When is a yard too busy to be safe?

[willothewisp]

Hi
I'm new around here so please bear with me. I've just gone through the very stressful process of moving my horse to a new yard due to our small diy yard owner deciding that she wants to apply for planning permission for a residence on the yard instead. There were only half a dozen horses on the yard and most owners had been there for years. I guess we had been very lucky as we were left to our own devices and were all experienced owners so things rang smoothly.

Anyway, as I eluded, we had to leave in a hurry (less than four weeks notice), and due to it being the middle of winter didn't have much choice of yards to go to. The area I live in has more horses per head of population than anywhere else in the country so DIY is like gold dust and yard owners charge extortionate prices for basic facilities.

We found a yard that seemed better than the others as it had an outdoor school, big stables and the availability of a private paddock for mine and my friends horse at a reasonable extra charge. Thus we duly moved on last weekend. OMG what an eye-opener! The place is so busy and with either very inexperienced or ignorant owners. It turns out that in addition to the 25 stabled horses, there are another 20 on grazing only livery. This means that people are arriving at all times of the day and night and many of them drive at speed through the yard to the parking area. The place is chaos, tools, muck, discarded pieces of baling twine etc. all over the place. Well I thought it is a big yard give it a chance. On the second day the large barn at the side of the stables was opened to reveal an assortment of heavy machinery and tractors etc. and ever since then the place has been full of heavy equipment and tractors again driven at speed past the horses even when they are tied up. There are unsupervised kids everywhere, people trotting horses past ones that are quietly tied up with no consideration. My poor lad doesn't know what has hit him!

So the question is - am I just going to have to get used to this and is every big yard the same? I am making a fuss over nothing or is this yard just too busy to be safe?

 

[mynutmeg]

That sounds horrendous - a big and busy yard doesn't have to be like that and that sounds really dangerous

 

[webble]

Ooo that doesnt sound fun. What area are you in is it worth starting a thread asking about diy locally?

 

[Purple18]

I have have been on quite afew big yards 40+ horses they are very busy alot of the time but most people iv'e met have been very good at keeping the yard as safe and smooth as possible. The one your at sounds dangerous I would look for somewhere else before you or your horses get hurt !

 

[RachelFerd]

Gosh, that rings a few bells for me. Just wondering if I may have been at the same place...

 

[MillionDollar]

Oh my gosh! That sounds horrendous. No they are not all like that. Mine has nearly 40 horses on it and everyone is always surprised how it is never busy, e.g. only 2 or 3 horses in the 60 x 40 arena at the busiest point. Mine is always kept clean and tidy and everything has it's place.

I would move asap as it sounds dangerous and not a nice yard to be at.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

No, some yards I've been on with 50 -60 + horses have been run very professionally and smoothly.
It's not the size but the way the yard is run.
Hope you find somewhere suitable soon.

 

[Adopter]

I do not think the size of the yard makes a difference, what matters is the YO or YM making sure people respect each other and the horses, that they enforce safe practices and do not let people treat the yard as a play ground for children and dogs! In fact the bigger the yard and the more facilities they have the better organised it all has to be.

I think you have been very unlucky, and hope you can find something that you feel comfortable with soon.

 

[willothewisp]

Thanks for all the honest replies which include a lot of good observations. I am glad that it isn't just me being a fusspot! I will be spending today driving around the local area and putting my name on any waiting lists for smaller yards. Atleast it is not to far from the Spring now and stables should start freeing up! In the meantime I will just have to take extra care.

 

[rockysmum]

I moved to a yard similar (not as bad) years ago, I thought my horses would stress. Absolutely the opposite, even the stress head likes it

You end up with bomb proof horses and those who are stabled or on box rest have plenty of company. There is always plenty of people to help in an emergency and lots of transport etc. The yard staff are always around, even though mine are DIY and spot problems in the field, colic etc and help in situations like when my oldie got himself stuck rolling in the fence.

Its not for everyone but some aspects, like lots of other horses working in the schools, is really good at preparing them for competing. Also a wide variety of vets, farriers, dentists, saddle fitters, instructors are on the yard on a regular basis.

On the downside you end up tidying up and sweeping more and you have to think carefully where you are tying up etc etc.

At first I was shocked, but I am still there.

 

[PolarSkye]

There are 30+ horses on our yard and YO gets his tractor or ride-on lawnmower or leaf blower or strimmer out pretty much every day . . . but . . . yard is clean, tidy, calm and chilled. Big yards do not have to be chaotic. Yesterday three horses were prepped and boxed up to go out to compete/train and one other horse came back after six weeks away recuperating - none of the horses so much as turned a hair.

 

[Polos Mum]

I totally agree with the comment above that it's the YO not the size that makes a difference, my boy on loan was on a small yard that used to be a cattle farm. It was the early stages of the loan and the loaner wanted me to be be there for the farrier (totally fine with me). The YO was welding right next to the only space available for the farrier and kept giving me strange looks while my boy danced about when sparks were flying out of the wheels he was working on (later to comment he didn't realise how naughty for the farrier he was!!!)
I rode with her once and was nearly run over by one of the staff spraying (god knows what) we were on the track left round the field and he came right to the edge past us- full speed!
A few of dozens of crazy careless insidence that could have resulted in nasty accidents because the attitude of the YO was -'it was a farm first so horses come second in all circumstances '
Good luck with your search.

 

[Lark]

It does sound rather chaotic.
On a yard there is no avoiding the use of a tractor or power tools required for repairs. That is just the nature of running a yard and getting things done. Bales need to be moved, fields need to be harrowed etc

But safety should always always be a priority.

As a YO I always hope that if someone has an issue they can bring it to our attention and discuss it.
Always my biggest concern is the possibility that someone may have a huge worry that is burning a hole in their soul that can be easily solved.