What would you think about.....

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AQuestion

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the following "issues" on a livery yard.

I have posted on this forum before however on this occasion I want to remain anonymous for personal reasons so sorry about that.

Let's just say that I am moving my horse from a private yard to a larger livery yard and not having much experience of large yards I am wondering whether the following things are normal and which of them you would find acceptable.

Issue 1) Assisted DIY is available, however this means that DIY liveries are not allowed to help each other out as they have to pay the yard to do anything they cannot do themselves in order to fund wages of YM

Issue 2) This extends to riding- liveries are not allowed to ride each others horses, if they want to ask someone else to ride for any reason, again they have to pay 'yard' (YM) to do it, who is an instructor and good rider

Issue 3) Assisted services are unreliable- there is a system for writing down service requests however horses have been forgotten, left in the mornings or out in the evenings for example, on several occasions through pure forgetfulness/distraction/disorganisation or lack of communication between staff. This has led to some liveries being too concerned that their horses will be forgotten to leave it to yard, but unable to ask anyone else for help either.

Issue 4)Despite not being allowed to help each other with horses, DIY liveries are often asked by YM to do things such as bring another liveries horse in whilst going to field if yard is being paid to do them that day

Issue 5) YO is uninterested in yard, yard/liveries are left to YM to manage alone. YMs 2 horses are given 'special treatment'- ie allowed turnout in fields where others have been told they're not (by YM) because fields are supposed to be resting, allowed separate paddock to themselves where others with a pair are not, will be kept together (mare and gelding) separately from all of the others when everyone else told all mares and geldings have to split, even for those with one of each who cant get up to yard to bring in early so risk being left on their own and have been fine in a mixed herd up to now.

So how would you all feel about these things and/or is this normal?
 
ohhh, not sure i like those rules! i am on DIY, and we all help each other, and the YO doesnt really mind, if we cant help out anyone, then YO does it and charges.
we can ride whatever horses we want, but then we dont have a YM.
i can see both sides, but i think if you want someone to ride your horse its up to you really!
do they do just plain DIY, not assisted? and if you go on normal DIY do you still have to use the YM to do jobs for you?
Also its ok them saying it must be done by them, but it clearly looks like they dont always do the jobs they are paid too!
 
They seem to be in a bit of a jumble with their rules, i can understand where they are coming from with assitting DIY as wages need to be paid, but this is not on if they are then un reliable and the horses are not being done properly. I personally think you need to consider if this is a good move for you or if it is going to become a nightmare, or if you have already moved then maybe a yard meeting is in order to work things out.. Obviously this is easier said than done but i think something definatly needs to be done soom as it seems a very complicated way of doing things and a sorce of great worry. Sorry this doesnt help really. x
 
That's not normal where I am, and I think I would leave tbh, because I get someone to ride my mare, and have ridden other people's horses. Also, our YM does do the odd job for us DIYs, but he doesn't mind if we ask someone else to do it, just one less job for him to do.
 
By assisted DIY I just meant DIY but you can have them do jobs if you want. Its just basic DIY really, extras are optional for everyone and can have as many as you like or none at all.

Also, I should add, as YM is an instructor, no other instructors are allowed to come and teach you, it has to be done by yard as well.
 
We have the Issue 1 rule on our yard - except at weekends. It does help pay for staff, and whilst it may not be everyone's cup of tea, it does mean that there's additional revenue going in to the yard, which we all benefit from.

However, the other issues that you raise would be a no, no for me I'm afraid. I certainly won't be dictated to about who can ride my horse - and whilst the girl that comes to do the pointers does ride my horse, that's entirely my choice.
 
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How dare someone dictate who is allowed/not allowed to ride your horse!!!! I'd be telling YO to shove her rules & yard where the sun doesn't shine!!

The cheek of it!!!

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Agree with the above! But its the unreliability aspect that would completely and utterly kill it off for me. Surely you can find a better option
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AQuestion - Are these the rules on the yard you are moving to or from??
Either way, I have been on yards that have had some or all of those rules, and whilst I was happy to begin with, I found them too restrictive. I found the unreliablity aspect more of a problem though.
Not wishing to tell you what to do, I would seriously reconcider if these are rules in place on the yard you are moving to.
 
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Issue 1) Assisted DIY is available, however this means that DIY liveries are not allowed to help each other out as they have to pay the yard to do anything they cannot do themselves in order to fund wages of YM

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I think this is probably the case in various places

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Issue 2) This extends to riding- liveries are not allowed to ride each others horses, if they want to ask someone else to ride for any reason, again they have to pay 'yard' (YM) to do it, who is an instructor and good rider

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I don't like that one but it probably wouldn't affect me. Maybe YM has seen accidents/people out of control? Although of course its good income for her.

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Issue 3) Assisted services are unreliable- there is a system for writing down service requests however horses have been forgotten, left in the mornings or out in the evenings for example, on several occasions through pure forgetfulness/distraction/disorganisation or lack of communication between staff. This has led to some liveries being too concerned that their horses will be forgotten to leave it to yard, but unable to ask anyone else for help either.

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This would annoy me - if there are several liveries who feel this way, could one of the more established ones say something to YM?

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Issue 4)Despite not being allowed to help each other with horses, DIY liveries are often asked by YM to do things such as bring another liveries horse in whilst going to field if yard is being paid to do them that day

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If I were asked I would say tongue in cheek to YM "Oh, can I get paid for that then?!"

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Issue 5) YO is uninterested in yard, yard/liveries are left to YM to manage alone. YMs 2 horses are given 'special treatment'- ie allowed turnout in fields where others have been told they're not (by YM) because fields are supposed to be resting, allowed separate paddock to themselves where others with a pair are not, will be kept together (mare and gelding) separately from all of the others when everyone else told all mares and geldings have to split, even for those with one of each who cant get up to yard to bring in early so risk being left on their own and have been fine in a mixed herd up to now.

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Annoying, but only an issue if grszing for yours is going to be compromised. If so I would address concerns to YM first, however scary, then go to YO.
 
Thanks everyone. Dirtymare- I want to keep things vague really, but thanks for your response! I just wondered how people would feel about these things in general.

I do feel a bit as if it would seem like a line between being a client and being dictated to was being crossed. Also, I would hate to think that I would be constantly worried that my horse was going to be remembered if I couldn't get up there. I get the impression that the YM denies there is a problem, tells people that liveries horses are treated as her own so I don't know whether existing liveries have felt able to speak to her.

Also with regard to issues 4 & particularly 5, I personally have a pet hate of unfairness so I wonder if it would just wind me up for that reason.
 
I wouldn't like any of those rules to be honest although I can see reason why they might be there. I imagine much of the riding other horses/helping out with each others horses rules could be to do with insurance/liability issues? Which is a shame but can see why they might be there.

The not allowing other instructors seems to be a very common rule which I personally do not agree with as, in my mind if you are paying DIY to use facilities you should be able to have any instructor you wish IMO. If the resident instructor say isn't a SJ specialist instructor and I want a SJ lesson then I'd want a proper instructor in and wouldn't want to have to pay extra to travel elsewhere/hire other facilities.

God, still so gald have our own land!!!
 
I think it's a bit much that people aren't allowed to help each other but I can see the reason that rule is there. However that means that the yard really can't ask liveries to give them a hand e.g. bringing horses in. That would worry me as it's those type of double standards that could lead to tension or a nasty atmosphere on a yard. I know of a yard that has a rule that bedding and forage must be purchased from the yard and if you bring in your own (which you can) you must pay a storage charge.

I don't like the idea of having to use the yard's instructor. What happens if you want to bring an instructor who has taught you for years etc. or a specialist in? Or what if you and the yard instructor just don't click? I would have said it would be more reasonable to say you must pay an amount for sole use of the school if bringing in an external instructor.

The one that really would annoy me would be the riding bit. There are so many what ifs? What about sharers or loaners? What if your mate's horse is lame and you have 2 horses and you want to go for a hack together? What about if your mum wants to some and play?!

The disorganisation would totally stop me from keeping my horse there. if the yard has a reputation for forgetting horses then no way. I have to go away with work so would like to know my boy wasn't going to be forgotten!

The different turnout and perks for the yard manager - par for the course, if you organise the yard then you are perfectly entitled to give perks to your own horses IMO so long as it doesn't interefer with the quality of livery that customers are getting.

Some rules are OK but it's a 2 way thing and if the service is rubbish then it's a bit out of order to implement super strict picky rules!
 
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I wouldn't livery there
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Me neither
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I think I could live with some of that stuff, but I will decide who gets to ride my horse, thank you so very much!
 
Gosh posts like OP's make me soooo glad I am on our yard! We all just help each other out when needed, ride each others horses whenever asked, and can have any instructor we like!
I couldn't livery on a yard with all those rules tbh....I can see the logic of YM doing the services only, and wouldn't have a huge issue with that apart from the unreliability, and i guess with the instructors you could always go elsewhere for lessons and take horse if necessary, but those hassles added to the unreliability and unfairness would be too much for me I'm afraid!
 
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