Yard Issue

[LegOn]

Obviously with the snow & ice, our yard has been closed early most nights - understandable as no one could ride or get down & YO doesnt live onsite so was driving aswell & understandable wanting to be off the roads early too!

Anyway, looks like we're getting a bit of a thaw going on, and arena might be rideable by the weekend. Great! During the normal run of things, Monday would be an early close night, so its the horsies day off but I asked if the thaw remained would she consider staying open on Monday so we could ride, considering the weather is due to snap again by the end of the week & just wanted to make the best of the weather while it lasted!!

Answer was a fairly straight no.

Would you consider it a fairly reasonable request for the YO to stay open that night considering the circumstances??

I can understand that everyone is still under major pressure with workload increasing in the cold weather & trying to keep some level of normal hours too but wondering what you think??

 

[AmyMay]

Yes, I think they are being unreasonable.

What time does it 'close'?? And why does the YO need to be there to close it

 

[galaxy]

What sort of livery is your horse on?

Have to say I wouldn't be at a yard which told me which days I could or could no ride my horse... Never heard of it!

I've heard of yards having times you had to off the yard by, but that still usually allows people time to ride.

 

[Nocturnal]

Are you on full livery? I've never been on a yard that 'closed', and tbh I never will. I want access to my horse 24/7 if nec! But that aside, yes I think its unreasonable. Can someone else not lock up for her?

 

[ThePony]

What needs to happen to 'close' the yard? Seems a strange system - not one I've come across anyway! We have a curfew to be off the yard by otherwise people tend to come and go at some funny hours! (we are allowed on the yard 6am - 8:30pm and pretty much any other time too so long as we let yo know and it's a reasnoble request - ie if we will be up there through the night for checks on a poorly horse etc). I think it does sound rather unreasnoble of the yo, esp considering she will have had many early nights thanks to the cold! Surely she could give up one given the unusual circumstances? Or a couple of liveries could make sure the yard is shut up ok so that people have the opportunity to enjoy their horses for as long as the thaw lasts.

 

[La Fiaba]

I can only presume that YO has things to do on a monday night and can't change the plans, otherwise it does seem unfair considering the yard has been closing early everynight.

I used to work on a yard where there was an early 'closing time' (5.30, but they were all hunters on full livery so usually only ever ridden on hunt days by the owners), which basically meant the tack room , office etc would be locked up and alarmed. Anyone who wanted to ride after this time (or very early in the morning) took their tack home with them, but the actual yard itself wasn't locked, just gates closed.

 

[AshTay]

I don't think she's being unreasonable.
What are the reasons she closes the yard? Although that's irrelevant if you moved there and agreed to her conditions. She might have commitments on a monday night that mean she can't stay late. Or she might not want to set a precedent that if there are "difficult" weather conditions, the liveries can demand a change in the normal yard routine.

I do think she should explain her reasons to you though.

 

[Flicker]

Sounds a bit inflexible, unless YO has specific plans - in which case can you not offer to 'close up' for her?

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Hmmm, seems a tad strange, but heh-ho its someone elses yard and its a case then of "when in Rome ......", BUT I just can't figure out the set-up.

Is it a case of a gate being padlocked or whatever to limit access? If so, would YO issue keys for said lock?

I'm a YO and live on-site so the yard is never closed, but personally I'd worry if my boy was on a yard where I couldn't gain access to him in event of emergency, for example if the vet needed to visit in the middle of the night for a colic or whatever, then under this regime how the "F" is he supposed to gain access? I'd be worried, seriously worried and personally would be looking for another yard PDQ as the more one thinks about it the more bizarre the whole thing becomes.

I did have my boy on working livery last year at a BHS training yard; and their yard policy (for reasons of security if nothing else) was that there was no access to the yard after 5.30 p.m., but the horses did get a late check so if there was an emergency it would be picked up on.