Yard priorities... plus a bit of a rant

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nuttynugget

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Who has priority over the schools at your livery yards?
Mine is unstaffed but it is the general feeling that the YO daughters get priority, if they are in the school the liveries must wait until they are finished.

Then there are a few liveries which think they also take priority, one in particular will always act like they are doing me a favour by letting me in the school when I have booked.

When others are riding and I want to ride as well I always ask. But those who believe they have priority just come in. Is it just me or is this just plain rude?

Today I was riding my horse in the school for the third time this year, we were doing really well until the YO daughters come in. Pulls out a few jumps and starts jumping, no please can I come in? or a word said to me. Needless to say, my horse who used to do showjumping got very wound up and all the positives vanished. A bit of a rant really but wondering what it is like elsewhere..
 
Politeness dictates asking. However YO owns yard therefore daughters imo do get priority, not to the extent I would expect them to kick you out, but they're not are they? They are simply coming in and using the school. It's called sharing. And jumpers and dressagers at livery yards unfortunately have to share!
As for asking to come in, well I might ask if its alright if I come in, but only out of courtesy in order to open the gate at the best time, as if there's only one school, it's the only option and shockingly it is possible to ride in one school with more than one horse.
Sounds to me like you don't like sharing? Sorry but you will have to get used to it, and additionally by doing more of it your horse will become more relaxed about sharing with a jumper.
Obviously if someone needs exclusive use, I would expect them to book for e.g loose schooling, lunging, a jumping course, lessons if the school is small etc.
If there is a problem of overcrowding then yuo need to discuss with YO best way of solving it.
 
Are there rules over ue of the school? How many people can use it at the same time etc?

It is common coutesy not to put out jumps in a school when you are sharing it, unless the school is huge I suppose.
 
I don't ask to join others in the school, I just shout "coming in" when I get to the gate. Seems the majority do this too :).

If somebody was jumping and the weather was fine, I'd probably use the outdoor instead, so I don't get in the way. If the weather was grim, I'd just work round them and the jumps.

The only time people have exclusive use is if they are having a jumping lesson, otherwise, we use it as and when we like regardless of if there are flat lessons in there.

Works well, no grumbling on our yard :).
 
I don't think anyone has priority at our yard. If you book it then it's yours, if someone wants to come in they can ask but it's up to you.

If you book the school for a certain time but are more than 15 (i think) mins late then you lose your booking! (This has happened to my daughter who takes like 100 years to groom and tack up and faff :D)

If someone is already in there and it's not booked it is polite to ask if you can also go in, most people don't mind. In fact, most people don't mind at all unless they've got their instructor in there which is understandable.

I've looked at a couple of yards where even though it wasn't explicitly stated you definitely got the idea that you would work around the YO/YMs kids and their friends in the school s
 
I know exactly how you feel. My YO's daughter seems to think all the grooms and helpers are her personal slaves and constantly bitches about the slightest thing. Never a please or a thank you, just 'my horse has no water, you need to fill it up' or 'my horse needs more bed, you need to do it now' etc. It wouldn't hurt you to do it yourself love :mad: It's not like you're busy or anything :rolleyes:
 
As horse is stabled at a riding school/livery yard, the RS get priority. We can join in lessons and book private lessons. I always ask and book them as and when.
Liveries can use the school after the lessons have finished, I check the book to see when it is free, also double check with staff.
I sometimes go straight in after a lesson, or ask if it's ok to go in. It's always ok though.
 
at ours you have to book for a lesson or whatever you might need but if your just schooling then anyone can come in, we can also book for schooling but were supposed to let others come in as and when. this seems to work quite well for us.
 
We only have 1 small outdoor school. Just to point out I don't mind sharing at all, if I want sole use I book the school out. It was more the point that my horse has had some time off and I am attempting to get him back to being ridden so I can possibly do some unaff. jumping in the summer. So it was rather annoying that someone came in without asking and whacks up jumps which caused my horse to grow a foot and bounce!! Yes we do need to get over this but i'd rather it was in my own time when i'm feeling a little more confident.

The general rule is that upto 3 horses can do flatwork in the school but if you want to jump or lunge you need to book the school out for sole use. Most liveries ask if they can come in as well.

I was wondering out of interest what people thought was common courtesy on other yards
 
We all share my arenas. No one, not even me who owns them, has priority over it. If someone is in an arena and someone else wants to come in, they do. They don't have to ask to share. My arenas are large enough for everyone to do whatever they want to do in them so sometimes people are schooling alongside those who are jumping. It all works fine.
 
we have a diary at our yard so we can book the school and let others know when we are using it for lessons etc - i always say people can share with me - i dont mind company!
 
i would see this as a big opportunity to train my horse to behave around others and listen to me and be as one. there is allways a flipside but i do agree on common courtesy and politeness :-) as to who has priority... who cares aslong as you are not a complete ass to anyone and are polite, there isnt much anyone can say!
 
No one has priority unless there is a lesson booked. There is also an unwritten rule that no one can book the school out at "peak" times (ie after work during the week) and no one at our yard would even think of coming into jump when someone else is already in there schooling!. In fact, if someone specifically wants to jump, then they would put it in the diary with that comment (but the rule of no booking in peak times would still apply). All liveries would ask to come in just out of courtesey but thats just manners - would never expect the answer to be a no!
 
The art of sharing does come into it but basic rules must be established and permission must be asked before any gate/ door is opened whether entering or leaving as not only is it good manners also prevents any accidents or incidents occuring.

Jumping and dressage on a mixed yard will have to co exsist but anyone jumping must be aware of others and there horses again not to cause accident or incidents and be considerate. At my yard when one is jumping in a mixed session they must shout 'jump' before they present to a fence so that flatwork riders can move out of the way or alter their movement.

As for the YO's friends and family using the school, then in my opinion, no they don't have automatic use or sole use unless a booking system is used, as the school is part of the buisiness that they are running and therefore give up 'private' rights to it, as you the livery pay for the facilities and without you the paying liveries they do not have a business. As far as I'm concered it sounds as if some rules need to drawn up and posted for ALL to read, use and abide by.

Do you have yard meetings or something that you can air your points?
 
we have a white board in the barn and you post up there if you are having a lesson and then nobody else expects to share. Otherwise it is first come first served, nobody has priority. Everyone is courteous and if you are in they will always ask if they mind sharing.
 
If the school has been booked by you, then the others shouldn't be coming in - even the YO's daughter. If they are, then a word with the YO is in order. If its not booked, then anyone should be able to come in (up to a maximum of X). At my friend's livery yard she stopped people booking the arena at peak times (5-7pm) as certain people were booking it every night.

As the nights get lighter it should ne less of a problem as you can hack out more.
 
binkymerlin said:
i would see this as a big opportunity to train my horse to behave around others and listen to me and be as one. there is allways a flipside but i do agree on common courtesy and politeness :-) as to who has priority... who cares aslong as you are not a complete ass to anyone and are polite, there isnt much anyone can say!
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totally agree with this which is why i love it if someone shares our schooling time!
 
hmm...I wouldn't have said that's fair. Certainly not jumping when you're schooling.
Our yard has a big whiteboard and you put initials down next to your time and it's for you to use exclusively. If somebody else wants to come in then they can ask but we don't have to say that they can. I don't mind sharing but some do (e.g. those with youngsters) and if you're having a lesson or jumping people generally don't ask. It's just first come, first serve really, although most people are quite flexible and friendly.
Luckily, it's just a big DIY yard and we're mostly left to do our own thing. This means no one ends up thinking they have priority over others! The only issue really is the time after school but before it's too dark in the winter.
 
Mine sounds really strict!

Booking system for indoor and out door to be booked no further than 2 weeks in advance unless they're lessons.

If lesson is booked outside and it rains rider has priority over choosing the indoor (even if booked by someone else- they go outside/ dont ride)

1 allowed in indoor 2 in outdoor at any 1 time unless permission given to others from the 1's who've booked it.

1st one to book has priority over what they do ie. lunge/ jump - 2nd person booking must fit around 1st person.

Only 2 bookings per horse at peak times (3.40-7pm weekdays) unless booking same day then you're allowed whatevers free.

Then obviously the rules about leaving jumps out/ droppings etc


However at the moment we have a good bunch who share and communicate and you can usually get in either school at most times, in the past theres been some right arguments about them!!

Mine is a diy yard and everyone sticks to booking in so no one gets priority.
 
Cannot wait for the summer that is all I can say!!!!

At least then during the week if I want to ride and someone has suprisingly booked the school last minute we can hack!!! :cool:

I think in the ideal world everyone would put themselves on equal level.. but you know what they say! if I don't like it I can use the door haha...
 
'The general rule is that upto 3 horses can do flatwork in the school but if you want to jump or lunge you need to book the school out for sole use. Most liveries ask if they can come in as well.'
Is that actually a rule or just one someo f you feel is appropriate?
And sorry but just because your horse is feeling sensitive is no reason for them not to be able to use the school and to me that means jumping or dressage. If your horse is getting het up, go at a different time when there is liable to be no-one there or book the school out. Don't expect others to tipoe round. And it's not your school so nobody has to ask you to come in. However YO daughter does theoretically very much have a claim its her school, although I appreciate you are paying for the facility.
Perhaps a move to a yard with a bigger arena/multiple arenas could be a way forward for you.
 
Lol... SusieT you never let down, every thread going you have to post some catty comment!

It is the rule which is written under the booking board: "Only upto 3 horses can use the school at once, if you wish to use the school for jumping or lunging it is requested that you prebook the school for sole use" this is along with the rule that "the school cannot be booked out from 4:30-6pm"

And as for the "go at a different time when there is liable to be no-one there" which is exactly why I went at 2:30pm on a sunday afternoon! Most people ride either first thing before the horses get turned out or later when the horses come in. As it is a sunday afternoon when there are many shows on in the area I assumed that the showjumpers would be out and about..

As previously stated I would rather know what the norm is on other yards and what people consider as common courtesy
 
This is why i am now glad to be back to having my own yard and menage, i did this for near 20yrs then went to a shared yard, pain in the but using the menage when breaking in youngsters and have a herd of people standing gawping.
But no-one ever wanted to share with me lol
 
In winter at ours if there is a lesson, one livery is allowed in on a first come first served basis, though this usually only happens on an evening once a week. In summer it is expected that you use a field or hack out.

No-one gets priority (other than lessons), we all share, no specific max but we generally go for 3, most people would wait for more space anyway.

If someone wants to jump and someone is schooling usually they ask if it's OK or put the jumps up while waiting.

We all shout something along the lines of 'is it OK to come in', as previous poster said not expecting a no unless serious misbehaving going on or small pony or the STALLION (dum dum dum).

All in all very easy going, rarely can't get in our school and we all just go for common courtesy, rude people don't last long :D.
 
In that case you should have taken it up with her as you would have been quite within your rights to. Why don't you bring it up?
I wouldn't however consider sunday 2.30 to be a low risk time.
 
No priorities at our yard and no booking system. Yard is also a small rising school, but only does private lessons, so we can ride in the school at the same time, as long as we keep out of the way, which is fine. Only exception is one pony, that is used in the school, that loses the plot if she is in there with anything else, but she only does half hour lessons, so we just wait. We don't have many liveries though, so never really an issue.
 
it should all be equal.
YO daughter shouldnt get more right of way if you like, because it is a business and she isnt going to make money on the daughter.
the only time i think it is your arena is if you have booked it out.
 
no-one can book the school for exclusive use, YO tends to ride during the day whilst most people are at work/school but she won't mind if you want to come in too whilst she is using the school.

If you want to have a lesson you put in in the diary but you do not get exclusive use if someone else needs to use the school they can also come in whilst you are having your lesson and sometimes two people will have a lesson at the same time.

if people booked the school and no-one else could use it then it might mean some people would never have a chance to use the school if people blocked booked the school for months on end during the peak times.

however it does not seem to be a problem as if you really can't cope with sharing the school then you just have to wait for it to be free, in the summer during the weekend days it is free most of the day as most people are hacking out or out at shows or pony club rallies.
 
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