) and I've always made sure any mess was cleared away!!

One girl kept tying her pony outside my stable (no probs with that) but pony kept pooing and it was never cleared up. I did make my views known about that!
 
In a nut shell (without going into the Legal technicalities) I would do the following:

i) Claim misappropriation of property albeit trespass. You should expect all monies compensated for the amount of time when your stable was being used when your horse was not there i.e. like a rent charge; and

ii) I would claim back money you have spent for the lock; and

ii) I would claim payment for the Livery service YOU have provided by mucking out.

I would not stand for someone else using MY stable in a million years!
 
This used to happen to me all the time before the YO caved in and gave us DIYers our own yard that is totally separate from the riding school one. This probably not being an option for most, I'd go for padlocking the door.
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YO's daughter once chucked her horse in my stable after riding it. It crapped and pissed all over a brand new shavings bed (first bed down of the winter!), slimed all over two clean water buckets, pulled down all the rugs from the hanger at the back onto the floor and ate the best part of a sack of carrots (one of those orange net bags, it also ate part of the netting). She refused to move it and it took the YO coming down and having a go at her to shift it, and even then I never had an apology or recompense for the stuff it trashed. She even tried to blame me for the netting it had eaten, saying I had endangered it's health!
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I would be livid! my yard has occastionally used my stable, but always for good reason (my stable is the biggest on the yard all the RS horses live out, but when another 17hh needed a stable due to illness, she won't fit in any other stable so understandable) they always phone and check first, then after use clear the whole stable, put new shavings in free of charge.
 
I dont understand why you havent spoken to the YO about this already????

If they are genuinely stuck for space then as a YO/YM I would have asked if I could put your bed right up and stand a RS pony in it whilst you wernt using it, then clean and put down your bed for you. I owuldnt expect this to be a permanent arrangement though.

Not ideal but it would solved the yards overcrowding problem plus you wouldnt have to keep mucking out someone else mess.

Personally as a livery I would move but thats not always practical.
 
Because I wanted to give the staff the opportunity to right it before going to their boss. Who is great but with the best will in the world does tend to somewhat over react to things like this and I can imagine the dressing down they'd all get wouldn't be pleasant. I'm no push over but in the same vein I wouldn't want to be the reason they all got a bollocking without first giving them the opportunity to clean up their act (pardon the pun). I think it's going to have to be the bike lock scenario which is unfortunate but I'm not doing their job for them neither.
 
i'd put the lock on, and a note on the door.
i imagine that you pay for your own bedding in there, so quite apart from the fact that you're having to clear up extra mess etc (unacceptable anyway), they're also using up your bedding.
if you've mentioned it a few times already and it keeps happening, i think you have no choice but to go to YO. they've had their chance to desist.
 
I would put the lock on my stable door like you have and would then go and have a word with the YO. I would not have any problem with anyone useing my stable but they would have to ask before using it, that is just manners. I would'nt worry about getting the yard staff into trouble about it. It would not have escalated into the trouble it is causing you now had you spoken to the yard owner sooner.
 
I wouldn't put a lock on the door without first going to the YO. If nothing was done then and there was no way I could move yards (as that would be first option) I might go with the bike lock. However, I would probably persevere with the YO route first - I'm not sure about the bike lock plan, tbh. If I was going to do it I would pass the idea by YO first, as it's their stable - I'm not sure as a livery you'd be correct in padlocking the stable door.
 
I would go nuts, if you PAY for that stable and the privilege of having it anytime you need it then noone else should use it ENF OF!!! regardless of what you need it for.

I would be leaving the lock on and having word with YO. Its out of order. Who knows whether you plan to come down one day and bring him in, your stable should be used by you only if you are paying for it.
 
You pay rent for the stable & therfore you 'own' the stable whilst you are renting it. If you rented a house from someone you wouldn't expect to come home & find someone sitting in your lounge would you?. Speak to the YO & if the grooms get a bo**ocking then it's their own fault, they've had sufficient warnings.
 
JacksmyBoy, that's exactly what I would do! It's too expensive for extra bedding for some other f*cker to use. I think it's an equivalent to stealing. Padlock it up and who cares if people are pi**ed off?! They're probably only the ones using your stable anyway.
 
[ QUOTE ]
You pay rent for the stable & therfore you 'own' the stable whilst you are renting it. If you rented a house from someone you wouldn't expect to come home & find someone sitting in your lounge would you?. Speak to the YO & if the grooms get a bo**ocking then it's their own fault, they've had sufficient warnings.

[/ QUOTE ]

But you don't pay 'rent' - you pay for livery service - that's my point. If you were renting a yard and someone was using your stable then there would be no problem with putting a lock on it, but livery is a different thing.

I agree just go to the YO and let them get in trouble though - serves them right imo.
 
I would not be happy with someone using my stable!!! I don't think getting a lock is unreasonable - same as locking other stuff away IMO - we have just had so start locking our feed away because someone was helping themselves to it!
 
I think you have been more than reasonable to have it out with the RS staff before going directly to YM - if they haven't sorted it out first then they face the consequences of their actions - the YM having a go.

I'd put it across nicely to YM exactly what has been going on, in a factual basis. It is then the YM's responsibility to resolve the situation in the way they see fit.
 
I'm amazed at how patient you've been up till now!
I wouldn't hesitate in telling the YO what's been going on especially as you say none of the staff will own up to any of it.
I'd be moving yards asap too.
 
I don't pay for any services - I'm DIY - so I pay for the exclusive use of the stable, bedding and hay. Note the use of the word "exclusive". I know they struggle for stables at the weekend when the riding school horses are in and if Jack's out then I've no problem with them using the stable - what I do object to is them using the stable and leaving it in a bloody mess when they're done and me having to clean up after them. Not my job I'm afraid and whilst I do help out - for example 4 hours worth of helping muck out, sort muck heap, tack up for lessons, sort drainage etc etc on Sunday - I'm also not prepared to be taken advantage of just cause they can't be arsed cleaning up after riding school horses that they've put in my stable and figure I'll just do it anyway so that I can bring my own horse into his own stable.

TBH - the yard is great normally and the staff are really helpful and lovely most of the time it's just last week I had to do it 3/4 times and it has now gotten out of hand.
 
JacksMyBoy, I completely agree that it's not on that they use your stable, and I wouldn't have put up with it as long as you. My point about the lock is merely that as a DIY livery client, you are paying for their service of housing your horse for you. It's different to 'renting'. If it says on your contract 'exclusive use' of a stable, that's another matter to be taken up with YO. However, if you locked the stable and the YO wanted access for any reason, I believe you would be in the wrong. If you were renting, the landlord would still need a key, but would be required to give you notice except in an emergency.
 
Unless the stable already has a fitting you can put a lock onto I'd be very careful about fitting one as this could be construed as 'damage' to the YO property (the door). Speak to the yard owner and if it continues then ask if you can fit a lock. If you can put on a lock without affecting the door then you have every right to do so unless they require access to your stable for any reason (bear in mind this could include needing to bring your horse in an emergency). If the YO asks why you have fitted the lock you can explain and say that despite speaking to the staff the situation was not resolved. It would still be curteous to ask her before you put a lock on, and remember if she has a tendency to overreact, this coud be directed at you for not having told her. If you're not happy with the yard in other aspects, move and explain that this is the reason why.
 
I wouldn't put the lock on before you've spoken to the YO. In fact, i wouldn't put the lock on at all. If she goes off on one at the staff, well, that's their problem, isn't it? What I might do, though, is put a little sign on the door saying "If you need to use my stable for the RS horses, please leave it EXACTLY as you found it, and please do not use ANY of my bedding".

I would still have a quiet word with the YO, though.
 
After the 1st time I would have warned the staff and after the 2nd time tell the YO. I wouldn't care what the YO did or said to the staff- you told them once!
 
I think you need to throw your dolly right out of the pram. How you do that is up to you whether its going to YO or throwing a wobbly in front of these individuals. I find it works
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