Working Livery Pros and Cons

[quinnd]

I'd appreciate some advice from those who have kept their horse on a working livery option. The benefits are pretty obvious in terms of reduced cost and the place I'm looking at specifically has amazing facilities (it's an equestrian college). But I am concerned about the potential for other riders spoiling my animal as well as insurance liability. Would appreciate hearing about the experiences of any of the users of this forum? Thanks in advance.

 

[TequilaMist]

I put a mare of mine into working livery and TBH wouldn't do it again I would get a sharer/loan.The school that had her looked after her well but do think it changed my mare from easy on the leg to stuffy.Plus I did feel guilty over all the beginners and different folk that used to ride her in lessons eg novice ride asked her to canter by hit her with whip before asking with legs.Sure other folk have found it worked for them tho.Will say this school was doing me a favour due to personal circumstances at the time.

 

[Maesfen]

It might have good facilities but does it have a horse friendly routine and feeding regime too?
Someone who had one of my original youngsters, he was 12 then, went to a college near me and took him too. Up until then, he had been a laid back chap happy to do anything and never ever grouchy. Within a month, he had become a snappy snarling beast that people were scared of - the reason? Hunger! How can you expect 3Kgs of haylage in the morning to keep body and soul of a 16.2 IDx (along with work and no turnout) together and happy? He came back to me and we never had a problem with him again; he doesn't know how to be nasty (I went to see him there at owner's request and was shocked rigid by the change in him but not at all surprised when I found out his new routine). I also know another college where neighbour's horse came back with rampant thrush, not a good sign!
So, in some cases, it can be very good for both your horse and you but you do need to be very careful that it will be kept as you wish, also if you want to stipulate what standard riders are allowed etc.

 

[Bex7]

I have had both working livery and a sharer and tbh would not do either again. It just wasn't for us.

If you are in a good working livery that is very owner friendly and has a routine that suits your horse then it is worth a try as long as the exercise your horse is given still allows you to ride when you want to.

 

[Horsey_Gal]

I had 2 of mine on working livery at different yards. The first yard, my horse got totally overworked as he was a brilliant ride/jumper, total schoolmaster, everyone wanted to ride. We were told he would be ridden maximum of 2 hours a day but he was ridden nearly all day and tacked up nearly all day!! He changed from an super little forward going responsive schoolmaster to a very bored stubborn unhappy pony. We obviously quickly took him away but he has never been the same since, he still finds work boring and is stubborn/grumpy. I blame myself as i didnt realise he was being overworked as i use to go down after work when they had finished all the lessons but the stablegirl told me about it as she even thought it was unfair on my pony and myself. It was an amazing yard with a huge indoor school etc - also my pony never got turned out. The 2nd yard where my mare was kept, again, was a super yard with floodlit arenas, xc, walker, acres of grazing, etc etc. My mare who was on working livery there has improved! The staff schooled her when she first arrived there and her outline has improved a lot though i hated seeing other people riding my baby!! She was slightly overworked as well although she was in good care.

 

[conniegirl]

i wouldnt do it. A pony i loaned out was put on working livery a he ended up dead to the leg, school sour and with stable vices (weaveing and box walking) that unfortunately cant be stopped except by bunging him in the field and never bringing him in, even then he stands at the field gate and weaves.
Took along time to get him moving off the leg again, he is still reluctant to work in a school, and he still weaves in the field and box walks if i have to bring him in (i only do it for serious injuries). It was 6 years ago that he went out on loan.

 

[snurse]

It really depends on the yard. My first horse was on working livery and the YO was a bastard. Because she was such an obliging horse, he used her for everyone, overworked her etc. I confess I was too horse-naive at the time to realise (it was a long time ago). My current YO is terrific and occasionally borrows my horse for hacks. It's an informal arrangement, and she's very careful. This works only because we're good friends. I did once lend my old mare to someone who begged and begged 'cos her husband was just learning. This was friend of a friend, horsey (supposedly), lovely farm etc etc. I gave in against my better judgment. I won't bore you with the details but never again. Now I won't let my horses away from the yard they're in where I see them every day. You just can't trust people. Well, very few.

 

[Stella]

I couldn't do it myself. I'm too possesive by nature

I have always been concerned about about the possibility/likelyhood at most establishments of horses being overworked. After all they are there as 'tools of the trade' in those circumstances.

I'm really shocked and dismayed to read on this thread that some horses have never 'been the same again' years later

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

H was on working livery at a riding school and must admit it was not suited to him. He was mainly used for beginers, which I know we all had to learn, but he did not get a good balance of good riders, They just saw him as a safe plod cob. He withdrew into himself and so I moved him.

He now does RDA work during the week which is not a lot and gets me only riding him properly (RDA only do 20 mins of walk with each patinet and he only does 5 hours during the week with all day Thursday off and Friday afternoons, I then ride him weekend, and dometime of an eve fits in brill with my Job). The hours are less, and he has an interst in life again, he is a different horse since I moved him. The RDA keeps him ticking over happily and he enjoys it.

He was also stabled before and now lives out, as soon as he has finished work he is out in the field, no staying in for the sake of it. which used to happen at RS as they where all out at specific time and together !

He also has become undead to the leg and can give a TB a run for it's money over a short distance !! Which considering his size says a lot.

Sorry xx

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

forgot to say, we now do not school at all as he hates it, he goes soo ploddy and un interested it is not worth it. we are now happy hackers but very very happy

 

[JessPickle]

My horse is on working livery, I actually really like it, means livery costs less and when I go on holiday horse stays in work (he would go nuts otherwise) I dont mind it at all but you do have to make sure you find a good RS as for every good RS there is about 2 bad ones!

 

[wench]

both of mine are on working livery at a very good riding school. One gets about 5 hours of other people riding him a week, if that. The other one was a nightmare when he arrived. Through the RS, and being worked he has improved no end.

Having said that, I would never have a horse on working livery where they were used every day for plodding round in a school.

 

[teapot]

Depends entirely on the RS - do your research and you'll find some gems of decent ones around

Most of the horses I ride in my lessons are WLs and treated incredibly well, not to mention 24/7 turnout etc etc

 

[piebaldsparkle]

It obviously depends on the college and the horse, but I would never put mine on working livery again, having had her at a college for a year. Why??

Whilst she coped with the work and her level of schooling was sufficient that they couln't ruin her, the standard of care was pants.

1) She regularly had little or no hay when I got to the yard at 6pm (she is not a greedy horse).

2) Her brushing boots were put on a horse with ringworm and them put back outside her stable (not even disinfected).

3) She had a nosebleed which was not investigated (I wasn't told, till she had a 2nd one a few days later when I was riding her. Vet put her on antibiotics, yet without my knowledge the college continued to use her in lessons).

4) She got kicked in a lesson, she was lame for 6 weeks and lucky not to have a broken leg. I got the vets bill.

5) I arrived just after she had been fed one evening, she was sweating under her night rugs having been brought straight of a jump lesson (without being cooled off), rugged and fed. Her thermatex was folded outside her stable.

6) Despite being fully clipped and stabled 24/7 through the week, she was expected to live out 24/7 weekend and college holidays (including Christmas holidays, when there was a foot of snow on the ground - I brought her in on DIY).

7) Everytime her bridle was cleaned, her bit was put back on back to front (did the staff ever check???? did they hell).

 

[Stella]

God these experiences are awful

Even though some people are clearly happy with their full livery arrangements. I always think it gives so much scope for others to exploit the horse and the owner's trust, and when the owner is not around ... well, whose to know?