What makes a good YO?

Someone who is not afraid to make decisions and treats everyone fairly. They need to be understanding, a bit flexible whilst still having a few set important rules in place.
 
I've never been on a livery yard but from this side of the fence it would appear that a good YO needs to be:

Telepathic
Ultimate Diplomat
Master of all building trades
Invisible
Always there when needed
Tactful
Supremely knowledgeable
Extremely wealthy (to allow below real cost prices)
Awake (and on call) 24 hours
Expert on paddock and arena maintenance
Fully qualified and experienced vet
Agony Aunt

and I'm sure there's more.

Every time I consider buying a place with more facilities and having liveries a few moments back on here convinces me that no facilities would be worth the hassle of having to share them with people for whom it often seems that nothing is ever right.
 
This is going to sound super picky, but I have rather a long list! I know I am a perfectionist, one of the reasons we are after keeping our girls at home one day!
So, the list:
Open and transparent rules and costs - YO & pals also abide by rules.
Livery knows what YO is bound to do by the contract and livery understands what they need to take care of themself. This is made clear before livery is accepted and before livery decides to move.
Stables, fields and facilities kept well maintained and safe.
Facilities that are included in charge are available for liveries to use. If facilities are booked then decent notice (say a week?) is given to liveries and facilities aren't booked out through busy periods.
YO sorts out those ignoring rules instead of uping prices to compensate or giving everyone grief! - eg for hay wastage or never sweeping up!

Think that would be pretty fab!
 
I'm on my fourth yard so have sampled a bit of a range. Would say regular maintenance and zero tolerance of bitchiness are my two important factors. No point having an amazing yard if the people there make you miserable.
 
jemima_too said:
a good YO needs to be:

Telepathic
Ultimate Diplomat
Master of all building trades
Invisible
Always there when needed
Tactful
Supremely knowledgeable
Extremely wealthy (to allow below real cost prices)
Awake (and on call) 24 hours
Expert on paddock and arena maintenance
Fully qualified and experienced vet
Agony Aunt

and I'm sure there's more.
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To add to this list:
it helps if you can at least make an impression that you are not running a business and your sole purpose in life is subsidising your liveries' hobby.
Have no spare stables and a waiting list, at the same time being able to accommodate new arrivals at no notice in the middle of the night.
 
Good one!

Love the list!

Agree that the YO should be a stickler for the rules and that they apply to everyone
Zero tolerance for b@tch@ness
No smoking!!!!!
A YO that puts your horse before theirs!
 
This could be an entertaining thread, lol.

- A conscientious attitude to managing safe turnout.
- A sensible awareness about how many stables/grass liveries their amount of land can reasonably accommodate.
- The ability to remember they are providing customers with a service they are paying for and not actually doing the world a favour.
- An easy-going personality who doesn't feel the need to interfere with liveries different approaches to horse care (as long as they aren't too crazy :D ).
- Mentally fairly stable and not addicted to drugs or alcohol.
- Have a good understanding of horses' needs.
- Have the balls to be the boss when needed, but the diplomacy to keep people on side, like a good boss at work.

I've been on some very interesting yards in my younger days.
 
To me a YO should be calm, unflappable, knowledgeable, be on the yard a reasonable amount of the time and able to adapt to horses individual needs. Diplomacy and firmness are probably required in equal measures and a good sense of humour essential! In short I like my YO's to provide a 'fair days work for a fair days pay' i.e. get the service I am paying for.

I love my YO - she's the best one I've ever come across and she treats each horse as an individual, she uses her (good) judgement on what rugs etc to put on and I generally leave her to it unless I need something specific.

On the flip side, you could also ask what is a good livery? Maybe I'll start that as another thread - YO's do seem to get a bit of a bashing on here :-)
 
I've recently opened a yard, and having been there and done it on the most VILE livery yards in the past, my livery contracts are pretty hefty... but I think all my rules are fair...

they include:

Absolutely no bitching - problems must be discussed with me and we will try and work through them. Nobody is to be made to feel like they don't want to come up and see their horse...

DIY liveries (of which there are only four) to muck out by 9am, and leave the yard clean and tidy

etc etc etc!

If anyone would like a copy of my contracts, you're more than welcome!
 
We have the best YO in the world.
That's the reason we have a waiting list for our yard. I have been there nearly 5 years and the longest has been there for 15+ years.

She has the patience of a saint, doesn't tolerate bitchiness, the horses always come first, she allows access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year and will often come and help (even in the middle of the night!).
 
Because I have OCD about my yard and the boxes. I have people looking around the yard all day, and I know that if I went to look at a yard that would be charging me £150 a week for full livery, and saw a box that wasn't mucked out in the middle of the day, I would immediately decide against moving my horses there.

Some people may find it unreasonable, but after years of doing things other people's way, I've finally got my own business, and I want it to be run in a way that I'm proud of. After explaining the reasoning behind this rule to my DIY liveries, they were happy with it and have signed the contracts with no issues.
 
I love my YM (yard owned by a farmer so she is totally in charge of how things are done) because

she is knowledgeable and is happy to share that knowledge
she knows we all work FT and get caught out sometimes and doesn't flip her lid if we're late etc
she is calm and sensible and fair to everyone and has time for us all equally too
she isn't militant about how the yard is kept, those that are tidy keep their bit tidy, those that aren't are kept together and live like pigs

Basically we are allowed to use the yard as if it were own as long as we are reasonable.

Probably sounds like hell to most of you I reckon!!
 
Starzaan said:
Because I have OCD about my yard and the boxes. I have people looking around the yard all day, and I know that if I went to look at a yard that would be charging me £150 a week for full livery, and saw a box that wasn't mucked out in the middle of the day, I would immediately decide against moving my horses there.

Some people may find it unreasonable, but after years of doing things other people's way, I've finally got my own business, and I want it to be run in a way that I'm proud of. After explaining the reasoning behind this rule to my DIY liveries, they were happy with it and have signed the contracts with no issues.
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I agree starzaan. I opened my yard in June this year, only a little place. We have contracts for everyone, and the DIYers have to be mucked out by 10am. Im a stittler for cleanliness, and there's nothing worse than having the top yard all clean and tidy, and the bottom yard a mess! Especially when people are still coming and viewing the place.


I think im also quite a laid back YO, still have rules and regulations on the yard, but all my liveries are happy with the services we provide, and have recommended us to quite a few people. I always said, when i got a yard, i would be a laid back, flexible YO, treat everyone equally, horses come first and offer good quality of services....i reckon im living up to it :)
 
my main rule to myself as a YO is treat others as you would want to be treated.

My liveries have all been with me for years.

I try to be as fair as I can be.

Im hot on horses health condition and feet!! and thats all in a contract

I think the yard must be somewhere where horses and owners can relax.
 
Tinks81 said:
I dont think anyone can comment unless they have been there and done it !!
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martlin said:
Oh no, I think ANYBODY can comment, it's best fun that way :D
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Tinks81 said:
it is fun that way though i would love to see half the people do it and be completely perfect all the time x
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See my post. I freely admit I've never been on a livery yard and although I could move to premises that had facilities for one I can't face it after reading all the tales on here. I find it difficult enough having one mother and daughter come to ride my daughter's outgrown pony. The weird things they do like go through my tackroom, bring numerous friends and relations to watch (and block my drive with their cars when I'm trying to get my lorry down it), panic about a bit of dried carrot thinking it's a major wound yet entirely ignore a tick in her armpit causing a swelling the size of a large egg, insist that the pony needs to be shod - it's never been shod in it's life and it's happy being driven on the road like that and ridden on all surface, claim that they like poopicking and then manage never ever to do any, say they want to be involved in all aspects and take over her daily care and then not turn up when it's cold, or raining, or windy, or a child's party . . . No way, I've never been a livery owner, I don't have the skills I listed to manage not to kill myself and the liveries!
 
there is no way on earth that i would want to be a YO- nothing is ever right for some people! :rolleyes: all i expect from a YO is clear and consistent rules being in place- e.g. i could no way follow starzan's rule about mucking out by 9am- but at least its clear what the rule is- its not one of those rules that is made up after you've moved on! Also expect that the people who do break the rules are dealt with quietly and firmly. oh and that horses are properly cared for. as i'm on DIY i'm not bothered about top class knowledge but a little common sense is all i ask- i.e.- ring me if you aren't sure what rug to put on or whatever.
i do think some liveries totally have no idea about what things cost
 
ARGH!

I wasn't a good one tonight, got a sarcastic text message (the coward) I read 2 lines then called and asked WTF????????????

Long story short, I made my point about the situation that had arisen, inbetween loosing my temper which is rare for me......really!

Days like this make you wish you never bothered.....!

~tears hair out~
 
DragonSlayer said:
ARGH!

I wasn't a good one tonight, got a sarcastic text message (the coward) I read 2 lines then called and asked WTF????????????

Long story short, I made my point about the situation that had arisen, inbetween loosing my temper which is rare for me......really!

Days like this make you wish you never bothered.....!

~tears hair out~
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ooo what happened? Sounds rubbish anyway. I couldn't do it. I have too much of a temper on me I think. People annoy me!
 
agree YO get a bashing on here!! makes fun reading though.

there is already a thread for good liveries....I sent both threads to my yard peps!!
 
I think YO's should be firm but fair.

Mine are great but I just wish they would do things when they say they will.
If anything they are too laid back and leave everyone to get on with things.

I could have a moan saying that some of the horses dont get the attention they should but that is due to their owners as its a DIY yard. But that is a whole different subject.
 
For me, my YO has to treat my horses like she treats her own, and be prepared to make decisions on my behalf if I am not there to do so (sort of "in loco parentis"). I'm lucky that the one remaining horse I have on livery (the rest are kept at home) is with a friend who I have known since childhood.

We learnt all our basic horsemanship on the same RS yard so that definitely helps, but she got my mare to Liphook (20 miles away) when she was colicking before she had even managed to get hold of me as she knew that would be what I wanted.

She has never had to advertise for liveries - I think that is a pretty good sign!
 
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