What time is acceptable to get to your horse in the morning?

S

Seahorse

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I have to drop my daughter off at school so I don't get to the yard until 9.30 every day, but I leave a feed and haynet out for Axel and a friend that goes there at 7 feeds and hays him for me.

Sometimes at the weekend I don't get there until 10.30 but I know that he is happily munching on a massive net, and he doesn't mind standing in his stable. If I'm going to be really late I get someone to put him out for me.

There is a girl at the yard who's stable is opposite me and she doesn't get there until sometimes 12.30 at the weekend. We have offered to feed her horse for her but she refuses, her horse weaves badly and throws his stuff around so we normally give him some hay. If she gets there and he has hay in his stable she moans that people have been interfering, and she then calls her horse a hooligan because he has chucked her mucking out tools and headcollar across the yard!!

Yesterday the yard manager looked in at him at 11 am and the poor horse had no hay or water
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he did him a haynet and filled his water up.
When the owner got there, she moaned like anything that he had been in her stable!
Apparently that's a really terrible thing to do and she's going to leave the yard!
I pointed out to her that it was late and he HAD NO WATER, and I'd be pleased that someone cared enough to do that for my horse, not moaning about it .
In the end she went up to the YM and mumbled 'thanks for earlier' and walked off.
 
weekdays mine get fed and turned out at around 6.30 am maybe a bit earlier if I have to muck out. At the weekends no later than 8.30am if I am staying at a friends or away then I get my mum to feed mine in the morning but she will normally do them about 8am.
No way would any of my horses be left until 11 or 12.
 
Don't understand her problem when someone was doing her a kindness. As long as they have water and hay and are not banging on the doors whenever you get there seems reasonable. However they do like consistency i normally feed about 7.30am but if i have a lie in at the weekend may be nearer 9 and they know by the look i am given. Where is my breakfast mum you're late.
 
The latest I ever get to the yard is 10.30, but that is exceptional. I am normally there the latest 9.45 at the weekend, and the VERY latest 8.00 in the week, but normally closer to 7
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For me 9am is late, and after 10am is too late! Having said that, today I only got to the yard at 10am as I had to go into work for a bit first, but I always leave a haynet ready that a friend puts in for me so madam doesn't have a tantrum.
 
I think if a horse has hay and water then it doesn't matter hugely within reason, unless they have real issues being in. On the other hand I don't think its right to leave a horse in until midday on a regular basis - if I wanted a lie in I would much rather pay, or work out an arrangement with a friend to have mine turned out in the morning.

It is definitely bad to ever leave a horse in without food or water though, that is just neglect. Poor thing
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imo 12.30 is just not acceptable, our horses are fed 7.30 and out by 8am every day when i had my boy at previous yard i had to go up for 5am due to my job.
 
She sounds like a stroppy teenager. My horse is fed at around 7 and out by 9 in the week and fed at 8 and out by 9.30 at week ends. On occasion I won't go down untill 11 but the horse has plenty of hay and water so I don't think that does any harm. After all he is out every day.

I think it is irresponsible to leave a horse without hay/ water for that amount of time and believe the yard owner should step in and tell her that. No wonder the horse is weaving.
 
6.30 during the week...about 9am weekends- but I give double hay and they always have some left and are fine.

TBH...during the week, I see horses that have no hay left at 6.30 and I know damn well their owners wont be down until 10.30.....
 
yes i would find that unacceptable to leave a horse with no water and feed until 12.30, im a bit over protective bout feeding mine get fed a 5.15 during the week and 7am at weekend but have increased hay at the weekends to counteract the extra time.
I also feed the whole yard everyday as its easier, funnily enough one girl who had quite a stressy mare says her horse is more relaxed and happy, as im feeding at set times and has a routine as she never had one before
 
Mine are fed at 6.30, sometimes earlier if I have to be at work early for some reason. Mine have haylege so usually gobble every last bit however much they get, so hate to leave them any later than that. If I want a lie in then I go down in my pyjamas (they are at home
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) and feed and then go back to bed for an hour
 
Weekdays mine are done before 7am, regardless of whether they are in or out. If they are in on a weekend I am down by 7.30-8am, if they are out (which is the norm) its usually 9 or 10ish and they are happily grazing away. I don't think its fair to leave anything stood in with no food/water, although at old yard there were at least 3 different people that would roll up at about midday on a weekend (the latest once was 2.30pm apparantly!). Horse left to stand in with no food, and water topped up and hay chucked over by someone else.
 
Well because my son was ill last night - I was having a mass panic this morning because it was 8.40am by the time I got out to feed the horses - They weren't overly bothered - I do feed them later in winter than in summer - winter I usually feed by 8am - summer it's 6.30-7am as it's lighter and the weather's nicer for longer turn out.
TBH I think your livery girl should get there earlier or get someone to do it for her - poor YO getting the cold shoulder for helping her out?
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She's lucky she's not been asked to leave!
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Kate x
 
I think it is important that they have a routine, and certainly would not want the weekend feed to be a lot later than on weekdays. (Horse doesn't know what day it is...) If the horse has access to ad lib hay/water then it is a bit more flexible, but I also would not want it not to get enough turnout that day.

No food or water until 12.30 sounds a bit crazy to me. I wonder how this girl justifies to herself.
 
Mon-Fri- arrive at yard/feed at 6.30am and then turned out just after 7am.
Sat/Sun- arrive at yard/feed about 7.30am and turned out just after 8am. (since she doesn't understand the concept of a weekend lie in!
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Always has enough hay/water that she could go longer at weekends, but I don't think it's fair to upset her routine by much more than an hour. Can't wait until summer 24/7 turnout...!
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thats a bit bonkers really. Ours are done at 7am in the week and latest 8.30am at the weekend, they are on the doorstep though which helps. They always have hay and water as we do an 10/11pm check but would like their brekkie and to go in the field please!
 
I go down and feed mine (and the rest of the yard) at 6am on weekdays. Work saturday so sunday is only day he gets done a bit later and then I am normally down 8-8.30 latest. Don't like to think of him being stuck in his stable with nothing to eat or drink for hours. I would never leave a horse until 10 let alone 12.30! This girl doesn't deserve a horse as she clearly doesn't look after it
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It's alright if someone else tops up it's water, feeds hay/breakfast etc but if no one is allowed to. Does she realise the damage this will do to her horses digestive system? Horses shouldn't go more than 8 hours without eating, the poor thing probably has stomach ulcers, digestive problems, is very prone to colic and could even get laminitis.
 
Depends on what I am doing but will normally be up yard between 7 and 8am and not later than 9.30. She is fed by a friend or my OH who are normally up the yard arounf 6.30. If I was going to be later than 10 I would def get someone else to put her out for me. I know the person that the OP is talking about and she is not a stroppy teenager!! She has always been like this and come the summer months her horse will just get chucked in a field and left. The most amount of checking it will get from her is a quick drive past to make sure he is still standing!! TBH she is very lucky that YM hasn't 'had words'!!
 
i think the yard could do with some basic rules! not acceptable to leave horse with no hay and water at any time of day (unless on a diet for health reasons, and water available). if you want a lie in thats fine, just make arrangements for someone to feed, hay and water your horse, and either turnout or leave in if happy!
 
It depends doesn't it? If you have all the horses being dealt with together, then if you're a bit late, they probably won't be too bothered. Then you feed them all and turn them all out. If it's a yard where loads of DIY'ers turn up at any time from say 7.30, feed their horse and turn it out, then for many horses it would be very unfair to leave them in late. They would get stressed about the feeding, watching other horses go out. To leave a weaver in on a yard like yours, with no hay or water is sheer cruelty in my opinion.
 
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When i have horses at home they are brought in late at night (10pm ish) even in the winter, usually living out over summer. Then were done at 6am when i was at school. Times moved later when i was not on a deadline.
I think the time is irrelevant, its how long the horse is in the stable, especially once it has finished its haynet.
 
8am at the very latest for mine...whether its a weekend or not! I can't stand people leaving their horses, even if someone else puts feed/water in its not fair for them to be stood in dirty stables. We had a few liveries at my old yard that would only come once a day, so even though YO fed in the AM they were stood in dirty beds sometimes til 7PM at night!!
 
I got to my old mare at 5.45 during the week and 7 at the very latest at the weekend. But she did stress if left. Not sure about my new mare (arriving on Sunday!!!) but she'll definitely be done at 5.45 still during the week (for work) and I can't see myself being later than 7 still at the weekend. They don't understand about weekends and it saves time mucking out and bedding if they're done early!!
 
I am a yard owner and I turn out every horse 7 days a week. they all go out about 8 - 8.30 weekdays and then 9ish on a weekend. The reason I put this in place is because I have run yards before and I don't want horses standing in with no feed or water kicking hell out of my stables and getting themselves really stressed while the lazy owner has a lovely long lie in. If the livery wants theirs left in I insist they leave me a made up hay net and a bucket of water outside their stable so their horse is comfortable waiting.

All the horses are happy with the set up, they go out every day regardless of weather and they all happy to stay in if they are in. Nice calm horses, and owners who only have to come up once a day if they want to, but are welcome to come whenever.
 
I'm usually about 9 during the week to do my friend's horse and mine
6 on Tuesdays and Fridays - feeds at 7 - because I'm at uni early
Not at all on Saturday mornings because I'm at work (he doesn't get abandoned, my friend does him for me
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And about 10-10.30 on Sundays (friend feeds him at 9)
 
Well weekends I do sometimes get there quite late, however he is on working livery so generally if I got there late he is tacked up and on the yard or in a lesson so it isnt a problem. Generally thought I am there between 8:00-9:30
 
Usually about 7.30 in the week, and 8 at weekends. There's no-one else on the yard so I don't leave him any later than 8. This morning I had to get there earlier, at 6am because of an early work appointment, and he was still in bed! I'll have to get him an alarm clock because I'm going to be there at 6 again on Thursday!
 
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