Yard rules

There are a number of rules - nobody takes a blind bit of notice of them though!

Poo picking - everyone is supposed to do it, however the reality is that hardly anyone actually does it!

Pick poo up out of the school after horse has pooed in school - same culprits never clear up after their horses

Keep muck heap tidy - well a few days ago, it was taking over the yard because the same people from the above lists are too lazy to fork their poo up.

Has anyone noticed how all our yard rules are poo related?
 
Our yard is very DIY so the few rules we have are regularly "forgotten" by some people but:

Pick up your horses poo from the school. Pick up your dog's poo immediately. Riding hat with strap to be worn at all times whilst on a horse (All usual school ettiquette i.e. pass left to left etc too)
If you put out jumps/poles etc they are to be put away when you're finished.
Put a notice on the board if you have a lesson/saddle fitting etc. and need to "book" the school for your own individual use.
Feed room to be kept free of rubbish & dropped feedstuffs.
Tack room to be locked by last person to leave yard-same with lights off etc.
Cars/trailers/lorries to be parked in designated areas only.
Theres a "keep yard tidy" sign too.
 
My rules aren't posted, there is only one anyway - No visiting dogs.

It has honestly never occurred to me to tell people to shut the feed bin, use the trash can or turn out the lights etc, as I assume that it is pure common sense/ common courtesy and what everyone does anyway.

The only thing I do have posted very visibly are my home and cell numbers, those of the Vet and the Farrier, and my full postal address for 911 calls.

If you had to make an emergency call could you give the full postal address and code of the stables? My Boarders said that they couldn't.
 
wear a hat when riding use a headcollar to lead your horse to and from field if you have 2 dogs, one of them must be on a lead and visiting dogs should be on a lead have seen all these rules broken
 
Yep we do

NO SMOKING ANYWHERE!

Clean up after you - if you've pulled a mane then pick up the hair - currently this rule is relaxed as the birds are nesting and it makes good nesting material.

All feed to be in lidded bins

Shut gates and stable doors.

Pick up the poo wherever it may be! we are currently filling a hole where a water tank used to be so don't have to tidy a muck heap

Shut and lock the tack shed door

No loose horses in the yard unless the tapes are up over the drive

Respect each others belongings - ie No Borrowing!
 
there's a few at mine.
1. empty the wheelbarrow if you muck out after hours
2. only adult liveries to tie their horses up outside the stable block
3. hats to be worn when in the stables (must admit that I don't)
4. horses to be treated with respect
5. only one helper in the arena when lunging and hat/gloves to be worn

i think that's it :)
 
We have quite a few, but it makes for a happy, clean, safe yard!
  • Horses Feet to be picked out when bringing in from the field, or if stabled before they're bought out of the box
  • No dogs.
  • No smoking.
  • Wheelbarrows have covers on and we are expected to use them to stop the contents of the barrows blowing around - they are a fantastic idea!
  • Use wheelbarrows or large bags to move haynets - stops bits of hay from going everywhere.
  • Empty the wheelbarrow when you've finished with it.
  • Pick up all of your horses poo.
  • Fields must be poo-picked every day.
  • Keep the muck heap tidy and forked back.
  • Tools (forks, brooms etc) are put away tidily and in the correct place.
  • In the school, the usual - pass left to left etc, pick up all poo, put jumps away after use, pick out horses feet before leaving.
  • Sweep back all hay/haylage/straw when you take it from the barn.
  • Sweep the area you have been after you've finished (i.e. if you have tied up in an empty stable to groom/tack up then sweep it out after use)
  • All tack to be put away in an orderly fashion, i.e. bits washed off and hung up tidily.
 
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We have loads! I couldnt even remeber them all to list I'm sure but some are:
- All new horses go into 2 week quaranteen (in a field next to the school where they sniff others when they get on. Also not allowed to hack with others on yard when in quaranteen but anyone can meet up with others off yard......)
- poo pick fields (no-one does it)
- Poo pick school (see above)
- Fork up and level muckheap (again ^)
- Keep yard tidy and sweep up after hay/straw deliveries and in barns etc (^)
- Lead horses to the field holding them (yes this was added due to some people loosing their horses by trying to get them to follow them....)
- Turnout times (on a complete DIY yard have to get freelance groom in for services) in by 4.30 in winter, 6 in summer and if you turn around not out before 5 and in by 10.
- Cant thing of others but sure there is MANY more, lots are listed in the contract too!!

Most are reasonable, its just on a yard of adults only you would hope most would have the common sence not to need to be told/have them written down in the contract when you arrive but no.
 
My yard doesn't have any set rules, YO is very easy going. However, the yard works well, everyone seems to do their bit to a greater or lesser degree. We know what the YO thinks is important and we respect that.
 
We have loads a new one gets added when we have a problem!!


  1. We do not do 24hr turn out any time of year
    Pick horses feet out before and after using the school
    Make sure all jumps / poles are put away after use and the school is left clear for the next user
    Use water sparingly its a commodity so think before you use, stables are not to be hosed out on a daily basis
    Poo picking must be done on a daily basis if 2 or more horses in a field, bi daily if 1 horse.
    The maintainence of grazing is your responsibility so if you require reatricted grazing keep your horse off the grass longer, dont start making own paddocks.
    Ensure all taps, lights, gates, stables, feed room, tack room are shut / switched off prior to leaving the yard if you are last
    If horses escape paddocks ensure you pooh pick everywhere they had access to and if fencing is broken whoevers horse broke it is responsible for paying the livery for replacement
    Keep yard swept clear and tidy and leave the yard how you would expect to find it
    Ensure who ever turns rug dryers on turns off once used dont leave left on
    No smoking is permitted on the yard or in the fields.


There are lots more but these are the main ones...

K x
 
Must admit we don't have any rules as such just a lot of common sense. The only rules we do have are no smoking, no dogs off lead and no 24/7 turnout.

There really shouldn't be any need to tell people to clean up mess, put away jumps, turn off lights, lock tack room etc.
 
We don't have a written list just some unwritten fundamentals:

1. No smoking on the yard.
2. Hats to be worn when mounted.
3. First person on the yard feeds all the horses.
4. Poo pick after your horse.
5. Tidy up after yourself (stables, paddocks, jumps etc)
6. Ride on the mown tracks only not through the crops!

Every so often you hear mumblings about how we should have the rules written down and more people challenged for breaking them - but then as said several times above would it make a jote of difference?

I have been on yards with very strict rules - but I'm a swot and stick to them :D so it never bothered me and I liked that people were expected to conform. It takes a tough cookie of a YM/YO to enforce them initially though.
 
Sadly common sense is severely lacking in some. :(

Thanks everyone for the replies. One more question for all you lovely people: how is "borrowing" without consent dealt with at your various yards, or yo's & ym's - how do you deal with it when talking to person hasn't made a lick of difference?
 
orsolya80 said:
Sadly common sense is severely lacking in some. :(

Thanks everyone for the replies. One more question for all you lovely people: how is "borrowing" without consent dealt with at your various yards, or yo's & ym's - how do you deal with it when talking to person hasn't made a lick of difference?
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At my old yard 'borrowing' happened all the time and YO didn't give a damn (you wouldn't happened to be stabled there ;) ) so you would go find the borrower shout at them have an argument then lock everything you own away.

At my new yard 'borrowing' doesn't happen, it's wonderful! :D
 
Our yard doesn't have a posted set of rules but we are expected to clear up after our horses.

When I first moved there, the only thing the YO said was no tying up outside stables but that was for safety as there are several stallions on the yard (and who go out into a stallion paddock which adjoins the yard each day) and if a horse untied itself and got loose it could create mayhem. We're allowed to tie up outside for farrier, etc, but have to stay with the horse which is fair enough.

The main unspoken rule at our yard though is just to let the YO, or one of the girls, know what you're doing (in terms of going out to fetch horses in or riding out, etc) for safety and logistical reasons (i.e. you don't want to be bringing your in-season mare in just as one of the more fiery stallions is being led out to the paddock).
 
I have only one rule - it's my yard and I will do as I please :D

Within reason, obviously :p

Been on yards with some sensible and some odd rules. I just have a policy now of not going anywhere that has rules which aren't compatible with my horses' lifestyles - saves breaking rules, which I confess I have always been prone to on these places. (Convenience type rules, not the blindingly obvious!)
 
We don't have a written set of rules.. but I think it would be a good idea to!

Unwritten rules are:
- Poo-pick your own fields
- Clear up in the arena when you have finished (poo/jumps etc)
- Put hay and straw in bags when moving it from the barn (no-one does this! stupid rule!)
- Wear a hat whilst riding

At my old yard there were MANY more rules, examples are:
- Pick out feet when leaving the school
- Stables must be mucked out by a certain time
- Only one bag of shavings allowed per horse per week (Not enough in my eyes)
- Must wear body protectors while jumping
- Tack/Feed rooms must always be locked unless you are inside or directly outside (I think this is a great rule! Problems with tack theives)

I would like to see the 'lock tack rooms' rule at my new yard - there are plenty of times I have been down and found the door wide open and noone about!! ... I take my saddle home!!
 
Holly Hocks said:
There are a number of rules - nobody takes a blind bit of notice of them though!

Poo picking - everyone is supposed to do it, however the reality is that hardly anyone actually does it!

Pick poo up out of the school after horse has pooed in school - same culprits never clear up after their horses

Keep muck heap tidy - well a few days ago, it was taking over the yard because the same people from the above lists are too lazy to fork their poo up.

Has anyone noticed how all our yard rules are poo related?
Click to expand...

You must be at my old yard ha ha - the rows over poo picking / yard sweeping and dont get me started on the muck heap ..

When I went to look around my present yard, I said to the YO what a lovely fantastic muck heap - she said "ohh you are a funny little thing" ..
 
My yard has a lot of rules but we are a big yard with over 40 liveries and a riding school so we need them.

Most are pretty self explanatory like making sure you clean up after yourself and your horse.

others include:
always wearing a hat if you enter a field with horses in
children have to be supervised when using the indoor school or when jumping
and my favourite, no horse is to be left on its own. Even if you get to field and only have one head coller and there is two horses you have go back to the yard and get the other horses head coller :)
 
Enfys said:
My rules aren't posted, there is only one anyway - No visiting dogs.

It has honestly never occurred to me to tell people to shut the feed bin, use the trash can or turn out the lights etc, as I assume that it is pure common sense/ common courtesy and what everyone does anyway.

The only thing I do have posted very visibly are my home and cell numbers, those of the Vet and the Farrier, and my full postal address for 911 calls.

If you had to make an emergency call could you give the full postal address and code of the stables? My Boarders said that they couldn't.
Click to expand...

i would like to come on your yard please :)
 
We dont, its a small yard about 14-15horses, were all adults and clean up after ourselves. We dont have to tidy muck heap as farmer does it, we dont poo pick fields are roated then muck spread etc. So its all very chilled
 
We aren't a DIY so rules are easier to enforce! There aren't many but here are the ones we abide by

1. Hats to be worn at all times
2. No dogs left unsupervised-we have a lot of dogs at the yard and in fact there are only 2 who will stick with their owner or take themselves back to their car. One of mine and working cocker. With my boy I can't turn my back on him as he IMMEDIATELY goes off to mug someone else for attention. So its with me 100% or crated.
3. Poo pick in the school if necessary (that one I did break and have to make myself think about it - previous horse would never ever do it, new boy seems to want to do it as soon as we get in
4. Shut the flipping yard gate. My personal bete noire and I happily take this up at all times. I nag and nag and nag and cannot understand the mentality of anyone who drives in, and then leaves the front gate open. YO is happy for me to do this and I am now known for this!. While we are not near a main road, grass liveries are tied up in the centre part (right next to the gate) when being seen to and everything else can be out in oh 2 minutes. PLUS it means strange dogs have been known to wander in and cause havoc with members of the yard pack.

as for borrowing things -not really a massive problem at our yard. YO is highly focused on finding anything that has gone missing but by and large not too bad. If it was a continual problem then I would suggest padlocking away anything you don't want to be "borrowed"

all staff numbers are on the wall but all liveries have them on their phones anyway...
 
We don't have many;

Poo pick your fields (I gave up with this having 4 horses across 2 seperate large fields, Eventually they took the tractor and sweeper in there, I'm more than happy to pay because I really can't be fagged)

Clean up any mess left on the yard

All dogs on leads (this is always ignored and they mess everywhere!)

No smoking

All hay/bedding must be bought from the yard

We don't really have many rules.
I'm suprised we don't have a rule about riding without hats (actually quite pleased about this though).
 
Honestly... I am astounded! If my yard owner insisted on things like picking out feet/wearing a hat on the yard/BP for jumping etc. I would be swiftly running for the hills! I count my blessings, for all its flaws I appreciate the laid back attitude there is on our DIY yard.
 
No written rules at my yard. Reading some of the ones on here, some yards seem obsessive but with no rules, thinks are lax and even the simplest of tasks (poo picking after horses are tied up) seems to be forgotten grr
 
Winklepoker said:
Honestly... I am astounded! If my yard owner insisted on things like picking out feet/wearing a hat on the yard/BP for jumping etc. I would be swiftly running for the hills! I count my blessings, for all its flaws I appreciate the laid back attitude there is on our DIY yard.
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this is probably die to the YO insurance policy that they have taken out on the livery yard! Different insurance policies require certain standards and rules and these are some that can occur...along with no children under the age of 12, no helping with eachothers horses/favours (e.g. the YO has responsibility for any help needed) all due to insurance now!!
 
Ours are made up as we go along. :p

No socialising on the yard
No boiling the kettle as it costs too much
No lights to be turned on (as above)
No having fun
No hosepipes as we waste too much water and it costs too much.
No helping each other out as its technically stealing from the YO

Im sure my YO is going doolally
 
I can't see any practical reason for a lot of these rules. I think some yards just like to control people. Who on earth has time to poo pick every day? If I did that I wouldn't have time to ride. I do it once a week for my 2 horses and that works fine.
 
nat1003 said:
Ours are made up as we go along. :p

No socialising on the yard
No boiling the kettle as it costs too much
No lights to be turned on (as above)
No having fun
No hosepipes as we waste too much water and it costs too much.
No helping each other out as its technically stealing from the YO

Im sure my YO is going doolally
Click to expand...

I would leave!
 
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