Why do YO's get nasty when you say your leaving?

[Carefreegirl]

My only bad leaving experience was several years ago. The yard was nice but no school so I was moving to a yard with a school. Unfortunately for me, I was the 4th person that month to hand my notice in and I got the brunt of the YO's frustration, both barrels !
She did eventually apologise and said she'd been unfair to take it out on me. Majorly pee'd me off as I was the only one looking to leave originally :biggrin3:
We're ok now but relations were strained for quite a while.

 

[zaminda]

Most of the times I have moved yards there has been no problem, have moved across the country and things and no dramas. There has been the odd crazy, like the one who blocked the yard with the tractor, but generally no problems. However, the lady I rent land of now has had some very strange ones recently, including 2 that told her they were leaving the day before when the whole yard had known for ages. 1 of those sent her a text, the other sent her 5 year old! Considering we had had other people leave recently, and there had been no fall out (yo lovely) I couldn't understand it and thought it was rather rude. I can see why she is now being super careful about who she takes.

 

[Carefreegirl]

The last yard I left, I left because the school was in a bad state of repair and told the owner I was looking to move if the school wasn't sorted. It wasn't a threat as we're very good friends. He kept saying next week, next week etc, this went on for about 6 months. I said I was giving him a months notice when I found another yard and he went and moaned to the yard manager that she hadn't told him I was leaving. She said she didn't have to as I'd told him 100 times and he replied he thought I was joking !

I moved to the above yard from the yard in my previous post :smile3:

He hasn't finished repairing the school and I moved just over 3 years ago.

I also keep him 'onside' as he has the best Sloe bush that I've ever found :wink3: and no that's not a euphemism !

 

[Kelly1982]

I left my last yard due to buying another horse and I was finding their turnout needs difficult to meet as they both needed different things. YO tried to accommodate as best she could but it just didn't work. Last straw was when both my horses escaped onto the main road. Luckily for me they cr*pped themselves and came running back.

When I handed my notice in 2 days later my YO was very understanding and even said I didn't have to give a months notice as she could see i was struggling.

I still see her and her husband out and about and they will always stop and chat. Would hate it if I was in your position OP as the horsey world is so small and it's never nice to have bad feeling about.

 

[TarrSteps]

Most of the times I have moved yards there has been no problem, have moved across the country and things and no dramas. There has been the odd crazy, like the one who blocked the yard with the tractor, but generally no problems. However, the lady I rent land of now has had some very strange ones recently, including 2 that told her they were leaving the day before when the whole yard had known for ages. 1 of those sent her a text, the other sent her 5 year old! Considering we had had other people leave recently, and there had been no fall out (yo lovely) I couldn't understand it and thought it was rather rude. I can see why she is now being super careful about who she takes.

'
That's the other side of it, for sure.

One place I worked we had a super high maintenance livery, who had 'done the rounds'. We worked hard for her and she was so demanding I'm sure she got more than her money's worth.

One afternoon she went for a hack. . .never to return! We were frantic, out looking for her, ringing the police, calling local yards to see if any one had seen her. Finally we got a funny silence from one yard. . .turned out she'd moved there that afternoon!! She'd hacked to meet a friend with a trailer and taken the horse there, explaining her stuff would follow. We were stunned! Next day we got a furious call from her husband, demanding we let her in to get her stuff, even though she'd never asked let alone been refused. When she did show up she demanded I help her load her trunks as she was still paid up the day or two until the end of the month. Then there was the woman who took her tackroom fittings - using a crowbar! - even though they were built in and supplied by the yard. I've seen people yell, cry, steal stuff all over nothing. I'm not saying this excuses grumpy, bad mannered, unprofessional yard owners but trust me, they have no monopoly on crazy!

 

[lincolnlady]

I moved from one yard as it was very run down and no decent hacking gave a months notice but left a few days later as stable became available earlier than planned the old yo rang round all the yards in the area saying id left owing money but luckily I had my rent booked which was signed and dated proving they actually owed me a months rent! the next yard I left because I found somewhere much closer and cheaper that included all bedding and hay and when I left the yard owner said I would always be welcome back then blocked me on fb n started slagging me off even some of the girls I thought were friends blocked me and turned against me!

im now on a fab yard with lots of lovely liveries and will never move again

 

[Pedantic]

Because some yard owners are nobs, that's why, NOA

 

[Gingerwitch]

I made a reasonable request which was refused - then someone else made the same request - one of the golden girls -and they got told yes - so I voted with my feet and handed my notice in. Okay i made a bad move initally, but all has turned out fine - 3 now at my trainers yard and one on diy - so not what i planned but its all worked out very well.

 

[TPO]

I've been pretty lucky with yards until I got my gelding at the end of 2010.

Finally, yard no 7, and we are completely settled hoping never to move but it's been a complete nightmare up until moving there 13mths ago.

The majority of the previous 6 yards I've left because my horse's safety was at risk or already compromised.

First place had no rules and was run down wwith obligatory yard witches and lots of b'tching and back stabbing. Thankfully nothing that affected me but it wasn't nice having to see/hear it. Fields were not managed, full of ragwart (I was the only one in our field that bothered to pull it), loose dogs that went for people/ horses, barked/howled constantly and done the toilet on our hay. It was reported to YM by several people and although he, an adult man, said he'd spoken to the culprit (early 20s girl) he hadn't. He definitely took the head in sand approach. This was the winter with the really bad snow so I was stuck there for 3mths until it thawed. The list goes on and on and on...

Yard no 2 was assisted livery but YM told quite a few white lies and was very lazy. They left their dog shut in a stable ( American barn) all day and didn't clean it out- you can imagine the stink... Services weren't carried out and things were spiralling out of control so time to leave...

Yard 3 was fine, based on a farm. I was the model livery and owners used to spend at least 1/2hr every night just out chatting to me and fussing over my horse. I helped them out by babysitting even though my dislike of children is well known! My friend was on this yard but left and another friend sold her horse and gave up; I was worried that if there was another bad winter I'd be stuck as the other liveries didn't visit. their horses regularly. I found a yard that offered services so that suited me in case I was stuck in bad weather. I explained this and that I'd like to come back in spring. Well I was completely ignored the whole of my notice period, had a massive arguement getting my deposit back and had to threaten them with small claims court several times to get my overpaid livery back. Funnily enough I didn't go back in the spring!!

I thought my next yard was a sure thing. The Yo had ex-racers and claimed to be a TB expert, closely linked with animal welfare society so I figured no more skinny, uncared for horses and I knew 2 other liveries so, despite thinking the place looked like a bit of a messy dump, I thought it must be ok because they were there. I honestly do not even know where to start with how bad things got...

First stand out thing was I noticed small nicks on my horses legs. Due to field layout, the fields were interlinked, the Yo done all turnout and bring in. Then I got up one night to find a note on the board from Yo that my horse had cut his leg in the outdoor school but he was fine. First thought was why had he been in the school? Went to check him and he'd been left with a dirty cut that was quite deep. I then found out that yo hadn't been turning my horse out; instead putting him in the school with haylage and... Wait for it... Riding in the school!!! She thought it hilarious that my horse had " joined in" with trotting and catering around behind her.

I took his fleece off, yo had brought him in and changed fly sheet for fleece. His fleece was stuck on and when I peeled it off I found a massive cut/ tear along his back. Yo had purposefully tried to hide this! Thankfully I check under rugs daily so while her tactics worked in others it didn't with me. Again she claimed to have no idea despite my sheet being ripped practically in half!

I brought him out his stable to find a hind completely swollen and not weight bearing. I honestly thought it was broken. Yo had brought him in 15 mins early and claimed he was sound... Got emergency vet and it was a massive infection. Transpired that instead of turning him out she had been using him for company for her horses and standing him in an empty stable in her block, A stable that wasn't bedded or mucked out so he was standing in dung and urine.

These are only the tip of the iceberg, haylage was provided but her's was rotten, mouldy and full of weeds and reeds. I bought in my own hay but this "expert" and other liveries fed it. No clean water/troughs in fields (or her horses stables...), horses swapped fields and lying about it, lying about everything basically, nails in the schools (& no surprises in my horses foot), under feeding the rescue horses. One pony cribbed so instead of doing anything about it or at the very least giving him good forage she tied loads of lead reins like spiderwebs around his stable so the poor mite couldn't crib/ relieve stress. Argh I could h go on and on

The next two yards weren't much better but they were better than that place.

Until now every YO has been a law unto themselves. Dont get me wrong I've tried to get out of these ***** holes but there is a massive lack of yards in my a and funnily enough the good places don't often have spaces.

You're really held to ransom by YOs

 

[case895]

I had a livery for a while who paid £60 per month. As a favour, I would turn her horse out for her (saved her a trip down and only a few extra minutes). We helped each other with mucking out if one was away. We fell out over bed depth though. She removed and added 2.5 wheelbarrows full of straw per day and my muck heap was out of control. I asked her to be more frugal and she stomped off in a huff. I have recently finished the new american barn and school, so I suspect she is now wishing she bit her lip! I would never have another livery and the planning consent for the barn and school prohibited liveries.

 

[sandi_84]

OP sorry if I've got this wrong but weren't you the poster who's yard was sedating your horses without you knowing?

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

We've done DIY livery since we moved here 21 years ago: in that time people have left, but not through any animosity, merely because they either needed to move geographically or they were starting up their own yard.

There's only one livery I've been really glad to see the back of, and she was only, thankfully, here for a month!!

I don't think I was "nasty" when she told me she was leaving ......... sure of it in fact, I was so blessed relieved she was going that I think I was positively delirious

 

[MrsMozart]

We've only had one acrimonious parting of the ways - turns out the YO in question had various problems that we weren't away of at the time.

She barricaded the horses in and kicked our daughters out onto the lane the day we were moving. All because we hadn't paid the bills - but she hadn't given us the bills! We'd given three weeks' notice, although only had to give one week, and been asking for them on a fairly regular basis in the last week as she was no longer providing the services so we weren't sure what we'd be owing. We had to get the police involved, albeit by phone rather than in person as we still didn't want her to be in serious trouble. I was stood with cash in my hand and she still wouldn't let us go. We had been nice about our reason for moving, ie we said it was too far away, when in reality we were tired of hay going missing, services being billed but not being done, everything wet all the time, etc. She had been lovely when we arrived, but her issues are now well known. It's a pity though as when she was nice she was lovely.

 

[xspiralx]

I've only had two bad experiences (out of 8 livery yards since I started owning horses.)

First one was a private yard owned by a (completely loopy) old couple. When I handed my notice in they tried to kick me off the yard and keep my loan horse. Then they rang his owner and told her all sorts of horrible lies about the way I had supposedly abused her horse.

Second time the YO just stopped speaking to me after I handed my notice in, created a horrible atmosphere and on my last day threatened to shoot my horse 'if he got loose and ran past her cobs.'

Thankfully everywhere else has been much more civilised.

 

[Gingerwitch]

OP sorry if I've got this wrong but weren't you the poster who's yard was sedating your horses without you knowing?

Yes - frankly i dont give a stuff about that yard - it was more of a post to do with the one prior to that - which caused me to leave to go to "that" yard.

 

[Spot_On]

Every time, apart from one I've moved yards it has been due to moving out of the area. I have been lucky, don't think I've had any run outs towards the end of my livery notice (but I am sure like people do, have talked behind my back), and still keep in touch with people from those yards.

 

[EquestrianFairy]

I've had my fair share.

The worst has to be a beautiful yard, really top 5* picture perfect place but I should have realised something was amiss when only 2 stables were taken out of 20.

The couple were total lunatic alcoholics, absolutely barking mad. He would sit and drink himself into a stupor regularly falling about on the yard.
I gave my notice in as I wasn't happy with this state of affairs and it was quite scary at times, I said I was moving out of the area (I was).

The moment I gave my notice my key for the tack room was taken back so I couldn't move any stuff until my moving day but I also couldn't ride or access any of my stuff, I decided not to cause a scene and just sit tight until moving day.

Moving day came and they watched and checked everything I took- questioning it all until I finally snapped and an argument happened. Finally managed to load my horse and my stuff whilst remaining as polite as I could- asked when I would have my deposit back and was told I had to repait my stable as it was the rules. Nothing signed but again I agreed to as they had £200 of my money.. BUT I was told that once Ieft I wouldn't be allowed back to paint the stable wtf?!

It didn't end pretty and yes I got my money.

 

[Gingerwitch]

I had a livery for a while who paid £60 per month. As a favour, I would turn her horse out for her (saved her a trip down and only a few extra minutes). We helped each other with mucking out if one was away. We fell out over bed depth though. She removed and added 2.5 wheelbarrows full of straw per day and my muck heap was out of control. I asked her to be more frugal and she stomped off in a huff. I have recently finished the new american barn and school, so I suspect she is now wishing she bit her lip! I would never have another livery and the planning consent for the barn and school prohibited liveries.

Sorry how on earth would that be policed ?

 

[Honey08]

Sorry how on earth would that be policed ?

Our planning quoted that too! They gave the reason that it would cause more traffic down the lane (for four stables!). They never came and checked anything to do with the stables once planning was granted, and we did have liveries for a while.

 

[sandi_84]

Yes - frankly i dont give a stuff about that yard - it was more of a post to do with the one prior to that - which caused me to leave to go to "that" yard.

Ah I see! I was going to say that after all that the YO's being funny with you because you're leaving?!
Hope you're horses have settled in to their new places and that you find somewhere suitable for them all soon!

 

[risky business]

Iv been quite lucky I can't say iv had a yo be nasty with me.

I always try to be a good livery and never like to burn any bridges as you never know. Iv had a few that haven't been as chatty as normal after handing in notice but normally once I'm gone and they "get over it" we resume chatting if we bump into eachother.

 

[Gingerwitch]

Ah I see! I was going to say that after all that the YO's being funny with you because you're leaving?!
Hope you're horses have settled in to their new places and that you find somewhere suitable for them all soon!

Its all worked out quite well - now got 3 at my trainers yard - one was there before and I only moved him for a total of about 2 weeks - before he went back - i managed to get 2 on diy -and now these have gone to my traines yard too and the little fattie, whom went home for a short while is at the diy yard the other 2 went too - that yo is fab and fully knew that I was using her yard as a stop gap -and she was more than pleased to help me.

 

[case895]

Sorry how on earth would that be policed ?

By one set of neighbours who are on to planning if anyone breaches a covenant by an inch. Another neighbour put stables in, but stored other stuff in them. First lot complained about incorrect use, ie not having horses.

 

[Gingerwitch]

By one set of neighbours who are on to planning if anyone breaches a covenant by an inch. Another neighbour put stables in, but stored other stuff in them. First lot complained about incorrect use, ie not having horses.

What constitues a "livery" .... could you not give free stable and grazing and charge said owner for parking their car on your property ???

 

[case895]

What constitues a "livery" .... could you not give free stable and grazing and charge said owner for parking their car on your property ???

Probably yes, but the next time I put in an application, they would fight it tooth and nail. They delayed the other lot having a small extension by 2 years, got loads of restrictions on it and they cannot even see the extension.