Yard rules

[Deltofe2493]

What yard rules do you have (if any)?

I have recently moved yards and there are a LOT more rules than my last place. Never a bad thing just takes some time getting used to. Very embarrassing to have been told off for these things when you don’t know! ?

1. sweep up ? out of walker (last yard was dealers yard so was swept by grooms daily)
2. Some parts of grass off limits (could hand graze anywhere before)
3. Rake lunge pen after use (no lunge pen before, so makes sense!)

What rules however silly or sane do you have and do you agree with them?

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I sometimes wish the yard I'm on would have more rules, and better or more equal enforcement. I have been in mostly strict stables throughout my life and the above rules wouldn't have shocked me. Occasionally I hear of something over the top or extra but haven't experienced anything too bad. I can't think of anything weird off the top of my head.

We are supposed to clean up after our horses on the driveway, and in all of the schools, which I think is reasonable. As well as picking out hooves upon exiting the schools. These things are apparently too much for some people ?‍

 

[Sleipnir]

I have mostly kept my horses in places with a set of reasonable rules that, to be honest, would come to me naturally anyway - like pick your horses' droppings after using the arena or sweep after yourself in the stable aisles. One place, however, became completely bonkers after a change in owners/management. If you forgot as much as a hoofpick after yourself anywhere in the stables, it was immediately thrown in the bin. Miss a dropping in the arena? You'd promptly find it in your grooming box! Everyone was also assigned their own "zone" in the indoor that was to be raked daily, and horses were NOT allowed to accidentally touch the ground poles with a hoof - not if you didn't want to get told off aggressively. The indoor was also off limits after 6pm, which meant that nobody with normal working hours could actually use it - but you still had to fulfil your raking duties. ? I promptly left.

 

[dogatemysalad]

Rules are not a bad thing. It's only when they aren't enforced that people get fed up.

 

[milliepops]

Rules are not a bad thing. It's only when they aren't enforced that people get fed up.

yeah. the one rule for one and one for another is when rules get verrrrrrry frustrating.

I'm not on a proper livery any more but there are unwritten rules for me and the overnighters coming for training, just common sense/be a decent human stuff like clear up after yourself. The nature of the unwritten bit means there is sometimes some friction between YO and visitors you wouldn't think you would need to be told to stop your dog pooing in the hay though would you??

Previous yard had no written rules but was run by a YO with an iron fist so everyone did the right thing anyway. One before that had a million rules but YO had favourite liveries and that was horrible.

 

[hollyandivy123]

at one yard i had to remind the yard manager that as i was paying the same price for access to the board and keep as everyone else etc i had the same rights to access the facilities as those who were competing at PGS etc they book the school for sole use then i can to

 

[MissTyc]

Our main rule is is to leave things as you found them, don't empty your wheelbarrow at the base of the muckheap, and report breakages. That seems to cover most of our needs!
We do also have a rule that anyone hacking out off the yard must wear a riding hat and hi-viz as we're on a main road. It's mainly to educate the kids and some of the more novice riders, but it does make sense esp in our location.

 

[Rowreach]

yeah. the one rule for one and one for another is when rules get verrrrrrry frustrating.

I'm not on a proper livery any more but there are unwritten rules for me and the overnighters coming for training, just common sense/be a decent human stuff like clear up after yourself. The nature of the unwritten bit means there is sometimes some friction between YO and visitors you wouldn't think you would need to be told to stop your dog pooing in the hay though would you??

Previous yard had no written rules but was run by a YO with an iron fist so everyone did the right thing anyway. One before that had a million rules but YO had favourite liveries and that was horrible.

Yup, unwritten rules only work when people have a combination of common sense and good manners!

I never needed to have rules when all my clients were on full livery, but when I started having part liveries it was a lot easier to write the rules down and make sure they all knew them (and followed them), and if they didn't, then they were politely told that maybe it wasn't the yard for them and perhaps they'd be happier elsewhere (none of the rules were weird or unreasonable).

Now I am a livery on someone else's yard and there's only me with two horses, and one other person who I've seen there twice in 15 months. YOs are incredibly relaxed and it is me that makes my own "rules" and falls over myself to be a star livery who doesn't cause any bother, keeps the place tidy, and has stern words with my horses to behave themselves at all times and not get us kicked out

 

[GreyDot]

There was a yard I was on that had a change of management - all of a sudden, if you soaked your hay, you had to bring your own water to do it, and no hanging haynets, and when the spring rolled around and the grass started to grown in the summer field, he got on his lawnmower and mowed it! To make it neat.
I left.

 

[scats]

No rules here, but there’s only 4 of us now and 5 horses. YO trusts us to do what is sensible and we are all sticklers for a clean and tidy yard so there are never any issues. She leaves the yard to us.
Other three liveries share a barn and I have a barn to myself (heaven!), but communal areas are kept tidy. We are all good friends- I brought all but 1 person with me from old yard. It’s as close to having my own place as I’ll probably ever get!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I share a yard with the YO. There are no rules but I've had horses for 40 years now and it's pretty much common sense. Every is kept tidy. Horses are kept happy, sometimes that means bringing one in if upset etc. Every is kept safe, and we chat about any issues that may crop up in the near future. It works really well.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

My boy was on a BHS Training Yard once and one of the rules was re. "Dress". You weren't allowed to wear Jeans not even jods made out of denim, and you had to stick to the requisite colours of fawn, black, brown, navy etc., no pink!!

You also had to wear hard-hat & boots & gloves for anything where you were leading the horses or handling them, at all times, no exceptions. And gloves if you were riding (everyone removed them as soon as out of sight of YO's office!!).

I'm a YO (DIY) and my rules are quite simple; they include a strict No Smoking policy - and because I live on-site I tend to be a bit precious over who comes and goes (liveries have keys). Poo picking: I tend to leave the duration of that to the livery (one does hers once a week, fine by me as long as 'tis done). Also liveries must tend their horses at least once a day. Also - courtesy - let me know if coming early i.e. before 7am or after say 9pm.

We keep a portfolio visible and accessible for "Emergency" situations i.e. a horse down or poorly and owner can't be contacted. Mine includes a protocol for if the worst happens and stipulates method of euthanasia because my girl fights sedation and so I would want the gun used for her.......... sorry, not a cheerful subject but at my yard due to two horses having to be PTS (scheduled not emergency) within the last 10 weeks it's on everyone's minds so we've tackled it head on for the future.

 

[Caol Ila]

I've come across weird ones. The barn where I boarded during undergrad got some very strange rules when a new barn manager took over. Every horse was required to have an identical stable nameplate, which its owner had to buy. Every horse had to be clipped/trimmed "according to its breed/discipline." The barn manager raised an eyebrow at my scruffy TBx mare who I could not be a*rsed to clip and asked what discipline I rode. "Trail riding!" I said. "Oh, I guess you can leave her mane long." Yeah, f*ck you too, lady.

The same woman brought in a dress code for the group lessons. Tan breeches. A belt. A button up shirt. Tall boots or leather half chaps. I was taking private dressage lessons at the time (the "trail riding" answer wasn't the entire truth), and while she gritted her teeth at people riding in t-shirts and hoodies, she wasn't crazy enough to do anything about what they wore when riding on their own time or in private lessons.

My old barn in S. Lanarkshire had one of those YOs whose enforcement of his rules correlated with how much he liked you. For instance, one of the other liveries was picking out her horse's feet on the concrete in front of the barn and started to sweep up the dirt. It was about 3pm. The YO said, "Oh, don't worry about it. We're bringing in the horses soon anyway." Sometime later, I was picking out my horse's feet at the same time, 3pm. The horses came in every day at 3:45, like clockwork. I did not sweep away the dirt, and he gave me a bollocking. He also gave me a bollicking for taking my horse to a two-day Mark Rashid clinic, and she stayed overnight. I didn't know overnight clinics/shows were even a problem! Especially when I knew of other liveries who had gone to two-day shows.

Gypsum stayed briefly (very, lol) at another yard where you were not allowed to buy your own feed. You had to feed the stuff that the YO provided. Why? She went on a long rant about the chemicals and other bad sh1t in all commercially available feeds.

While yard hunting last year, I came across one with a track system. How nice. Spoke to the YO, who said she would email the contract so I could have a look at the yard rules. It was 15 pages! Among other things, your horse had to be barefoot and bitless, and you were not allowed to use standard veterinary medicine on your horse until you had exhausted all the possibilities of herbs, essential oils, reiki, etc. etc. for treating whatever ailment your horse had. Nope, and some more nope. I ran fast and far.

I came across another yard, north of here, which requires you to be barefoot, treeless, and bitless. Seems to be a thing. My horse sort of is all those things, but that's not the point. It's a personal decision for the owner, and I don't want that kind micromanagement in my life.

 

[Fjord]

OK @Caol Ila, you win the maddest rules award! How on earth does a YO think it's reasonable to tell people how to dress (outside of safety wear) or to clip/trim manes?

I can understand the barefoot rule, well at least barefoot behind, for safety. But using a bit or a treed saddle doesn't affect anyone else so again, that's a bit bonkers.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

sorry posted in error X

 

[Starzaan]

I have always had a LOT of rules when I have run yards, particularly the last, and potentially some of them have annoyed liveries in the past, but all of them have been for a reason. I either make rules based on horse welfare, client experience, or efficiency of running of the yard.
There are probably too many to list haha, but if anyone would like to hear them I'm happy to bore you with lists haha, some of them do sound a bit bonkers.

 

[Ahrena]

I’ve only ever been on yards with sensible rules like picking up poo from school (not that people could manage it!) and dogs on leads etc.

The rule that I often see which REALLY puts me off yards is time restrictions. Whilst I’m sensible and have always let yard owners know if I’m about to rock up in the middle of the night for an emergency, and I appreciate people who live on site want their personal space, it really puts me off as I want to be able to go to my horses whenever I need to.

 

[Fieldlife]

I have always had a LOT of rules when I have run yards, particularly the last, and potentially some of them have annoyed liveries in the past, but all of them have been for a reason. I either make rules based on horse welfare, client experience, or efficiency of running of the yard.
There are probably too many to list haha, but if anyone would like to hear them I'm happy to bore you with lists haha, some of them do sound a bit bonkers.

Yes please!

 

[fidleyspromise]

I would ask for a list of the rules so you know what is expected of you.

Rules on yards have been:
Pick out feet when leave arena
Pick up pooh from arena, picking out the arena surface and putting it back
£1 per Haynet used
8am open time - 8pm closing time
Only allowed to fill/use haynets for each day. (I fill haynets for a week as timesaving/energy saving but had to stop).
No dogs on yard or dogs on lead on another yard.
Pick up every piece of pooh from field. (Someone was yelled at for not getting every crumb).
If horse poohs on driveway or x far down track to fields Pick it up.

No rules but I've always slept up after myself on yards. Hay blows about so have swept aisles.

Current yard is more grass livery. You have shelter in field and there no stables. No rules as everyone keeps to themselves and has their own area.

 

[Deltofe2493]

Yes please!

@Starzaan do spill ?

 

[Aperchristmas]

8am opening time seems very harsh for anyone who works standard hours - mine need to be completely done by 730 for me to have a chance of being on time!

Anywhere I have been has had very sensible rules like clearing up poo, picking out hooves before you leave the school and mucking out tools put in safe places (so no horse accidentally stands on a stable fork etc).

 

[ponynutz]

I mean we're very lucky to have ours at home but me and dad have some 'unspoken rules':

1) Empty your barrow on top of the muck heap not at the edges
2) Dad does morning feeds and turnout during the week because he works and I don't; I feed at the weekends to give him lie-ins
3) 4 bales of shavings lasts us a month - tough if you use both of yours in a couple of weeks
4) I do the poo picking he clears the muck heap
5) Just your general who does which jobs etc etc

 

[Deltofe2493]

How do people manage the poo picking rota in shared fields?

 

[ponynutz]

How do people manage the poo picking rota in shared fields?

We had a group chat and made a rota that we posted on the groupchat. If anyone couldn't for any reason we'd figure it out in the groupchat or if we saw each other on the yard.

One person one day or if we were all on the yard and had the time we'd go out as a group with a couple of barrows.

 

[Dave's Mam]

How do people manage the poo picking rota in shared fields?

Our yard harrows & rotates fields.

 

[HorseyTee]

I looked at a yard where liveries were not allowed there before 9am, and be gone by 7pm as owners lived on site, which is no good for full time workers really is it.
You also weren't allowed to tie horses on the yard, they were only allowed in the field or stable, not on the yard area, so grooming, tacking up, farrier ect all had to be done inside the stable.
If you wanted to bath your horse which people do for shows ect, you had to bring your own water from home.

I didn't move my horse there in the end as it was just far too restrictive.

 

[smolmaus]

We don't have a written set of rules, my anxiety brain wishes we did! The only one I have fallen foul of was giving a hay net in the wash bay so she would let me soak her feet. No hay nets anywhere on the yard, stables only.

Doing favours for eachother during the winter is frowned upon as then you're not paying for services (fair enough?) but I am the annoying exception as me and friend basically co-parent our pair ? both of us pay for plenty of services anyway!

The 8am-8pm yard hours is the only thing that grates a bit. Absolutely no exceptions to that one.

I am stunned to see more than one person say they've had to bring their own water for stuff. How?? Why?? Bonkers.

 

[Rowreach]

The water thing is presumably because the YO pays for every drop used, and it can be really hard to watch people waste it. Not a rule I ever had though.

 

[Caol Ila]

Doing favours for eachother during the winter is frowned upon as then you're not paying for services (fair enough?) but I am the annoying exception as me and friend basically co-parent our pair ? both of us pay for plenty of services anyway!

That would p!ss me off. I have an arrangement with friends where they do the morning turn-out/bring-in (depending on time of year, the horses on overnight or day turnout), and I do the evening one. Saves us like £50 per month, and makes my life easy because the staff can't catch my horse. He comes to call for my friends, so if they are catching him, I know he'll be where he's supposed to be.

 

[Deltofe2493]

Strangely enough, my yard is a serious advocate for job sharing between diy-ers as it takes the pressure off them (predominately a riding school so focus is on teaching)