Wagtail
Horse servant
We have had strangest livery yard rules, and horrible livery yard owners, but what is the strangest livery person you have known?
For me, this person came into my life as a client of mine. Ironically enough, he was also a practicing psychologist!
His girlfriend who owned the horse was absolutely lovely, as was the horse, but he was a different kettle of fish all together. Firstly, she was never allowed to speak for herself. He would do all the talking for her. He told me how the horse had two sets of rugs, stable and turnout, and that the date on which they were worn every year had to remain exact and the same. For example, she would start wearing her rugs from 15th September, each Autumn, and on the 15th November, these would change to middle weights, and then on 15th December she would wear heavy weights until 15th Feb. After which time she would go back onto middle weight and 15th March, back onto lightweight.
We were having a particularly mild winter when they were here and I noticed she was sweating under her heavyweight and so changed it to a middle weight. Only problem was, it was 7th January! 
He gave me a right rollocking. 
He had also insisted that the mare was only turned out with one other mare. That was fine, except that he found fault with every single mare I turned her out with. When she was onto her third companion I refused to change her as this mare was the most gentle horse you could ever wish for a field companion. So he complained that she had run at him in the field and chased him from one end to the other, 'teeth bared and ears pricked'. Apparently, the ears pricked indicated without doubt that she meant business! When finally I caught him throwing bits of menage rubber at the mare, I asked him to leave! He did loads of other strange things, but I found out later from my physio that he had been to many livery yards and never lasted more than 6 months!
For me, this person came into my life as a client of mine. Ironically enough, he was also a practicing psychologist!
His girlfriend who owned the horse was absolutely lovely, as was the horse, but he was a different kettle of fish all together. Firstly, she was never allowed to speak for herself. He would do all the talking for her. He told me how the horse had two sets of rugs, stable and turnout, and that the date on which they were worn every year had to remain exact and the same. For example, she would start wearing her rugs from 15th September, each Autumn, and on the 15th November, these would change to middle weights, and then on 15th December she would wear heavy weights until 15th Feb. After which time she would go back onto middle weight and 15th March, back onto lightweight.
We were having a particularly mild winter when they were here and I noticed she was sweating under her heavyweight and so changed it to a middle weight. Only problem was, it was 7th January! He gave me a right rollocking. He had also insisted that the mare was only turned out with one other mare. That was fine, except that he found fault with every single mare I turned her out with. When she was onto her third companion I refused to change her as this mare was the most gentle horse you could ever wish for a field companion. So he complained that she had run at him in the field and chased him from one end to the other, 'teeth bared and ears pricked'. Apparently, the ears pricked indicated without doubt that she meant business! When finally I caught him throwing bits of menage rubber at the mare, I asked him to leave! He did loads of other strange things, but I found out later from my physio that he had been to many livery yards and never lasted more than 6 months!
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