Would you be a BHS approved yard

ILuvCowparsely

ILuvCowparsely

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This is not a thread to slate one or the other, just curious if you would sign up to be BHS approved livery.

I have the details and I would like to be but there are many things we do which would cause problems having horse treats screwed to the wall etc, having deep beds where some of mine only want a sprinkling a few other things we have in stable which would be a no no.

Its put me off signing up for it, we have a yard near us who is and they cannot even put a tongue twister on the wall, sounds a little to strict and starchy to me all for the want of approval.

What do you think Y/O's would you do it??
 
As a client I have been on a BHS approved yard and frankly it was the worst I have been on. I doubt it's worth the fee and the annual inspections. Just my opinion of course and I am BHS qualified so nothing against the BHS.
 
I'm not a Y/O, but I livery at a BHS approved yard and there are those who have treat things screwed onto the walls and their bedding as they want.
 
Interesting.................... I am also a BHS qualified but we also have the livery rug racks in the corner of the stable and I am sure that is a no no even though they have never caused a problem.

the booklet I have seems so strict no room for errors or anything

no this no that
up to this level etc
 
As the owner of a Livery Yard I would suggest that the advantage of being BHS Approved is that you get an independent audit each year which may high light things that have been allowed to slip etc or update you on new legislation.
The other advantage is that if you ever ended up in court you could demonstrate that you were regularly audited to the BHS Livery Yard scheme.
 
I know our yard owner is looking for BHS membership to reduce insurance costs and she said that the contract is quite large. Quite worrying reading this. However I'm quite lucky that our yard owner is quite laid back so hopefully she may be a little forgiving........... I hope...............
 
When I moved across country, I moved onto a BHS approved yard because it was approved and I thought it would adhere to certain standards.
Awful!
It ended very badly and it isn't something I've looked for in a yard since, or will again.
 
I don't want to bad mouth the BHS as I think there are some things they do well buuuut ... I used to work on a BHS approved yard and it was awful. I really have no idea how that yard passed inspection: boxes far too small, think horses having to duck their heads to get in, no room to turn and lie down comfortably. Unsafe aisles for example too narrow with a very sharp bend. Unsafe housing for the muck heap. Fences in appalling condition. Turnout completely inappropriate, like not enough of it, and very poor quality with zero turnout in winter. I don't think it's worth it to be honest as if this is the kind of yard that is passing an inspection then it's really not a very good standard of quality and I can't imagine being an attractive feature for potential customers. In our area recommendation goes a lot farther than having BHS approval.
 
We run a BHS Highly Commended approved livery yard and their inspections are very thorough but are all with safety as highest priority which is surely how it should be.
 
I keep my horse on a Highly Commended BHS Approved yard. They are a bit H&S obsessed, but all in all, I think the standards are very high and I'd rather that than a more slap happy approach! We have liveries who keep rugs in stables (I'm one of them, as my horse doesn't bother with them), beds vary with clients and horses needs etc. But all in all its about the levels of cleanliness and standards of management generally. I'm very happy with the yard, the people and the standards there and am not considering moving any time soon.
 
Anyone got a link to their standards? I don't do livery anymore, but always tried to do things as safely and as well as we could when we did. I don't think I'd bother with BHS approval. How much does it save on insurance?
 
Honey08 said:
Anyone got a link to their standards? I don't do livery anymore, but always tried to do things as safely and as well as we could when we did. I don't think I'd bother with BHS approval. How much does it save on insurance?
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no but i have been sent their terms and what they look for etc is a plastic folder
 
I've been on a BHS approved yard before, on full livery. The beds were pathetic - as far as I could tell wet bedding was only removed twice a week and insufficient clean was put in so the beds were both thin and far too wet/smelly. Hay rations were inadequate. Turnout was in groups which were too big for the size of the fields, resulting in injuries, and there was no turnout at all if it was muddy in winter (so for several months). As a result I'd say BHS approval is worthless.
 
There is one BHS approved livery yard that I can think of locally, it doesn't allow mares and has hacking straight onto a very busy main road... bliss ;-)
 
As a livery, I wouldn't take any notice as to whether a yard is BHS approved or not. The one I use isn't.

My criteria for choosing a yard include as well as the obvious facilities and safety stuff, how friendly is it, is the YO sensible and knowledgeable, is it bitchy, are (well behaved) children welcomed... and BHS approval doesn't allow for these.
 
I was on a BHS yard about 10 years ago. Everything was clean and well maintained but the owners used to scream at the horses, teach them to back up by hitting them around the head and grass livery was all mud with twice daily hay thrown over the fence. The older horses didn't get much to eat.

Unless the BHS look at the important things now, their approval means nothing and I have never wanted to keep my horses on another BHS yard. I prefer to use my own judgement.
 
Gingerwitch said:
BHS yards are the work of the devil !
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Totally agree! I don't know how long yards have been able to be BHS approved but quite a while as I rode at a yard when I still lived in England (yearssss ago now) and it was horrible ! The yard was neat and tidy but the atmosphere was horrible as was the riding instructor/owner. Horses stables were tiny and dark and wind facing... the bitching was the worst experienced yet !
 
I have never been on a BHS approved yard. However, my last yard was run by a BHS instructor and I have to say that a lot of her rules were really very sensible.

Silly things that on my new yard don't exist. Like for instance, stable doors should either be closed and bolted, or wide open. Very sensible, on my new yard the doors are all over the place and it really irritates me. I am constantly shutting stable doors when I want to tie my horse up outside, beause half open doors are an accident waiting to happen.

Hooks outside stable doors immediately next to tie rings, again - WHY WOULD YOU HAVE ANYTHING A HORSE CAN HOOK ITS HALTER ONTO?????!!!!

So I can't say whether a BHS yard is better than a run of the mill DIY yard, but I would say that my ex BHS yard owner was a lot more savvy about injuries that might happen than my current non BHS yard owner.

I guess it is just being sensible, but there don't really seem to be that many sensible DIY yards, because most YO's just don't seem to lay down the law sufficiently so everyone does what they fancy and acidents happen.
 
The yard I kept my horse and worked at for about 8 years wasn't BHS approved, but it was a lovely yard with high standards of care and 99% very happy liveries - I think that speaks volumes more than having the BHS approved plate on the entrance gates!
 
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