Paint it Lucky
Well-Known Member
Anyone who's read some of my recent posts will know the yard I work it isn't exactly the best place in the world!
I've just finished three years at uni doing an equine degree, learning how to do everything properly and why, and now that I've got back the yard I'm at seems to do loads of things that totally contradict what I've been taught. Some of it is lack of, or old fashooned knowledge, with regards to things like feeding, turnout, how horses think etc (some people don't seem to believe horses think at all!). Other things are just sheer laziness, people can't be bothered to do anymore than the bare minimal amount of work, the horses don't get groomed properly, minor ailments aren't treated so just get worse and worse, mucking out is scimped on, tack never gets cleaned etc etc. It is really annoying, I feel like I am running a one girl show, working as hard as possible to do everything properly while other people sit and chat, drink tea or muck around with their own ponies (the YM spends half and hour grooming her pony each day, then about two minutes on each of the others, that's if she bothers to do them at all, generally I am left to do them all). I feel I have to stay as otherwise the horses won't be looked after properly (one has severe mud fever that has been there for months, now I'm treating it it's clearing up but no one bothers to on my days off). There is a horse who's prone to tying up, the vet has advised a diet for him and that he needs daily exercise and yet the YM ignores the diet and leaves him in his stable most of the time, even when he has no work and could easily go out.
The worst part is that because the stables is divided into two yards (a riding school and then a livery yard) and the yard owner is mainly on the livery yard I don't think she even realises how lazy YM is as she's never aound to see her at 'work' times. I don't mind having to work hard, I enjoy it and take pride in looking after the horses to the best of my ability, but it annoys me so much that none of the other staff really seem to care, they just see it as a way to make money and do the bare minimal amount of work knowing they can get away with it.
And to make things worse the yard manager has a short irrational temper and will often have fits of rage when even a minor thing is changed (ie. giving a horse more hay, treating someones injury that she can't be bothered to do, someone forgets to do something (because woe betide she might have to do it instead!)), so the working atmosphere is fairly unpleasant whenever she's around and many people have left because of her.
And yet I stay there (nutter that I am), hopeing that somehow I can change her ways and make her look after the horses better (as if!) or failing that at least do it myself. It's knackering, mentally more than physically due to the constant agro from her, I'm not an argumentative person so generally just walk off now if she starts moaning about something, but she has reduced several people to tears in the past (including me), it feels like rather a hopeless situation..
Anyway this is turning into a rant, I could go on all day but will stop now. Sorry this is so long, hope you enjoyed reading!
I've just finished three years at uni doing an equine degree, learning how to do everything properly and why, and now that I've got back the yard I'm at seems to do loads of things that totally contradict what I've been taught. Some of it is lack of, or old fashooned knowledge, with regards to things like feeding, turnout, how horses think etc (some people don't seem to believe horses think at all!). Other things are just sheer laziness, people can't be bothered to do anymore than the bare minimal amount of work, the horses don't get groomed properly, minor ailments aren't treated so just get worse and worse, mucking out is scimped on, tack never gets cleaned etc etc. It is really annoying, I feel like I am running a one girl show, working as hard as possible to do everything properly while other people sit and chat, drink tea or muck around with their own ponies (the YM spends half and hour grooming her pony each day, then about two minutes on each of the others, that's if she bothers to do them at all, generally I am left to do them all). I feel I have to stay as otherwise the horses won't be looked after properly (one has severe mud fever that has been there for months, now I'm treating it it's clearing up but no one bothers to on my days off). There is a horse who's prone to tying up, the vet has advised a diet for him and that he needs daily exercise and yet the YM ignores the diet and leaves him in his stable most of the time, even when he has no work and could easily go out.
The worst part is that because the stables is divided into two yards (a riding school and then a livery yard) and the yard owner is mainly on the livery yard I don't think she even realises how lazy YM is as she's never aound to see her at 'work' times. I don't mind having to work hard, I enjoy it and take pride in looking after the horses to the best of my ability, but it annoys me so much that none of the other staff really seem to care, they just see it as a way to make money and do the bare minimal amount of work knowing they can get away with it.
And to make things worse the yard manager has a short irrational temper and will often have fits of rage when even a minor thing is changed (ie. giving a horse more hay, treating someones injury that she can't be bothered to do, someone forgets to do something (because woe betide she might have to do it instead!)), so the working atmosphere is fairly unpleasant whenever she's around and many people have left because of her.
And yet I stay there (nutter that I am), hopeing that somehow I can change her ways and make her look after the horses better (as if!) or failing that at least do it myself. It's knackering, mentally more than physically due to the constant agro from her, I'm not an argumentative person so generally just walk off now if she starts moaning about something, but she has reduced several people to tears in the past (including me), it feels like rather a hopeless situation..
Anyway this is turning into a rant, I could go on all day but will stop now. Sorry this is so long, hope you enjoyed reading!
