Would you keep your horse at a yard where nobody lived onsite?

[Leo Walker]

Just because someone lives on site, it doesnt mean they do late night checks or bother to keep an eye on them. It should, but it doesnt!

 

[spotty_pony]

I've kept horses in fields before where nobody lives onsite but never on a yard with nobody around. I may compromise if the place is very secure, and ticked all of the other boxes. I'm lucky enough to live ten steps away from mine though

 

[Summit]

No one living on site Where I am. The only time there are people on site is when we do our horses or the farmer sees to his livestock. This seems quite normal to me

 

[Lois Lame]

one of the neighbours where my field potatoes are loves to report to me what's been going on in between my visits. it's really nice he also called us once when Millie was on the rampage into someone's garden always happy to have nosy neighbours and they enjoy watching them so everyone's a winner.

A friend videoed horses at night for a project once and def saw things that would have an owner zooming out of the house but resolved themselves. tricky balance isn't it.

I can imagine. I don't think I'd be able to relax if I had a camera to check on what my horse was up to. Sometimes he looks dead. He does enjoy his morning sleeps.

It's bad enough if I've gone to the paddock and he's not where I expect him to be. Or not with the crowd he was with the day before. I always think the worst until I see that all is fine.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I've been looking for a new yard. We're not blessed with a good selection in my area and my horse has a few specific needs, which makes it all quit difficult really. I've found a couple that seem to largely tick the right boxes, with the exception that nobody lives onsite. I feel a bit uncomfortable with this, probably less of an issue if the horses were out but if they stabled and something happened in the middle of the night it could be a problem.

Would this put others off too or would you go for it if everything else about the place was right?

I have been on yards with NOS but now choice made I would choose to have someone living on site for many reasons.

 

[JennBags]

I've never been on a yard where someone lived on site, I've not even considered it an issue.

 

[BOWS28]

My yard owner and her head girl live on site. Although good for security reasons, they live right at the front of the yard and my girl is in the barn at the back. They will always do checks if asked but it's not routine.

 

[Peter7917]

Nobody on site at mine. Love it. I can rock up at 3am if I want to, skip through the yard singing and nobody would hear me.

 

[webble]

I do and have been for 3 years, touch wood no issues but I would prefer if someone were there

 

[Fransurrey]

I've been on two yards with the owners on site and believe me, this doesn't mean that things either get noticed or checked! I've found that being friendly with the neighbours is far more effective on that score. Interestingly, the last yard I was on had heavy plant stolen, so I don't think people living on site is much of a deterrent, these days. Same place had head collars go missing from gateways. To my knowledge, nothing has gone missing from current yard. We're all up at different times and share the land with some work units, so we all look out for each other. My paddock neighbour even noticed that my horse was rolling a lot during a 5 day worming and checked on him plus let me know. At previous yard my mare was often in the wrong field (limbo-ing through mains fence that was faulty or jumping internal fence and the YO never noticed, despite walking past my field to feed another livery every morning and evening. Too busy looking down at her bloody phone!

 

[windand rain]

Dont think it makes any difference to be honest if something nasty was to happen they probably wouldnt notice anyway until day light. A check could be done at midnight and something go wrong shortly after it still wouldnt be found until morning. I suppose there may be some yards with night staff but in most cases there will not be
I was looking after my friends stud next door had told me they were going on holiday within 10 minutes of them going someone stole farm equiptment while I was poo picking in the next field I did hear talking but assumed incorrectly they hadnt left. In my defence the hedge is about 8ft high so I couldnt see the thieves

 

[Hormonal Filly]

No, it wouldn't bother me if nobody lived on site. I don't think it makes a huge difference in all honesty.
My previous yard owner lived on site and did a late night check, although yard before that no one lived for several miles.

My current yard I live on site and so does the farmer but stables aren't visible from the front door, just 30 yards away. There is also a cottage a stones throw from the stables where a couple live, they can see directly onto the yard and the horses. I'm not sure they'd even notice a fire at night? Unless there was lots of banging or noise.

It didn't stop someone stealing farm machinery the other week and trying to break in previously which happened in early hours of the morning we think. They aren't stupid and know when we are most likely all asleep.

I occasionally do a late night check in winter, but find I just disturb them or wake them up!

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I think in truth everyone would prefer the YO to live on the yard but with difficult planning restrictions the possibility of building a house at many yards is impossible. It has taken our YO 10 years to gain planning for a house at the yard & they have had to jump through so many hoops to get it, many would have given up. They have stuck with it & now the house is almost built, we are really proud of them.

 

[Leandy]

I would much prefer someone on site even if they are not involved with the horses. I think one has to assume that even the most uninvolved person would dial 999 for the fire brigade if they saw fire and will be some sort of deterrent to thieves. Whether I would actually have mine somewhere with noone on site at all would depend very much on its location and therefore security and what else is available. My main concerns would be theft and fire risk, the former being very common at unattended yards and the latter just being a nightmare scenario. If, on balance, I decided a yard without someone on site was the best option available, I would under no circumstances leave tack or other valuable items there.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I've been on two yards with the owners on site and believe me, this doesn't mean that things either get noticed or checked!

This reminds me of when my horse colicked luckily when I was there and the yard owner who was also there didn’t even recognise colic and said “is he being naughty” , basically he was lashing out with pain. He recovered with some Bute and buscopan. YO went home and wouldn’t even do a late check to see if he was ok (I was on FL at the time and lived 20 miles away).

 

[AdorableAlice]

Reading through this thread I have one image in in my mind. A yard owner, equipped with head torch. pick axe handle and flask of coffee sitting up all night watching for something to go wrong. That 'attentive yard owner is an advantage' comment really made me smile. Maybe all livery owners should buy the poor yard owner a can of redbull to keep her awake all night.

The only yards that will have proper night observation will be broodmare bloodstock units at foaling time. But we can all take precautions, keep fire risk to a minimum, the fire brigade will come out and advise. Feed appropriately in a routine to minimise colic, don't boil the horse, put him to bed as late as possible etc. Lights are a good deterrent as are cctv cameras and alarms, but expecting a yard owner to be on high alert all night is a little far fetched. Camera's in stables are a god send and you really do get to know your horses behaviour and routine. My old lad eats until 10pm then has a standing nap, followed by a pee and a stretch. More eating and around 3am he goes to bed on his chest but his head gets heavy and no matter how hard he tries he flops onto his side for around 30 minutes, then he gets up and pees, stretches, yawns and totters back to his haynet. In summer he will leave his stable at first light, in winter he stays put and has another lay down snooze at 5am before getting up and waiting for me to rock up with breakfast.

If you can put a camera in you will be much more relaxed about the horses well being overnight.

 

[AFB]

From a care point of view if there are no late night/middle of the night checks then I don't think it makes a difference. I've always been on yards where someone has lived on site but of those only 1 did night checks.

From a security point of view I'd have more concerns and that's why it would be my preference to have someone onsite.

 

[Kat]

It wouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker for me, depending upon the exact set up.

My YO lives on site, is involved and caring and has CCTV installed but even so, once she has gone to bed there is a limit to what she would be aware of.

 

[Bionic Boy]

It's a deal breaker for me to have someone living on site but I guess that is because that is all I have known. I didn't realise it happened so much.

 

[Frano]

If horse is stabled at night ,I would want some one who lived on the yard. No one on the yard at night would really put me off.

 

[SO1]

Yes it would put me off unless I lived within walking distance. If there is heavy snow or bad weather that could prevent staff or owners getting to yard then at least if someone lives on site then they could still make sure the horses were ok. I am on part livery, and work in London and have to travel or work evenings for business so it is likely that I will always need assistance and the only way I can ensure that is if someone lives on site.

YO lives on site and does a late night check, and also gives horses that need it a third feed or extra hay. Of course this is factored into the price and I don't mind paying more knowing that someone is on site and that there is a late night check and someone around.

I have never been on a yard where there has not been someone living on site.

 

[milliepops]

I would be more concerned about snow if OH didnt have various transport options (4x4, quad, tractors etc.) and love driving around in it so much ?
Last winter we dug and towed so many people out of the snow drifts on the lanes. I'd walk to the horses quite happily but so far I havent had to since 2009 which was pretty bad, I was carrying horsehage in a rucksack daily as had no hay ? ?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I personaly would not go on a yard where no one on site, to the point of a livery lives here when we go away, for security for animals and vehicles alike, to many risks of colic attacks when no one on site.

 

[Marigold4]

I know many do, but I would worry about fire. I know someone with a DIY yard and no one living on site who lost 3 horses in a fire so I guess it's more in my mind than others. But then again mine are 100ft from my house. If a fire broke out, woukd I know? What if I was out? I guess it's a risk we just have to live with and do everything to minimise. I turn my electrics off at the mains fusebox at night. I've spoken to several people about a smoke alarm but it's just seems too impractical because of the dust and panicking effect of one going off.

 

[scats]

Our YO doesn’t live on site, but the house on the yard is rented and split into two flats so there are people living there. It gives me peace of mind over something like a fire rather than anything else.

 

[chocolategirl]

I've been looking for a new yard. We're not blessed with a good selection in my area and my horse has a few specific needs, which makes it all quit difficult really. I've found a couple that seem to largely tick the right boxes, with the exception that nobody lives onsite. I feel a bit uncomfortable with this, probably less of an issue if the horses were out but if they stabled and something happened in the middle of the night it could be a problem.

Would this put others off too or would you go for it if everything else about the place was right?

I don’t sleep well as it is, and this would be just one more worry keeping me awake at night!??? I’m a freak though so ?‍ I run my own yard and do a late night check every night in winter when they’re all stabled (they live out in summer). Almost every night, someone hasn’t fastened a stable door properly, or on the odd occasion, they’ve forgotten to put their water bucket in etc. I’ve got OCD when it comes to stuff like this though, so I’m deffo on the spectrum ?????

 

[Megan V1]

No.

 

[Charlie31]

I don’t sleep well as it is, and this would be just one more worry keeping me awake at night!??? I’m a freak though so ?‍ I run my own yard and do a late night check every night in winter when they’re all stabled (they live out in summer). Almost every night, someone hasn’t fastened a stable door properly, or on the odd occasion, they’ve forgotten to put their water bucket in etc. I’ve got OCD when it comes to stuff like this though, so I’m deffo on the spectrum ?????

You sound like me. I've got OCD about this sort of stuff too and it's not unknown for me to go back to the yard to check I've shut the stable door properly or turned the lights out, although of course I always have because I've got OCD about it!

I think I need to go to a yard with not just an owner onsite but preferably somebody like you living there

 

[JFTDWS]

I once drove back to a yard 3 times, about 15 minutes each way, to check I'd bolted the pony's door. The last time, I had the idea of taking a photo of the door, bolted and safe, before I left. For the next couple of years I did this religiously every night so I could go home. Now they're in the field I tie the gate shut (because I don't trust a single method of fastening gates) and check it twice before I leave.

Having mine on a full livery yard with people living on site just meant I lay awake at night worrying that someone else might've left their bolt undone There's no hope for some of us...