Yard falsely advertising

holeymoley

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18 November 2012
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There’s probably not much that can be done but thought I’d ask. I’ve finally left the yard I was on, see comparison post that I made up a while ago for insights. I’m absolutely in love with my new yard, it’s honestly night and day. Old yard has had 2 adverts up looking to fill the stables I left. It’s completely false advertising though with regards to what is available. Ironically before I left I had discussion with YO regarding the lack of accessible hacking in particular and she exclaimed ‘I DON’T ADVERTISE HACKING!’ … and here we are, 2 adverts exclaiming they have hacking. I guess unless BHS approved there’s not much that can be done? I’m done with the place, but equally I think it’s outrageous that they can advertise under false pretences to lure people in :(I would hate to spend the time and effort moving thinking I could hack and in actual fact you can’t even get off the yard.
 
You can't get off the yard?

As in its a dangerous road or something?
Dangerous fast road one way straight on to a blind bend which no one uses and other option to ride through a field of horses which chase or canter round you.
 
Just ignore it. Most people will do a yard visit before moving so will see for themselves & everyone's experience is different.

I remember on here once seeing someone share an advert for a yard I'd very recently left ... the advert sounded great but bore little resemblance to my own experience. But I assume other people were happy there and it might have been someone else's dream yard.
 
I went to see a place that was indeed very close to the "quiet lanes for hacking" that was advertised but didn't mention similar national speed limit road at the end of the driveway, with a blind bend that you had to do first. It was so bad that neither me or the friend I went with were brave enough to turn right when leaving in the car and had to do a huge loop!

Hopefully anyone who comes to see it will realise the same way we did that it won't work. I don't think there is anything you can do about it except tell anyone who happens to ask you as an ex-livery.
 
think you can only grit teeth-theres one near me that advertises winter pen turnout and summer 24/7..............................they probably have 12-14 stables and about 3 acres. NOTHING went out on grass from Nov to April, the pens are just a corner of an indoor barn sectioned off barely bigger than a stable and the "fields" for 24/7 are smaller than most arenas and i have only ever seen horses out for 2/3 hours.........
 
I find a lot of yards lie to get people there.
I was very careful when advertising our place last year that everything I promised, we had. It’s common round here, for instance, for yards to promise winter turnout and then not deliver.
I asked my liveries to keep in for one day due to a storm last winter, which was for safety reasons. I felt guilty even for that!
 
I find it very strange that people do this as it's likely to cause problems later on. I find the horse world is relatively small so most people will know someone who knows the truth. I try to be as open and transparent as possible with potential liveries and will even introduce them to existing ones for a chat.
 
think you can only grit teeth-theres one near me that advertises winter pen turnout and summer 24/7..............................they probably have 12-14 stables and about 3 acres. NOTHING went out on grass from Nov to April, the pens are just a corner of an indoor barn sectioned off barely bigger than a stable and the "fields" for 24/7 are smaller than most arenas and i have only ever seen horses out for 2/3 hours.........

One near us used to say all year turn out. First bit of mud they had to stay in due to landlord’s rules. It has changed hands now and new person doesn’t say that.
 
Unfortunately I think it's fairly common practice. You can ask every question you can think of when you go to view the yard and get the replies that you wanted to hear. When you get there all that will be conveniently forgotten.
 
I guess I’ll just need to forget it. That’s it though as EM has said, it’s a fairly small world in the horse world where we are and things are bound to get out. Certainly in the time frame I was there, you had the ‘bread &butter’ liveries that stayed rain, hail or shine but any new blood had a very quick turnaround as it just wasn’t as advertised.
 
I've never gone for advertised yards. The last time I moved yards was 10 years ago, I went on mouth to mouth information & that's always done us proud. Before this yard we were at another for 6/7 years. I've only ever moved due to change of circumstances of the yard owner & I am still in contact with previous yard owners & we get on well.
 
I always check OS maps for hacking when looking at yards, however it's still not enough. You literally have to walk or cycle possible routes, or at least find the route online on a walking/cycling site that has descriptions and photos.
 
I know a yard like that, it's not in Gloucestershire is it??
No, much further up north. Must be an abundance of them that think anyone's daft enough to ride that!
I'm glad you moved. Hope they have settled into the new one.

An ex-yard of mine occasionally advertises "miles of hacking." Technically, it's true; they have one more than mile of hacking. It might go as far as two, but that's being generous.
It's brilliant. I'm actually annoyed with myself that I left it so long. I suppose it was convenient.

Yes and for that yard above that mile includes about 6 gates you need to get on and off for each way so by that time you've spent more time on and off than you have riding! 🤣
 
Pretty sure this is common in every business. I saw a lot of things promised to clients that absolutely, not in a million years, could the company deliver on. I think like everything, it's buyer beware. A yard visit will throw up the lies pretty quickly I would imagine. It's behind you now....time to forget that chapter and what they do or don't do as a business isn't really something you need to concern yourself with now.
 
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