why have a horse if you have it on full livery?

[Bob notacob]

Currently pushing 66 and a lifetimes of horse related injuries. I still do my horse as a diy but I will gladly go full livery if it gets too much ,rather than give up the horse of a lifetime. We dont do much these days but yesterday he surprised me with a 4th at a good local dressage comp. I am still on a buzz from it ,as if I was 15 not 65 . Way to go Bob notacob. I will do anything to keep involved with my horse.

 

[SO1]

I am on part livery because of work and distance from the yard.

When I was on a DIY yard most of the liveries did not work full time or did not work at all being supported financially by their husbands, this was how they managed to find time to ride. I think there was 3 of us that worked full time on a yard with nearly 30 horses.

I am on part livery and yes it is very expensive and I have made significant sacrifices to be able to afford it. However I also have a fairly senior role - Head of 3 departments and a decent salary. I do work long hours at least 2 a week and have also had to work weekends as well so part livery is a necessity for me in the role that I do.

Pony is very well looked after and considered one of the family on the yard as he has been there nearly 7 years now. I try and go up 4-5 times a week to ride.

I don't understand why the quality of part livery yards often mentioned is so poor, the services should be fairly straightforward to provide. Not noticing injury/illness can I expect be an issue with inexperienced staff but same could happen with inexperienced owner or owner in a rush on DIY. The not providing ad lib hay issue could be solved by yards charging more if people wanted that option. I have a fatty native so he does not have adlib hay, he has soaked hay in small holed haynets.

The only niggle I have is the no discount if you don't use their feed. I expect this is because it is easier to feed all horses same feeds with minor variations depending on size or type rather than having owners provide their own feeds which takes up lots of space and more complicated for staff.

Every DIY yard I've been on, only about 10% of the people actually ride their horses. Mixture of people with too little time and energy once chores are done , or pony patters who don't really enjoy riding anymore/are scared to. At my current full livery yard, everyone has a trailer and is out an about every week, whether it be show jumping/eventing/just nice hacks - just because we don't spend time mucking out and filling nets doesn't mean we don't spend time with our horses!

 

[YorkshireLady]

Im currently on a fantastic livery yard but also did DIY for years commuting to London after riding then doing eve chores later as well. I got a new job, thought they may not be as flexible so I moved and 7 years plus I am still here. I am not going to go through all the pros and cons here of both as frankly it is choice. However current yard is no where near as much trouble or bitchy as the other. What I love is that my horse has the same routine every day whether i go or not...if I am stuck with work or on holiday he gets the same care and same routine. This is marvellous.

Also as I got older i knew the 5am alarms would need to stop even if i do often ride before work still.

Frankly you can defo keep the poo picking!!

 

[criso]

The thing that always intrigues me, is how do people know who rides & doesn't?

I ride 6 days a week but rarely anyone is there to witness it.

I can honestly say, whether I've been on DIY or full livery, I've neither the time or the inclination to keep tabs on who does what or what their relationship is with their horse.

Because I'm friendly and chat to people and nod sympathetically when they say they haven't had time to ride this week and arrange to hack at the weekend. I've been on yards where there is a very definite post work rush hour and most people up at the same time doing chores, grooming, riding. In the winter it would be dark so everyone working around each other in terms of using the school.

Depends on the yard though, current yard diy and full are separate yards so the people i have most contact with also have services though it varies a bit.

 

[Muddywellies]

The thing that always intrigues me, is how do people know who rides & doesn't?

I ride 6 days a week but rarely anyone is there to witness it.

I can honestly say, whether I've been on DIY or full livery, I've neither the time or the inclination to keep tabs on who does what or what their relationship is with their horse.

Because you know everyone on the yard (though I've never been on a large yard with more than about 15 horses) so you usually become friends. I cant

Because I'm friendly and chat to people and nod sympathetically when they say they haven't had time to ride this week and arrange to hack at the weekend. I've been on yards where there is a very definite post work rush hour and most people up at the same time doing chores, grooming, riding. In the winter it would be dark so everyone working around each other in terms of using the school.

Depends on the yard though, current yard diy and full are separate yards so the people i have most contact with also have services though it varies a bit.

Same as me. I've always been on fairly small yards and you get to know people quite well. Everyone knows who riding, when, where etc etc. We'd often ride together or if schooling, help each other out. Also booking system for areas is a bit of a giveaway.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

I know everyone on my yard, we’re all very sociable and on a Whatsapp group. We’ll bring each other’s horses in to save them from being last out, we lend each other stuff, make an effort to speak. I thought it was normal to know what everyone is up to, there are only 8 geldings, about 6 mares with various ponies and I could tell you who rides etc. It’s a friendly yard, we know a lot about each other, which suits me, although I imagine some people literally just want to ride and go.

 

[Lyle]

I've kept horses in the past on 'full care' agistment- horses live in their paddocks, are fed morning and night with rugs removed/added. Owners provided feed, made sure feeds were mixed and placed in buckets ready for feed out, and rugs were kept neatly stored by the paddocks. I worked full time, 7.30am-5.00pm. I rode nearly every day, at 5.30am as the sun came up. By having my horse on full care, he was able to be managed in accordance with a routinevery day of the week (not just work days!). The horses on the whole property were happy, as they all knew the feed up routine. I've been on DIY, where issues happen because someone is feeding their horse, and the other horses can get upset. I love looking after my horses, but at one time in my life, full care worked in the better interests of my horse.

 

[Red-1]

I keep mine at home and do occasionally think about selling our placed, having a 'normal' house and moving to livery. I have a fab yard I trust, in fact my horses go there if I can't see to them for any reason.

I always said I wouldn't do it, but I am older now. I just had cold hands at 6am, not nice!

 

[ycbm]

I keep mine at home and do occasionally think about selling our placed, having a 'normal' house and moving to livery. I have a fab yard I trust, in fact my horses go there if I can't see to them for any reason.

I always said I wouldn't do it, but I am older now. I just had cold hands at 6am, not nice!

Every time I get to this point I read another thread on here about problems at livery yards. I don't have one I trust, sadly, but then I also don't have cold hands at 6am because I don't go outside till 9 ?
.

 

[meleeka]

I keep mine at home and do occasionally think about selling our placed, having a 'normal' house and moving to livery. I have a fab yard I trust, in fact my horses go there if I can't see to them for any reason.

I always said I wouldn't do it, but I am older now. I just had cold hands at 6am, not nice!

I’d miss the peace and quiet above all else. You really couldn’t pay me to be on a yard. A freelance groom might be nice though if I could afford it.

 

[MuddyMonster]

Because you know everyone on the yard (though I've never been on a large yard with more than about 15 horses) so you usually become friends. I can't

Same as me. I've always been on fairly small yards and you get to know people quite well. Everyone knows who riding, when, where etc etc. We'd often ride together or if schooling, help each other out. Also booking system for areas is a bit of a giveaway.

I know everyone on my yard, we’re all very sociable and on a Whatsapp group. We’ll bring each other’s horses in to save them from being last out, we lend each other stuff, make an effort to speak. I thought it was normal to know what everyone is up to, there are only 8 geldings, about 6 mares with various ponies and I could tell you who rides etc. It’s a friendly yard, we know a lot about each other, which suits me, although I imagine some people literally just want to ride and go.

Fair enough

The yards friendly, I like to think I'm friendly and do regularly chat to people when doing jobs if our paths cross. We have a FB page for yard information etc but I can't say whether someone has ridden or not, has routinely come up day to day in conversation.

I often work flexi-time hours I don't see the same people at the same time day in, day out nor at the same time nor does there seem to be a consistent peak busy period from what I can tell - it might change over winter, who knows? It was similar when I was on full livery, but again it wasn't a small yard. It's not unusual for me to leave for a hack with people arriving and come back hours later to a fairly empty yard so might 'miss' a lot - unless I just happen to speak to someone there who mentions they've done X or Y.

I'm always aware of being pushed for time though (there's always somewhere else to be or something else to be doing ...) & would rather use my time riding or doing jobs, so I don't tend hang about. Perhaps if I used the tea room or tack room more, I'd know more - who knows

 

[milliepops]

I didn't know what anyone did on my last yard either. it was split with full liveries on one yard and DIYs on the other, only me and one friend worked full time normal hours so I'd rarely see anyone else except on Saturday mornings when all the full liveries had lessons with YO... so I'd arrive, do stables and bog off until things quietened down, haha.