Why do some yards...

Buds_mum

Buds_mum

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Not offer DIY?

Personally unless work really constricts time could never have my horse on more than part, and whilst its possible will do DIY. Its nice to have the option of holiday care, morning turnout etc. But personally I like to have full control over my horse, I like to muck out, feed, groom, exercise etc etc. Thats why I have a horse. Couldn't stand some y/o doing it all for me!!! Also would hate to have a y/o who believes all owners are numptys and unable of proper standards of care! Just my opinion!! I was on a yard once who called our horses 'hers' drove me insane!! Not yours mine childishly came to surface, hated it!

I get why people have horses on full livery, but could never do it myself, faar too much of a control freak :p saying this as a y/o i'd prob want say over clients horses... :rolleyes:
So is it about control, running yard like clockwork, routine?

Just wondering :p
 
Because very few yards make money out of purely DIY - so offer services to increase revenue.

My old yard was DIY - but you had to use their services through the winter, such as turn out and bring in. If you went away, they had to do the horse - not a friend etc.

Not a problem for me - I was still 100% in control of my horses management, but had my life made easier by having the horse turned out/brought in if and when needed etc for only a couple of £££'s extra.
 
Oh never really thought about money side it, i suppose as i've only ever been on farm livery not 'proper' livery yard.... does make sense, still wouldn't like it though :o
 
I used to work at a yard that only had full liveries (had my horse there for a while as well for convenience) and there were a few reasons it was full only- for one thing the YO liked to know when people were coming up as it was a small yard and she liked to be there for safety reasons, because she didn't want DIY's not tidying up after themselves, not poo picking, or 'forgetting' their horses (I've known some neglectful owners, but obviously most people aren't like this!), and she preferred having a bit more control over the horses, as it saved arguments- she decided what fields were used and what horses went out next to each other etc (with the owners wishes making final decision)- it was much more peaceful there than at a DIY yard where everyone was arguing about fields, arena use, how much hay/bedding everyone else was using etc. And because they were all fed at the same time there was less door banging going on! :)
I agree though, I generally don't like to have my horses on full livery- have worked at a couple of places that don't give the level of care to the horses that they promise to!
 
I don't offer DIY because

1) There's no money in it - earlier this year I closed my old yard of twenty two horses to move to a new premises. I had four DIYs and they were the ones constantly trashing fencing or stables. DIY is £30 a week, I could fill those boxes with full liveries at £150 a week.

2) I can't take the stress. Of the twenty two horses on the last yard, I had just four DIYs. They caused more hassle and stress than all the others put together. They were forever leaving a mess, doing stupid things like riding out from my yard with no reins on their bridle, because they had replaced them with draw reins (whic made me look bad), not turning up to see to their horses, dumping muck on the yard instead of on the muck trailer, feeding the laminitic pony haylage etc etc.

3) I have incredibly high standards, and I found it hard to have DIYs on the yard who were prepared to leave a box un-mucked out all day. That reflects badly on me when I'm showing prospective clients around, and they aren't to know that the box that is still filthy at 2pm is a DIY box.

4) For the above reasons, the lease on my new yard clearly states that we are to have no DIY liveries here.

I think I'd have a nervous breakdown if I had any more DIYs. I have nothing against them - I've been a DIY myself before! But in my opinion it just doesn't work if you're offering full and part livery as well. Yards that are solely DIY work well, but it's just not viable for me to offer it.

ETA - I wouldn't have my horses on full or part livery because I enjoy mucking them out etc. but my liveries either have high powered jobs in the city or abroad, and no time to muck out each day but still want to come and ride and spend time with their horses, have horses specifically for hunting and don't want to do any of the grunt work, need their horse re-schooled or sold, or have a horse recovering from injury or illness and don't have the experience to deal with it. I can see it from both sides now that I run my own yard.
 
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I'm on full as it works out cheaper than being on DIY and having to go to the yard twice during the winter, getting there in bad weather. I have better option of field than when I was on DIY which was one field forever full stop. Maybe just the yard though.

It's also easier if we decided a family day out it doesn't have to be a mad rush with me getting up early and again in winter us having to come back early to get the horses in.

Get less interfering from other liveries of " she hasn't done her horse today" whine whine. Never thinking said livery might well have been up and they haven't seen them ......
 
Thanks for replies, i'm just really nosy :D I suppose i am very sheltered from bad owners, being only 1 of 2 liveries on my yard.
I can understand it more, the financial gain vs the stress....

Staarzan had a nosy at your yard on the fb page (from other thread) gorgeous!!
 
We used to DIY, wouldn't again. Would only do full/part in the future.

With full, you know that everything is done and put away. Everywhere is swept and tidy - down to you to do it. Everything is fed, even if your lazy livery wants a lie in.. Anyone can look into any stable without you cringing at the thought of them seeing a scruffy/dirty bed. Nothing gets left in the field alone in the dark.. You don't have to find space for extra shavings/tools/feedbins etc for every livery..

And yes money, DIY didn't make us a penny...
 
Buds_mum said:
Thanks for replies, i'm just really nosy :D I suppose i am very sheltered from bad owners, being only 1 of 2 liveries on my yard.
I can understand it more, the financial gain vs the stress....

Staarzan had a nosy at your yard on the fb page (from other thread) gorgeous!!
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Thank you! I still can't quite believe my luck. My old yard was fabulous, but not pretty - it was twenty two boxes spread across american barns, which were practical and fab in the winter, but not beautiful. To charge top whack you need people to say "wow" when they come up the drive...they do now!
 
First yard I was on over 20 years ago was also a riding school. They didn't do DIY purely for the reason that they usually ended up doing the horse anyway as most people in the area were not prepared to commit to their horse 7 days a week! They usually wanted part livery for DIY money!!
 
I only do full liveries as I get on much better with horses than people. I did DIY for 6 months and couldnt cope with having people wandering around my yard wherever and whenever they liked, knocking on kitchen window at 10pm to ask some menial question, or basically neglecting and badly treating their horses. Never ever again!
 
I am DIY and wouldn't do anything else. I too am a control freak and hate not being able to my ponies. I love every bit of caring for my ponies, including poo picking in the rain.

If a time came when full livery was my only option, I would have to seriously think about if it was what I wanted from my horsey life.
 
I've only ever been on all DIY yards so people understand if you only have time to turn your horse out on a winter morning and then do the mucking out in the evening because many of us are in the same boat with trying to manage horses/families/jobs and I have never seen anyone on my yard mis-use their horses or tack in the way you've described, guess I have been lucky. That said, I can fully understand if you're showing a full livery client around it doesn't reflect well on the yard, the potential client may not appreciate the differences between DIY and Full livery services.
 
I'm on full livery on a lovely yard. My horse is happy and has a routine which I could not give him on DIY. I sometimes miss the looking after him aspect, not when it's freezing cold and pouring with rain thou :)
 
Starzaan said:
I don't offer DIY because

1) There's no money in it - earlier this year I closed my old yard of twenty two horses to move to a new premises. I had four DIYs and they were the ones constantly trashing fencing or stables. DIY is £30 a week, I could fill those boxes with full liveries at £150 a week.

2) I can't take the stress. Of the twenty two horses on the last yard, I had just four DIYs. They caused more hassle and stress than all the others put together. They were forever leaving a mess, doing stupid things like riding out from my yard with no reins on their bridle, because they had replaced them with draw reins (whic made me look bad), not turning up to see to their horses, dumping muck on the yard instead of on the muck trailer, feeding the laminitic pony haylage etc etc.

3) I have incredibly high standards, and I found it hard to have DIYs on the yard who were prepared to leave a box un-mucked out all day. That reflects badly on me when I'm showing prospective clients around, and they aren't to know that the box that is still filthy at 2pm is a DIY box.

4) For the above reasons, the lease on my new yard clearly states that we are to have no DIY liveries here.

I think I'd have a nervous breakdown if I had any more DIYs. I have nothing against them - I've been a DIY myself before! But in my opinion it just doesn't work if you're offering full and part livery as well. Yards that are solely DIY work well, but it's just not viable for me to offer it.

ETA - I wouldn't have my horses on full or part livery because I enjoy mucking them out etc. but my liveries either have high powered jobs in the city or abroad, and no time to muck out each day but still want to come and ride and spend time with their horses, have horses specifically for hunting and don't want to do any of the grunt work, need their horse re-schooled or sold, or have a horse recovering from injury or illness and don't have the experience to deal with it. I can see it from both sides now that I run my own yard.
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It makes me really sad to read things like this, DIYers like that let DIYers like me down, I realise your being quite general but;

1) My horses have trashed less than some of the liveries who pay much more more. I'd happily pay out if they did do damage though and help repair the damage myself if I could.

2) I'm at the yard twice a day, every day. I'm always careful to clean up after myself and my horses. I never use draw reins, I only feed my laminitic well soaked haylage, I make sure I pile on the muck rather than dump at the side or in front of the heap. I rarely take advantage of the help that is available, which I pay for, because if I'm able to do it myself I will.

3) I muck out in the mornings and leave the bed up to make sure the box gets a really good airing through the day. I make sure the stuff in front of my box is tidy too.

I guess because I've worked at a yard I'm maybe not quite a typical DIYer though as I really do appreciate how frustrating it is when people take the pee and leave everything at their backsides.
 
As a DIY'er I do sometimes feel second rate. At my yard now, its only DIY and we are small. My last yard did the whole package but dependant on what you were, depended on your fields/stable.

DIY'ers had their own run down barn, with crap hay and field fenced with barbed wire. Parts had better stables but still went in the same fields, but Full had a state of the art stable block, brilliant fields and the best hay and shavings money could buy!

I could never understand how as a DIY'er it meant my horse had to eat crap hay and risk injury? Needless to say, I didn't stay there long...
 
I am a DIY on a mixed yard of DIY'ers and full liveries. I do not leave my pony in a dirty stable, I do not leave mess all over the yard, I dont dump muck anywhere other than the muck heap, I poo pick every week, my pony does not trash the field, or the fences. I am not saying that the full livery side is like this, but I think its unfair that its being generalised that DIY liveries are like this.
 
I've been on three DIY yards now, and the biggest headache for the YO's is definitely the liveries ! There is no way I could put up with the mess, the arrogance, the nicking, failure to worm, vet, even pay ! - URGH.

My current yard is great tho, but it is double the cost of any other I've been on. :)
 
My YO only does part or full because she likes the horses in a routine. All the horses are happy, and the part liveries know what time they need to be up at the weekend to muck out and turn out.

I am on full livery, and love it! I spend quality time with my horse now, instead of time spent doing all the jobs. When I was on DIY I had no control over what happened to my horse - I had to go by the whims of the YO's daughter - so having him on full livery is not much different. In fact, I have more control, as I can state what I want done with my horse and it is done. Marvellous :)
 
I wasn't in any way saying that all DIYs fall into the categories I listed. I have known some fantastic DIYs - one of mine from the last yard was wonderful, and I would gladly have kept her on.

The problem I had is that it was a mixed yard. If I was running an all DIY yard I think it would be entirely different, but the problems I had with my particular DIYs impacted on the side of the business that makes me the money, and so, following that bad experience, I wouldn't have DIYs on a mixed yard again.

I have nothing against DIYs! As I said, I've been a DIY myself, and I appreciate that people may not muck out their boxes first thing as they're juggling work, horses and family, but when I'm showing someone around for full livery, and have just explained that on my yard all mucking out is finished by 7am, it looks bad if there is a dirty box at 2 o clock in the afternoon.

If I thought it would make me money, I would happily run a DIY yard, but sadly in the current climate I don't feel it's financially viable for me. I'm also too much of a control freak!
 
shysmum said:
I've been on three DIY yards now, and the biggest headache for the YO's is definitely the liveries ! There is no way I could put up with the mess, the arrogance, the nicking, failure to worm, vet, even pay ! - URGH.

My current yard is great tho, but it is double the cost of any other I've been on. :)
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I'm guessing you're being really general, but tarring all DIYers with that brush just isn't fair :(

I clean up, I really hope i'm not arrogant, I don't steal - if I need a bit of feed in a hurry I'll send a text saying I've taken it, the worming is taken care of by the yard and if it wasn't they'd get their four different wormers a year at the right time, I get the vet when required and I pay weekly by standing order so I'm never late.

Benson21, SpottyFalula, skint1 and I can't be the only nice/knowledgable/considerate DIYers out there surely??
 
benson21 said:
So you are basically saying that DIY'ers dont care for their horses properly are you?
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That does seem to be the some, unfortunately. But of course it's not the case. A DIY yard need not be run under any less professional guidelines and rules than a full or part livery yard.

Go to a mickey mouse yard (DIY/part/full) and you'll get mickey mouse owners, YM's and rules.
 
uhh oh no hho kicking off please :p I'm a good diy, can imagine being an awful full livery unless everything was 110%!
 
I've got one horse at a part/full livery yard and one horse at a DIY yard. I am equally responsible at both yards and the horse that is inclined to doing any fence damage is the part livery, who sometimes forgets to stop running before making contact with the fence and chews electric tape if its not turned on. :o I get quite annoyed with people thinking it matters what time of day stables are mucked out, especially if no horses are in them all day. What difference does it make?

The part/full livery yard I'm on doesn't offer DIY because then it wouldn't make enough money to pay for good staff and facilities.
 
I also dont really understand people who buy a horse for a hobbie, an interest, and then pay people to look after it! ok, for the people who are like the competion riders, I kind of get it, but not the ones that have a happy hacker, that just come to the yard, ride, and then go home again. I dont get it!
 
benson21 said:
I also dont really understand people who buy a horse for a hobbie, an interest, and then pay people to look after it! ok, for the people who are like the competion riders, I kind of get it, but not the ones that have a happy hacker, that just come to the yard, ride, and then go home again. I dont get it!
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To be fair Benson, not everyone is in a position to look after their horse themselves, usually due to work commitments. And to pursue their hobby they need help. Nothing wrong with that at all.
 
sarahann1 said:
Benson21, SpottyFalula, skint1 and I can't be the only nice/knowledgable/considerate DIYers out there surely??
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I am on a DIY yard. The yard is normally spotless, there is no nicking - we can leave our stuff outside our stables with no fear of it disappearing, we all worm and get the vet when required. We also all pay on time! We all get on well and help each other out when necessary. I love being a DIY'er :D
 
I'm DIY too and hopefully one the YO wants to keep ;).

Sorry I was too sweeping before, but it's always the good ones who are let down by the not-so-good ones. Apologies x
 
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