Yard RANT

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spotty_pony

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Sorry this might be long. My horses have finally been turned out today after being in due to the bad weather last week and then the fields being too wet. However, they were only out for three hours as they had to come in so that some others could go out as the other horse's field is really flooded. Everybody else's horses were allowed to stay out the whole time and so they all got longer turnout than my boys. Also, some of them were allowed out yesterday too, but for some reason they only turned out a 'select few' yesterday and my boys missed out once again. :(

I'm so annoyed, they had to stay in all weekend in this lovely weather as well and I felt really bad as I would have loved for them to be out but wasn't allowed. I'm so annoyed and we're only in November!:eek: One of my boys has been getting a bit too fresh when ridden from staying in and so it is important that he gets as much turnout as possible. It just seems to be one rule for one and another for another and baring in mind we are paying Full Livery prices for this, it's ridiculous! Not sure I will be able to last the winter out if it carries on like this. The thing is, the yard has really good facilities, isn't far from where I live and has excellent hacking but the actual service provided is poor. I really don't know what to do. :( I have spoken to YM who denied they had been in for 9 days and said she has been putting them out for an hour each morning, even though she hasn't as that is why they have been immaculate without any mud on them each day when I went up to the yard.

Anybody been in the same situation as this? What did you do?
 
When I was on full livery they put Turn out rotas up on the notice board so each owner could see that their horses were getting a fair share and it also helped owners arrange things around their turn out time. This may help.

I actually moved from one yard because I didn't like my boy only having two hours a day turnout even in summer. He was on full training livery and it was so disheartening to go up on a beautiful day and see him indoors.
 
I'm afraid that would be a massive no no for me.
It's important to me that my boy has daily turnout whatever the weather unless there is a seriously good reason as to why not.
It is really unfair that some horses are getting priority over others and unless the YO is going to do something about it, then I would be packing my bags and finding somewhere with a fair routine.
 
I wouldn't keep my horse anywhere it couldn't have a decent amount of turnout. Simples. Regardless of facilities, horses need at LEAST 4 hours out a day for their sanity, preferably 8. Mine would be doing his nut (and he's a laid back sort)if he is kept in for more than 24 hours straight... thats not fair.
 
Speaking as a yard owner, but also a horse owner who much prefers to keep things 'natural' the last week has been a real toughie for me. I have HAD to have 'In days' - to let the water logged fields dry out. The horses have been going out every other day but were stuck in Sunday and yesterday. It's SO HARD making these decisions and knowing that they are not with the best of intentions for the horse, however I need to preserve the fields for the rest of the winter, as you rightly say it is only November! It's fine if you have acres and acres, mine would be out 24/7 everyday, but I only have about 1 acre per horse, and it's just not feasible with torrential rain.

That said, it would too annoy me that my horses were being overlooked when some are going out. The only reason I can think of is do your horses hoon around more than others??
 
I understand why YO's have to do it, land is costly, and decent grazing is expensive to maintain but I do think it should be declared to any new person looking for livery, even if it's currently summer time.
I moved from a yard that I had spent a lovely summer/autum at with my horses as I was told the horses would always be turned out in winter, but when winter came around (and in all fairness we had SUCH a wet and harsh winter) the horses were spending week's at a time stabled constantly because the fields really were awful. I stayed put until I found a small yard that I could rent to myself and had control over the grazing etc, but this didn't happen over night. I waited a long time to find it.
 
If YM says they've been out then why dont you believe her?
Presumably part of the full service is grooming? We run full livery and when they are mostly in they get a far more thorough cleaning service as there's little else to fill the time with!
 
Unfortunately where there is too little grazing available then the fields become damaged. The soil type, grass type and drainage will all effect the grazing.

In many cases yards will try to maximise their income by having as many stables as they can have with the result that the grazing will not support the number of horses at the yard.

Your yard owner may also not be being honest with the turnout they are getting.

You are paying the bills and if after having discussed it with your yard owners things are not improving then find alternative stabling for your horse, otherwise you will have to accept the situation as it is.
 
The turn out rota sounds good as suggested above - it might be worth seeing if they will implement something like that?

On a yard I worked at last year, they had a system where they had certain paddocks kept for the winter and the horses go out every other day during winter to make it fair. The ones that stay in go on the walker. I think any system has to be fairly implemented or it's just going to cause bad feeling and arguments.
 
You'll have to speak to the YM about it again and stress your concerns in a firm but reasonable manner. Ultimately, if you don't get any joy after that and things don't improve you'll either have to accept your boys aren't going to get as much t/o this winter as you'd like, or look into moving yards.
 
doris2008 said:
I'm afraid that would be a massive no no for me.
It's important to me that my boy has daily turnout whatever the weather unless there is a seriously good reason as to why not.
It is really unfair that some horses are getting priority over others and unless the YO is going to do something about it, then I would be packing my bags and finding somewhere with a fair routine.
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That.

My horse goes out every day, regardless. I don't like them being kept in a box 24/7 unless for medical reasons. Any yards I go to, they MUST have 365 day turn out.
 
Sounds so much like a yard I was on once, one rule for one etc, if your face fitted and you were in 'the in crowd' you were ok, if not well...........

would be looking fro a new yard
 
alwaysbroke said:
Sounds so much like a yard I was on once, one rule for one etc, if your face fitted and you were in 'the in crowd' you were ok, if not well...........

would be looking fro a new yard
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^^^ ditto this.

the horses staying in wouldn't massively bother me if there was a genuine reason for it...however, if other people were getting preferential treatment i'd being going mental. have been on a yard like this and it was awful- i left and am so glad i did :)
as the mule says tho- why don't you believe her? its possible that they groomed horses once back in?
 
Thank you for all of your replies.

There are two types of Full Livery at the yard. One includes 7 day muck out, skipping out, feeding, turning out/bringing in, changing rugs and picking out feet. The other includes all of this plus your horse is exercised three times per week, groomed and tack is cleaned. I am on the first one so my horses are not groomed. They are such mud monsters that it would have been obvious if they had been out, also their rugs were still clean and dry and with all of the wet weather we had last week it would have been impossible for them to come in immaculate. Also I have reason to believe she might be lying as it's happened before.

No, they don't run around anymore than the others. In fact some of the others are a lot worse! I think I am going to see whether anything changes now that I have spoken to the YO and YM and if not, I think I will be seriously considering looking for a new yard.

I have a paddock at home but it is only 2 acres so I will be moving them home for the summer anyway, I would move them now but would end up ruining my grazing for the rest of the year if they were to be out in it all winter. So I can understand how grazing has to be maintained and I don't mind them having a couple of days in at one time, I just think 9 days is a bit excessive.
 
Agree with you. But one question do you have several turn out rugs for each horse or just the one for each. If you have several they have no answer as all they have to do is change them and let the wet and muddy onese dry out like I do.:):)
 
They only have one each at the yard, I take more up as and when they are needed. Also, I go to the yard everyday without fail and often at lunchtime. I think she was just trying to deny it had been as long as 9 days.
 
SJ_Superstars said:
Thank you for all of your replies.

There are two types of Full Livery at the yard. One includes 7 day muck out, skipping out, feeding, turning out/bringing in, changing rugs and picking out feet. The other includes all of this plus your horse is exercised three times per week, groomed and tack is cleaned. I am on the first one QUOTE]

Could this be the reason yours are getting less turnout as they don't want to ride fresh horses whereas with yours its you that has to do that?!
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Tilda said:
SJ_Superstars said:
Thank you for all of your replies.

There are two types of Full Livery at the yard. One includes 7 day muck out, skipping out, feeding, turning out/bringing in, changing rugs and picking out feet. The other includes all of this plus your horse is exercised three times per week, groomed and tack is cleaned. I am on the first one QUOTE]

Could this be the reason yours are getting less turnout as they don't want to ride fresh horses whereas with yours its you that has to do that?!
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Hmm could be! Hadn't thought of that actually! Although the FULL full liveries do tend to be the ones which get the preferential treatment...
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doris2008 said:
I'm afraid that would be a massive no no for me.
It's important to me that my boy has daily turnout whatever the weather unless there is a seriously good reason as to why not.
It is really unfair that some horses are getting priority over others and unless the YO is going to do something about it, then I would be packing my bags and finding somewhere with a fair routine.
Click to expand...

Totally second this/\/\
 
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