What turns you off a yard or what are your yard pet peeves?

haynet knots as well! soooo annoying!

Also other pet peeve on yards, is when people pick their horses feet out- not into a bucket- just onto the yard and then leaves the mess there! Always seems to happen when I'm walking my horse past, who has just had his feet picked out!! grrrrrrr!!!!!
 
I had to look at yards recently as I assumed I'd have to leave when my landlady died. I did find two really nice ones, but also another much closer to home. The closer one was a complete turn off for a few reasons.

1) It was claustrophobic. The aisle between two stable blocks wasn't wide enough for one horse, nevermind two and horses were tied up like sardines in a tin. I had to weave serpentine style to get through.

2) The stables were run down. I've heard it all before when people say 'we'll sort that before you come'. In this case it was a badly leaking stable at the back, with a half-rotten wall.

3) Fencing was all 'Dad-jobs'. Bits of gate instead of rails or wire, some twine (acting as a rail, not to tie the gate, which leant against the gap!).

4) Numbers of horses in one field. They had I think 16 acres. Yet all horses went into one field. I was to rent my own paddock, which didn't seem too bad until she piped up that from October to March all the other horses went in there as well. I counted 6 horses just around the stables tied up, plus my two, in a ONE acre paddock.

5) Ragwort waving cheerfully in the breeze. YM was really insulting about that, which just about finished me off. She indignantly said that it was NOT ragwort, even though her own daughter had said it was and I'd been understanding, as the paddock was out of view of the fields they were using and we know how it can spring up!

6) Atmosphere. I felt judged and watched the whole time I was there. Something I didn't feel in the other two yards I looked at.

Hard to say which of those got to me most. I think if I'd actually been on the yard it would be atmosphere and overcrowding in the fields.
 
Smoking! We had a fire at our yard caused by a spark from a horse being shod so we r all super paranoid!

Bitchy, rude people who think they know everything. PArticularly people who judge you because you dont go out competing every weekend!

People stealing your stuff!

Boggy wet arena!

Luckily at my current yard we have none of these!:)
 
I have to say a scruffy yard doesn't put me off in the slightest. One of my happiest times & some of the best friends I ever made was on a yard that I initially discounted because the stables were cobbled together & the place was a bit tatty :)
TBH it's turn out everytime for me. The scruffy yard I initially discounted & moved to a gorgeous looking yard with a fab indoor etc.....never again! Horses shut in stables for 6 months of the year. No turn out in the indoor, no hand grazing on site. The 2 months I lasted with this winter regime I had to put myself on permanent nights & existed on very little sleep to ensure my horse didn't suffer & this included grazing him in hand on grass verges!!
I moved to the scruffy yard & it was the best thing I ever did :)
 
Racergirl said:
I HATE HATE HATE when people tie haynets up with the knots on the end of the string rather than by the net.... REALLY annoys me (to a really ridiculous level if Im honest !!)
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FINALLY!!! I am soooo relieved to read that this annoys other people too!! (and all you others who agreed :) )

It drives me crazy - my husband does it all the time when he ties nets up and the next time I have to take them down, it's no longer a quick release know, but a time-consuming battle knot!!! lol - It also makes it quite painful in the winter with numb fingers!!!
 
Dogs and children - don't like either however well behaved they are.

Smoking

Tat all over the place

However I'm a yard in farm with tat everywhere run by a YO who smokes and has dogs and children and am pretty happy :)
 
Black Beastie said:
No storage for your OWN hay/bedding and YOs not letting you have your own if your DIY making you buy from them, unless included in livery ie full etc I only do DIY so I prefer to source my own stuff.

More horses than turnout space/acreage
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Same for me. Good turnout is critical and I'm on DIY for a reason (I'm a control freak :p) so like to have the choice of which bedding I use and be able to feed good quality forage
 
Bad fencing - our old yard had this and numerous times we had to cut horses out of fencing. Whenever we told the YO (who wasn't horsey at all) we got told not to bother her unless it was important!

People who think they are better than everyone else and know everything (when they don't)

Overhorsed fields

Time limits - one yard we went to look at didn't like people going before 8am or after 7pm (not very good for people who work full time!)



However, we are very lucky at our yard and absolutely love it :). Each livery has there own field (or group of friends/liveries), we all have our own (locked) storage space so no one can steal anything (or accuse anyone of stealing anything), all our fencing is great and if ever broken it gets fixed straight away and our yard owner is fab

We had a fire at the yard last Thursday and the back barn was destroyed. The farmer had to rescue 10 baby cows before the fire spread and used one of our stables - for the last week all he's done is apologise for using our stable (not that we minded one bit - he could've used it for as long as he needeed) but thats what he's like.
 
Racergirl said:
:D I was just thinking about this tonight, as I undid the 4th haynet put up by our new girl...


I HATE HATE HATE when people tie haynets up with the knots on the end of the string rather than by the net.... REALLY annoys me (to a really ridiculous level if Im honest !!)
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Thank g*d there is someone else like me :D I was beginning to think I was the only one...

The other one is not immediately pulling out the baling twine when a new bale is opened, but leaving it there to get inadvertantly gathered up along with the hay to go into a net or in the field. Drives me potty!
 
Swirlymurphy said:
Thank g*d there is someone else like me :D I was beginning to think I was the only one...

The other one is not immediately pulling out the baling twine when a new bale is opened, but leaving it there to get inadvertantly gathered up along with the hay to go into a net or in the field. Drives me potty!
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Both of these also annoy me as I often end up dragging the baling twine across the yard!


Also, people tying haynets too low - my boyfriends aunties horse died from a broken leg as he got his leg caught in a low tied haynet
 
People that watch you when you ride then disappear ... I don't like being watch! I am invariably riding other peoples horses and I feel like I am being judged. Also I am just paranoid :rolleyes:
I don't mind scruffy yards as long as the horses look happy and healthy.

I am not a fan of bit's of rubbermatting strewn in stables though as I WILL fall over it! plus it makes mucking out a PITA as bits get stuck underneath etc.

OOO if yards have badly mucked out thrush inducing stables big no no I am very anal about mucking out and expect others to be the same :o
 
I'm another one with the knots - makes it hell to get the nets down and they are not quick release at all!

I hate it when people don't sweep up after themselves.

And I always judge a yard by the state of it's muckheap. If the ***** is looked after, then the horses should be too! (Theoretically anyway!)

Fortunately I'm now on my own yard with just me, so it's swept and kept tidy, the muck heap is stepped and swept daily, and haynets are tied properly!!!!
 
pet hates are children!!!!! ha ha:eek:

people think everyone like kids and let them pester you and run about round your horse! im forever saying 'just watch he doesnt kick/head butt you!'

im here to do my horse, not watch your brats! lol :D

also im DIY and dont like being told when to worm my horse ect!

rant over!

TBH the yard am on is lovely most the time.
 
Billy the kid said:
also im DIY and dont like being told when to worm my horse ect!

rant over!

TBH the yard am on is lovely most the time.
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really? Surely it prevents some people never worming, and helps prevent resistant build up if people all do it at the same time with the correct dosage and type of wormer for that time of year?


I have to say I dont get the knot issue?! I've always used the end of the not but never struggle to undo it- and the net always sinks to the floor- maybe its the length of rope used to tie the knot?

My issues are parents who say " can you just keep an eye on my darling for 2 seconds while I just do...." and 10min later im still stood trying to entertain their angel

I hate people who leave their horse's poo everywhere - in the tie up bays or the school- so when you use them it looks like it was your horse that did it!

oh and the lies that some YO/YM's tell you to lure you onto the yard that never materialise!
 
Children - but only those that are under the age of 10 and whose parents aren't keeping a close eye on them....it is just downright dangerous.

People who empty the water out of my bucket that I dip my hay in to get rid of dust - it is perfectly good to use it twice.

When you lend somebody something and never see it again.

Didnt think I was that fussy but apparent I am!
 
I'm so pleased to read that others are also traumatised by the haynet issue. I actually cried one winter morning when trying to undo my 12th non quick release knot net with numb fingers. I am quite OCD.

Tidyness is important to me, if a yard is unswept or the muck heap is a mess then the yard is just not for me.
 
When you specifically move to a yard that guaranteed 24/7 all year turn out and request that no one plays with youngster to find her brought in and stabled. I moved very quickly. Also had a stable which got soaked when rained and told by yo that it was okay as I wasn't bringing in anyway. No I wasn't going to stable in bad weather if she'd get wetter in her stable!
 
Dogs peeing or pooing on hay/straw... and male dogs cocking their legs on your stuff.
People who tie their horses up 'long' so said horse can eat from bucket on floor... then owner walks off. = For fear of horse getting in a tangle with the rope.

Smoking on the yard / fag butts 'just left'. Luckily most professional yards don't allow smoking, but I've seen a few more 'laid back' places, and it is simply, not only disgusting, but a serious accident in the making.
 
Shadowboy- yes really.

But it's prob because Iv spent my whole life thinking for myself and not having someone tell me when and how. That's why I like DIY.

But I can see it being good if people didn't worm on a regular basic ( don't see why ppl would want to feed worms myself, it's expensive enough feeding the horse!)
 
Racergirl said:
:D I was just thinking about this tonight, as I undid the 4th haynet put up by our new girl...


I HATE HATE HATE when people tie haynets up with the knots on the end of the string rather than by the net.... REALLY annoys me (to a really ridiculous level if Im honest !!)
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ha ha ha this is so me too ha ha when doing the nets I HAVE to make sure the knot if by the net as it helps when tying up.

Mine is also, people who don't bother to give you a passing hello..
Messyness I can deal with to a certain level as its more the people and horses that make the yard fun (well to me anyway) and Ive been on both types but I always end up going for the less 'professional' yards.

Mucks heaps are another bain... I dislike it when people are lazy and not to help chuck up the pile just dump wheelbarrows and go... leaving a trail

apart from this I am actually not too worried so long as me and horsey are happy thats all that matters to me. :D
 
Racergirl said:
:D I was just thinking about this tonight, as I undid the 4th haynet put up by our new girl...


I HATE HATE HATE when people tie haynets up with the knots on the end of the string rather than by the net.... REALLY annoys me (to a really ridiculous level if Im honest !!)
Click to expand...

Snigger! This winds me right up as well *feels slightly better about being such an anal retentive about knots in haynet string*
 
A bitchy gossipy condescending yard owner and one other livery who is the same. They talk about how useless everyone else is behind their backs and I’m beginning to get paranoid about how much hay I give my horse, what time I bring her in, turn her out etc

Being unaware that the same two people were watching me schooling until they made me jump by suddenly bawling unrequested advice at me (I’m not very experienced) when I was quite happily minding my own business.

…..and I think my horse may have been TWOC’ed. Tack had been moved and girths/stirrup leathers left at different lengths to the way I have them, plus my hat had been left somewhere I don’t think I would have left it, even absentmindedly. :(

I am looking for new livery….
 
When they move my things, or use them and don't put them back! And when the YO thinks they know my horse better that I do!
 
I love yards with smoking, kids, dogs, random adopted free ranging animals like a peacock and escaping pet pigs. These are the friendly, easy going yards where no one sweats the small stuff.

I'd avoid a yard where 'things' are banned, badly maintained fencing and menage surfaces and a muck heap too close to the stables.

Pet peeve is probably over flowing bins. Don't keep stuffing things into it and watch it all spill on the floor. If you have two arms, empty it or take your rubbish home.
Or for those on posh livery, call Jeeves (YO) to do it for you but stop chucking your rubbish on top in the meantime.
 
Billy the kid said:
Shadowboy- yes really.

But it's prob because Iv spent my whole life thinking for myself and not having someone tell me when and how. That's why I like DIY.

But I can see it being good if people didn't worm on a regular basic ( don't see why ppl would want to feed worms myself, it's expensive enough feeding the horse!)
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While I appreciate that... if everyone goes off in different directions with their worming plans then it rather undermines doing anything in the first place. It was a big gripe of mine when I was on a mixed DIY and part livery yard. No one would agree what the actual routine should be.
 
The hay net thing.

Children (when not under control, i.e. running about, spooking horses, in danger of being squashed)

People who ask constant questions about how I am riding my horse when they never have lessons 'ooh, how do you make him do that, do think you can show me how I can do it with Mr Pebbles?', really pee's me off when I pay for weekly lessons and they think I will just stop schooling and teach them. I have no problem discussing things with people who are developing (there are a few of us) or passing on knowledge but this particular one really gets my goat and my answer is slowly turning into a 'I have lessons, that is how I can do this with my horse!'
 
Cobcuddler said:
A bitchy gossipy condescending yard owner and one other livery who is the same. They talk about how useless everyone else is behind their backs and I’m beginning to get paranoid about how much hay I give my horse, what time I bring her in, turn her out etc

Being unaware that the same two people were watching me schooling until they made me jump by suddenly bawling unrequested advice at me (I’m not very experienced) when I was quite happily minding my own business.

…..and I think my horse may have been TWOC’ed. Tack had been moved and girths/stirrup leathers left at different lengths to the way I have them, plus my hat had been left somewhere I don’t think I would have left it, even absentmindedly. :(


I am looking for new livery….
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Don't blame you. I was on a Yard once where someone filled another livery's wellies with water, and another where a family was accused of something despicable(behind their backs) by the gossipy YO. Shocking!
 
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People who borrow stuff but then get the raging hump when you borrow something back.

People who do not respond to a "good morning".

Haynet knots! I don't use haynets now though because I just hate them full stop!

People who get arsey about kids being kids. We were all once kids ourselves! I don't mean the runny round screamy type (I dislike them too!!) but if my daughter is minding her own business - leave her alone!
 
Racergirl said:
:D I was just thinking about this tonight, as I undid the 4th haynet put up by our new girl...


I HATE HATE HATE when people tie haynets up with the knots on the end of the string rather than by the net.... REALLY annoys me (to a really ridiculous level if Im honest !!)
Click to expand...

Haha, I'm not the only one then. Why is it that EVERYONE does this until they have it explained? One of my liveries never listens to you (is the kind of person who talks over you before you finish your sentence). I have had to explain it to her three times. It drives me mad struggling to undo nets when I am in a rush. I have now got all of them trained bar one. :D
 
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