What do you class a high livery yard turnover ?

[Mary3050]

Hi Guys,

I was chatting with a friend and mentioned I keep having little bouts of mini anxiety when on the yard I livery a few at . They’re nothing wrong with the yard or care but just I keep feeling things have changed . I said it’s a bit like the feeling of when I move yard. I just feel unsettled and then a few day/ a week it stops .

My friend said she not surprised as the yard has a large turnover of liveries . I never considered it has a high turnover mainly because there’s a core of owners who have been there a long time. But I get what she means as it’s a 26 horse yard but in the last year 10 owners have left and new ones arrived . But she also said some of the owners rotate horse with the home every few months. 3 in particular have had 3 or more different horses in a year .

Thinking on this she could be right about this been the cause of my feelings as I often notice change and do often get unsettled by it . Thinking back she could be right as it’s often around the time new owners come.

I have never thought of it as a high turnover but she said it is ? Which got me thinking is it a high turnover and I have never noticed it ? If not what is considered a high turnover?

 

[Gloi]

On our yard about half the horses have been there several years and the others have a turnover of months or less.

 

[honetpot]

It all depends on why they are leaving. I have only been on five livery yards in forty years because I make sure when I move on its really want I want, or what there isn't there, but sometimes people do not really know what they want, or it's a stop gap.

 

[Sossigpoker]

If your horse is happy and you're happy with the service then I wouldn't pay any attention to what other people do. They might be moving because they can afford it ,.they've moved house, got a new job , or are just yard hoppers. But if you and your horse are happy, I wouldn't give it any thought.

 

[fidleyspromise]

I wouldn't worry about turnover if you're happy with the service provided.
What others do with their horses does not concern me.
I moved yards almost every 2 years at one point: stressed horse, I moved house, got ill so no longer required competition yard, other liveries were a pain, leaving notes on stable doors complaining, ended up unable to afford higher livery bill with lots of facilities so moved to basic yard and now I absolutely love my yard and been there 5 years.

It's easy to think you need a school so move in but realise other facilities or lack of don't make up for having that feature so off to a different livery because direct hacking is more important than you thought.

 

[ponynutz]

I wonder if a private or semi-private situation might be better for you?

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I rotate horses between livery and home. I think it’s good for them to have proper down time and 24/7 turnout at home but equally I like the facilities that my livery yard offers, and the standard of care is excellent for a horse in full work.

I don’t consider me moving horses around to be ‘turnover’. I am the client, and I am still with the livery yard. Currently I have 3 there, and next week I bring two home. It really shouldn’t disrupt anyone else if I decide to move my own horses around.

 

[Caol Ila]

I guess I would be asking myself why yard turnover is causing me anxiety, especially when I am happy with the yard's care and facilities. Any sizable yard will have some turnover.

10 out of 26 is sorta high, but it also might be down to luck. People's lives change. They move, horses retire, horses get sold, etc. etc.

 

[Abacus]

I rotate horses between livery and home. I think it’s good for them to have proper down time and 24/7 turnout at home but equally I like the facilities that my livery yard offers, and the standard of care is excellent for a horse in full work.

I don’t consider me moving horses around to be ‘turnover’. I am the client, and I am still with the livery yard. Currently I have 3 there, and next week I bring two home. It really shouldn’t disrupt anyone else if I decide to move my own horses around.

It needn’t disrupt the routine of other people, but I do think regular changes of horse might be unsettling for other horses. That said it happens, and many horses seem pretty chilled regardless of their neighbours.

 

[Fieldlife]

Are your horse’s field companions changing? If not I’m not sure it really impacts you.

If you found a yard with good standards of care, good facilities, and good turnout, I’d just enjoy it.

Good yards are very much in short supply, IMO.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I've been on a yard with a reasonably high turnover and I actually really liked it, I was there years and only moved due to moving house.

It was a large yard so people always coming and going or new horses arriving but it very rarely affected me.

If you otherwise like the yard, have a look at why other people moving or changing horses affects you & what you can do to help you lessen the anxiety - having a chat with a trained counsellor or similar might be beneficial. It can't be very nice to frequently struggle with other people's changes that shouldn't really affect you.

 

[Gloi]

My pony keeps losing his field companion when they move which is sad for him, though he seems to cope okay.

 

[Goldenstar]

If some of the rotation is between home kept and livery that’s a compliment to a yard.

 

[Jenko109]

I think it does depend on if it disrupts your horse.

There is a big livery yard local to me. I think there must be some 30 odd horses in the same field together. So if new horses are getting constantly introduced, for which they are just thrown into the herd and expected to get on with it, then this would be a concern for me as I dont want my horse caught up in the drama.

 

[Mary3050]

I wonder if a private or semi-private situation might be better for you?

I have some at home and some on livery

 

[Mary3050]

I rotate horses between livery and home. I think it’s good for them to have proper down time and 24/7 turnout at home but equally I like the facilities that my livery yard offers, and the standard of care is excellent for a horse in full work.

I don’t consider me moving horses around to be ‘turnover’. I am the client, and I am still with the livery yard. Currently I have 3 there, and next week I bring two home. It really shouldn’t disrupt anyone else if I decide to move my own horses around.

It’s more the new horses coming and going. Every time something new comes it like I have to learn what’s going to run at me if I hack past, if it’s safe to ride with (if not when owner rides etc) and getting to know a new person is often a struggle too

 

[Mary3050]

I guess I would be asking myself why yard turnover is causing me anxiety, especially when I am happy with the yard's care and facilities. Any sizable yard will have some turnover.

10 out of 26 is sorta high, but it also might be down to luck. People's lives change. They move, horses retire, horses get sold, etc. etc.

Yes I totally get that but it was more the suggestion that my friend considered the yard to have a high turnover .

 

[Mary3050]

It needn’t disrupt the routine of other people, but I do think regular changes of horse might be unsettling for other horses. That said it happens, and many horses seem pretty chilled regardless of their neighbours.

I think it often does they are not exactly quite horses . Although one of mine has had 4 different neighbours in the last 6 months due to one owner swapping horses between home . They always take time to settle in ( lots of kicking, squealing etc ) . My horse isn’t bothered but it makes him grumpy . It’s also the knowing the behaviour of the new horse that makes me anxious. I often hack around the paths to the fields but a few new horse have ran at the fence etc as I pass with the last few arrivals. It’s also that the majority of the horses aren’t quite to ride with so I have to adjust my schedule to avoid them .

 

[Mary3050]

Are your horse’s field companions changing? If not I’m not sure it really impacts you.

If you found a yard with good standards of care, good facilities, and good turnout, I’d just enjoy it.

Good yards are very much in short supply, IMO.

Not so much only stable neighbour regularly . It’s more that the horse aren’t quite that arrive . So it’s them going nuts if I hack past or having to ride at a different time to avoid them that cause my anxiety

 

[Mary3050]

I think it does depend on if it disrupts your horse.

There is a big livery yard local to me. I think there must be some 30 odd horses in the same field together. So if new horses are getting constantly introduced, for which they are just thrown into the herd and expected to get on with it, then this would be a concern for me as I dont want my horse caught up in the drama.

No changes to field buddies it’s new stable neighbours for a grumpy horse . Then hacking past being changed at over the fence or having to stop/ change my riding times because the horse isn’t safe to ride with .

 

[Caol Ila]

Sounds like you would be happier at a smaller, quieter yard. Are there any in your area?

 

[PSD]

I’m on a larger livery yard and since being on there (6/7 weeks now) I think around 7 have left and 5/6 come on. It’s just what happens with bigger yards, doesn’t unsettle me though because my horse is happy. His neighbour is leaving next weekend and I’m unsure if it’ll bother him or not but he will have a new neighbour eventually.

people move for their own reasons, for example some on ours have moved out of the area, one horse was pts, and 2 are going to a rehab yard. It’s not always because of the yard that they go! I’m daft in a lot of circumstances I find it’s rarely the yards fault people move.

 

[MuddyMonster]

It’s more the new horses coming and going. Every time something new comes it like I have to learn what’s going to run at me if I hack past, if it’s safe to ride with (if not when owner rides etc) and getting to know a new person is often a struggle too

I can see how it would be stressful to feel you have to get to know everyone, so why not try taking that aspect away in the first place?

I couldn't tell you much about most of my fellow liveries (except for the ones I've happened to make more of a friendship with) & there's no need to - I just smile, say hello & make polite conversation (or point a lost looking newbie in the way of the tack room or the best tap to use) and if a deeper friendship occurs organically from that, great. If not, no biggie.

 

[stormox]

Why bother about what other people do? If the care is good and your horse happy, enjoy him and mind your own business....... let other people do their own thing.....

 

[Winters100]

I would try getting a trainer to lessen your own anxiety and give you confidence that you can control your horse no matter what anyone else is doing. In many years on different yards I have never come across another horse who is not safe to ride with, not saying that it is impossible, but it would certainly be very unusual. Likewise you need confidence that you can control your horse if riding past a field of others, whatever the others are doing.

The problem with anxiety is that it makes us blow things out of proportion in our minds. So while someone who is not anxious might have a horse charging around in the field as they rode past, the thing that they would take away from it would be 'the horse was charging around, mine got a bit silly, but nothing happened' or even 'mine got a bit silly and I fell off, I will be ready for that next time so it doesn't happen again'. An anxious person on the other hand would take something bad away from the situation even if their horse did nothing, so would be thinking 'the horses in the paddock were charging around, it was terrifying, I must avoid such a situation in future'. Same incident, just a different way of looking at it.

There is no easy answer, but building confidence in your abilities by working with a trusted trainer might well help. I would also ask how is your horse? Is he suitable for you, or do you feel over horsed? What is his reaction when you ride with others who you feel are unsafe to be with?

It is very common to have times in our lives when we feel anxious. Try to take things step by step, get enough sleep, eat well and avoid alcohol, and this will give you strength to tackle the problem. Good luck.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

It’s more the new horses coming and going. Every time something new comes it like I have to learn what’s going to run at me if I hack past, if it’s safe to ride with (if not when owner rides etc) and getting to know a new person is often a struggle too

On our yard, horses are constantly going away to compete, sometimes internationally so gone for longer periods of time. Horses go away overnight to vets. Broodmares go to stud to foal. There are some sales and some schooling liveries. Our horses all seem to get on just fine.

It has never occurred to me to be wary of riding past new horses. I always walk but if they charge about then I consider it the owner’s risk, like it’s my risk if mine are being silly in the field. I usually leave the school if someone’s horse is being a bit spicy, just so I don’t compound the situation for them. I wouldn’t go out of my way not to ride if they are riding though.

I only know one livery a bit and I don’t really get to know new ones, although everyone is very pleasant. We just all want to focus on our horses when we are there.

 

[ifyousayso]

I have been on loads of different yards in the past. The first 2 yards nobody moved and a lot of people were there 10+ years my current yard has no long term liverys most people have been in the yard under two years . unfortunately the yard I am on has a bad reputation after a incident and cause a lot of longterm livery’s to move. So will always have a high turnover op I wouldn’t let its bother you change can be a good thing and people move for different reasons as people posted above.